2. Additional district offices in some of the more important indus- 3. Increased appropriation for the work of the domestic com- 4. Legislation authorizing the bureau to send experts and exhibits 5. Additional offices in foreign countries, especially in those coun- 6. Larger appropriations to permit the assignment to commodity 7. More ample printing appropriations. Very truly yours, JULIUS KLEIN, Director. BUREAU OF STANDARDS DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Hon. HERBERT HOOVER, Secretary of Commerce. DEAR MR. SECRETARY: In response to your request I furnish tr following condensed report upon the work of the bureau during th past year: GENERAL ACTIVITIES by The development of the work of the Bureau of Standards shoul in my opinion, keep pace with the growth and increasing variety and scope of the Nation's activities."The world to-day is ruled br physical science, and business, which, in the vast proportions i dustry and commerce have now attained, is itself the child of phys cal science." (Bryce's South America.) The bureau's work in science and technology is all for the publ: welfare. It is a great service bureau which increases the wealt and productive capacity of the Nation, reduces fire losses, as well hazards, in trade and transportation, maintains and raises standard in industry, improves conditions affecting safety, service, and sta bility and fair dealings in trade, furnishes a homogeneous staff and already equipped laboratories for use in times of stress, serves a testing and research laboratory for other Government depar ments, cooperates with them and with industrial and trade orga zations in formulating commodity and engineering specifications and prevents litigation costs by acting as a court of appeal on many technical questions. Among the activities that could be extended with great advantag and savings to the country are the simplification and housing pro lems; more adequate facilities for testing instruments of precisi for manufacturers and users; determination of fundamental phys cal and chemical constants of importance in many lines of industry and engineering; experimental research as related to standards d measurements, quality of materials, testing methods, and perfor ance of machines; and the experimental data needed in relation: uniformity of practice, especially for public utilities and the reg lation of automotive traffic. The factor of foreign competition should not be lost sight of: considering the rôle of the bureau in the program of nations economy. Nineteen nations now have standardizing bodies their impress on commerce is beginning to be felt. Certain other governments, such as England, while curtailing all other expens are increasing by large amounts their appropriations for scienti and technical research and extending their plants and building new laboratories. The visiting committee states: The world is presumably now entering upon a period of intense aggressive international competition in all matters relating to the arts and industries. If, with our relatively high standards of living and consequently high wage scales, we are to hold our own in this competition we can not afford to handicap ourselves with any lack of facilities for the study of problems of basic scientific and industrial importance, facilities with which many of our competitors are now provided in degree far better than are we. The place of such a laboratory can not be taken by any private institution or organization. No private interest could be expected to maintain indefinitely 1 national viewpoint or to preserve at all times a properly balanced regard for he interests of all the people. Again, the United States Government is in itself the largest business enterrise in the world, and its executive officers should have at their disposal, and n the fullest degree, expert advice and aid on all matters of a scientific and echnical nature which concern its welfare. NATIONAL SCREW THREAD COMMISSION This commission, organized by act of Congress in 1918 and composed of representatives from the Departments of War, Navy, and Commerce; the Society of Automotive Engineers; and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, with the director of the bureau as x officio chairman, has issued the past year a second report, bringng the matters in the first report of 1921 up to date and including ew material relating to threading tools, tool shapes, tap dimensions, ap drill sizes, screw threads of special sizes, fire-hose couplings, and Food screws. The life of the commission expires by law in 1927, and in view of he success of the commission and the many things in its field still eeding attention, it is strongly recommended that the life of the ommission be extended indefinitely. This is particularly desirable lso for the reason that its findings are mandatory on the Governent departments and from the preeminent position the commission as secured in industry. FEDERAL SPECIFICATIONS BOARD The Federal Specifications Board is one of several coordinating ards of the Federal Government which function under the Chief oordinator, who in turn is responsible to the Director of the Bureau the Budget. The chairman ex officio of this board is the Director the Bureau of Standards and the vice chairman and technical cretary is a member of the bureau's staff. The board is composed of one representative from each executive epartment and independent establishment which purchases supplies ider specifications. The board now has 72 technical committees working on groups of lated items and specifications, these technical committees being mposed of experts officially designated by the representatives of e various departments of the Government. The Bureau of Standds takes a very active part in the work of almost all of these techcal committees and the chairmanships of 26 of these committees e held by Bureau of Standards experts. In connection with the development and formulation of Unite States Government master specifications a great deal of resear work has been done by the bureau. The board has officially prom gated 316 master specifications as Government standards. The preparation and use of master commodity specifications for the entire Federal Government is an essential step in the econom which results in the purchase of materials in large quantities. E no field of Government operation was there greater need for cr structive work than in the field of purchase standards. In the ca of certain materials and supplies there were slight variations specifications of the different departments and establishments, t special and peculiar requirements of which meant departure fr standard commercial practice, which in turn necessitated speci fabrication, which always involves greater cost. It is intended that eventually all Government purchases will based on correct standards of quality and practice. Our specific tions will then meet the needs of the Government as to uniformit and will avoid duplication of effort on the part of the Governme and industry. NATIONAL DIRECTORY OF COMMODITY SPECIFICATIONS During the last year the work on the preparation of the Nations Directory of Commodity Specifications was completed and this pr lication will soon be ready for distribution. The issuance of s information has been possible only through the active cooperati of the Government departments, the State and municipal gover ments and independent establishments, public utilities, the technic societies and trade associations, and the leading industrial orga zations. The directory contains a classified list of approximately 27 existing specifications, covering over 6,000 commodities, and th publication will be found very useful in connection with purchases TREATISE ON SPECIFICATIONS Work is now under way on a treatise on specifications which w deal with the selection, use, and limitations of commodity specific tions and testing methods. An analysis of material available sho that a well-rounded treatise can be prepared. Such material as now have on hand has been obtained from the American Engineer Standards Committee, the American Institute of Architects, American Society for Testing Materials, and the National Asso tion of Purchasing Agents. HOUSEHOLD SPECIFICATIONS Work has been started on a publication to aid the housewife! the selection and purchase of commodities for the home. An an sis of the material on hand shows that with certain very importa exceptions most of the specifications for household commodities ha been prepared by and for the use of "experts." However, it believed that this material can be worked up in such manner the the housewife can make use of it when making her purchases. VISITING COMMITTEE This committee, established by law "to visit the bureau at least once a year and report to the Secretary upon the efficiency of its scientific work and the condition of its equipment," is composed of Messrs. S. W. Stratton, W. D. Bancroft, A. Swasey, W. F. Durand, and Gano Dunn. The committee met twice at the bureau, once with the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, and on December 22, 1924, issued a comprehensive printed report on the activities of the bureau (Misc. Pubs. of B. of S. No. 63), emphasizing the need of the country for extension of the bureau's activities in scientific and industrial research and the urgency of further increasing its facilities to meet the ever-increasing demands for testing services both for the Government and the public; and calling attention to the evident advantages to the Government that would accrue if the specificaion work of the bureau could be expanded. ADVISORY COMMITTEES Much of the bureau's scientific and technical work of interest to American industry is mapped out by the aid of advisory committees epresenting industry. There are some 80 of these committees comosed of leaders in their respective fields, which meet, as occasion equires, at the bureau for consultation with our staff. In this way he bureau is kept in close contact with the needs of industry, and nany of these committees have been very helpful in aiding us to rient our work so as to make it most effective. Likewise, many members of the bureau's staff are officers of the ational scientific and technical societies. For instance, the chief f the electrical division is president of the Illuminating Engineerng Society and the chief of the radio section is president of the nstitute of Radio Engineers. RESEARCH ASSOCIATES The number of research associates stationed at the bureau by rade, technical, and scientific associations at work on fundamental roblems of interest to industry has increased the past year from 29 563, representing 48 industrial or scientific groups and an expendiare at the bureau by them of over $250,000. These cooperative rrangements are working out very satisfactorily, and the findings f investigations so carried on are in all cases made available to he public through publication of the results. SIMPLIFIED PRACTICE The close of this fiscal year marks an important change in the istory of a number of important American industries, and the 1ovement for elimination of seldom-used varieties of commodities as grown considerably in scope, with the result that large savings ave accrued to manufacturers, distributers, and users in these arious fields. |