08.06.2013 Views

Measures for Progress: A History of the National Bureau of Standards

Measures for Progress: A History of the National Bureau of Standards

Measures for Progress: A History of the National Bureau of Standards

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

258 THE TiDE OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (1920-30)<br />

supplies bought annually by <strong>the</strong> Government. Thereafter, <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> Stand-<br />

ards specifications accepted by <strong>the</strong> Board became <strong>of</strong>ficial standards, binding<br />

on all departments <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Federal establishment.106<br />

In immediate charge <strong>of</strong> Federal specification work at <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong> was<br />

Norman F. Harriman. In an adjacent <strong>of</strong>fice Dr. Addams S. McAllister main-<br />

tained liaison with <strong>the</strong> AESC, through whose <strong>of</strong>fices drafts <strong>of</strong> Federal specifi-<br />

cations went out to industry and differences <strong>of</strong> opinions on requirements were<br />

ironed out. Between 1921 and 1924 <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong> alone prepared 72 specifica-<br />

tions. Among <strong>the</strong>m was one <strong>for</strong> fire hose, insisting it contain 75 percent <strong>of</strong><br />

new wild or plant rubber. That <strong>for</strong> pneumatic tires required at least 70 per-<br />

cent new rubber on <strong>the</strong>ir tread. Glass tumblers had to withstand 6 hours in<br />

boiling water. Threads on wood screws were to extend two-thirds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir<br />

length. Red ink was given fixed proportiOns <strong>of</strong> crocein scarlet to distilled or<br />

rain water. Bull and buffalo hides could not be used in sole lea<strong>the</strong>r. And pre-<br />

cise proportions <strong>of</strong> ground cork, burlap, and binder were fixed <strong>for</strong> light,<br />

medium, and heavy battleship linoleum.<br />

Preparing specifications and revising those already promulgated be-<br />

came so extensive an ef<strong>for</strong>t at <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong> that it soon proved "a serious drain<br />

on nearly all <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> appropriation units <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong>." 107 The drain con-<br />

tinued as <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong> between 1925 and 1928 prepared over 150 new specifica-<br />

tions, covering supplies as diverse as huck towels and cheesecloth, pneumatic<br />

hose and wire rope, asphalt and firebrick, quicklime and chinaware, ice bags<br />

and friction tape, plumbing fixtures and builders' hardware.<br />

In September 1925 <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong>, in cooperation with <strong>the</strong> AESC and<br />

associated industrial representatives, issued its "<strong>National</strong> directory <strong>of</strong> com-<br />

modity specifications," 3 years in <strong>the</strong> making, listing 27,000 specifications<br />

<strong>for</strong> 6,650 commodities. This was Hoover's "Buyers' Bible," as he called it,<br />

Memo, N. F. Harriman, "Organization and work <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> FSB," Oct. 29, 1923 (NBS<br />

Box 42, ID) ; report, Burgess to Secretary Hoover [1924], p. 11 (NBS Box 96, PRA)<br />

NBS Annual Report 1926, p. 3; Burgess, "Relation <strong>of</strong> public purchases to <strong>the</strong> national<br />

standardization movement," MS report, 1925 (NBS Box 116, IDS—AESC). Ano<strong>the</strong>r<br />

Burgess report dated Jan. 9, 1925 is in Box 139, PA.<br />

The Federal Specifications Board, consisting <strong>of</strong> representatives <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 10 executive<br />

departments, <strong>the</strong> Panama Canal authority, and <strong>the</strong> General Supply Committee, with<br />

Dr. Burgess its ex <strong>of</strong>ficio chairman, utilized <strong>the</strong> staffs <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Standards</strong>, <strong>Bureau</strong><br />

<strong>of</strong> Mines, <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> Chemistry and o<strong>the</strong>r Federal and civilian scientific agencies <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

preparation <strong>of</strong> its specifications. By 1924 <strong>the</strong> Board had 65 technical committees<br />

engaged in <strong>the</strong>ir preparation, 24 headed by members <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Standards</strong>.<br />

Letter, GKB to Secretary Hoover, Sept. 13, 1924 (NBS Box 72, FPE). A list <strong>of</strong><br />

commodity experts at <strong>the</strong> <strong>Bureau</strong>, responsible <strong>for</strong> almost 200 commercial products, is<br />

attached to letter, GKB to Assistant Secretary <strong>of</strong> Commerce, Oct. 27. 1923 (NBS Box<br />

41, AP).

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!