The Iron Age 1902-03-06: Vol 69 Iss 10

A Review of the Hardware, Iron, Machinery’ u..— Pu lished every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co., 232-238 William St., New York. Vc. 69: No. 10 New York, Thursday, March 6, 1902. Single Copies, Ten Coma : Reading Matter Contents ... .. page 61[-—— Alphabetical Index to Advertisers “ 219 Clase: fied List of Advertisers .... ‘* 212 Adve 103 »-tising and Subscription Rates ** Douswo St. Louis, Mo. DATING Wow York. THE BRISTOL COMPANY, Waterbury, Conn. Bristol’s Recording Instruments. For Pressure Temperature and Electricity. Silver Medal, Puris Exposition. All Ranges, Low Prices, and Guar- anieed. pend for Circulars. Also Masenchusetts wepette 6 Phenix SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. TURNBUCKLES. annoy 1 Broadway, New York. Civeland City City ae, sad tron Co. = + Cleveland, O, TURNBUCKIDBS. - <a aaicnier MILL CINDER. Brooklyn, E.D., N.Y. Girard Buildin iS, Eafe. PILLING & GRANE, isi: Row APOLLO BEST BLOOM GALVANIZED IRON What are you in business for > That’s what Apollo gal- vanized iron is for. merican Sheet Steel Company, New York | => DAHALL BOILERS » r= Sn age 2 i eed en . ae . eInqiysuy «80 UT ME Dost aug AGE ades. UM.C AMMUNITION Nee he er ae ts ee pal is ES as bo leh is sold by all dealers because it is a staple— Shooters have learned to rely upon it. Order it by Name and insist that your dealer gives you nothing else. U. M. C. cartridges and shot shells are “time tried;” 35 years of progress, Catalogues. THE UNION METALLIC CARTRIDGE CO. 313 Broadway, Briegeport,Conn. 425 Market St., New York, N. Y. San Francisco, Cal. a CAPEWELL HORSE NAILS. NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, CHICAGO, ST. LOUIS, BOSTON, DETROIT, CINCINNATI, SAN FRANCISCO; PORTLAND, ORE., BUFFALO, SF BALTIMORE, o NEW ORLEANS. THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL COMPANY. HARTFORD, CONN. BRANCHES: ~ Jenkins Bros.’ Valves are manufactured of the best steam metal, and are the BROT ak Why experiment with cheap valves? If yee ean’ want the your dealer for valves manufactured Eee sak ull peniins on caduand eee aki “tet like oat JENKINS BROTHERS, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston THE AMERICAN TUBE & STAMPING CO, HOT AND COLD ROLLED Successor to SEE 200 STRIP STEEL, The WILMOT & HOBBS Fé. CO. PAGE es MAGNOLIA METAL. Best Anti-Friction Metal for all Machinery Bearings. Pac-Simile of Bar. Beware of ‘THE IRON AGE. \ THE ee ANSONIA Brass » COPPER Co: Main Office and Mills at Waterbury, MANUFACTURERS OF Manufacturers of 4); BRASS AND COPPER |Brass, German Silver, Seamless Tubes, Sheets, Rods and Wire. Copper, ESTABLISHED 1845. ae Ingot Copper. _|N SHEET, ROLL, ROD, WIRE, ne ee BRAZED and SEAMLESS Ht . TUBING Koi : iH Tobin Bronze soo pris, gaonze, ad Condenser Piates,Pump Linings, Round, Square and Hexagon Bars, for Pump Piston Rods and Bolt Forgings. Seamiess Tubes. 99 John Street, - Randolph-Clowes Co., Main Office and Mill, WATERBURY, CONN, MANUFACTURERS OF Be SHEET BRASS & COPPER. BRAZED BRASS & COPPER TUBES. SEAMLESS BRASS & COPPER TUBES ‘TO 36 IN. DIAM. New York Office, 258 0 Brendwag, Postal Tel- ldg., Room 202. Chicago Office, 602 Fisher Bld Boston Office, Cor. Oliver and P GERMAN SILVER in sheet anc Wire, for the HARDWARE TRADE. Rivets and Burrs, Metallic Eye- lets, Shells, Ferrules and Small New York. Brasswares of every Description. New York Store has been removed trom 60 Centre St. to 122-130 Centre St. Deoxidized Babbitt. NEVER HAS BEEN BEATEN. Bridgeport Deoxidized Bronze & Metal Co. hase Sts, BKIDGEPORT, CONN. ‘Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co.,” LA SALLE, ILLINOIS. SMELTERS OF SPELTER AND MANUFACTURERS OF SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. » pee Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. he { Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. Select-a1 Sheets for Paper and Makers’ use. Stove and Washboard Bianks. ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. TSN eu LH Sso-74 West Monroe St., Chicago Best Bronze, Babbitt Metals, Brass and Alaminum ae Noneencom | BRASS, BRONZE and ALUMINUM CASTINGS, 5 Wheel noe Founders, Finishers. W. G. ROWELL & CO., BRIDGEPORT, CONN ta 4 st Guaranteed. R. A. HART, BATTLE CREEK, MICH. HENDRICKS BROTHERS PROPRIETURS OF THE AV Belleville Copper Rolling Mills, Bransmicrs’ Bolt and Sheathing COPPER, ‘AND a Dealers in es Ingot Copper, ‘Biock ‘Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. e 49 CLIFF ST.. NEW YORK. WATERBURY ARASS 60. THE PLUME & ATWOOD MF6, 0, com Sheet and Roll Brass —AND— WIRE PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERMAN SILVER AND GILDING METAL, COPPER Rivets AND BURRS. Pins, Brass Butt Hinges, Jack Chaiu, Kero sene Burners, Lamps, Lamp Trimmings, &c. 29 MURRAY ST., NEW YORK. 144 HIGH ST., BOSTON. 199 LAKE ST., CHICAGO, FACTORIES : WATERBURY, CONN, ROLLING MILL : THOMASTON, CONN. SCOVILL MFG. CO., Manufacturers of BRASS, CERMAN SILVER Sheets. Rolis, Wire Bolts and Tubes, Rods, Brass Shells, Cups, Hinges Buttons, Lamp Coods. SPECIAL BRASS GOODS TO ORDER Factories, WATERBURY, CONN. DEPOTS: CHICAGO, NEW YORK, BOSTON. JOHN DAVOL & SONS, AGENTS FOR Brooklyn Brass & Copper Co. DEALERS {N COPPER, TIN, SPELTER, LEAD, ANTIMONY. 100 John Street, - New York Arthur T: Rutter SUCCESSOR TO WILLIAM S. FEARING 256 Broadway, NEW YORK. Small tubing in Brass, Copper, Steel, Aluminum, German Silver, &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger- man Silver. Copper, Brass and German Silver Wire Brazed and Seamless Brass and Copper Tube. Copper and Brass Rod. THE BRIDGEPORT BRASS Gl, BRIDGEPORT CONN. 29 Murray 8t., New York. 85-87 Pearl St., Boston. 17 N. 7th St., Philadelphia. MANUFACTURERS OF Brass { SHEET AND TUBING Copper | WIRE. Lamp Goeds of al) Kinds. BRASS AND COPPER GOODS in Great Varieties. Ew ST— —— ww oe ee ee ee Tuurspay, Marcu 6, The Renold Silent Chain in a Structural Shop. With the recognition of the desirability of the elec- motor as a means of driving machine tools has also arisen the problem of the best way to connect the motor he tool or machine which is to be driven. This juestion has been sufficiently serious where new tools were to be designed especially for motor driving, but the problem is even more complicated where belt driven tools are to be adapted to electric power. Che adaptability of the Renold silent chain, intro- duced by the Link-Belt Engineering Company of Phila- delphia, for work of this character appears to be well established. It is noiseless, does not require fixed centers and there is no sliding friction on the teeth. It also permits the use of the standard high speed motor. The cuts here presented show this chain as applied Driving Cold Saw. THE RENOLD SILENT CHAIN IN to machines in the works of the Link-Belt Company. Originally all these tools were belt driven, and the change from belt to motor drive was made without the loss of an hour. It will be observed that the motors in all cases rest on brackets secured to the frames of the machines, making the tools entirely self contained. This makes it possible to move the tools about the shop as may be necessary, without disturbing the relative position of tool or motor. This rigid support of the inotor is not made necessary by the use of the chain, however. If portability were not desired the motors night have been bolted to the floor, and this has, in fact, been done in many cases. The simplicity of this niethod is in marked contrast to the rigid support neces- sary for spur gearing. The ease with which this chain adapts itself to varying conditions is clearly shown. ero ‘ir Charles Grandison is credited with saying that s had great charms for him, in that he could never what particular form of annoyance they would ‘THE IRON AGE 1902 manifest. This applies to the action of trades union men in England, for they are prolific in surprises. In a cer- tain locality the men struck for a trifling matter and were discharged, the proprietors engaging non-union men. Suit was at once brought against the owners of the works, ordering them to show cause for depriving the men of their living! a p> Armen Oil vs. Coal for Fuel Purposes. It would seem a very simple question to ascertain the relative values of oil and coal for commercial fuel purposes, but there is a very great diversity of opinion upon the subject, and the testimony for and against is so contradictory that a verdict cannot be rendered for either. Despite all the elaborately careful experiments made by various governments to fix the value of oil it Driving Punch. A STRUCTURAL SHOP. is not used to any extent by the naval powers, coal still having the preference, notwithstanding all the draw- backs of dirt, space and force required to handle it. It is not the difficulty of getting good fires, or dangers of spontaneous combustion that delay the general use of oil, it is simply that in daily use—oil against coal—those who pay the bills continue to use coal, and to do this there must be a balance in its favor. One foreign steamship company—the Shell Line of England—have declared unhesitatingly for oil after two years’ experience in the use of it. One vessel of this line, the *‘ Clam,” has run 85,000 miles with oil fuel, and can stow 4,500 tons of it. It is carried in well-holds reaching from the double bottom to the under deck, and the success of the “Clam” has been so marked that there are four other ships buflding which will each carry 11,500 tons of oil fuel, or for commercial purposes. These vessels, when not needed for oil freight, can have their holds thoroughly disinfected by the admission of live steam, after which they are wiped down and white washed, removing every trace of the smell attending 2 THE The Shell Line has been carrying Borneo oil previously, but a portion of the fleet has loaded Texas oil, and a large cargo of it recently arrived in England. It can be delivered there in bulk for a little under $9 a ton of 2,250 which, as compared with coal, cannot be The parties inter- ested in the enterprise point out that oil is relatively petroleum. pounds, called cheap. Driving Drill Pins. THE RENOLD SILENT CHAIN IN much cheaper because it has a higher calorific value and will, therefore, do more work, but as this is the moot point in the controversy of oil vs. coal it does not seem to be a commercial consideration. A great point estab- lished, however, is that Texas oil has now an outlet to foreign markets. ee The Winslow Ballot Machine Company of Kansas City, Mo., have been incorporated for the purpose of manufacturing and marketing automatic voting ma- chines: the company purchased from L. R. Winslow the United States and foreign patents covering the con- struction of these machines, also the special machinery for their manufacture, formerly owned by the Winslow Voting Machine Company. An entirely new plant will be established at once in Kansas City, with a capacity IRON AGE. March 6, 19 of 500 complete voting machines per year. The mac ery required includes light milling machines, screw chines, punch and drill presses, lathes, &c.; also four and machine shop equipment. be installed. A 30 horse engine L. R. Winslow is president of the comp The Southern Rolling Mill Company to Erect a Plant. Articles of incorporation have been filed by Southern Rolling Mill Company, who intend erecting plant in the vicinity of Ensley, Ala. The company h: a paid in capital of $60,000. Bonds will be issued to fray the expense of erecting the plant. W. B. Cat: ings & Co. of 68 Wall street, New York, and 1914 Mo ris avenue, Birmingham, Ala., who are promoting enterprise, write us: “ We intend using a 10-inch guide mill backed by a roughing mill; a continuous heating furnace heated by gas. Arrangements have been made for 600 horse-power upright boilers, and we are figur ing on an engine, 34 x 60, capable of giving about 900 horse-power. We will use about a 40-ton fly wheel. No puddle mills will be used, as we intend rerolling steel billets.” Aside from the engines and boilers the spe fications for equipment call for the following: One con tinuous billet heating furnace fired direct with pro ducer gas, capacity 150 tons; sand receiving chambers, hydraulic water pipes within the furnace lines, stack foundations, iron stack lined with fire brick, two hydraulic pushers, pulpits and delivery machinery; one 16-inch roughing mill direct connected with engine; on: 10-inch train of finishing rolls connected with the en gine by belt and a complete set of rolls; one pair of Driving Shears. A STRUCTURAL SHOP. heavy shears, one tensile test machine, one bending t: machine, conveyors, tracks and cars for billets and tra scales, one electric generator and one electric mot one main shed, 120 x 40 feet; one shed covering gas p! ducers and boilers, 30 x 40 feet; iron floor, 20 x 30 fe: run out, 80 feet long. sah< caimettidilianitaaclaaaciia The Oldbury Chemical Company of Niagara Falls about to erect a new factory building. It will be cated on the lands of the Niagara Falls Power Compa! west of the Junction Railway trestle. An undergrou! tunnel will connect the present plant with the n¢ works. There will be five brick buildings. While it understood that the output will differ from that: of t present plant, the company do not state at pres« just what the product will be. The Eight-Hour Labor Bill. WASHINGTON, D. C., March 4, 1902.—The House Com tee on Labor on the 26th ult. gave a hearing on pending eight-hour bill to A. C. Dinkey, general erintendent of the Homestead Steel Works of the rnegie Steel Company, and Judge L. BE. Payson, rep- senting the Stirling Boiler Company, both of whom ngly opposed the passage of the bill. Mr. Dinkey eloped in detail the objections to the compulsory ht-hour plan as found in a large plant doing both Government and commercial work, which he said were sich as would compel the Carnegie Steel Company to surrender their Government contracts. Samuel Gom- pers, president of the American Federation of Labor, vio was present, cross-examined the witnesses at some length, and precipitated a spirited colloquy between Judge McCammon, representing the Bethlehem Steel Company; Colonel Herbert, representing the Midvale Steel Company, and himself by asserting that he had re- ceived positive assurances both from Mr. Schwab of the United States Steel Corporation and Mr. Corey of the Carnegie Steel Company to the effect that they were “heartily in favor of the eight-hour bill.” Under the slarp questioning of Judge McCammon and Colonel Herbert, Mr. Gompers was finally forced to admit that Mr. Schwab and Mr. Corey had stated simply that if a universal eight-hour plan could be brought about they would be disposed to favor it, which Judge McCammon asserted with much emphasis was a vastly different thing from a declaration in favor of the pending bill, which prohibited workmen from laboring more than eight hours, whether they desired to do so or not, and which would affect only concerns having contracts with the Government. Testimony of A, C, Dinkey. Mr. Dinkey prefaced his statement by saying that he had been employed in the Homestead Steel Works for 13 years, having begun in the capacity of a telegraph operator and having served in the machine shop and in connection with the development of electrical appliances in the Homestead plant, and for some time in the armor plate department. Continuing, he said: “Our product for the Government is made up chiefly of ship plate, armor plate and structural material. The quantity of this product per month, as compared with the total output of the plant, is approximately 3 per cent. In other words, our shipping tonnage from the whole plant each month is approximately 100,000 tons. Of this approximately 300 tons is armor, 2500 tons ship plate and structural material. The system under which we are at present working constitutes a development in methods of operation which I believe started at the be- ginning of the'concern, and has continued to the pres- ent day and will continue. This development has changed methods, machinery and hours of labor, each successive step, I believe, to the mutual advantage of both employees and employer. At the present time about one-third of our men are what are commonly known as tonnage men. These men are on duty 12 hours, from six in the morning until six in the evening. and six in the evening to six in the morning. The bal- ance of the men are on day work, and are on duty 10 hours in the day time and 12 hours at night, and are paid a certain rate per hour. We have a very few posi- tions in the works which have been found advantageous for both company and the men to have on eight-hour shifts. One of these places is in the converting mill, where the work is hot and where the work when re- quired is desired to be accomplished as promptly as possible; the other is in our chemical laboratory, where rapid work is required from our chemists. “ This bill, if it becomes a law, will so interfere with what we consider the proper method of operating as to ke it impractical to undertake Government work at Homestead. Permit me briefly to take up a few illus- trations. The production of an armor plate begins with making of the mold in sand. This mold requires to lried- in an oven for approximately 12 hours. As- ne, for example, that after the workman had com- ted his eight hours he found that by working another rch 6, 1902 THE IRON AGE. 3 hour the mold might be completed and put in the oven to be dried during the night. Under the law this man would not be permitted to finish the mold and se- cure an economic routine of the work, but would be compelled to permit the mold to stand in its unfinished state over night and to finish it the next day, thus com- pelling a 12-hour delay at the very outset of this par- ticular plate. We might find similar delays in each operation of this plate up to the shipping point. To a person employed in a manufacturing establishment such a wasteful operation would be looked upon, I believe, in much the same way as an attorney would look upon the waste of his time by a client who should make an ap- pointment and fail to keep it. “There is another important operation with regard to melting the steel required for armor plate ingots, as was explained by Mr. Johnston. This is a particularly high grade steel and requires the service of a person more than ordinarily expert in steel melting. We plan all our armor plate steel melting so that the men in charge at the beginning of the heat shall finish the pouring. This operation consumes approximately 12 hours. Mr. Corey spoke, when before the committee, of difficulty as experienced in changing turns. I believe this difficulty to be a real difficulty, and I am firmly of the opinion that the very best results with regard to quality can be secured only by this method. “There is another equally if not more important step with regard to excellence of plate in the work of tempering. These plates are required to be heated in a certain way, perhaps hotter on one side than on the other, sometimes uniformly heated—heated to within a few degrees of a predetermined temperature. When this point is reached there are a very few minutes’ margin between what wil! result in a perfect plate and a fail- ure. This operation almost uniformly consumes more than eight hours, and I believe the best interests of quality are taken care of by having the person who undertakes the work at the start remain responsible for it at the finish. “There is another illustration, which is typical of numberless conditions which will constantly arise in an attempt to work a compulsory eight-hour day in the same factory which employs any of its labor more than eight hours. I have in my mind at the present time a crane required for handling the plate which is ready to be tempered. This crane, as you all know, is a tool of a very high power, and is complicated. It is a machine which requires men to be skilled in its operation to per- form the duties required of it. The supply of such men at the present time (and it has been so for a number of years in the Pittsburgh district) is scarcely equal to the demand. If the man in charge of this crane had worked eight hours and the tempering of the plate would require the men to work another hour, I have in mind many instances where we would find ourselves without a crane man. We might be tempted with plate all ready for tempering to try a person on this crane not entirely competent to do the work. Under such circumstances we might run into acci- dents too horrible to contemplate. Men employed on large work perform their duties as a unit and come to understand each other in a sort of instinctive way. Signals are given back and forth which are perfectly understood by the regular men. One stranger, however competent, but misunderstanding a particular signal, may start a sequence of occurrences which will not only result in spoiling the work in hand, but endanger life as well. “T spoke of the number of hours in which men are on duty at our works, and I believe they are satisfied with their hours as they are at present arranged. It is a fact that we have very many employees that have been with us 10, 12 and 15 years. It is a fact, also, that some of these men on the 12-hour shifts cannot be con- sidered young men. I know of*one case of a man who held the same position for at least 12 years to my per- sonal knowledge, and worked in this position to his eightieth birthday. I know many men who work to-day who are 60 years old. I believe it is true that no other employee of the works knows so many of the men per- sonally as myself. I am intimately acquainted with i. S98 ia 4 THE their circumstances and their surroundings, and know many of their families. Some of them are machinists, who continue to work for us for ten hours per day at the rate of 28% cents per hour, when next door and close by are shops working nine hours and paying 32% cents per hour, and when contractors are short of men are working nine hours a day for 42% cents per hour. I contend that from my personal knowledge the men at Homestead are satisfied with their surroundings and desire them to be continued as they are. It is recog- nized by our employees that industry and thrift are step- ping stones to promotion in the various branches of the works. I think the operation of a compulsory eight-hour law would change all this and work as much ruin to the individual as it would to quality and quantity of output. * While our men are on duty 12 hours in all of the rolling and steel melting mills, they are not now per- forming the fatiguing manual labor, owing to improved machinery and methods now in vogue, that they did in former years. The work as at present carried on is done almost entirely by machinery. We have, therefore. fewer men in a particular department, and each of these men selected with reference to a particular adaptability for a special position. The work he does, in many in- stances, requires very little attention for hours at a time. Under these circumstances it is not found a hard- ship in any sense of the word for him to remain on duty 12 hours. One evidence that this is not a hardship is found in the fact that men not on these particular jobs consider these positions very desirable, and prepare themselves while employed on their regular duty for ad- vancement to tonnage work. It can be readily under- stood that changes in these positions when they are so sought after do not take place frequently. In nearly every case in the various crews at Homestead it will be found that the chief men are old employees of the works, having advanced to the positions held .at the present time by promotion from small beginnings. Those holding positions called rollers and heaters permit of earnings to the extent of $10 and $15 per day. “There is an item, which perhaps speaks as loud as any detail of wages that could be given, in the average earn- ings of the employees of Homestead, excluding the offi- cers of the works, for the year 1901. I had our chief clerk make this figure for me, and find it to be $2.73 per day. “TI believe it is necessary to secure successful opersa- tion of a factory to pay liberal wages, and to have em- ployees satisfied with their conditions, so that they can unmistakably show that they have a lively interest in the: quality and quantity of production. I know that work with the employees at Homestead is not consid- ered a hateful thing, for, on the contrary, I know that they are proud of their achievements both in quality and quantity. They are proud of the records for pro- duction made in their respective mills. They are fully conversant with how these productions are secured. I believe it is true that in many instances men holding subordinate positions have a more comprehensive knowledge of the work in hand than some of their su- periors. “This leads to the question of the successful opera- tion of our plant as a whole on an eight-hour day instead of the present plan. A mill that Mr. Corey once had direct charge of was operated by three eight-hour shifts and then changed to two 12-hour shifts. The best out- put for this mill in the former case was approximately 5000 tons for the month; the best output on the 12-hour turn was 6000 tons for the month. You might reason- ably ask my explanation. I think the result obtained was for the following reasons: The output of a mill is largely dependent upon smooth running; by this I mean that delays from any cause shall be as few in number and of as short duration as possible. A crew of men on a large mill get to understand each other, and so the work of the department proceeds as if one man were performing each operation. The work of a particular man may be a very small item of manual labor, but the requirements of the case make it necessary to have that small piece of work done at the right time. This con- cert of action is expressed correctly by the term ‘ team work.’ That is what we seek to develop in the crew. If this team work extends over eight hours we have IRON AGE. March 6, 1 three breaks in the 24. If it extends over 12 hours have two breaks in the 24 hours. The speed of a © of a mill is not attained in the first hour of work, a: is for these two causes that I believe it possible to duce a larger output by running 12-hour shifts inst of eight-hour shifts. Many of the men that were ployed on this mill when Mr. Corey ran it eight li are employed on the same mill at the present time, I believe if we should ask those men to go on ei, hours at the same rate per ton that they would stren- uously object to the change, for the reason that being paid by the ton they get more money at the end of thie month requiring 12 hours per day than they would if they worked eight hours per day.” In reply to questions by Mr. Gompers the witness stated that all the men at Homestead, in his opinion, would object to the enforcement of an eight-hour day, and that he based this opinion upon an intimate xc- quaintance with the men themselves. Reverting to the strike of 1892, Representative Graham of the commit- tee asked if the question at issue was not the recogui- tion of the Amalgamated Association and not a ques tion of wages, to which the witness replied that that was what the controversy finally developed into, where- at Mr. Gompers declared that there was no question of the recognition of the union involved in the entire con- troversy, to which Mr. Graham retorted that the Con- gressional investigation showed conclusively that the recognition of the Amalgamated Association was really the main question at issue. An Eight-Hour System, Mr. Gompers then took up the question of the eight- hour day, declaring. that a few weeks ago President Schwab of the United States Steel Corporation and Mr. Corey, president of the Carnegie Steel Company, had stated to him that they hoped the eight-hour bill would pass, and asked Mr. Dinkey if the opinions ‘of those two men of experience would not have some influence upon his judgment as to the impracticability of the eight-hour plan.” Before the witness could reply, Judge McCammon requested leave to make a statement in be- half of all the firms represented before the committee. “TI would like to ask Mr. Gompers,” said he, “whether Mr. Schwab and Mr. Corey said they favored an eight-hour law, or an eight-hour system. We have stood here for some time in opposition to this eight-hour bill, but we have all protested that our opposition was not to the eight-hour system, which is an entirely differ- ent thing from what is proposed by this bill. I cannot imagine that Mr. Schwab and Mr. Corey ever favored this eight-hour law, and I refuse to believe that they have ever made the statement quoted in connection with or in reference to the pending bill, H. R. 3076, or any other bill that has ever been discussed before this committee.” In reply to this statement, Mr. Gompers modified his declaration, and described the incident he had referred to as follows: “ With others, I had a conference with Mr. Schwa) and Mr. Corey and other gentlemen representing tlie constituent branches of the United States Steel Corpora- tion, with a view of endeavoring to secure some ad- justment of the strike of the Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers last summer. At the conclu- sion of the conference, Mr. Corey approached me and said that he supposed we should meet again in Was) ington with regard to the eight-hour bill. I replied that it was more than likely, and that I should expect him ' appear in favor of the bill. He said in reply: ‘I do no think that I opposed it vigorously, or that I could real'y be quoted in opposition to it when I appeared before tie committee last year.’ Just then Mr. Schwab, who bh overheard the conversation, came up and said: ‘ Yes, M" Gompers, make the law universal for the eight-hour diy and I will be with you.’” “TI expected that reply,” said Judge McCammo' “ You will find almost the identical language used in t'« brief of the lawyers who were employed to repres« the contractors before this committee on the first these bills that was brought forward. If you can ¢"' the consensus of the manufacturing world to agree the eight-hour system—not an eight-hour law, but °" hour system—then we have no objection. The tion is that you are trying to penalize people sim wcause they contract with the Government. It is evident that everybody, or substantially every- y, must be satisfied that the ten-hour system was ted years ago with the consent of the employer and employee, and with the consent of bumanitarians. perhaps ultimately that we may be able to reach ght-hour day. But what has that to do with the H. R. 3076 ? It has no more to do with it than the sit of Venus. This bill makes it a penal offense for laborer to be permitted to work more than eight rs. That was not in the minds of Mr. Schwab and \ir. Corey when they had this talk with Mr. Gompers. ley are gentlemen of rare intelligence, and they know reat many things outside of their mere technical! knowledge of the manufacture of steel. They know, as \merican citizens, that such a prohibition is opposed to the genius of our institutions; that it is contrary to the theory of American liberty; that it interferes with the right of the laboring man to sell his labor as he pleases, the right of the employer to employ a laboring man. with his consent, for any number of hours. This is the point on which we divide with the gentlemen who rep resent labor before this committee, and we will con- tinue to assert before this committee and before any legislative body, and before the courts if necessary, that tuls prohibition is contrary to every principle for which our fathers have fought and for which men have lived and died throughout the world as represented by what we call Anglo-Saxon liberty. The idea of saying to a laboring man ‘ you shall not be permitted to work more than eight hours a day’ is such an outrage that when it is understood it will bring contumely upon everybodv who is engaged in attempting to enforce it. It is social- ism of the very worst character, and there is not an in- telligent workingman in the United States, if he is a true American, who wishes to be told by an act of Con- gress that he shall not be permitted to work more than eight hours. a day. I do not believe that Congress, when it comes to understand the question, and certainly not the American people, and most certainly not the courts, will permit any such outrage to be perpetrated.” Colonel Herbert followed in a statement of similar tenor, after which Mr. Gompers replied sarcastically that the American workmen had “a very keen apprecia- tion of the activity of the attorneys for corporations in defending and protecting the liberties of the American wage earners,” and declared theatrically that he was willing to carry all the contumely involved in fathering the pending Dill. Judge L. E Payson’s Testimony. Judge Payson then made a statement on behalf of the Stirling Boiler Company, who he said were now engaged in the.manufacture of water tube boilers, which they supply to United States and foreign war vessels. from 10 to 12 per cent. of the company’s output was on Government contracts, while the balance was commer- cial work. Continuing, he said: “Tn the consideration of this matter, we suggest that While under certain conditions and in certain employ- ments men should not be required to spend more than eight hours per day in hard manual labor, it does not by iny means follow that the hours of work should be lim- ited in all cases to eight hours per day, irrespective of the character of the work done, the conditions surround- ig the workman and the time actually spent by him in physical exertion. In machine and boiler sheps, foun- dries and blacksmith and forge shops the workmen are ot by any means constantly exerting physical effort iring the entire number of hours of work, whether it e eight or ten hours per day. In the modern boiler shop high grade machine tools and labor saving devices play an important part, and in practically every machine shop the actual physical labor of the man engaged in erating the machine tools is not more than one hour ten. The greater portion of his time is spent in ad- sting his tools and seeing to it that they operate operly. “In blacksmith and forge shops, in which it is pop- ar to fancy that the most vigorous physical efforts are ustantly directed, the actual time spent by the work- ch 6, 1902 THE IRON AGE. a men in manual labor will not average more than five hours out of ten, for the reason that it will require at least five hours per day to heat the metal which they work, during which time they are idle. In foundries where gray iron, malleable and steel castings are made the time consumed in actual labor will not amount to more than seven hours in ten. The molder concludes his day’s work, closes his mold ready to receive the mol- ten iron, at the time the blast is put into the cupola. The time of putting the blast into the cupola varies in differ- ent establishments, but it is usually from two to three hours before the end of the ten-hour day. The last two or three hours, then, of a molder’s day are spent in see- ing that his molds are filled, that his flasks are removed and his day’s work is then done. Therefore, even though the ten-hour day is in vogue at a large number of industrial establishments, it does not necessarily fol- low that the workingmen employed in such plants are engaged in hard physical exertion during the entire ten hours of the day. On the other hand, the very nature of the work requires cessation from time to time for one reason or another, so that, in consequence of purely nat ural conditions, the endurance of the men is at no time strained. “That the rank and file of the men themselves do not desire any change is evidenced by the fact that dur- ing the past two or three years, during which all classes of manufacturing establishments have been so busy, the men have voluntarily been eager to work overtime and in Consequence earn increased wages; indeed, the dispo- sition of our men to do this became so marked a year or two ago that we were compelled to establish a rule that we would not employ men overtime except under ex- treme conditions. You understand, of course, that when men work overtime they are entitled to a higher rate per hour than is paid when they work only the usual number of hours per day. “It may be argued that the building trade is an example of the beauty of an eight-hour day. It must be borne in mind that men engaged in this class of work are more or less exposed to the elements, and the fewer number of hours employed per day is more wearing on them than a greater number of hours per day would be on an employee working in a well protected and well heated shop. What is applicable to a class of men en- gaged in one kind of work is not applicable to men en- gaged in another. There may be merit in the conten- tion that men engaged in hard physical work outdoors, where they are exposed to the extremes of heat and cold, rain, snow, &¢c., should not be required nor permit- ted to work more than eight hours per day, but in manu- facturing establishments, where the men are well housed, in buildings that are thoroughly ventilated in the summer and wel! heated in the winter, and where the men, by the very nature of their employment, can- not stand more than from five to seven hours per day in hard manual labor, it would be an infringement of their rights to require that they limit the number of hours during which they earn their livelihood. “In many industrial lines the hours of work per day have been reduced as a result of modification of conditions, and in obedience to what will appear to be natural laws. Each individual case has adjusted itself in obedience to its environment and peculiarities. Take, for instance, railroad employees; their hours vary with the class of work. The hours of a yard switching crew are 12 hours per day, the hours of the average freight crew are 12 to 15 hours per day, while the hours of the passenger crew are about five hours per day. The freight yard crew does more manual labor and less brain work: the freight train crew does slightly more brain work and less manual labor, while the passenger crew does more brain work and less manual labor, and, not- withstanding the shorter hours of the men engaged in the latter work, they wear out faster than either the freight or yard crews. In rolling and steel mills, for the engineers, firemen and common laborers and such other employees whose employment requires very little brain or manual effort the day is 12 hours. The rollers, on the other hand, owing to the improved methods which have made the heating of metal practically continuous, work only from six to eight hours per day. In days eo ex Se wee es 6 THE gone by, when heating was intermittent, their day was almost 12 hours. “We venture to suggest, therefore, that an investiga- tion will prove that conditions surrounding work and the character of effort required in each individual plant will more satisfactorily bring about an equitable and natural adjustment of the number of hours of work per day than can be accomplished by any legislation. Fur- thermore, if men were suffering in any particular plant on account of the excessive number of hours of labor in any particular class of work they would naturally shun that plant and that character of work, and secure employment in other directions.” The committee then adjourned until March 6, with the understanding that the hearings would conclude on March 13. WwW. L. ©. The Cost of Depreciation. Foreign exchanges cite an instance of one firm in “ngland who have recently expended $250,000 in new IRON AGE. Merch 6, 1902 But English manufacturers are by no means back in spending large sums upon what might be calle tails, changing the motive power from steam to tricity, for example. One concern have just paid $:\\ 000 for this item alone, and similar outlays are being incurred all over the United Kingdom. If this was for simple wear and tear, or renewals alone, it would not warrant comment, but it is forced upon English mil| owners by depreciation of plants in part, and by changes in systems of workings, which, if taken in hand prompt ly, would have been much less expensive. ai Woodward & Rogers New Drill Presses. The machine shown in the first two illustrations is a 14-inch four-spindle automatic feed sensitive drill press built by the Woodward & Rogers Company of Hartford Conn. It will drill up to % inch in diameter. The spin dles are tool steel 1 inch in diameter, and have taper holes for No. 2 Morse drill sccket. The throw of the spindles either by lever or automatic feed is 5% inches Four-Spindle Geared Automatic Feed Sensitive Drill. WOODWARD & ROGERS machinery and improvements generally tending to in- crease their output, and see in this outlay an assurance that the competition of this country does not amount to much after all; it can, say the technical journals, be easily met if other concerns would do the same. This tacit admission that English steel mills are behind the times with their antiquated processes may have more or less effect in bringing about a new order of things, but by the time they get ready to adopt our present systems we shall have inaugurated newer and still bet- ter devices, so that the prospect for immediate com- petition does not seem very encouraging. The outlay mentioned above will not go very far in a steel mill, but taking it as it stands, the money that will have to be expended to reconstruct English steel works is very large in the aggregate, and perhaps not easily obtained. If there are only 100 mills and each one expends but $250,000 we can readily see the gross amount of money which will have to be invested in rehabilitating English steel mills at once, and further sums so soon as they can have been earned, for it is not to ‘be supposed that every machine in any mill will be scrapped out of hand. NEW DRILL PRESSES. An adjustable stop is used on the spindle to gauge tle depth of the hole to be drilled, and springs are used to throw the drill out of the work when the required dept! is reached. From the center of the spindle to the co umn is 7 inches, and the spindles are 814 inches apart They have a traverse of 13 inches on the upright, and are adjustable up and down by moving the arms, which : gibbed to the front of the uprights. The spindles counterbalanced by weights inside of the uprights. The table is gibbed to the column, and is adjusta its entire length, giving a maximum distance betw: spindle and table of 45 inches. The table is 14 x inches inside of the oil groove. Large three-step cone Pp leys with a wide face are used, taking a 24-inch be'' while the driving pulleys are 12 inches in diameter by inch face. The machine takes the belt from the n line, no other countershaft being needed. Each spindle has independent feed and three chanzg:'s of feed and speed. This feature is peculiar to this 41 The automatic feed is obtained direct from the spindle © self, which is geared by a series of gears. This makes very strong and powerful machine, and one that w March 6, 1202 THE IRON AGE. 7 stand the hardest kind of usage. Large worm gears are employed, and a knock off is used to throw out the feed by striking a cam arrangement when the required depth is reached. Extra braces are used, such as are shown in the cuts, from the upper bracket to the lower and from the lower or driving pulley bracket to the floor. Also, from the base of the upright to the lower bracket. The weight of this machine is 1200 pounds, and it is built with from one to ten spindles, and with or without the automatic feed. With a few exceptions the same general description applies to the six-spindle automatic feed drill press shown in Fig. 3. The spindles are %-inch tool steel, the taper No. 1 Morse and the throw 4% inches. There are three changes of feed and three changes of speed, the latter being independent for each spindle. This machine is not so heavy as the other, but is of ample strength for the work it is intended to do. sige na asi We have heard more or less frequently of late that English railways hauled very light loads, but if a Fig. 3. SIX SPINDLE. WOODWARD & ROGERS DRILL PRESS. foreign contemporary has not made some errors and omissions in its rendering of the North Eastern Rail way’s report for 1890 there is small wonder that its stockholders revile the management. From the report aforesaid it appears that the average train load of min- erals was 92% tons, and the average train load of mer- chandise 44%, tons: why they figured so close to nothing, or running trains as empty, is inconceivable. The aver- age distance these weighty trains ran was 2214 miles; halves seem to belong by right to the management. The ton mile rate was barely 2 cents a mile, so the company received the sum of $46.25 for hauling 921% tons 22% miles. The merchandise trains can be figured by any one who may have the curiosity to do it; but it should be noted that tbe rates vary a little; when the distance is only 16 miles the rate is 1.11 pence per ton mile, and over 32 miles 0.806 pence. The estimates for the Prussian State railroads for 1902 call for 187,530 metric tons of rails, 75,440 tons of track material and 102,490 tons of steel ties, the prices per ton being, respectively, 120.3 marks, 140.7 marks and 111.4 marks. The Metric System and Machinery Supplies. WASHINGTON, D. C., March 4, 1902.—Director S. W. Stratton of the new National Bureau of Standards has laid before the House Committee on Coinage, Weights and Measures, which has under consideration the metric system bill, an interesting exhibit designed to show the ability of the leading manufacturers of machine tools, steel shafting, iron and steel wire, brass and copper tubes, rods, sheets, wire, &c., to supply their products in the metric system. In connection with the equip- inent of a complete machine shop for the new bureau, Mr. Stratton recently addressed letters to 25 or 30 of the leading manufacturers, taking his list from the ad- vertising columns of The lron Age, and requesting to be advised as to whether the firms addressed could supply the bureau with certain tools and materials, &c., in the metric system. At the time these inquiries were for- warded Mr. Stratton had no design except with refer- ence to the equipment of the shop referred to; but the replies as a class indicate so conclusively that the great majority of the manufacturers are thoroughly up to date in the matter of producing their specialties on a metric basis that Mr. Stratton has taken the liberty of laying them before the House Committee having the metric bill in its custody. Following are brief extracts from this interesting correspondence: Standard Tool Company, New York, twist drills, ream- ers, taps, &c.—We beg to advise we are prepared to fur- nish twist drills, all styles, also reamers, in metric sys- tem. We take pleasure in forwarding you our new cata- logue, and you will find twist drills and reamers as il- lustrated therein on the metric system. While we do not show in this catalogue taps in the metric system we can furnish them, and the next catalogue we get up will have taps in metric sizes illustrated as well. We can supply you with additional copies of these catalogues if you would like to have them on file in your office for future reference. Hendey Machine Company, Torrington, Conn., machine tools.—We make a full line of metric lathes. We make a great many of them for export, going to France and other countries using the metric system. We refer you to our catalogue, which shows you all sizes of lathes from 14 to 32 inch swing built for the metric system. We call your attention in particular to the description of the lathe on page 37 of catalogue. We shall be pleased to furnish rou lathes under this system if you so de- sire, the prices being the same as for our regular United States standards. Grant Tool Company, Franklin, Pa., machine tools, steel balls, &c.—Regarding steel balls to metric dimensions, we are in position to furnish these, although we do not carry them in stock, and in this connection will say that it will be necessary for you to order a fair quantity of each size if they are small, as by our process of manu- facturing steel balls we must have a quantity to enable us to produce them. If you will give us the dimensions, &c., we will be pleased to name you the price, and de- livery. Clereland Twist Drill Company, New York, twist drills, &c.—We are pleased to advise you that we do make twist drills and reamers in millimeter diameters, and we will quote you discounts referring to our catalogue. Morse Twist Drill & Machine Company, New Bedford, Mass., machine tools, drills, &c.—We like to write that we do make twist drills in metric sizes. We send you our catalogue by mail to-day, and you will find illus- trated there the millimeter and the comparisons as to our regulation sizes. ‘We carry millimeter and Morse tapers from 3 mm. to 50 mm. and other sizes of milll- meters in proportion. We inclose a schedule of the millimeter sizes which we carry. Carey Machinery & Supply Company, Baltimore, Md., sales agents, &c.—We note your inquiry in regard to lathes with metric lead screw. We are mailing you un- der separate cover a complete catalogue of Reed lathes, and you will find various sizes illustrated. The Reed Company make a specialty of furnishing lathes with metric system, and if you will select a suitable size we i ‘ | ' 5 THE will be pleased to quote you price. Our Mr. Fleming, who resides in Washington, will endeavor to call on you within a few days in regard to just what you want. L. S. Starrett Company, Athol, Mass., tine mechanicai tools.—We are pleased to report that we are prepared to furnish nearly all the syuares, micrometers, gauges, rules, &c., that we list both in the metric and English system. We are making a specialty of the metric sys- tem, as we are able to supply a large