The Iron Age 1902-04-03: Vol 69 Iss 14

THE IRON +80 JT PLuviuosysmgs od A. MA ongiysuy rH A Review of the Hardware, Iron, Machinery and Metal Trades. Published every Thursday Morning by David Williams Co., Vol. 69: No. 14 Reading Matter Contents Alphabetical Index to Advertisers ‘ Classified List of Advertisers . ‘ Advertising and Subscription Rates ‘ New York, Thursday, April 3 » 2902. 225 218 73 232-238 William St., New York, $5.00 a Year, including Postage, Single Copies, Ten Cents. == at. Louis, Mo. i New York. The Name Snlities Changed to Arrow. C. SMOKELESS but the quality The famous U. M. branded ARROW, the same. shell is, now and color remain This change of name has been made to better protect the shooters of U. M. C. loaded shells, who have often been given shells of other makes loaded with smokeless powder when they wished U. M. C. SMOKELESS. Specify U. M. ¢ ammunition, THE UNION METALLIC CARTRIDGE C0., AGENCY: 313 Broadway, New York City. FACTORY: Bridgeport, Conn. THE "BRISTOL COMPANY, Waterbury, Conn. Bristol’s Recording Instruments. For Pressure Temperature and Electricity. Silver Medal, Paris Exposition. All Ranges, Louw Prices, and Guar- anteed. Send for’ irculars. apie Yr ly “9 or WHEN ¢ rdering GAHALL BOILERS =". CAPEWELL HORSE NAILS. NEW YORK, PHILADELPHIA, CHICAGO, Also Massachusetts and Phenix rands of Sash Cord. SAMSON CORDAGE WORKS, Boston, Mass. TURNBUCKLES, Office, 11 Broadway, New York. Cleveland City City Forge and Iron Co., . Cleveland, O, TORN BUCHEIUES. cD, MERRILL BROS., BRANCHES: ST. LOUIS, BOSTON, DETROIT, CINCINNATI, SAN FRANCISCO; PORTLAND, ORE., BUFFALO, BALTIMORE, NEW ORLEANS. DENVER. THE CAPEWELL HORSE NAIL COMPANY, HARTFORD, CONN. Jenkins Bros.’ Valves are manufactured of the best steam metal, and are fully guaranteed. Why experiment with cheap valves? If you want the BEST ask your dealer for valves manufactured by Jenkins Brothers. Re- member all genuine are stamped with Trade Mark like cut. : JENKINS BROTHERS, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston. than any common galvanized a HOT AND COLD ROLLED Successor to 06. We all have STRIP STEEL. The WILMOT & HOBBS MF6, CO. paGk sintefest in it, MAGNOLIA METAL. Best Anti-Friction,Metal for all ees. nena. Pac-Simile of Bar. Beware of “a Imitations. MAGNOLIA METAL CO., Owners and Sole Manufacturers, Girard Building, Phitada. Lewis Block, Pittsburgh. Seer: Cmaps maplee Gubiding, | mn York. 465 to 471 Kent Ave , LT ___ Brooklyn, E.D., N.Y. E.D., N.Y. APOLLO BEST BLOOM PILLING & GRANE, GALVANIZED IRON Apollo pays us all better common from maker to owner, from first to last. American Sheet Steei Company, New York \ 113-115 Bank St., London, Chicago, Montross, Pittte Bostom, NEW YORK. _ se company = all exedeoet Babbit ve prices, THE IRON Axsoma Geass (WATERBURY BRAGS Gi. "nc Rune »» COPPER Co: Main Office and Mills at Waterbury,{Conn, Sheet and Roll Brass MANUFACTURERS OF Manufacturers of BRASS AND COPPER |Brass, German Silver, VUTIRE Seamless Tubes, Sheets, Rods and Wire. Copper, Ingot Copper. AGE. PRINTERS’ BRASS, JEWELERS’ METAL, GERMAN IN SHEET, ROLL, ROD, WIRE, | sitver ano GiLpiNG METAL, COPPER RIVETS BRAZED and SEAMLESS AND BURRS. Pins, Brass Butt Hinges, Jack Chaiu, Kero- ING, sene Burners, Lamps, Lamp Tobin Bronze |\sproy BRASS, BRONZE, and Trimmings, (TRADE-MaRK REGISTERED.) ini . MURRAY ST.. NEW YORK. “Gavare and Heragon Bare, ter Pump’ | GERMAN SILVER in sheet and) "sc: sox sr., posroy. Piston Rods and Bolt Forgings. s 199 LAKE ST., CHICAGO, Seamless Tubes. Wire, for the HARDWARE oltiliten nentendite 99 John Street, - - New York. TR ADE THOMASTON, CONN. WATERBURY, CONN. BSVeseeed Rivets and Burrs, Metallic Eye- F CO. Randolph-Clowes Co., lets, Shells, Ferrules and Small SCOV ILL MI G. ; Main Office and Mill, Brassweares of every Description. BRASS 9 WATERBU RY, CONN. New York Store has been removed trom CG E Wy M A N s } LV E fe MANUFACTURERS OF 60 Centre St. to 122-130 Centre St. Sheets, Rolls, Wire SHEET BRASS & COPPER. BRAZED BRASS & COPPER $|} Pegyidized Babbitt. SEAMLESS BRASS & COPPER TUBES (TO 36 IN. DIAM. 21 RSE eaearaph Bl. Room sa?) T° Bridgeport Deoxidized Bronze & Metal Co. JOHN DAVOL & SONS, eo AGENTS FOR Brooklyn Brass & Copper Co.. DEALERS IN COPPER, TIN, SPELTER, LEAD, ANTIMONY. 100 John Street, - New York. Rods, Bolts and Tubes, Brass Shells, Cups, Hinges Buttons, Lamp Coods. SPECIAL BRASS GOODS TO ORDER Factories, WATERBURY, CONN. DEPOTS: NEW YORK, CHICAGO, BOSTON. NEVER HAS BEEN BEATEN, an Cor, Oliver and Purchase Sts. BRIDGEPORT, CONN. aiessen & Hegeler Zinc Co.,’ LA SALLE, ILLINOIS. SMELTERS OF SPELTER Arthur T: Rutter AND MANUFACTURERS OF SUCCESSOR TO SHEET ZINC AND SULPHURIC ACID. Special Sizes of Zinc cut to order. Rolled Battery Plates. WILLIAM S. FEARING Selected Plates for Etchers’ and Lithographers’ use. 256 Broadway, NEW YORK. Seloct-ai Sheets for Paper and Card Makers’ use. Gtove and Washboard Blanks, Small tubing in Brass, Copper, ZINCS FOR LECLANCHE BATTERY. Steel, Aluminum, German Silver, &c. Sheet Brass, Copper and Ger- man Silver. Copper, Brass and Tee MIL SP 68:74 West Monroe St., Chicago. | Best Bronze, Babbitt Metals, Brass and Alaminum C4STINGS THE BRIDGEPORT BRASS oO, 29 Murray St., New York. Nonescicrem™ | BRASS, BRONZE and ALUMINUM CASTINGS, |. #5-87 Pearl St, Boston. _— eel, N. 7th St., Philad S Gane Enos Founders, Finishers. aaaadeaes Ct oe R.A.HART, BATTLE CREEK, ‘mron. | ¥- G- ROWELL & CO., BRIDGEPORT, CONN. Brass SHEET HENDRICKS BROTHERS AND TUBING Belleville Gopper Rolling Mills, (C°PP°’ | WIRE. MANUFACTURERS OF Lamp Goods ef all Kinds, Brazsicrs’ Bolt and Sheathing BRASS AND COPPER GOODS COPPER, i ialadinesnrotnon eibnean aanabaiae —_———— . COPPER WIRE AND RIVETS. Importers and Dealers in ingot Copper, Block Tin, Spelter, Lead, Antimony, etc. 49 CLIFF ST., NEW YORK. — ee me Mo Yee yo eosven \} aati: ‘THE IRON AGE Tuurspay, Aprit 3, 1902 The Acme Automatic Nut Tapping (ee tint conds these tappine cpind une in the and Bolt Cutting Machines. ward tle ts incense Sas daca: “eles ek ips e ru iz into the nuts. When the a belt shifts and the machine reverses it doubles its speed We here illustrate two interesting and valuable ma as the taps run back out of the nuts. This ecyele of run- chines designed and built by the Acme Machinery Com hing up and Gown completes the tapping of four nuts. pany of Cleveland, Ohio. Both are shown in perspec rhiese movements sre ecomplished by the pulleys tive and sectional elevations. The bed of the automatic Ib fk, mounted en t S Ix nut tapper is made in box form and incloses the prin The tap spindles are tool steel, ground, running in cipal parts of the working mechanism. The feeding mech hardened and ground tool steel bearings, and the lead SSS hae + ea Aaa = ae ee s Nae ee Seat tes dee nt alias ne arene - e : ts oe ees a ala tHE ACME AUTOM'ATIC NUT TAPPING MACH ism is placed outside and on tep of the box bed to screws and split nuts are tool steel. These latter are render it easy of access to the operator. The working pliced in a very ingenious case at the bottom of the mechanism being placed inside of the bed away fron spindles, so that in case ecomes necessary to take the point where the tapping lubricant is applied, pre them out, by loosening et screw the whole case may vents the oil, or other lubricant used while tapping e reversed, so that the fastening screws at the back of nuts, from being thrown on the working parts the case may be as readily reached as those at the front. The tapping is accomplished by four vertical spindles, \ll the gears are cut from the solid, and all bearings are Figs. 1 and 3, driven by gearing. This gearing is tool steel and bronze. The nut holders. nut chutes and through the driven shaft K, Fig. 2, by bevel gears to the feeding mechanism for each size of nut are all made vertical shaft F, and then to the spindle G, which car upon one single plate, so that by loosening two nuts the ries the tap H. In the ordinary nut tappers constructed particular plate may be withdrawn and another sub- by this company the taps run downward into the nut, stituted, thus making a change from one size to another forced by the weight of the spindle. In this machine’ easily and quickly accomplished. The lubricant is sup- the taps runs upward into the nuts, guided by lead screws plied directly on to the taps through flexible tubes, and running in pairs of split nuts at the lower ends of the the chips are washed down into the interior of the bed, 2 THE where they are received in a pan having a screen bot- tom, and are thus separated from the lubricant, which flows into the bottom of the bed, which forms a reser- voir. A suitable pump can be furnished where the cir- culating system is not used. The pan with the chips may be removed and emptied at convenience. The taps used in the machine are of the most simple form, and can be made at much less cost than the ordi- nary nut taps. Just inside of a small door at the left hand top of the machine is placed adjusting mechanism for regulating the cycle of the machine—that is, the ul Ie RECEPTACLE RELIEF-SPRING ON NUT-FEED IRON AGE. Py Da a April 3, 1902 lower end of the nut chutes is the mechanism that pushes the nuts to the taps and ejects them after they have been tapped. Right at this point is located means for relieving the nut feed in case that a ragged nut or a piece of scrap gets in the way of the nut feeding mech- anism; this relief is constructed so that if any obstrue- tion gets in the way the mechanism automatically throws itself out of gear—that is, out of gear in relation to the particular chute obstructed, so that there is no danger whatever of breakage. The machine is furnished with another relief to pre- aa ZA IKKE KOS en NII i] i rT [a eementen Fig. 2 THE ACME machine can be regulated to drive the taps to just the re- quired depth before reversing. Operation, The nuts are placed in the circular receptacle at the extreme top of the machine; this is divided into a se- ries of cells by radiating webs comparable to the spokes of a wheel. The plate that makes the bottom of this receptacle has a hole in it just the size of one of these cells; the machine turns this nut receptacle slowly so that at intervals one single cell full of nuts is discharged on the revolving plate below. The centrifugal force de- veloped by this revolving plate carries the nuts to the outer edge of the plate, where they find their wayinto the four nut chutes that lead to the taps. Just under the Sectional Elevation at Right Angles to Fig. 3 AUTOMATIC NUT TAPPING MACHINE. vent breakage of the taps. For instanee, an obstruction may present itself to any one of the traps, such as a blank nut—that is, a nut without any hole in it. In this case the split nuts that hold the lead screws at the bot- tom of the spindles (shown at I in Fig. 2), being held in pesition by spring pressure only, begin to travel down- ward as soon as the taps reach the obstruction, thus re- lieving the particular spindle of the necessity of travel- ing upward. This at once prevents any possibility of breakage. This nut feed relief and tap relief are both entirely automatic; the moment the defective nut has passed on, forced out of position by the oncoming nut, or the moment the obstruction has been removed by the at- tendant, the machine at once brings the mechanism au- tomatically to its proper position to go on tapping. When April 3, 1902 THE IRON AGE. 3 the tapped nuts are ejected by the machine they find their way across the drainage plate into the discharge pipes that take them into a convenient receptacle. The discharge pipes may be reversed on their common cen- ters so as to discharge the tapped nuts either side of the machine at will. The machine will tap nuts from 5-16 to \% inch, inelu- sive, at the rate of 16,000 %-inch nuts in ten hours. Automatic Bolt Cutter, The automatic bolt cutter shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is also made with a bed of box form, in which the work- il ' et . » t4 edi a i hte fh) he - Poe Oe eae 4 1 J ’ rie P P — \\ Sui a7" 4 Pe ry 1) + S Fig. 3.—Sectional Elevation. THE ACME AUTOMATIC NUT TAPPING MACHINE. ing parts are inclosed. The threading is accomplished by two vertical spindles, G, driven through H E by the pulleys D C, as in the first machine. These spindles are guided by lead screws running in pairs of split nuts at their lower ends. When the machine is running in the direction which sends the threading spindles slowly up- ward, the die heads on these spindles are threading the bolts; when the belt shifts and the machine reverses, it doubles its speed as the die heads run back off the bolts. This cycle of running up and down completes the thread- ing of two bolts. The spindles can be readily reversed as in the nut tapper. The machine is furnished with clamping devices or vises that hold the bolts when they are being threaded. The lubricant is supplied directly onto the die heads through the flexible tubes and the chips are washed down into the interior of the bed, where they are re- ceived in a pan. The die heads and dies used in the machine are of very simple construction, of the type known as solid adjustable. Inside of the doors of the machine, conven- ient of access, is the mechanism for regulating the eycle of the machine—that is, the machine can be regu- lated to cut the required length of thread. Operation, The bolts are placed in a hopper at the top of the machine. The machine automatically arranges these bolts in two runways, one on each side of the machine, where they hang by their heads. This runway is in- clined at such an angle that by their own weight the bolts feed down into the machine. The‘ bolts hanging at the extreme lower end of the runways are pushed by suitable mechanism to and into the vises. The vises close on the bolts automatically just after the bolts have cen- tered themselves over the die heads. The feeding mech- anism immediately records and takes the next two bolts at the lower end of the runways and bring them for- ward just in time to eject the two bolts just threaded; at the same time it places two more for threading. As in the other machine, the feeding mechanism is thrown out automatically in case a ragged bolt or piece of scrap gets in the way, and there is also a die head re- lief. The machine will cut 5-16 to % inch by 4-inch bolts, inclusive, at the rate of 8000 %-inch bolts in ten hours. Bolts with any kind of heads except T-heads can be cut—the latter cannot be retained in the run- ways. eam Se The National Bridge Company.—The report in the Pittsburgh papers to the effect that the National Bridge Company of Pennsylvania, with offices in the Fitz- simons Building, Pittsburgh, and who propose to build a large bridge and structural plant at Monaca, on the Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, had abandoned this project permanently, is incorrect. The facts are that a large block of stock in the new company is held by exec- utors representing an estate, and, owing to a recent death, this money, amounting to about $500,000, has been held up until necessary legal formalities can be gone through. It has, therefore, been decided to tem- porarily suspend operations and keep expenses at a minimum until this money has been released by the courts and is available. The officers of this concern state that work on the building of this plant will be pushed as fast as possible just as soon as these legal steps have been taken. E. M. Schofield, for some years with the American Bridge Company, at Youngstown, is at the head of this new concern. H. B. Underwood & Co., Philadelphia, Pa., have suc- cessfully performed an interesting piece of work on the furnace blowing engines of the Saxton Furnace Com- pany, Saxton, Pa. The journals of two of their heavy blowing engines had become badly worn and required returning or truing up. These journals are 20 inches in diameter and 26 inches in length, and to avoid disman- tling the whole engine and consuming a long time, it was decided to support the weight of the shaft, fly wheel, connecting rods, &c., weighing in all about 11 tons, in- tact. Substantial temporary bearings were made, and the unworn part of the shaft was run in them along- side of the journals. To these then was fastened a spe- cial sliding tool holder which carried the cutting tool, and the operation of turning was performed by revolv- ing the shaft by means of the engine itself and by its own steam. They are also boring out the 50-inch steam cylinder of these engines, repacking same and refitting the pedestals. The Compulsory Industrial Arbitration Court, whose membership includes representatives of employers and employees, which was recently established in Australia, will open this month. Its operation will be watched with interest. a a eee paeret 4 THE Two Daniels Come to Judgment It is sometimes useful to know how we appear to others in kindred pursuits, and if the observer is fair minded and without bias we may learn just where our faults and weaknesses lie. A member of the Amal- gamated Society of Engineers, England, has written to his secretary in the home office upon the relative ca- pacities of English and Ainerican machinists, and the writer of the letter that it can be answered in the affirmative and the negative; they do work harder and they don’t in this country than in England, and he proceeds to make a fine distinction in explanation of his answer. He says: ** When one speaks of Ameri- can workmen working harder than English mechanics says one speaks of what I term sledge hammer mechanics, very and these are numerous. Men who never served rHE ACME a minute at the trade hire themselves as machinists. They know very well the use of a hammer and chisel, have a little knowledge of the file (which has been gained while they have been laboring), and with such knowledge set about doing a job. There is a lot of bustle about these men and this tells in America. If with their hammer, and file they manage to make a fit all is well; if they do not all is well; they g¢g on trying another job until they do make a job. This class would not live five minutes in an English shop. But when one speaks of the American mechanic one speaks of a man who knows his business and its im portance. This man is no faster, if as fast, as the Brit- ish workman; but take it from me with my short ex- perience that America turns out very few such men If by chance a good fellow is turned out, then he works at about the same rate as his English comrade. All this fuss about the Americans working harder than the Britisher is humbug. The Americans are as fond of a loafing job as any Britisher. The steady, quiet plod- ding man belongs to the latter class, and not to the bustling workmen, who handle the hammer and chisel chisel IRON AUTOMATI , better after he has been with us a little longer. AGE. April 3, 1902 and file until they get good pay in; then they quit and are off on a spree. In my opinion the success of Amer- ica does not lie so much with the workmen as the ma- chinery and appliances; there is more work done here with machinery and electricity than in the old country; that is why everything seems faster. “As regards wages they are certainly higher than in England. Where I am the rate is $2.75 to $3 per day workmen, but the hammer and chisel men get only $1.60 to $2 per day. While wages are higher the cost of living is also higher. You cannot get a decent house under $250 to $300 per year, but there is no denying that they are very fine in all their appoint- for good ments, having bathrooms, laundries, cellars, dining rooms, parlors, &ec., but the rent is fabulous. Everything else is higher, and I know Englishmen who have been here 20 years who say they are no bet- BOLT CUTTER ter off than they would have been if they had remained at home.” There is much more of similar purport in the letter referred to, but it is unnecessary to quote it, for the writer confesses that his experience in this country has been very short, and he will possibly understand us An- other English.-workman, however, has been here, upon a brief visit apparently, and it is amusing to note that his experiences have been exactly opposite to those previously set forth. He finds, to quote him literally, “the greatest animation prevailed everywhere; even the working classes, who are so leisurely in their move- ments in the old country, seemed to be imbued with a quicker and more energetic spirit. Their attempts to enjoy themselves suggested the harsh industrial con- ditions under which they labored. I could not disabuse inyself of the fact (?) that everything I saw was in- tensely superficial and destined to give way ere long to things of a more lasting and rational character.” This is quite in line with what has been so fre- quently adverted to in The Iron Age—to wit, that Eng- — etme attest ae — THE April 3, 1902 lishmen do not in the least understand us from a po litical or industrial aspect; this writer calls his hasty generalizations “ facts,” and predicts the speedy lapse of American manners and customs into the only ways of living he is familiar with—those of England. We are somewhat acquainted with them ourselves, but prefer our own, after a protracted trial of others. But the second Daniel come to judge us has some further observations to make. He says: “ The working classes in the United States have no pleasures, and no leisure to enjoy them if they had, the result being that they are somewhat prosaic beings.” We must admit the truth of this in so far as what constitutes “ pleasure” from the British point of view; DIE-RE MECHANISM Fig. 5 Sectional Elevratis rHE ACME AUTOMATIC we do not stop work after enough has been earned to provide a scanty living for the family in order to course greyhounds, or kick footballs over 40-acre lots, for the reason that we do not see any especial pleasure in the fact that one dog can run faster than another dog, or that anything has been gained by his having done so. Also, we are prosaic in keeping to work while we are young in order that we and those dependent upon us may have, at least, a roof over our heads long before we get old. The word “ leisure’ in this connection. We have all that there is of that commodity, for that is exactly what it is. There is no leisure for any one in this life unless it is bought and paid for by some one. Our critic has some favorable remarks to make con- cerning the shops, saying that they are warm in win- ter and cool in summer, and in this respect, if no other. are a vast improvement upon British shops, where such ’ strikes us as facetious n IRON AGE. 5 arrangements are unknown, or else practically ignored. Che machinery is certainly more advanced than that used in the old country, though not to the extent that s claimed for it, and, ** personally, I cannot see such a’ great difference between a well equipped English shop and an American one. The only thing I did notice was that the workmen apparently worked harder than we do (the other Daniel said we didn’t) and that there was plenty of young blood and but very little of the old in the shops, and I could not help reflecting upon the pathos which its absence suggested.” This is obscure, but the observer evidently meant to say that it was pathetie that men should outlive their usefulness. So it is, but not more so in the case of a ~-— -+4 at Right Angles to Fig. 6. BOLT CUTTER shop than in any other department of human endeavor. \lihough men may continue to serve after middle life, yet their efforts are not those of younger workmen who have their lives before them, and unless we are willing to admit that shops are charitable institutions we must concede that employers are justified in filling their shops with young men. This Daniel II was also great- ly impressed with the fact, as he calls it, that every- where he went the managers, foremen and other re- sponsible officials were either Scotch or English, and they were “jostling to the front.” Perhaps he was misled by the names of these jostlers, for we have a great many undeniably Scotch names in our shops; but it is anomalous that they had to come 3000 miles for work when, if they had jostled to anything like the same extent they seem to here they could have had cheaper house rent and all the luxuries it is possible to obtain in England upon a wage of “twa pun a =e yee 6 THE week.” After all, this writer from whom we have quoted seems to touch the root of the disturbances be- tween labor and capital in his country, for he says: “With English trade unions co-operating with English capital there is no power on earth that can approximate to us (England) in energy and enterprise. Contrasted with English institutions they (we) are a long way in the rear. Certainly there are some cities that boast of universities and polytechnics, but they are not near- ly so abundant as they are in our country. I visited several of them and was surprised that so few patron- ized them. Having no leisure, the people have little or no inclination for the higher arts of life. Work, work, work is the great passion of America.” Now if this commentator could devise some way by which the trades unions would confine themselves to their own side of the machine business and not at- Fig. 6 Sectional Elcvation THE ACME AUTOMATIC BOLT CUTTER. tempt to run both ends of it—the shop and the adminis- tration—he would confer a great favor upon all man- ufacturers everywhere. It is not likely that he can, but will continue to run over here, he and his congeners, and tell us how we could run American shops to the greater satisfaction of English workmen. A conference looking to more harmonious relations between employers and workmen took place in Eng- land lately, the parties being the Employers’ Federa- tion and three of the leading unions, but the stipula- tions proposed by the Employers’ Federation were promptly rejected by the workmen. The proposition made to them was that the employers should not be in- terfered with in the management of their business in any way; removal of all restriction as to output and IRON AGE. April 3, 1902 piece work, and no objections made as to the number of apprentices or the employment of nonunion men. The employers, for their part, agreed not to black list any because they belonged to unions, or to institute piece work prices which would be less than the recognized trade union rates. These conditions seem easily com- plied with by both sides, but the men rejected them by a vote of 2 to 1. This course is quite in line with our comments upon the action of trade unions in England, and was to be predicted. The Babcock Bill Dead. WASHINGTON, D. C., April 1, 1902.—There has recently been a revival of interest in Congress concerning the so- called Babcock bill providing important reductions in the rates of duty on the metal schedule of the tariff law; but at the same time an interesting parliamentary de- velopment has occurred which the most experienced ob- servers here confidently believe will effectually dispose of this measure so far, at least, as the present session of Congress is concerned. Readers of 7he Iron Age will remember that early in the present session a strong effort was made by Repre- sentative Babcock to secure a favorable report from the Ways and Means Committee on his bill, and that this attempt very nearly succeeded through the unexpected support which Mr. Babcock received from Representa- tive Tawney of Minnesota, who voted with the Wis- consin member in favor of the bill. The motion to re- port the bill was defeated by a tie vote in the absence of Representative Long of Kansas, who was credited with leanings toward a very moderate tariff. Upon re- turning to Washington, however, Mr. Long made a very positive statement that he would not support the Bab- cock bill. Since the above incident, the Cuban reciprocity ques- tion has occupied the attention of the Ways and Means Committee to the exclusion of all other topics, and Representatives Babcock, Tawney and Metcalf of Cali- fornia, Republican members of the committee, have been classed with the so-called “ insurgents,’ who have strongly opposed the administration’s policy involving a cut of 20 per cent. in the duties on Cuban products im- ported into the United States. During the discussion of the Cuban reciprocity question, however, the Ways and Means Committee and many other members of the House have received memorials in favor of the Babcock bill from various firms in the East and West, and, espe- cially, from the so-called Manufacturers’ Association of New York. This association has been very active in working up sentiment in favor of the bill and recently appointed a special committee to examine the measure and prepare a report thereon. Copies of this report to the number of several hundred have been circulated in both houses of Congress and a number of copies have been formally introduced, spread upon the records and referred to the Ways and Means Committee. This re- port as presented in Congress is as follows: “Your committee, to whom was referred the H. R. 9056 of the Fifty-seventh Congress, first session (known as the Babcock bill) would report that this bill is a mod- ification of the H. R. bill 14,145 of the Fifty-sixth Con- gress, second session, and that it reduces the present cus- tom duties on nearly all varieties of the crude shapes of iron and steel] an average of 50 per cent., and adds to the free list more advanced than pig and less advanced than bar and all ingots, beams, channels, plates, tee rails, &ec. (which are generally regarded as the steel and trust products). “The bill will, we believe, protect the wage prices of the capable mechanics and assist the manufacturers of the United States in the attempt to obtain and retain the market for our surplus goods of the higher grades, and continue here the era of good times when all who hon- estly want work may have it at prices better than any- where else in the world. “While we do not believe that the product of any or- ganization would be selected for a reduction of their legitimate profits, yet, when one company control the market of the United States and are able to declare prof- OPES TREE ee ree = its by reason of the protection custom duties in excess of the amount considered legitimate in business experi- ence, the time has come when those duties should be gradually lowered at such a rate that other lines of business depending on the products on which the du- ties are lowered may not be thrown into confusion. “Your committee, when the previous bill was re- ferred to them, held an open meeting to hear the inter- ested members, but, as previously stated, there was a very small attendance, considering the importance of the subject, and the opinion of your committee then formed after a discussion applies to this bill, and we would of- fer the following: “ Resolved, That the Manufacturers’ Association of New York favors the passage of the present H. R. 9056 (known as the Babcock bill), believing that the interests of the manufacturers of the country, as well as the work- ingmen, will be advanced by this modification of the tar- iff bill of 1897, particularly if it will assist in the work of reciprocity to which this association stands com mitted.” Representative Babcock, in the meantime, had planned to summon a caucus of Republican members of the House and endeavor to have his bill adopted as a party measure. As a means to this end he had secured the co-operation of 50 to 60 members, the personnel of April 3, 192 THE IRON AGE. 7 Large Shaft Built by the Allis-Chalmers Company. Au illustration is herewith given of a notable ship- ment recently made by the Allis-Chalmers Company from their works at Milwaukee, Wis. It consists of a steel shaft 30 inches in diameter and 34 feet long, with its fittings. The shaft is hollow forged, with a 10-inch hole, and was finished and fitted at the E. P. Allis Works for vse in one of the plants of the American Steel & Wire Company, at Cleveland, Ohio. The actual shipping weight of the shaft is 78 tons. It is intended for a 40 and 80 by 60 combined vertical and horizontal Reynolds rolling mill engine, carrying a rope wheel 23 feet in diameter by 18 feet face. The weight of the wheel is about 138 tons. The total weight of the fin- ished engine is about 500 tons. —— = The Mannesmann Cycle Tube Works Sold.—On Wednesday last the Benedict & Burnham Mfg. Com- pany of Waterbury, Conn., purchased through James D. Williams of New York and Hugh L. Thompson, engineer, of Waterbury, Conn., the tube making machinery, li- censes, shop right and patents owned by the Mannes- LARGE SHAFT BUILT BY THE ALLIS-CHALMERS COMPANY. his following being practically the same as that com- bined in opposition to the Cuban reciprocity programme, the theory of this combination being that the tariff should not be reduced on American agricultural prod- ucts so long as it was permitted to stand untouched on such lines of manufactures as are largely monopolized by industrial combinations. Mr. Babcock’s crusade was generally admitted to be making some progress when about two months ago he was taken seriously ill and so compelled to abandon all his work in the House. He is now convalescent, but feeling somewhat discouraged over the outlook for the success of his measure he has espoused the cause of the administration concerning rec- iprocity with Cuba. This step on Mr. Babcock’s part has had very impor- tant results, having alienated the entire support for his bill he had built up both in the Ways and Means Com- mittee and in .the House among those representatives who had opposed Cuban reciprocity. It would be diffi- cult to overstate the bitterness that has been engendered between the two wings of the Republican party in the House, which for four months have been engaged in a struggle over the reciprocity question, and Mr. Bab- cock’s defection has made a very deep impression on those who had promised to support his bill and who had confidently counted upon his assistance in defeating the reciprocity programme. At this writing it is doubtful if Mr. Babcock could. command a score’of Republican votes for his bill, and, although his shrewdness and ac- tivity are generally recognized, it is the best opinion that the measure has been disposed of for the present session at least. Ww. L. ¢. mann Cycle Tube Works of Zylonite, Town of Adams, Mass. The company were organized some time in 1896 by the Mannesmann Brothers—Max, Rheinhardt and Al- fred—the sons of the inventor of the Mannesmann proc- ess and machines. ‘Through some misfortune or mis- management the project failed and the Mannesmanns gave up in August, 1898, without having successfully started the works. The plant was then leased to re- sponsible people, who ran a part of it from November, 1898, to some time in May, 1899, in which time they pro- duced about 450,000 lineal feet of merchantable bicycle tubing. Since that time the works have been idle, and the property was finally sold by order of the District Court of the United States for the Southern district of New York. The tube machinery will be removed and the property used for manufacturing purposes. a The improvements for the year 1902 projected by the railroads in the Shenango Valley are extensive. They are principally in the line of curve elimination and the laving of extra track and switches. The effort for high- er speed and more frequent trains will be advanced steadily. Lower passenger fares between Youngstown, New Castle and Sharon are already a fact, on account of the electric railway competition, and with the largely increased travel sure to result the three cities are ex- pected to be drawn closer together in a financial and so- cial way and faster growth to result. The double track- ing and improvement of the electric railways is result- ing in better speed and increased traffic in and about Sharon. Se ON ET eM in ae ae oe Aaa SI PRO Pe a ee a 8 een apm SN TE PR OY OT SE g THE The Department of Commerce and Labor. WASHINGTON, D. C., April 1, 1902.—The House Com mittee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce has begun a series of hearings on the pending bills authorizing the creation of a new executive department to be devoted to the interests of commerce. There are four of these bills before the committee, including the Nelson bill, re cently passed by the Senate. which creates a Depart- ment of Commerce and Labor, and measures presented by Representatives Roberts of Massachusetts, Brown low of Tennessee and Schirm of Maryland. FTrom a parliamentary standpoint it is practicable for the com mittee either to report the Nelson bill or to substitute for it one of the Housc measures which, if satisfactory, might be accepted by the Senate in the event of its passage by the House. The strength of the proposition that a Department of Commerce should be created was made clear to the committee at the beginning of the hearings by the num ber and character of the representatives of commercial organizations in various parts ef the country, who were present for the purpose of advocating the pending bills. They included President Theodore C. Search and Sec- retaries E. H. Sanborn and E. P. Wilson of the National Manufacturers’ Association, John W. Ela of the National Business League of Chicago, Edward R. Wood of Phila- delphia, of the National Board of Trade; M. H. Kline of Philadelphia, of the Trades’ League; L. W. Noyes of Chicago, of the National Civic League; George H. Ander- son of the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, W. R. Tucker of the National Board of Trade and George H. sarber, a prominent manufacturer of Detroit. At the suggestion of Chairman Hepburn it was de- cided to treat the question before the committee under a different head at each meeting, the first hearing to be given up to a discussion of the necessity for and the general functions of the proposed new department, the organization of the department and its personnel, &c., to be discussed at subsequent sessions. President Search on the Nelson Bill. President Search, who was the first speaker, strongly advocated the acceptance by the House Committee of the Nelson bill chiefly on the ground that it was as sat- isfactory a measure as any of the others, and possessed the advantage of having passed the Senate. Any neces sary amendments, he thought, might be incorporated in the bill without changing its general character and the prospects of its ultimate passage would thereby be im- proved. Concerning the necessity of a department to be devoted to the interests of commerce, Mr. Search made a striking comparison between the manufacturing inter ests of the country, which are not represented by an executive department, and those of agriculture, which are now supervised by a Cabinet official “The twelfth census,” he said, “ shows that the ag gregate value of the products of the manufacturing es- tablishments of the United States during the census year ended June 1, 1900, exceed $13,000,000,000, whieh is probably nearly four times the aggregate value of all the products of agriculture during the same year. The manufacturing interests of the United States exceed in volume and importance the industrial interests of any nation in the world, and yet there is in the executive de- partments of this Government no department or bureau that is specially charged with any duties relating directly to these interests. Agriculture, labor, transportation, mining, fisheries and forestry all have distinct recogni- tion in one form or another, but nowhere is there any agency specifically designed to promote the welfare of the manufacturing interests of the country. “The United States is almost alone among the civil- ized nations in failing to maintain a distinct govern- inental department whose function it is to promote the interests of commerce and industry. England has her Board of Trade, which exercises a powerful influence upon the commerce and industries of Great Britain. and whose president is a Cabinet officer Germary has a IRON AGE. April 3, 1902 Minister of Commerce. France has a Minister of Com merce. Belgium has a Minister of Industry and Labor. Austria has a Minister of Commerce and National Economy. Hungary has a Minister of Industry and Commerce. Russia has a special Imperial Cabinet of four sections, one of which is devoted to agriculture and manufacture. The Netherlands has a Minister of Public Works and Commerce. Spain has a Minister of Agriculture and Commerce and Public Works. Por- tugal has a Minister of Public Works and Industry and Commerce. Switzerland has a Minister of Agriculture and Industry. Italy has a Minister of Agriculture and? Commerce. Persia has a Minister of Commerce. Most of the Spanish-American countries have Cabinet officials whose functions are distinctly commercial in character.” In conclusion, Mr. Search urged that while the pur- pose of the bills would really justify a very large ex- penditure on the part of the Government, the Nelson bilb involved an appropriation of only about $50,000 per year, as the new department would be made up almost ex- clusively of bureaus transferred from other executive branches. The Attitude of Organized Labor, Mr. Ela strongly advocated the creation of the new department, and when examined as to the attitude of organized labor with regard to it, he said that the Knights of Labor favored the Nelson bill, under which the labor bureau would be incorporated in the new de- partment, while the American Federation of Labor was opposed to it. He wished, however, to emphasize the fact that this controversy had little or no bearing upon the general purpose of the bill, and should not militate against the desirability of the new department. Mr. Noyes urged the passage of the bill for the purpose of opening up foreign markets, and, in this connection, he said that the new department would be of enormous ad- vantage to manufacturers having 1 comparatively small business, who could not afford to maintain the organiza- tions kept up by large firms for exploiting their goods abroad. The department would, therefore, be a great aid to business houses of moderate means unable at pres- ent to compete for any share of our foreign trade. The other speakers advocated the new department en- thusiastically, and generally favored the Nelson bill for the parliamentary reasons given by Mr. Search. Fol- lowing the hearing of these business men the commit- tee listened to several representatives of labor organiza- tions who sought to eliminate from the pending bills the prepositicn to include the bureau of labor in the pro- posed department. Thomas F. Tracey, representing the American Fed- eration of Labor, read a letter from President Gompers giving reasons why a Department of Commerce should not include labor. In reply to questions by members of the committee concerning the apparent diversity of opin- ion hetween the Federation and the Knights of Labor, he asserted that while several years ago the Knights of Labor constituted a very strong orgnnization, it had now dwindled down to something like 10,000 members, while the Federation of Labor had a membership of 1,250,000. H. R. Fuller, representing several national organizations of railway employees, said that while he did not wish to be understood as opposing the establishment of a De- partment of Commerce, he wished to make it clear that organized labor had for 35 years been working to secure the establishment of an executive Department of Labor, with a Cabiret officer at its head. He thought labor and commerce should not he combined, as their interests were not identical. ‘Commerce, he said. “is headed by men who sre the prime movers in the present propost- tion. If this movement is successful, it would he only natural and right that commercial men, and not laboring men, should he represented in the man selected as the head of the new department. It is an impossibility for a man who has the interests of the employing classes at heart to be equally interested in the affairs of labor, and equally, a man who would he a representative of labor- ing men would be unable to guard the commercial in- terests in a single hearted manner.” With regard to the hearings and the probable action of the committee, Chairman Hepburn said to the cor- respendert of The Tron Age: ee ee eR EY SPREE OSE IRE BEE 6 THE April 3, 1902 * Judging by the discussion we have heard, the propo sition for a new department is a very popular one with business men generally. I imagine that most of the op position to the exact terms of the pending bills will come from department officials who will be affected by the change. Certain Cabinet officers, for example, will be disposed to retain all their bureaus, and will object to these proposed transfers. There are also several inde pendent bureaus whose chiefs will not relish the idea of being placed under the jurisdiction of a Cabinet offi cer. The committee will consider all these points care fully, and in deciding they will bear in mind that the general welfare of the people at large rather than the desires of individuals should guide us.” W. L. C. ———_— a The Stow Multispeed Motor. The new type of four-pole multispeed motor illus- trated herewith combines all the advantages of the or- dinary multipolar moter with the added advantage of TL ae | wl Gene i ~ a _ “a ‘i— a py THE STOW MUI an operative speed range of 100 to 150 per cent. from minimum speed, the percentage of speed variation in- creasing with the size of the machine. The armature ro- tates in a balanced mnagnetic field under all conditions of speed, this magnetic balance being secured by a simul- taneous radial adjustment of the four plungers by means of bevel gearing, a hand wheel, by which the plungers are moved, being located conveniently at the top of the machine. The design of the pole pieces and the selec- tion of gearing is such that no great effort is required at the hand wheel in order to move the plungers against the tractive power of the field magnet. As the gears are small, and the gear rods lie close to the frame of the motor, this mechanism does not detract from the other- wise symmetrical and pleasing design of the machine. In common with other closely designed multipolar ma- chines, the various parts of the machine are arranged very compactly and the design secures a substantially reduced weight at a given speed over the bipolar form. The base of the motor is cast integral with the frame, and is provided with V slots at each of the corners, the rails being adapted to fit within these slots. While the cut shows an open type machine the design is such that if an inclosed motor is desired the armature IRON AGE supporting brackets may be removed and the ends of the frame finished so as to receive suitable inclosing heads, in the center of which the armature bearings are arranged. The 6 horse-power machine, shown in the cut, is designed for a minimum speed of 700 revolutions per minute, the maximum speed being 1500 revolutions per minute, giving a total speed variation of 115 per cent., at any speed between which limits the machine develops its full rated horse-power with an efficiency of only 2 per cent. less at its maximum than at its minimum speed. This justilies us in the statement that the motor Inay he operated at any imaginable speed within the limits of 115 per cent. variation, the efficiency of the motor at a given load being practically independent of the speed at which it is operated, a claim which cannot he made for any other m: tor operating on a constant potential. ‘The construction of the pole piece and plunger of the multipolar motor is similar to that used in the bipolar form, the field strength. consequently the armature a ' ~ @ NEEL) rISPEED MOTOR speed, being varied in accordance with the position oc- cupied by the pole piece cores or plungers. When the plunger is adjusted so that its inner end vomes in contact with the pole shoe the magnetic circuit is most complete and of minimum reluctance, and, since the magnetomotive force of the field coil remains con- stant the volume of magnetic flux becomes a maximum and the speed minimum, or normal. As the plunger is being drawn away from contact with the pole shoe a column of air is interposed which gradually increases the reluctance of the magnetic circuit as long as the plunger continues to be withdrawn. When the plunger reaches the limit of its outward motion the reluctance of the magnetic circuit and hence the speed becomes maxi- mum. s To tiose familiar with the action of field regulated shunt motors of ordinary type a variation in speed of 115 per cent. by a corresponding variation of the magnetic flux would seem impossible of realization on account of the difficulty of securing sparkless commutation when the field strength of the motor is so abnormally reduced. In the construction of these multispeed motors, how- ever, the design of the pole piece and plunger is such that as the volume of effective magnetism is diminished oe 10 THE IRON AGE. by the outward movement of the plunger, the remaining inagnetic flux is forced more aud more in the direction of the pole tips, thus furnishing a magnetic fringe at all times of sufficient intensity to insure sparkless commu- tation. In regard to the fineness of speed adjustment it is evident from the coustruction of the machine that there is no speed between maximum and minimum which cannot be obtained by an appropriate adjustment of the hand wheel. It should be understood that while the motor carries its full load sparklessly at any imaginable speed within its range at practically maximum efficiency it will also carry any lesser load with a consumption of power cor- responding with the actual work done. As the speed regulation is effected solely by varying the reluctance of the magnetic circuits no controller or rheostat or resistance of any kind is used in the regu