The Iron Age 1912-02-29: Vol 89 Iss 9

Lea A bers. At the present time the number of operatives in the va- rious plants is about 8000, with a total em- ploying capacity of over 10,000. The as- sociation members re- quire that all operat- tives employed shall be Tegistered at their Free Employment Bu- reau, located on the principal business Street. The bureau is carried on in comnnec- tion with the other work of the associa- thon. Since the new sys- tem went into - effect the workman, after registering, is given a Tegister card (Fig. 1), an envelope for it (Fig. 2), and a regis- Ployment bureau. On employ ed as ended Man Feau of th. Established 1855 The Manufacturers’ Association of Racine, Wis., after careful trial and consideration, recently put into opera- tion a new employment system worked out by the secre- tary, F. G. Bolles. It is designed to overcome certain unfavorable conditions hitherto existing and. to give steady Racine rather than to the nomadic members of the labor- ing element. Furthermore, it is to increase materially the average efficiency of labor, to eliminate avoidable losses from incompetence and to result in an appreciable gain to the industries of the city. The association is composed of all of the larger man- ufacturers of Racine and embraces about twenty-five mem- IDENTIFICATION Portions, each 4% In. Wide an Fig. 2; Light Bristol Board, White with Black and Red Type. ter card claim check, which is an aluminum coin about the size of a silver dollar, carrying the name of the employment bureau and the number of the coin. The register card Sives the man’s name in full, his address, classification, identification, age, nationality and register number, also structions to employer and employee. This card has a duplicate, which goes into the alphabetical file of the em- n the inside of the register card envelope are ten Subdivisions, each of which provides for the six items of name of employer, foreman, clock or check number, , date employed and date employment The register card claim check is kept by the work- ‘o tacilitate remembering his register number and is Presented when calling for the register card at the bu- W ith this he is prepared to make application at one plants where he wishes to work. New York, February 29, 1912 of Racine, Wis,, Vol. 89: No. 9 for the A System of Employing Labor Scheme of Operation of an Employment Bureau of Manufacturers Mutual Advantage of Employer and Employee When employmnt is obtained by a workman, the reg- ister card and envelope are surrendered by him, and, after the insertion of the name of the employer, name of fore- man,-clock or check number, how employed and date em- ployed, they are returned to the Free Employment Bureau employment to the workmen who have their homes in . on the same day. There they are placed on file in a numerical arrangement and remain until the workman leaves his place or is dismissed. With termination of a man’s service a dismissal slip is filled out by the foreman and sent by the employer to the Bureau. This dismissal slip, Fig. 3, shows, in addi- FAMILY NAME GIVEN NAMES RESIDING AT REGISTERED AS NATIONALITY ———————— 2 f lue except to person named. It is given to assist in correctly re- This card is of no value ane wo _— Manufacturers’ Free 531 Wisconsin Street, Wis. Notice to Workman. This card must be given to Timekeeper when going to work. It will be returned to you by calling at the Free Em- ployment Bureau after leaving the employ of the company to which it is given. Remember the number on this card. Notice to Employer. Record name and address as above. Be sure you spell it correctly. Take up this card when a woskman enters your employ and send to Manufacturers’ Free Employment Bureau, 531 Wis- consin St. by evening mail same day man is employed. Form 3-15M-12-8) Copyrighted Dax, 1911 by F. G. Belles, Racine, Whe. Fig. 1—One Side of the Register Card Perforated for Division Into Two 3 In. High. The Other Portion is Shown in 517 aS SD tion to the full name and address, clock number and reg- ister number of the employee, a rating of his skill, pro- ductive ability and conduct, as well as the reason for leaving. The slip is dated on the reverse side, on which the name of the employer is also printed. On receipt of the dismissal slip the rec- ord envelope described below is taken from the file of the company sending in the dismis- sal. The register card and envelope, which have been in the nu- merically arranged file during the operative’s period of employment, are removed, and the production ‘value of the man is noted in the space used for the employer from whom the dismissal comes. Thus, if the operative is excellent in skill, production and conduct, his marking for production value would be, say, 111, and if he has been laid off because of no work these figures would be followed by reason 11. The dismissal date is inserted and the register card and envelope are returned to the numerical file. The dis- missal slip is put into the record envelope, which is now transfered to the unemployed file. is similar to the envelope for the register card, indicated in Fig. 2, but the flap folds over once in covering the envelope pocket. That is, the envelope pocket is about 3x5 in, and the envelope with the flap extended is about 6 x 5 in. The outside of the envelope contains spaces for noting the register number, the man’s name and the occupation for which he is registered, besides numbers for general classification. The outside of the flap has spaces for noting when the man’s name has been The record envelope Eee Drgh toa wa: Be eae 518 THE IRON AGE Porm 7 20M-12-1918 Februa: “J, 1912 Notice to Employer moiety canal - Within 24 hours after an employee leaves your employ one of these cards should be properly filled out and forwarded to the aa al a ee FREE EMPLOYMENT BUREAU Skill 2 Fair, Production 3 Pair Conduct 2 7a : -| 531 WISCONSIN ST. 3 Poor 1B Poor 8 Poor - ae Be sure and give the name, register number and shop number correctly = Sp ee eee ATE OR saLany and check (¥) opposite the cause for leaving and indicate Produc- |. aaa {| Sees | ___ REASON tion value under “skill,” “conduct” and “production.” “Insert ‘‘Date “i _| Another position | jit | No work —| Dismissed” in space below. : 2 | Careiess ____ 88 __|_ Physical disabiiixy — | Mannfacturers’ Ass’n of Racine. 3 __| Dishonest - \438 | Sickness —| Copyrighted Dec. 1ytt by F. G. Belles, Racine, Wis. ams a Dissatisfied ee? (em Stealing es ———ane) s “Drunkenness Unknow | Se ¥ This Card From {| - Mitchell-Lewis Motor Co. Date Dismissed PLANT ‘* "Tle | Ignores instructions — _| Incompetent Tae eas tet ae | Tabor agitator 10 “Leaving city Unteuthful a: Unsteady” uo Wanted more pay Work too hard icone § Fig. 3—The Two Sides of the Dismissal Slip, 3 x 4% in. in Size; Black Printing on Yellow Paper WORKEO LAST FOR EMPLOYED AS FOREMAN } SMECK NO DATE EMPLOYED REGISTER CARD RETO COMPANY EMPLOVED AS FOREMAN | CHECK NO DATE EMPLOVED REGISTER CARD RETO EMPLOYED 48 DATE EMPLOYED REGISTER CARD RETO EMPLOVED AS OATE EMPLOYED REGISTER CARD RETO EMPLOYED AS CHECK NO. DATE EMPLOYED REGISTER CARD RETO FOREMAN COMPANY es oF ue COMPANY pe eee ae FOREMAN JS cenit o | al | FOREMAN 7 Form 5-15M-12-11 Notice to Employer Fill out the above form completely, using rubber stamps for Company’s name and date and ink for entries. Send “Register Card” and this envelope to FREE EMPLOYMENT BUREAU MANUFACTURERS’ ASSOCIATION OF RACINE 531 WISCONSIN ST. SAME DAY MAN IS EMPLOYED. Fig. 2—Envelope for the Register Card, Showing Inserted in the Pocket of the Envelope the Reverse Side of the Card shown in Fig. 1. On the outside of the pocket is a place for noting the register number and the following notice to work- men is thereon printed: “This envelope and card must be given to timekeeper when going to work. It will be returned to you by calling at the Free Employment Bu- emember the number on your register card.’’ The envelope is of manilla with the pocket about 3 x 5 in. in size and a total length with flap extended of 9 in. reau after leaving the employ of the company to which it is given. transferred to the unemployment tile, and the inside of the flap is reserved for noting name and address, color of hair and eyes. weight and hight and whether married or not. In the unemployed file the envelopes are arranged numerically under various classifications, the object being to know at all times the men available for any class of work. Thus, when a call comes from a factory for a number of lathe hands or for any other class of operatives, this file is consulted and an employment notice sent to a-number of men. This is a postal card.of dark pink color and gives the name of tlie plant at which the position is open. The card emphasizes that the re- cipient must secure his register card and on issuing the register card and envelope the operative’s identification, as explained in Fig. 4, is inserted on the card and he is made to sign the inside of the flap to the record envelope. When he calls for his register card, after leaving a place and de- siring to find another, he must sign his name on and fill out the form shown in Fig. 5. Besides reference to his claim check, which he exhibits, his signature 1s compared with the one originally made on the record envelope to prevent issuing cards to the wrong person. Each morning, on receipt of em- ployment and dismissal reports, 4 list is made out at the Bureau for each factory sending them in These lists, Fig. 6, carry clock and register numbers. The num- ber of men .carried on the employ- ment record becomes a debit against the employer by the Bureau and the dis missal record is a’credit. Thus, at the end of the month, each association member 's charged a fixed sum for each operative represented by his file at that time, which distributes the burden of expense very equitably. This system reduces the problem to the workman of finding employment and to the factory managers of securing competent help to a very simple, or in fact the sim- plest, form. The endeavor to insure abso- lutely fair, honest grading of the opera tives is a cardinal point of the system None of the features is secret, as every de- tail is explained to the men when they reé- ister. The employment agent at the Bureau is guided by the opinions of foremen who have had an opportunity to observe the qualifications and conduct of the men em ployed; and any statement by foremen 0 others who are required to: pass on the rating of men must be based strictly facts, as care is taken in the operation “§ the system to immediately ferret out 4 Ig12 THE IRON AGE 519 _ ; personal reasons’ which o identifica may be alleged by a work- This form must be properly filled out by those calling for Manufacturers’ Ass'n. of Racine. nace on the Registra- employees makes 1t idd a description of hom it was issued viating same. We re devised the follow- identification. harged with the em- men.at factories will k up this identification e as far as possible, to transfer of a card by a rkman to one who 1s red EYES man or to be surmised from his record for detrimental rating. As the records accumu- late the industrious men are coming more and more to appreciate the great value that the system of- fers. They need only to present their card at a fac- their “Register Cards.” LAST SHOP NO - REGISTER NO. NAME RESIDENCE NO.—__— Name of Last Employer fied HAI! ‘ “a 1 Blach 1, Black Married tory, and if positions are Kind of work at last place— a 6S. Bee open for which they are eben itech = oe qualified they are put to own by figeres, indicating feet and hus 510-—five feet, tem inches. es ren iogether work at once. There is no Fig. 5—Form Filled by Operative on Securing His Register Card Weight is given in figares : : : Light blue paper, 3 x 44 in XAMPLE OF IDENTIFICATION | “me Jost in asking a man , 3458178W questions and no doubt as naons vod hate his abili fll h Where these losses can be eliminated and operatives 4 gry.or to his ability to such a 1 d dj Sos ; h Sent 1 a ‘edi b properly graded according to the kind of work they are 178 genet place as that indicated by ; : most capable of performing, it means not only a greater Bolle, Racine, Ws his. card. Neither need Key to Identification wage-earning power for the really skilled, steady worker, tive. Light green card, there be any trial period to Porm 12-1M-2-12 conena eae Soh th soa i MANUFACTURERS ASS'N OF RACINE EMPLOYMENT RECORD determine the hourly rate of a man, for his compe- ency has been established by his previous record. To employers the advantages of such a system are self-evident. There is everywhere, during normal times, dificulty in securing thoroughly competent skilled work- en; and among machinists, for example, the really ex- erienced, desirable men are often pressed to one side by three, six or nine months’ journeymen of a roving dispo- tion who push themselves to the front. This condition is chargeable with a heavy loss due to general incompe- tency, spoiled work and non-productive machines with their constant addition to the shop burden. A further oss, which has also to be borne by the manufacturer, and s sometimes the heaviest of all, is imperfect product de- ivered Still another difficulty is imperfect classification. Si tT Re anaes ne me ee alae cee Fig. 6—Blank for Employment Record. Light blue paper made in duplcate, 514 x8% in. A similarly ruled blank of yellow per, also provided in duplicate, is used for keeping ‘a report of dis- missals. ed | but very material gains in the productive capacity and operating economy of the industrial plants affected. . ie Universal Vise and Surface Table The Petmanent . Manufacturers’ Exhibit of Railway Supplies and Equipment has been established with offices in the Karpen Building, Michigan Boulevard, Chicago. It is the intention of this organization to provide a permanent show place for machinery equipment and supplies neces- sary to the modern railroad system. It is also the inten- Two recent products of the Victor Vise Company, 15 est Washington street, Springfield, Ohio,sare a universal se and a surface table. The vise which is illustrated in | is capable of handling both irregular and standard apes of work, and can be easily and ickly adjusted to suit the convenience of e operator, while the surface table, which intended to be used as an accessory to the vise, is shown in Fig. 2. in using the vise the work can be put in the proper position for getting the maxi- im amount of light on the lines or prick- punch marks of the lay-out easily, since the position of the vise can be changed as often is may be necessary. In all positions the vise is held rigidly by i single clamping lever, and the tool is auto- vatically maintained in the vertical position y the action of a locking collar on the stem until the clamping lever is tightened. When ie clamping lever is tightened all the parts ' the vise are rigidly clamped together to form one piece. It is emphasized that there mutilation of the bench in attaching ‘is device, and as it extends out from the ench the workman is afforded better access to his work. Four different styles and four - es of these vises are made. Fig. 1.—A Universal Vise Fig. 2—A Surface Table ‘he surface table, which is illustrated in Two Recent Products of the Victor Vise Company, Springfield, Obio “18. 2, 1s a handy accessory to the vise, and oe used for various purposes. If desired it can be _s the base as illustrated or may be detached from the > : and used on-the bench as an ordinary surface plate. tious sizes of tables are made to meet the requirements user tion to make this exhibit headquarters for railroad men and their meetings, and provisions therefore have been made. Arizona’s admission to the Union February 14 brimgs : * within the sisterhood of States the last bit of territory ne Studebaker Corporation, South Bend, Ind., cele- within the confines of the continental United States. There 's sixtieth birthday February 11. are now 48 States. Dnt pion Steel Siphons for New York’s Water Supply Supports, Tests and Coatings of the Pipe Line Portions of the New Water Supply Work In connection with the gigantic water supply develop- ment now for some time actively under way for Greater New York is included what is known as the Catskill aque- duct, and where this crosses narrow valleys, steel pipe lines are employed connecting water tunnels in solid rock. Some of the interesting points with regard to the steel tubes have to do with the seating of the large piping on support- ing saddles; the arrangement in advance of use for the water load on the sad- dies with allowance for the deformation of the pipe cross-section owing to the pressure of the water, and the coating both inside and out of the steel work. Three parallel tubes are required for each valley crossing in order to furnish full capacity. Only one is being put in at present, the middle one. There are to be in all fourteen steel siphon crossings of an average length of 0.455 mile. The single central tubes will total altogether some- thing over six-miles of steel pipe. The diame- ters are 9.50, 9.75 and 11.25 ft. The thickness of the steel plates varies from 0.438 to 0.750 in. Circular joints are lap riveted with alternate large and small rings or sections of tube as indicated in an accompanying illustration. With the thinnest plates the longitudinal seams are also lap riveted. For plates thicker than‘o.500 in. the longitudinal seams are butt riveted. The steel pipe is furnished in 15-ft. lengths. A circular joint has accordingly to be made every 15 ft. Concrete Siphon Showing Arch Ribs and Lagging of Forms for Concrete Covering of the Pipe for Section of Siphon of %-in. the Metropolis cradles are arranged at intervals to allow the shop field joints to come) between them. The concrete cradles at one crossing at least, are 8 ft. or more across, measured transversely to the line of the aqueduct, and about 3 it, wide. A typical cradle has a curved depression to fit the pipe. Two bulkheads of the required form are placed on the earth excavation, which has been given the required curvature. The bulkheads are held temporarily in POsition and Metal, 11 ft. 3 in. in Diameter by two wooden strips nailed across. The concrete 1s poured in and the upper surface formed by hand. Trans- verse and several longitudinal grooves are desired where the cradle and pipe are to come into contact. These are provided by using short lengths of wooden strips. The ob- ject of these depressions will appear later. When the cradles have been cast, the pipe suitably placed, and the field joints made, the entire siphon is filled *with wa- ter, the pressure being brought to the conditions that are to exist when the aqueduct is in actual service. This is done not merely to test for pos- sible leaks, but especially to give the pipe the exact form it will have when in actual use. While filled thus with water, the con- crete envelope is put on This is a proceding re- quiring time. During this period it is important that the pressure be maintained at the re quired point. It is neces- sary, therefore, 10 merely to pump the pipe " full, but to maintain the pressure night and day. In this and other duties Cameron pumps are used. A jacket of concrete completely envelops the tube, except where the 520 Feb ir} 29; IgI2 themselves are located. Prior to placing the the envelope, a grout is poured into the ranged on the upper surface of the cradles to se joint beneath the steel plate. The placing of shell of cement mortar is one of the most matters connected with the work. This lining st ed to have a minimum thickness of 2 in. and a -mooth internal surface when finished. A device for blow- ing the grout on the steel and thus building up to the re- uyired thickness was tried for a while. It seemed to put the mortar on satisfactorily, except that it left a rough surface expensive to smooth. On one of the two con- tracts, that of the T. A. Gillespie Company, wooden forms are used. The bottom of the lining is put in by hand. The remainder, about 270 deg., is placed at a single pouring when a section of the form, perhaps 20 ft. long, is ready. This consists of nine segments, each covering about 30 deg. Metal stops are employed to regulate the distance between form and pipe. The pouring is accomplished from a tube tt up through the roof, thus allowing the cement iortar to be furnished from an outside point. The tube is rranged at one end of the form. The end selected is the \ hole is left open at the other end to provide ent Efficiency in the Pattern Shop Points on Shop Management from the Viewpoint of the Foreman Some specific examples of motion study and general servations on the problem of efficient shop operations were contributed recently to the Philadelphia Foundry Foremen’s Association by James Whitehead, president of the association. They related chiefly to the pattern shop, and one case mentioned had to do with making foundry flasks The flasks are dovetailed, and it was the custom in getting out the lumber for the flasks to allow % in. to project through the sides after being put together, then trim them flush on the band saw. At one time Mr. Whitehead had an order for about 250 flasks. He figured t each flask had eight times % in. to be cut away, and ying this by 250 he found that he was about to lose 104 ft. of lumber on the one order alone. Besides they to make eight cuts on the iw to each flask, which con- | about 3 min. per flask; this, lied by 250, amounts to 12% teady work, not to mention sharpening of saws and bably breakage. A conservative ite was a loss of about 5 per ent. of time and 100 ft. of lum- ber on the job. When he pointed this out to the men they tried to ell him that this was the best way to do the job and had been the practice. He turned to the most intelligent of the men and talked it over with him, told him to work r the outside of his flask and xactly to size and follow his tions precisely and that he assume responsibility for ‘cir correctness, The result was Successful, but since then the men were tound falling back to their oid ways. They were then told this was repeated their Places would be filled with men ' would follow instructions. ‘nother instance was this: of Mr. Whitehead’s pattern makers was making a pattern ‘. was curved in two direc- Having cut one curve on ‘nd saw he proceeded to cut the other away with his ols, because it had always been done that way. He wn that by saving the block from his first cut and it temporarily in its original position he could turn on end and cut the other curve and save a great time. Several times Mr. Whitehead has had to THE IRON AGE 521 break up old-fashioned methods of doing work by pointing out new and better ways, and this is no easy task where men have been long employed in one place. While acting as assistant foreman in a large jobbing foundry the author was called in the absence of the fore- man to estimate on an outside job, and when the order was taken: the foreman said it could not be done in the time Mr. Whitehead had estimated by the fastest men in the shop. He had to show what could be done by going on the bench himself. The job consisted in wood bench work and wood turning, brass ntolding and then brass lathe work and finally bench work and gating, and with the eyes of 40 men on him he managed to do the job on time, doing everything but the molding. Had he not been able to make good he would have lost, he said, his hold on the men. A foreman should study the individual ability of his men, he continued, and try to arrange his work so that each man will get the kind of work to which he is best adapted. This cam best be done when the foreman gets the work long enough before he has to put it in the shop so that he may study methods as well as the man for the job. Even when a job is but a repetition of something which has been done many times before the foreman should ever think there might be a better way and not pass it over without some thought. New Electric Crane For use by traction companies in construction and maintenance work the Browning Engineering Company, Cleveland, Ohio, has recently brought out a new type of electric crane. One of these, which was completed a short time ago for the Northern Ohio Traction & Light Com- pany, will be used in the construction of a large dam which is to be built in connection with a hydroelectric plant for the company at Cuyahoga Falls. In addition to this work, which is the handling of bulk material such as sand, crushed stone and gravel, this crane can also be employed for handling coal and cinders in power houses economically, for handling rails, ties, etc., and also for doing the heavy lifting incident to the repair of cars at shops and termi- nals and it will undoubtedly be employed for these pur- poses by the purchaser as well as for working on the dam. A New Type of Electric Crane Built by the Browning Engineering Company, Cleveland, Ohio The crane is mounted on a special eight-wheel work car truck which is equipped with a motor for traveling and a 75-hp. one for hoisting, rotating and slewing the crane, al- though as a general thing one motor will be used for per- forming all four o S Gheseie These are controlled from the crane cab, but there i controller for.t traveling motor & Mestanica 4 SONS, a eri ponmenetieampperer snsmremmmanscent tree | [ einen Beye ye! i aa S “a SAE OM ote 3 % Soyer ey bt cand a ey 8 Bend: ee Fico Sy only at the opposite end of the car. The power for these motors is taken either from an overhead trolley or the third rail. The equipment of the crane includes a 30-ft. steel chan- nel boom which can swing in a complete circle and double drums. It also has a clamshell bucket fitted with steel American and European Wages and Efficiency A Machinery Manufacturer’s Observations ona Recent THE IRON AGE Februar: 20, ;, shoes and having a capacity of 1% cu. yd. T! ok block can be quickly detached and the bucket subsi::iteq when desired. The capacity of the crane is 10 tons at a radius of from fo to 12 ft. and in handling light loads the boom can be lowered so that it will swing bene; overhead trolley. wires. Trip Around the World—Germany the Most Formid- able Competitor, Though with Advancing Wages Tn IY SEA LL. Ate [Mr. Saunders, who is president of the Ingersoll-Rand Company, New York, returned to this country Febru- ary 14 after a five-months’ journey around the world. Following the meeting of the American Institute of Mining Engineers in San Francisco last fall, a number of the members, including Mr. Saunders, went to Japan. He and some others of the party decided to continue traveling eastward. They entered Korea, then crossed Siberia to Europe. Mr. Saunders visited a number of countries, including France, Germany, Austria Hungary and England. His views are of particular interest in the pendency of the Underwood bill putting machine tools on the free list—Ep1ror. | Any one who travels for the first time over new fields with his mind free and his interest centered upon business conditions in manufacturing is a very poor judge of things; but a man who goes over beaten tracks from time to time with the same ends in view and with experiences to steer him should be competent to draw comparisons and to reach conclusions with some degree of accuracy and value. The manufacturing world is not large and that part of it which makes machinery is a comparatively limited field. The land of this world is more largely given up to agricul- ture than to any other purpose. Farming does not con- centrate population or build up large cities. The products of the soil are greater in value than anything else that is produced, not only because the people are fed, but through the income derived from nature’s products. Railroads are mostly made possible and profitable through agricultural conditions. The same may be said of shipping and of a great many other forms of business which add to the wealth and prosperity of the people. But next in impor- tance to agriculture in every country is the development of its manufactures. Manufacturing Centers Not Built on Cheap Labor In looking for causes which have produced great manu- facturing centers two things stand out prominently: favor- able natural conditions and markets. A plentiful supply of crude labor is not a condition of such great importance as is popularly supposed, because where there is an abund- ance of labor and where it is cheap the best and most productive manufacturing does not exist. Take, for in- instance, India, China and Japan. All have a plentiful sup- ply of cheap and intelligent labor, which through proper training might be made to produce iron and steel products, for example, equal to the English, American and German products. Yet no such results have been derived, and the reason usually given is lack of capital. It is not the true reason, -because if it were true that to cut labor in two would save money and add to profits in any line capital would flow in that direction. Capital for manufacturing usually concentrates itself as near as possible to the mar- kets where each particular product is consumed; and the very fact that it does so concentrate itself means so great an enlargement of these markets through increased popu- lation and prosperity that new fields are not sought. Efficient Labor the Basis of Success In mechanical things, at least, skilled labor is the essential basis of success in manufacture. The first and largest item on the cost sheet is the item of labor, and the maker who thinks that because this is true he should turn to a country where labor is cheap will surely court disaster. Efficiency of labor and the best tools are the requisites to supremacy in any line. Efficient labor comes through the work of a life time and cannot be made in a day. It is furthermore plain to those witn the world’s experience before them that just in proportion as labor becomes more efficient and as tools become more productive does the price of labor go up, and this is the chief thought which has impressed me during a recent trip around the world England was up to recent years in advance of any other country in mechanical manufacturing. The United States with higher labor and Germany with lower labor have both made considerable headway against her. In the case of the United States the headway has not been made be- cause labor was higher, but in spite of it and because of other conditions which have compensated for higher labor In Germany the progress has not been because of lower labor, but through the spirit of her people, coupled with good engineering and business energy and push, equal to that of the United States—if not greater. Higher British and German Labor Costs It is worthy of notice that while the price of mechanical labor in the United States has stood comparatively still, or has had but a moderate advance during, say, the last 2 years, the price of similar labor in Germany and England has increased at least 100 per cent. Mechanical labor in Germany, which is today one-half that of the United States, was but one-quarter 20 years ago. It is usual to attribute this to the growing strength ol labor unions, and it must not be forgotten that labor unions have added materially to the strength of labor in the coun- tries mentioned. But labor unions are only strong where they are able to exercise at least some control over the situation, by limiting the supply, by legislation or other wise. In a country like Japan, for instance, labor 1s 9 plentiful, both male and female, that the efforts of unions to control are made hopeless. A manufacturer there who might be disposed to rebel against labor union requirements would draw from the large outside field and eultivate nev men rather than submit. Japan’s Low Priced and Inefficient Labor In such large plants as the Imperial Steel Works 0! Japan mechanical Jabor costs about 30 cents a day for men and 15 cents for women. Women in Japan in many cast replace the men, except where heavy work is required. In a copper smelter in Japan I saw a young girl handling the levers by which the transportation cars were shifted. For this she received 10 cents per day. The man who lifted the metal from the car was receiving 20 cents per day. Yet it is a fact that notwithstanding these astonishing!) favorable conditions, so far as labor is concerned, the Imperial Steel Works, for instance, do not pay, though the product is equal to that produced anywhere else. m naturally looks for a reason for this, because the -~ works are located at tidewater and transportation set is not expensive. The conclusion is inevitable that t labor per unit is of very low efficiency and that it a" 2Q, IQ12 ‘cient except through long years of experience arkets sufficient to warrant a large product in of finished material. Here we come to the of the true reason of American progress in Our markets are so close and so fruitful that high-priced man working on a single thing each the labor unit of cost down and this fact- has \merican manufacturers to compéte in foreign st not, however, lose sight of the gradual and | increase in the cost of labor in foreign manu- » countries. Should Japan, for instance, ever minence in her steel manufacturing we may rest that at that time her labor prices will be increased several hundred per cent. Germany a Competitor to Be Feared apan is not a manufacturing country and is not likely e within the life time of those who may be interested in this subject. So the practical question to consider is, country is it that threatens English and American and in considering this let us look into the sons. The answer is plainly, Germany. The Ger- ns are natural mechanics. They are intelligent, re- sourceful and they work like beavers. Their intelligence is initiative and inventive. They are inventive not only to the extent of originating things, but they have the greager faculty, from the commercial standpoint, of taking advan- tage of things which may have originated elsewhere, im- proving them, perfecting them and making the best pos- ible use of them. There is nothing altruistic or sentimental about ‘the erman manufacturer. He goes for the thing that is best nd he studies the best and cheapest way to produce it. [he German mechanical engineer is equal if not superior to any one working ih the same field. He is a student of letail. He takes nothing for granted; he finds out what has been done elsewhere, how far it goes, and he studi- ously and on practical lines seeks ways and means by which to go one step further. Take the steam engine, for instance, which we are accustomed to look upon as an \merican product. It was invented in England, but the nvention of anything mechanical is only the first step Watt, Newcommen, Corliss and others icd the engine through successive steps of higher effi- ciency until we in America practically laid down on the Corliss, thinking we had reached the limit of efficiency r the reciprocating type of machine. The Germans did t stop; and it is a fact which can hardly be disputed day the reciprocating engine has reached a higher in Germany than anywhere else in the world. rough the use of poppet valves, steam heating and by sreater attention to details the Germans are offering and roving by tests reciprocating engines at an efficiency of ut two pounds of steam per i.h.p. better than American r English manufacturers. I do not refer to the Diesel | other special types of reciprocating engines, but to the regular steam engine, which, notwithstanding the turbine and other means of producing horsepower from steam, ‘ull holds its place in the largest field and with the highest enelency under general conditions of service. whicn supremacy ; vard success. st y tdi ¢ German Wages and Efficiency Both Rising ‘he steam engine is only used to illustrate the point, ‘hich is that German growth, which might almost be said ‘0 e supremacy in certain mechanical fields, is not due “one to German cheap labor. At the present time Ger- man labor is cheaper, but it is going up faster than the labor of England or America and its unit of efficiency grows in the same proportion as the price increases. Ger- man manufacturers are located under favorable conditions material and markets; they have plenty of iron, coal ‘mestone at their doors, and large shipping, with mar- “c's extending throughout Europe, Asia and South Amer- ‘a. The product is on a large scale in those lines where “Xperience has been extensive, and they have the brains, "e push and the money to reach other and even competi- untries. ‘ © OT Tariff Application ; rh brings us to the all-important question of tariff. | _tterican tariff has heretofore been prohibitive. Shall ee take down the bars and admit German products, cn will surely come? Are American manufacturers in THE IRON ‘the slightest movement of the speed governor. AGE 523 mechanical lines ready to meet this competition on prac- tically equal terms? Have they had time enough to pre- pare for it and is it their fault if they are not ready? In the first place, every fair man will acknowledge that if we are to remove mountains we should begin on grains of sand and that whether we are protectionists or free traders a condition exists and has existed for a large period of years which has materially aided the building up of American industries. That condition is one of high protection. All plans have been made under it. The wheels of our works have been tuned to it and the avenues are pa\ed for it; so that whether we are ready or not no concern should be put to the test of a sudden and radical change in well-established conditions of business. Time should be given to prepare for the assaults of a business enemy, and justice in this line can only be done by taking down the bars one at a time, with sufficient time in between to safeguard the property of the people and to maintain the stability of our industrial conditions. True protection is that which protects those industries only that require it and without providing the opportunity for monopoly abuses A New Water Wheel Governor \ line of oil pressure governors has been brought out by the Woodward Governor Company, Rockford, IIl.. for application to water wheels. The relay valve A, shown in the illustration, controls the admission of oil to the working cylinder. The other parts of the valve mechanism are a small pilot valve, B, for controlling the relay valve and a floating lever, C, connecting the two valves with the speed governor. The pilot valve is small and, meeting little friction, is calculated to make it respond readily to A com- The Controlling Mechanism of an Improved Type of Waterwhee! Governor Operated by Oil Pressure Built by the Woodward Governor Company, Rockford, TI. pensating or anti-racing mechanism is an essential feature of the governor. Simple but ample means of adjustment are provided to secure the close regulation required by the local conditions in each separate installation. These ad- justments which cover a wide range can be made witle the governor is in operation by manipulating the crank D until the proper amount of compensation is obtained. The speed governor is of the maker's standard type and is completely inclosed in an oil-tight case, E. If desired the governor can be provided with an electric motor for regu- lating the speed of the water wheel from a distance. What Constitutes a Machine Tool? A Resume of Customs Court Decisions Which Leave the Question in a Very Indefinite Status— A Conflict With a view to throwing as much light as possible on the mooted question, “What is a machine tool?” a synop- sis is given herewith of several decisions by the United States General Appraisers and the United States Court of Customs Appeals on the claims of importers that certain imported machinery could be classified as machine tools. Some of the questions raised under Paragraph 197 of the Tariff Act of 1909, which provides for the admission of “machine tools” under a 30 per cent. ad valorem duty, are easily solvable; some are more difficult, and many others cause great divergence of opinion, the finest points being raised. It is apparent that there is need of an accepted definition of the term. The point of hand or power operation is one that has been raised, and on this there is a difference of opinion, both lay and judicial. Judge Martin of the United States Court of Customs Appeals has held that “machine tool” is a term which “certainly always connotes the application of some kind of power * * * other than hand power,” whereas General Appraiser Fischer has held that “a ma- chine which actuates a tool for the purpose of cutting metal, wood or stone, is machine tool, whether it is hand or power driven mechanism.” And this is but one of the points on which opinions vary. As matters stand, “tools,” “machines” and “machine tools” are considered by the unit and a vast amount of disagreement results. Fred A. Geier of Cincinnati, in his argument before the Finance Committee of the United States Senate, opposing the placing of machine tools on the free list, referred to the question several times, ana it was evident that the interest of the members of: the committee in the subject was keenly aroused. With the issue sharply drawn by the proposal to abolish all duty on this class of machinery the definition becomes of new im- portance. A Claim for the Shaft of a Ball Mill The customs officials have little that will definitely guide them, and a vast amount of labor and responsibility has been put upon their shoulders by the efforts of the im- porters of various devices and manufactures to have these classified as machine tools, instead of manufactures of metal “not specially provided for.” A duty of 45 per cent. ad valorem is levied upon the latter, or one-half more than on machine tools. As an unusual instance of the broad scope of the questions which confront the United States General Appraisers, it may be said that they now have before them a protest made by representatives of Friedrich Krupp, Essen, Germany, who have been importing parts of ball mills into this country. The main shaft of a ball mill has been held dutiable by the collector at 45 per cent. ad valorem as a manufacture of metal, but protest is made that it should be classified as “mill shafting” and come in at a much lower rate. Mill shafting is dutiable as a per Ib. rate, varying in accordance with the value, the maximum being between 20 and 30 per cent. Floor planing machines, hand operated machine shears, barking or rossing machines, combined jogging and punch- ing machines, rolling mills, slitting machines, scale remov- ing machines and straightening machines have been offi- cially pronounced to be “machine tools.” Steel hair clippers, machine cutters for textiles, meat slicing machines, machine parts for beet-shredding and other machines, silk polishing machines, kitchen utensils and lathe chucks have been officially declared not to be “machine tools.” The Myers Case A case which was taken to the United States Court of Customs Appeals and therefore is much referred to in discussions of the “machine tool” question is that of F. W. Myers & Co. They oppose the assessment of duty by the Collector of Customs at Plattsburg, N. Y., on floor planing Over Hand and Power Drive machines, which the collector held to be dutiable at 45 per cent. ad valorem, as “manufactures in chief value of metal, not specially provided for.” Hearing was had be. fore Board 2, Fischer & Howell, General Appraisers, and their opinion, June 2, 1910, written by General Appraiser Fischer, held that “a portable apparatus used to scrape or plane hard wood floors is not within the meaning of the term machine tools * * * the words so used being re. stricted to such machines as are workshop appliances,” and that the contention of the importer that a duty of 30 per cent. should be assessed was not valid. Appeal was taken to the United States Court of Customs Appeals and the decision of the lower court was reversed. In the words of the higher court, it was stated that “floor planers, with an electric motor for the attached planes, resembling lawn mowers, but portable and when in use propelled by hand, arg machine tools and dutiable under Paragraph 197, Tariff Act of 1909.” After quoting various literary authorities, the court opinion as delivered by Presiding Judge Mont- gomery says: “The conclusion seems to be irresistible that the arti- cles here under consideration are machine tools. They are implements used by the hand of one man and are easily portable. It is just as essential to good workmanship that the tool be constantly attended by the operator, moved back and forth on the floor to be planed, by the hand of one man and given iptelligent direction. The machine itself does not accomplish the result. The intervention of a single hand or workman is essential to its operation. The power and principle applied are the things that make it partake of the character of machinery. It still remains a tool within the definitions given by lexigraphers. * * * We think, however, that within common understanding this implement is a tool to which power has been applied and comes within proper definition of a machine tool. The holding of the board which sustained the classification made by the Collector is reversed.” Judge Hunt, specially concurring, said he had been somewhat reluctant to agree with the conclusion reached, but he had decided that it “is probably a fairer interpreta- tion of the statute than one which would regard the floor planer as a machine.” He concluded: “It is impossible to draw an exact line of demarkation between machine tools and machinery, but with the general rules stated in the opinion of the court I agree.” Steel Hair Clippers Another ruling which has been much quoted also, be- cause of adjudication upon it by the United States Court of Customs Appeals, is that in the case of Sears, Roebuck & Co. against the imposition of duty at 45 per cent. on steel hair clippers such as are used by barbers. The claim was made that they are machine tools and as such entitled to entry at 30 per cent. ad valorem. The local board de- cided that such implements were not machine tools, and their opinion was sustained by the Court of Customs Ap- peals. The higher court, after quoting many authorities, in an opinion delivered by Judge Martin holds: “It a? pears * * * that it is rather doubtful whether the term ‘machine tool’ may be properly applied to such tools as are used in cutting hair. The terms seem rather to apply to such tools only as are used in mechanical work dealing with wood, metal or stone. But, however that may be, the terms certainly always connotes the application of some kind of power to an implement or tool for its use 2” operation other than hand power alone.” Machine Shears Under date of February 10, 1912, a decision written by General Appraiser Fischer was rendered in which 1t was held that machine shears for cutting metal, metal bars or metal plates are machine tools, despite the fact 7 they are hand-driven. In part the decision says: 524 ~ ae eS ee ae a February 29, 1912 achine the lower cutting edge is firmly fixed to the inwer frame, and the upper cutter is affixed to a movable -o which is operated by the cutting lever working through ' - means of a gearing arrangement. These machines "es metal-working appliances and are, we believe, strictly ee . tools. Similar machines of a type which are --driven were classified as ‘machine tools,’ while those by hand lever were excluded from such classifi- \Ve are of the opinion that this is an error. The limitation of such implements is if they are hand ‘tools’ as opposed to power ‘tools’ the distinction is one which should be applied to ‘tools’ rather than to ‘ma- chines. A machine which actuates a tool for the pur- pose of cutting metal, wood or stone, is a machine tool, whether it is hand or power driven mechanism. A tool, however, would have to be a power tool as distinguished from a hand tool to be classed within the articles covered hy the meaning of the term ‘machine tool.’” jaw, Machine Cutters for Textiles \ decision, under date of February 10, 1912, passing on the question of the classification of pinking or sample- cutting machines, which were assessed on entry at 45 per cent. ad valorem, is based on the precedent established in the Sears, Roebuck & Co. case (relating to steel hair clippers), wherein the court said: “It appears * * * rather doubtful whether the term ‘machine tool’ may be roperly applied to such tools as are used in cutting hair r performing like services. The term seems rather to apply to such tools only as are used in mechanical work lealing with wood, metal or stone.” The opinion of the Board of Appraisers, written by General Appraiser Fischer, in the matter of pinking and sample cutting machines, con- cludes: “The implements here in question are for cutting paper, felt and textile fabrics; they are not designed for mechanical work dealing with wood, metal or stone, and are to be thus distinguished from machine tools. The protests are overruled and the decision of the Collector in each case is hereby affirmed.” Barking or Rossing Machines A decision involving the classification of machines for removing the bark from pulp wood will be recalled as printed in The Iron Age of February 1, page 331. The lecision was handed down by General Appraiser Fischer n January 22, 1912. The claim of the Collector in the ndeavor to assess duty at 45 per cent. was that the term “machine tools” is used in trade to refer only to such machine tools as are used in the working of metal. Ap- praiser Fischer’s decision held: “The term ‘machine tools’ is used in Paragraph 107, Tariff Act of 1909, has no definite ceneral and uniform meaning in trade and commerce limiting it to meta