The Iron Age 1918-05-02: Vol 101 Iss 18

New York, May 2, 1918 DISSTON ge OS ide, = 7 oo > } . v ~~ ‘ ws , 3 4 | anh >. KEEP SHARP. AS DISSTOW » LY ay &So Wr A we ty 4 Ay Many — <th A Crunc % S \ PESELEH IN Oe \ All alike to us, ‘‘Internal or External,’ from the largest to the smallest Solid or Inserted Pattern of Tooth. Consult us as to your requirements. Chicago, Ill. San Francisco, Cal. Seattle, Wash. Cincinnati, Ohio New Orleans. La. Portland, Ore. Boston, Mass. Memphis, Tenn. Sydney, Australia Canadian Works: Toronto, Canada. Branch: Vancouver B. C. TABLE OF CONTENTS - - - 1153 ADVERTISING INDEX - - - 504 > , -@ : ‘o rac fork Sectior 472 Buyers’ Index Section. ..........:: 18 Contract Work § oe e 83 < ( g | S ; Help and Situations Wanted 167 . Weemene: POGtION ) vcciaiccavacas ca ee mea sae . : 1e4 Professional Notice Business Opportunities munnnnntt ment THE IRON AGE n good beehive practice, 1000 tons of Connellsville coal makes 630 tons of furnace and foundry coke— and nothing else but smoke and dirt. o-day the KOPPERS OVEN plant of the Seaboard By-Product Coke Company at Jersey Cicy, N. J., pro- duces from every 1000 tons of coal— 660 tons of high grade furnace and foundry coke AND 50 tons of coke breeze, used as boiler fuel. 10,000 gallons coal tar for industrial uses. 2,000 gallons benzol for chemical uses and motor fuel. 400 gallons toluol for high explosives. 26,000 lbs. ammonium sulphate for fertilizer. 6,000,000 cu. ft. of coal gas for domestic uses. he coking of 1000 tons of coal in by-product ovens produces an amount of surplus gas equal to that pro- duced as water gas by 120 tons of coal and 24,000 gallons of gas oil; an amount of ammonium sulphate sufficient to fertilize 2000 acres of corn, wheat or cot- ton; sufficient toluol to produce 5200 lbs. oF 2.741. or enough for 8600—3” shells; sufficient benzol to run a motor car 15,000 miles. | AND CONSERVE OUR COAL SUPPLY Pittsburgh, Pa. Builders of By-Product Coke Plants May 2, 1918 MAKE BY-PRODUCT COKE—USE BY-PRODUCT COKE THE IRON AGE ESTABLISHED 1855 New York, May 2, 1918 VOL. 101: No. 18 Hollow Steel Axles and Safety First More Accurate FEW years ago grain size and structure of steel came into consideration by those manufacturing products on a commer- cial basis. Previous to that time, the microscope was used chiefly as an aid to the technical study of metals. The demand for steel in large quantities where greater strength is necessary has meant also a greater strength of supporting materials. For ex- ample, locomotive parts have reached a maximum size to keep pace with added speed and carrying power. The first step was change in design to meet the revised loads, and each year locomotive driving axles have become larger and larger until a new danger has confronted us. Larger axles meant larger billets and working still farther toward the source, the ingot size has had to be increased. Thus we have had more danger with the larger ingot in respect to piping and imperfections. While the larger ingot is desirable where proper molds and mill working is practiced, one must consider plenty of discard and enough reduction in hammering the billet to forging size. Driving Axle Bored Out 12 In *Secretary, Pollak Steel Co., Cincinnati, Ohio Heat Possible Insuring Relatively Stronger Axles—Experience of One Railroad BY JULIAN POLLAK’ Treatment We must admit that this is a commercial age and large tonnage is the slogan of every mill su- perintendent. An ingot is hurried through the blooming mill with in- sufficient discard; the forging looks sound and the test stands up. The inspector has stamped his ap- proval on the material and the axle goes into service. Everyone connected with the series of operations has been honest, conscientious and con- vinced that the axle is satisfactory. In service af- ter months of travel there is an accident due to a broken axle—a wreck—perhaps loss of life or maybe great damage to property, resulting in a tremen- dous expense to the railroad. After investigation, the usual tests show proper chemical as well as physical results in “certain lo- cations” of the steel. The practical man will pro- nounce it “an old break,” but the microscope will have a different story to tell. It will show a pipe, insufficient discard, unequal] and improper heating, slag spots or segregation. The greatest trouble comes from improper heat- ing in forging. We therefore have two of the most common causes for failure—piping and poor heat- Axle Through Same Showing Boring Pipe Oil in the Quenching Tank from the Oil Bath Shown in One of the Other Illustrations, Is Pumped Through a Series of Pipes to This Cooling Reservoir 160 Ft is maintained at the Is Circulated The Distant and proper temperature Through Coils Underneath the Water water In this way the oi) bath reservoir is part of the fire protection system 1129 IRON AGE Vertical Furnace for He ing. These are the fundamentals, and although care is taken, still axles will break. Many people criticize the manufacturer and many engineers re- vise the specifications, but a careful reasoning will show that by analyzing failures, trouble can be greatly avoided. First, find the pipe. This can be done by look- » Heating Furnaces | "nder Thermostatic May 2, 1918 es and Guns Oil is the fuel used ing into the steel; in other words, get on the inside of the axle and see if it is sound. It is purely a mechanical operation brought about by hollow bor- ing. The center or core of a forged axle is an- alogous to the appendix in the human system. It is not a necessary part and if removed, eliminates a possible danger. If an axle is piped, constant work- Control Used for heat treating axles and other forgings May 2, 1918 ing frequently reduces the piping to a minimum. Irregular flaws start and through vibration they gradually grow until the fracture becomes so large internally that the axle breaks. Hollow boring re- moves the soft core, the bad portion of the metal, and if, through internal inspection, the poor metal or pipe is not removed the axle should be scrapped. A pane of glass with a clean bullet hole in it will remain sound around the hole, while a glass with a ragged, irregular crack will spread until the pane develops fractures that spread and cause the pane to collapse. The same principal is true of a piped axle. By hollow boring a clean hole through the center of a forging, it will cleanse the steel of slight irregularities and if the pipe is ragged, in- ternal inspection will soon show the danger of at- tempting to use it—‘“there is a chance for the in- spector to see the inside.” Removing the center, even if the core is per- fectly sound, reduces the strength but little be- cause the portions removed are too near the center to add to the power of the axle in resisting twisting. The strength of a circular forging is proportional to the cube of its diameter so that boring a hole the size of half its diameter only reduces its torsional strength 61, per cent, while the weight of the hollow forging is 25 per less than the solid one. This means less weight to pay for as well as less to carry. Improper heating was mentioned as the other evil and cause of failure. In a forge shop it is a hard task to pre- vent overheating as well as under heating. Overheating and large grain size weaken steel and take much of its life. This is an age of heat treatment both of 4 an CEOTIL THE IRON AGE 1131 with pyrometers intelligently checked has overcome the grave danger of overheating and destroying the strength so valuable to good steel. Oil quenching or quenching in a medium other than water gives the desired structure, and when properly annealed results in strength and physical qualities capable of carrying required loads and resisting fatigue. A quenching medium must be uniform in temperature, so that a modern heat treatment plant for large work has almost as much apparatus underground as is visible. Heat treatment of large steels is a study—it is an experience, and those who super- ficially handle it are not reliable. The proof of the advantage of hollow boring and heat treating locomotive parts is shown by the fol- lowing figures of a certain railroad covering ma- terial furnished, which has been in actual service for the years 1914, 1915, 1916 and 1917. Of 2495 driving axles in actual service, there have been two defective; of 4655 crank pins and crank axles, there have been reported seven crank axles and 10 crank pins as having failed in service. Of the crank pins four showed by investigation that the failure was not due to the steel or the heat treatment, but to some unaccounted - for shock or faulty design. Of the 913 engine truck axles there were no failures at all. These figures were taken from actual service tests. The principle of hol- low boring, and subse- quent heat treating to increase the strength after hollow boring, not only holds true in loco- motive parts, but in spindles for lathes, pis- tons for stationary en- gines, rotor shafts, as well as ship forgings and many other parts where continuous ser- vice and great strain is alloy as well as plain Mushroom Holder Containing Gun Slides Ready to Be required. art ‘ ‘ Quenched in an Oil Bath. The holder can handle eight pieces : ‘ carbon steels. Heat at a time and is adaptable for gun slides, guns or locomotive And SO a h 3) | l oO W treated automobile #xles. The concrete lined pit, just back of the oil bath, con- bored, heat-treated axle a tains a pump for circulating oil to the cooling reservoir, shown s parts, guns, piston rods, on the first page means safety. Hollow axles and other parts boring enables one to too numerous to mention are specified by those well look inside and to prepare the steel for uniform versed in physical properties of steels. Heat treat- heating and cooling both from the inner wall as ment refines the grain, increases the strength and well as the outer side. Heat treatment adds elastic limit, as well as the elongation and reduction of area. It also removes forging strains and gives that uniformity of heating and cooling so much sought after by those who understand. A few years ago there was much carelessness in the application of heat treatment. Poor steel was water quenched and, because the tests in most cases were very satisfactory, the manufacturer felt that he had discovered how to make bad steel good. In reality he had set up internal cracks which caused numerous failures and much damage. Water quenched solid steel set back heat treatment of axles five years. The railroads became skeptical and fearful of its use. Proper heat treatment today, by those who had the courage to continue against many obstacles and discouragement, has become an accepted demand. The correct furnace handied with care and equipped strength and overcomes poor heating in mechanical working. It has caused a halt to the increased size that axles were being designed for and has given us less weight to carry on our locomotives and ¢ars. American Iron and Steel Institute The fourteenth general meeting of the American Iron and Steel Institute will be held at the Waldorf Astoria, New York, Friday and Saturday, May 24 and 25. Detailed announcement of the program will be made later. A business meeting for the election directors to serve for the next three years will be held Monday, May 6, at the office of the Institute, 61 Broad way. of seven order The Fuel Administrator Garfield has issued an dealing with the production of enameled ware. reduction in this case is 50 per cent. a 1132 THE IRON AGE AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION Senate Adopts Important Amendment to the Overman Bill WASHINGTON, April 30.—A radical reorganization of the aircraft production program has been instituted by the Secretary of War, and will be worked out in detail under legislation initiated by the Senate. The centrali- zation of authority is to be the keynote of the much- needed reform, and John D. Ryan, the well-known financier, railroad man and copper magnate, of New York and Montana, has been chosen to direct the pro- duction of aircraft and auxiliaries. While an effort is being made to continue the existence of a number of the various more or less independent boards and commissions having to do with aviation, apparently for the purpose of “saving the faces” of certain officials who have not been able to meet the expectations of the public in speeding up the production of aircraft, Mr. Ryan will be clothed with supreme authority, subject only to the approval of the Secretary of War and of the President, to work out the problem of production in his own way. The Senate wrote into the Overman bill unanimously the proposal of Senator Wadsworth authorizing the President to delegate to a single execu- tive agency or officer all power and appropriations for aircraft production. The bill was passed to-day. A new division of military aeronautics has been cre- ated which will be in charge of Brig.-Gen. William L. Kenly, who has recently returned from France, where he had charge of aviation under General Pershing. He is a colonel of field artillery in the regular army, and has made a special study of artillery work in con- nection with aircraft. He will now have charge of training aviators and managing the aircraft plans when they have been produced. Maj.-Gen. George O. Squier, chief signal officer, heretofore in charge of aeronautical work, will here- after confine himself exclusively to his work as the head of the signal corps, it being an essential feature of the plan upon which the reorganization has been made that aircraft production and management shall be divorced from the routine work of the signal corps for the period of the war. Ryan Succeeds Coffin As head of the Aircraft Production Board Mr. Ryan will relieve Howard E. Coffin, who will remain a mem- ber of the board, the functions of which, however, have been substantially curtailed until its capacity is purely advisory. The joint councils heretofore held between the signal corps and the Aircraft Production Board will be discontinued and Mr. Ryan will proceed with full authority and with absolute independence except in so far as he may desire technical assistance and advice. Mr. Ryan’s appointment and the accompanying re- organization have been largely influenced by Mr. Stet- tinius and Assistant Secretary of War Crowell, who for some time have been impressed with the necessity for treating the aircraft production program in the same manner as the shipbuilding program has been treated through the appointment of Mr. Schwab as director general clothed with supreme authority and undivided responsibility. The work of the Aircraft Production Board in all departments except that of research and technical development has been a signal disappointment. It is difficult to fix the responsibility for the breakdown of the aircraft production program. There has been such a division of authority that no one can be said to have been in a position to direct the work and without a single authority there cannot, of course, be an un- divided responsibility. This is the basic weakness that has characterized so many departments of our war work. The Wadsworth Amendment While the action of the Secretary of War in selecting Mr. Ryan for this important work is approved by the Senate Committee on Military Affairs, several members of that committee are convinced that it will not be May 2, 1918 possible for the new air chief to work out the production program successfully without legislation which shall specifically clothe him with certain authority and shall repeal restrictions imposed by the law passed last sum- mer creating the aircraft board and providing for its maintenance. To meet the situation Senator Wads- worth of New York, a leading member of the Military Committee, introduced the amendment to the Overman bill above referred to. In urging this amendment in the Senate during the past week Mr. Wadsworth made a notable speech, in the course of which he said: Upon examination of the announcement just made of the proposed reorganization of the aircraft program it will be found that John D. Ryan, while placed at the head of a division of the War Department whose business it will be to supervise the production of aircraft and aircraft materials, is, by virtue of his position as a chief of division, subordinate to the assistant secretaries of war and to the Secretary of War himself; and that the great problem of the production of aircraft and airplane engines, even under the admirable step in advance taken by the President, is still subordinate to the Secretary of War, and still subordinate to his as- sistants, as I read the order; and Mr. Ryan's position will not be that of a strong, independent, single-headed executive Furthermore, as I look upon it, unless some such amend- ment as I have proposed is adopted, either in a separate bill or as an amendment to the Overman bill—and I thought this was an opportune time to propose this legislation—unless some such amendment is adopted, as I understand the stat- utes, Mr. Ryan, as Chief of the Division of Aircraft Produc- tion, will not be clothed with the power of making contracts and spending money, for he does not occupy an office au- thorized by an act of Congress to expend money, and for whose support appropriations have been made I am convinced that unless we put this program in the hands of the ablest man we can find in the United States— and it may very well be that no better man can be found than Mr. Ryan—and at the same time give him all the scope and power necessary to make the decisions himself, without reference to any one else—except, of course, the resident of the United States—we will jeopardize the prompt progress of this work The amendment that I have offered adds to the Overman bill this additional power to be placed in the hands of the President, not the Secretary of War, by which he can create a separate and distinct executive agency, if he sees fit—I leave it to him—and clothe that agency with all the power and jurisdiction over the manufacture and production of an air fleet that he thinks that agency should possess, and at the same time authorizes him to transfer to that agency any or all appropriations heretofore made for the manufacture of airplanes, airplane engines and aircraft equipment. Mr. Ryan, the new director of aircraft production, is in Washington looking over the field of his new work, but has not yet outlined the reorganization which it is understood he contemplates. It is said that he con- siders that more progress has been made in reaching quantity production for motors than in any other de- partment of the work. Large contracts for Liberty, Rolls-Royce and other motors have been placed and quantity production is now being obtained in a dozen or more plants. Details of these contracts are with- held for military reasons, but it is understood that the new director will favor greater publicity in the future. W. L. C. New Installations of Booth-Hall Electric Furnaces Contracts have recently been placed with the Booth- Hall Co., 565 West Washington Boulevard, Chicago, for the following units: A 2-ton furnace for the Monroe Steel Casting Co., Monroe, Mich., which is at present operating a single-phase electric furnace which will be replaced by the new unit. A 2-ton furnace for the New England Steel Casting Co., a new steel foundry, which will be located at Springfield, Mass. A 2-ton furnace for the Four Wheel Drive Auto Co., Clintonville, Wis., which is installing a new steel foundry to produce castings for trucks for the United States Govern- ment. The output of this company has been hampered by inability to secure sufficient quantities of steel castings. The installation of these 3 furnaces will bring the total of this type in the United States to 7. May 2, 1918 Crane for Gun Jacket Shrinking Shop The largest electric traveling crane ever built, hav- ing a capacity of 430 net tons, has just been completed for the Government by the Alliance Machine Co., Al- liance, Ohio, and is being installed at the Washington Navy Yard. This is a gun hoist crane specially de- signed to meet special requirements for shrinking jackets. A trolley construction of a special type was required because of the heavy load to be handled and the wide variations in the hoisting and lowering speeds. The crane has two independent trolleys. The main trolley has a single hoist with a capacity of 300 gross tons. The auxiliary hoist has a capacity of 80 gross tons, and on the auxiliary trolley is a second auxiliary hoist with a capacity of 5 gross tons. The span of the crane is 90 ft. 4 in. The crane rail is 100 ft. above the floor level, and it is designed for lifting from a pit 20 ft. below the floor level, making its total lift 120 ft. For general handling work in the same building two Alliance cranes will be installed beneath on a runway 30 ft. above the floor level. These will be similar in &0 Gross Jons The Main Hoist Is Designed to Lift 300 Gross Tons at a and allows the center of the eye to reach the level of the crane rails. There are two rails on each trucks of four wheels each THE IRON ; O} 5 Gross ions Speed of 12% Ft AGE 1133 This requirement necessitated specially designed break- ing and control apparatus. The main trolley trucks are carried on four rails, the two rails on each side being on 24-in. centers. The truck is supported on sixteen wheels, four at each corner. The trolley trucks are designed to oscillate in all directions in order to take care of any deflection caused under the load. The bridge drive is similarly constructed to take care of a deflection and oscillation on the runway. The runway was built to meet special requirements, and has two rails on each side. The crane is supported on thirty-two 30-in. wheels, eight under each corner, two in each corner being driven. The bridge is driven by two independent motors, one on the outside of each girder. The auxiliary trolley has four wheels which run on the two inside rails on the main trolley track. The cross travel of the main trolley is only 51 ft., that being all that is required for the work of the main hoist. The hoisting and lowering speed of the main hoist with full load is 12% ft. per minute, and the cross travel of the main trolley is 45 ft. per minute. The 0 IEE ics cucoen 100 kal to Floor 300 GrossTons Per Min. The main trolley has two drums The main trolley rides on four rails with four side of crane runway and the crane is supported on 32 wheels eight under each corner design, and with the same capacity with the exception that the 5-ton auxiliary hoist will not be provided on the auxiliary trolley. The size of this crane is indicated by the fact that for shipping it sixteen cars were required. The main hook block is 12 ft. in height and weighs 37 tons. The auxiliary hook block is 8 ft. in height. The span of the main trolley is 18 ft. The distance from the rail to the top of the crane is 21 ft. The drums are 71 in. in diameter, on the main trolley, and 46 in. in diameter on the auxiliary trolley. The main trolley has two drums, two sets of gearing, and two motors for operating the main hoist. In order to provide the lift required and at the same time to keep the height of the runway down to a minimum, it was necessary to so design the crane that the center of the eye in the hook block could be raised to the height of the top of the rail. This was accomplished by having two drums, one on each side of the trolley, and the sheaves at the top of the trolley so that the lower blocks would come up practically against the top sheaves which are supported on the trolley. The main hoist motors are geared together so that one or both will carry the load, and the crane will not be put out of commission should one motor become disabled. The 5-ton auxiliary hoist on the auxiliary trolley has a speed variation of 2 to 45 ft. per minute. This wide speed range is obtained by means of an electri- cally operated magnetic clutch which changes the gear ratio from 22 to 1. The gear box is located on the intermediate driving shaft. The hoist is arranged so that it may be lowered as little as % in. at a time. speed of the main hoist on the auxiliary trolley is 24 ft. per minute, and that of the auxiliary hoist on this trolley, as stated, is 2 to 45 ft. per minute. The cross travel of the auxiliary trolley is 40 ft. per minute and the speed of the bridge 50 ft. per minute. The main hoist is operated by two 200-hp. motors; the main trol- ley cross travel by an 80-hp. motor; the main hoist on the auxiliary trolley by a 100-hp. motor; the auxiliary hoist on the auxiliary trolley by a 30-hp. motor; the - auxiliary trolley cross travel by a 30-hp. motor, and the bridge by two 50-hp. motors. All hoisting operations have magnetic dynamic control. Other motions are magnetically controlled. The main hoist block has sheaves on both sides of the center of equilibrium in order that the hook will be lifted in an absolutely vertical line. The hook is an eye forging, this design being provided to meet the re quirements. A Line of Special High-Speed Reamers The Cleveland Twist Drill Co., Cleveland, has placed a special type of high-speed reamer on the market. It is of the inserted cutter type and consists of a series of high-speed steel inserted in an alloy steel body and united to it by a special process upon which a patent has been granted. Altogether 21 different types of reamers are made, including all of the standard styles as well as the expansion variety. The Liberty Steel Co., Warren, Ohio, plans to place its new tin plate plant in operation May 6. Large Increase in Shipbuilding Proposed Plans for Next Year Set a Mark Far Above That for 1918 — Director General Schwab Makes Important Decision—Needs of the Army WASHINGTON, April 30.—Director General Schwab’s second week’s incumbency of his new post has been signalized by a highly important decision with respect to the shipbuilding program for 1919. Mr. Schwab had been in office hardly an hour before he decided to increase production during 1918 to the maximum by employing the most up-to-date engineering methods, but the program for next year did not immediately re- ceive his attention. On April 24, however, at a meeting attended by Chairman Hurley of the Shipping Board, Vice-President Piez and Director General Schwab of the Emergency Fleet Corporation, P. A. S. Franklin of the International Ship Control Committee, Major General Goethals, Quartermaster General of the Army, and sev- eral production and transportation experts, it was de- cided to set a mark for 1919 fully 100 per cent in ad- vance of the output for 1918. The exact figure which it is hoped to reach has not been made public for the reason that it has some military significance, but indi- vidual members of the shipping board have privately expressed the opinion that with the enormous increase in facilities acquired during 1918 it will be practicable to turn out no less than 8,000,000 tons of shipping next year. Estimates of the construc*ion in 1919 putting the figure at 10,000,000 tons, which have appeared in the daily press, are regarded by conservative members of the board as too optimistic, and it goes without saying that if 8,000,000 tons can be added to the American merchant marine next year, the most sanguine hopes of everyone interested in the shipbuilding program will be fully realized. Of this output, 6,000,000 tons would be of steel, involving the use of 2,000,000 tons of plates. England Is Interested The big revival of interest in the work of the Emer- gency Fleet Corporation that has resulted from Mr. Schwab’s appointment as director general is not con- fined to this country. English and Canadian officials are manifesting much curiosity to learn the extent to which the industry can be galvanized into unprecedented activity through the efforts of a single man, and at the conference referred to this interest was manifested by Sir Cunnop Guthrie, the British member of the Inter- national Ship Control Committee. The American pro- gram is counted upon greatly to surpass the output of the British yards during 1918, although Canada will supplement the product of Great Britain with a very substantial amount of tonnage. No country in the world has ever in a single year built anything approxi- mating the output for this year at which Mr. Schwab is now aiming and which will be enormously exceeded in 1919. A feature of the conference of April 24 was the presentation of an elaborate paper prepared by Mr. Franklin showing the number, type, tonnage, and char- acteristics of vessels which, in his opinion, should be in- cluded in the building program. Mr. Franklin is in position to speak with authority on this phase of the subject. It is his function as chairman of the Inter- national Ship Control Committee to supervise the oper- ation of all the vessels that have been commandeered or otherwise acquired by the Government and he is therefore familiar with the advantages, as well as the shortcomings, of every type of vessel now in hand as viewed from the standpoint of their usefulness for war purposes. Mr. Schwab has been anxious to ascertain the type of ships most urgently needed and the service for which they are destined in order that he may con- centrate his efforts upon the particular line of construc- tion that will be most helpful in providing transports and auxiliaries for getting our armed forces to Europe and backing them up with food and war supplies. Mr. l'ranklin included a very interesting category of vessels by types, but for obvious military reasons this has not been made public. War Department Requirements Mr. Franklin’s paper was supplemented by an esti- mate prepared by General Goethals on behalf of the War Department showing by months the number of ships that will be required in 1918 for transportation purposes, their respective speeds and the dates when they will be needed. General Goethals especially empha- sized the desirability of increasin& the number of troop transports because of the Department’s decision to ex- pedite the forwarding of soldiers to France as much as possible, and he also drew attention to the desirability of increasing their speed to the utmost, pointing out that an 18-knot ship can make two round trips in the time required for a 9-knot vessel to perform the same service. Terminal facilities have already been prepared in France to permit maximum speed in unloading, and War Department experts claim that this work, which has now been practically completed, will vastly increase the efficiency of the transport service. Mr. Schwab’s Note of Warning Mr. Schwab manifested the greatest interest in the statements made by Mr. Franklin and General Goethals, but he sounded a note of warning with respect to a number of suggestions made concerning changes in ves- sels now under way. As an expert in quantity produc- tion, Mr. Schwab is keenly alive to the value of stand- ardization and has had ample opportunity to observe the disastrous effects of radical changes in design made after plants have been fitted up for maximum output. The new director general detailed to the conference the experience of the Bethlehem plant following the en- trance of the United States into the war, when it be- came necessary to change over a large part of its equip- ment in order to make guns, shells and other war mate- rial on United States Army designs. The equipment had all been standardized in accordance with British specifications and could have proceeded at peak produc- tion for the United States but for the necessity of mak- ing many important changes to meet United States Army standards. Mr. Schwab was assured that the board would insist upon no changes not approved by him and that the entire building program as heretofore de- cided upon would be carried through except as to such minor modifications ass might commend themselves to his judgment. The time from the laying of the keel of a big steel ship to its launching has now been reduced to 55 work- ing days, according to an announcement of the Ship- ping Board. A telegram received by the board from the Skinner & Eddy Co., Seattle, says that its 8,800- ton cargo steamship West Lianga has been successfully launched just 55 working days from the time of the lay- ing of her keel. The telegram adds “our workmen are so jubilant that they say we will go one better be- fore summer is over.” Chairman Hurley’s Congratulations Chairman Hurley promptly wired the following reply: The United States Shipping Board wishes to express to your workmen first our sincere appreciation for their great effort and then to you and the Skinner & Eddy Co. for the pace you have set in the launching of steel ships. In a few months you have demonstrated to the shipbuilding world that with efficient workmen and efficient management Amer- ica can build ships faster than any country in the world You have created a spirit of friendly rivalry and competition which is going to be most helpful to our entire shipbuilding 1134 May 2, 1918 THE IRON program. For your information I wish to say that a promi- nent Atlantic coast shipyard laid a keel about 14 days ago and is endeavoring to beat your record in launching a steel ship. We are proud of your men and proud of your record and we know that with the energy and punch you have put into your work other shipyards will have a hard time to equal it. Mr. Schwab is delighted at your success and wishes to express his sincere appreciation to each and every work- man and to your management for their great patriotic efforts in breaking all records to date of launching a steel ship. The Seattle, the first of the new freighters built by the Skinner & Eddy Co., was launched 64 days after keel laying. The company recently delivered the 8,800-ton freighter Ossineke in 107 days from the time her keel was laid. The West Lianga, which is expected to be ready for service at Seattle on May 30, is a sister ship to the Seattle, Absaroka and Ossineke. This vessel is of the 8,800-ton deadweight type, being 410 ft. 5% in. long, breadth 54 ft., 29 ft. 9 in. deep, and speed approxi- mately 10% knots. From many yards there is a marked acceleration of America’s shipbuilding program. During the week end- ing April 22, there were two deliveries and six launch- ings, totaling 59,200 tons. Canada Is Ambitious Canada has entered upon an ambitious program of shipbuilding as the result of the decision of C. C. Ballan- tyne, Minister of Marine and Fisheries, to help meet the shortage of shipping in the Atlantic trade, accord- ing to a bulletin issued by the Emergency Fleet Cor- poration. Plans have been made for the construction of a plant for rolling steel plates with an output sufficient to meet the demands of the shipyards of the Dominion for years to come. The Canadian Government will obtain supplies of plates and angles necessary for this steel construction program from the United States. This is made possible by the efforts of the United States Government, the War Purchasing Commission, and the Federal Trade Commis- sion. Already orders have been placed in this country for 80,000 tons of steel for ship construction. The same prices prevail as are paid for the same materials by the United States Government. The new steel plate plant will be erected at an ex- penditure of from three to five million dollars, and will be ready for operation in from 15 to 18 months. The plant is being built by the Dominion Iron & Steel Co., and is receiving no direct financial aid from the Govern- ment. WwW. L. C. Fuel for Coke-Oven Power The most economical method of obtaining power for coke-oven plant use, according to Samuel Stonier, man- ager of the coke ovens of the Talk o’ th’ Hill Colliery Co., England, in his presidential address before the western section of the Coke-Oven Managers’ Associa- tion at Crewe, England, on Dec. 8, is to use the inferior coal from about the colliery, mix it with the coke breeze and a requisite amount of slack and treat it in a modern producer, recovering the by-products and generating electricity from the gas or otherwise burning the gas under boilers. His experience has been that no special equipment for equalizing the composition of coke-oven gases is necessary for the successful operation of the gas en- gines using this gas. During five years’ operation without a gas holder or special arrangement of plant he did not find more than 5 per cent variation in calorific value. For the protection of the engines he said that cyanogen as well as sulphur should be re- moved from the gas, though in many cases this is not done. The Ideal Metal Co., Cincinnati, has been incorpor- ated with $25,000 capital stock and has leased a ware- house at 1212 West Liberty Street that will be fitted up for handling scrap metals. Louis J. Cantor is presi- dent of the company. The offices of the Latshaw Steel & Metal Products Corporation are now located at 261 Broadway, New York. AGE 1135 Machine for Caulking Gas Checks To perform the operation of caulking or peining gas checks in the base of 155-mm. shells, the High-Speed Hammer Co., Rochester, N. Y., has developed a new machine. The operation is completed in less than 30 sec., and the force of the blow employed is controlled by a treadle. In operation the shell is first inserted in the machine and a combination burring and crimping tool is placed over the end as illustrated. This tool is revolved once or twice by the handles and the application of a slight pressure smooths off any burrs or sharp edges from the angular groove in the shell base, thus it is pointed out removing any projections that might cut through the gas check during the peining operation. The copper gas check is then placed in position and the crimping A Combination Burring and Crimping Tool Is Employed to Prepare the Shell Base for the Copper Gas Check and Crimp the Latter in Place ifter Which the Lead Wire Gasket Is Forced into Place by the Hammer Action of the Machine operation performed by a half turn of the tool, which is then removed. The lead wire gasket is next inserted and the machine started by depressing the treadle. This causes 900 blows per min. to be struck, the force being regulated by the amount of pressure applied to the treadle. While this is being done the pein revolves slowly, thus caulking the lead into the angular groove and causing it to conform to the required angle. Following a successful campaign to raise a fund of $30,000 to establish a Milwaukee Industrial Bureau in Washington to keep Milwaukee manufacturers and business men in direct touch with Government business opportunities, headquarters were opened in the national capitol recently, in charge of Frank J. Schmitt. a building contractor, who was selected for the position of director of the bureau. The C. C. Limbocker Co., with offices in the David Whitney Building, Detroit, has been appointed general sales agent for the State of Michigan for the Worcester Pressed Steel Co., Worcester, Mass., on hot rolled strip steel. and cold- Serious War Problems Discussed Twentieth Convention of National Metal Trades Association Support Pledged to New War Labor Board and Payment of Excess Profits Taxes on Installment Plan Favored—Former President Taft Announces His War Creed— Alarming Development of Socialistic Party in the North West Described by President Barr of the National Founders’ Association N KEEPING with the times, the twentieth an- nual convention of the National Metal Traces Association, held last week at the Hotel Astor, New York, was primarily a war convention. A very large percentage of the 720 companies now members of this association are engaged in the production of machinery and allied products used in the war, and a considerable number are making munitions. Their deliberations, therefore, all tended toward the one object—how to be of the utmost help in winning the war. The new president, John W. O’Leary of Chicago, said that many slogans were being used, such as “Food will win the war’; “Buy Liberty bonds and help to win the war,” etc., but that the work which the manufacturers can do to win the war is to bring their output to the highest possible maximum. ‘“Production—and more production will win the war,” he said. A very unusual feature for a convention of this kind was witnessed at the opening session Wednes- day when addresses were made by Harry Lauder, the Scottish comedian, and Dr. George Adam, who attended Mr. Lauder on visits to the trenches in France. Mr. Lauder and Dr. Adam made war speeches which stirred the audience to great patri- otic fervor. Mr. Lauder told of some of his ex- periences at the front and gave unstinted praise to the wonderful heroism of the fighting men of the Allied countries. Dr. Adam said that the American people did not yet know what sacrifice meant and that we still have a long way to go before making the sacrifices whieh the Allied nations of Europe have made in defense of civilization. Mr. Lauder explained that the $5,000,000 fund, which he is raising, will be devoted to the care of maimed and wounded soldiers of Scotland and their families. At the conclusion of his talk, the conven- tion raised $7,000 as a contribution toward this fund, $1,000 being contributed from the associa- tion’s treasury and the remainder was made up by individual subscription. Secretary Sayre later pre- sented the check to Mr. Lauder. Ex-President William Howard Taft was the principal speaker at the convention banquet Thurs- day evening and made a most impressive address. Although he spoke at length, attention of the large audience never lagged for one instant and he was repeatedly interrupted by enthusiastic applause. He traced the history of Germany for many years, showing the causes of the present great war and the change that had come over the German people from the days when Carl Schurz and others, led a great revolutionary movement, until gradually the minds of the German people had become poisoned by the teachings of their false leaders. Now, he said, we need not try to deceive ourselves with the thought that we are fighting the Kaiser alone, for we are fighting him and the German people as at present constituted and we are going to keep on fighting un- til there is a knock-out blow. Then, he said, and not until then, will the Hohenzollerns be overthrown, for the dynasty cannot survive after a great defeat. The people will seek a scapegoat and will not have far to look. In conclusion, Judge Taft spoke earnestly in favor of raising an army of 5,000,000 men and announced his war creed. Pledges Support to War Labor Board The convention pledged the Association’s support to the report and the spirit of the recommendations of the National War Labor Board, deeming them to be of prime importance towards the efficient support of the patriotic defenders of the nation, and urged its several branches and members to make known their adhesion to the plan proposed as a demonstration of their prac- tical patriotism in these hours of national need, and it tendered the thanks of the Association to its retiring president, William H. Van Dervoort, for his patriotic co-operation in formulating this agreement between representatives of capital and labor, which the reso- lutions described as “so promising for the welfare of the nation in this time of war.” Another resolution, petitioned President Wilson, Sec- retary McAdoo and Congress to favorably consider the measures looking to the payment of income and excess profits taxes in installments instead of in one payment as now contemplated. The New Officers President, John W. O’Leary, Arthur J. O’Leary & Son Co., Chicago. First vice-president, Murray Shipley, Trailmobile Co., Cincinnati. Second vice-president, H. W. Hoyt, Great Lakes En- gineering Works, Detroit. Treasurer,*F. C. Caldwell, H. W. Caldwell & Son Co., Chicago. The following were elected councilors for two years: H. N. Covell, Lidgerwood Mfg. Co., Brooklyn; A. W. Foote, Foote-Burt Co., Cleveland; Paul C. DeWolf, Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Co., Providence, R. I.; Herbert H. Rice, General Motors Corporation, Detroit; W. W. Coleman, Bucyrus Co., South Milwaukee, Wis.; A. E. Newton, Reed-Prentice Co., Worcester, Mass. The re- tiring president, W. H. Van Dervoort, Root & Van Der- voort Engineering Co., East Moline, Ill., was elected a councilor to fill the unexpired term of George D. Babcock, H. H. Franklin Mfg. Co., Syracuse, N. Y. The following councilors were elected a year ago for a term of two years: Jerome R. George, Morgan Con- struction Co., Worcester, Mass.; W. A. Layman, Wag- ner Electric Mfg. Co., St. Louis; M. B. McLauthlin, George T. McLauthlin Co., Boston; George O. Rock- wood, Rockwood Mfg. Co., Indianapolis, and Justus H. 1136 | May 2, 1918 Schwacke, William Sellers & Co., Inc., Philadelphia. W. H. Van Dervoort, the Root & Van Dervoort En- gineering Co., East Moline, Ill., president of the associa- tion, in the course of his annual address, said that in this critical hour of the nation’s history he believed there is no organization which can be of greater as- sistance than the National Metal Trades Association. “There remains to be cleared away,” he said, “the one great menace of our ultimate and complete success —labor controversies. That industry in this country should have been held back by more than 3,500 strikes, mostly in plants on war essentials, is a black spot on our nation’s history. “The fundamental policy declared by the Council of National Defense soon after our entry into the war, and reaffirmed by Secretary of Labor Wilson, that employers and employees in private industry should not attempt to take advantage of the abnormal condi- tions existing to change the standard which they were unable to change under normal conditions, was basic- ally sound. Had labor accepted it as did the employ- ers, this country would have been spared much of the industrial strife that has held back seriously the pro- duction so necessary to our winning of this war. “Realizing that the successful prosecution of this war must be based upon industrial peace at home, and firm in the belief that a common ground should be found upon which both employer and employee might stand for the rest of the war, Secretary Wilson, at the request of the President, re- cently called upon the National Industrial Conference Board as the representative of UALUDANATDLAATNUUOALGAAULULSAAA TOE nT respect. Judge Taft’s War Creed I believe the United States to be a country which is a fine model of the rule of the people, and that it has vindicated that rule by the results. I believe that the cause of the United States and the Allies in this war is a just one, that it makes for righteousness. I believe that the Kaiser and the Potsdam gang cannot make a treaty that we have any right to I believe that we do not discharge our duty to the world and our Allies until we fight this war through to a victory over Potsdam and Hohenzol- = ‘. UF capacity as lern and the German people as at present consti- THE IRON AGE 1137 the closed non-union shop. It recognizes that in- alienable right of men to organize for lawful purposes. It prohibits coercive measures and all limitations on production. It recognizes the basic 8-hr. day only as required by existing laws and not in any sense as an economic measure. It declares for the maintenance of existing safeguards, the rights of women in indus- try and the right of all to receive a living wage. “The commission has provided for the necessary machinery for the administration of those principles in settlement of controversies. While this labor treaty can hardly be expected to entirely eliminate strikes, it is the belief that, backed by a strong public opinion and the moral influences of the better elements among employers and employees, it will become effective. “Thus briefly we have noted the conditions which make industrial peace at this time so necessary to the safety of the nation. You ask, what should the em- ployer and employee do to help win this war? There must be co-operation—real, unselfish co-operation— and an appreciation of what our boys at the front are enduring and what the interruption of the flow of supplies and equipment, the products of our fac- tories, means to them. No Employers or Employees “If it were pos- sible, the first thing I would suggest would be that all of us for- get that we are either employers or em- ployees. The employ- ers of this country are not at war as such, neither are the em- ployees. Our country is at war and the pri- mary interest of each of us in that war is DUIUPUVOAUUCEEEDT AN CTANNAENNAGENTAL TYTN ATTN TTA renege ett citizens of the United States. employers, and the tuted. “In reviewing the American Federation I believe that this country should devote all its work of the associa- of Labor as the rep- energies for the next three years to raising an tion, I feel that all resentatives of em- ployees, to each nomi- nate five representa- tives to constitute a commission for the formulation of prin- ciples and policies to govern in the adjust- ment of all labor dif- ficulties for the dura- tion of the war. This action was in direct line with the recommendation of the National Industrial Conference Board in its memorial to the National Council of Defense under date of Sept. 6, 1917. Each group was asked to select a sixth member as a representative of the public. The employers selected ex-President William H. Taft and the employees Frank P. Walsh, of Kansas City. equipment ; begin now. The Commission’s Struggles “For nearly a month, this commission struggled with the probiem in a sincere effort to bring about that patriotic co-operation so necessary if we are to succeed in this great conflict. They fully realized the necessity for industrial peace. Both sides found it necessary to modify their opinions in order that the em- ployers and employees