The Iron Age 1918-06-13: Vol 101 Iss 24

~~. nt erica’s Most B From Canada to Mexico throughout the a breadth of the continent, numerous installations prove how the largest rail- roads, industrial and public service corporations have solved their housing problems with permanent < Roofing and Siding A P M is immune to weather attacks and the corroding influences of acid fumes. It is readily applied to steel or wood building frames—saves time in construc- tion and requires the minimum of labor to erect. APM never requires painting or other mainte- nance expense. Its use permits of lighter structural members than any!material of equal applicability. It is the economical, permanent roofing and siding sheet ; Bulletin 556 contains full details of AP M Roof- ing and Siding and illustrates its use on a large number of industrial buildings throughout the countrv. Send for a copy TODAY SMALL SECTION OF APM SHOWING HOW MADE — ee) sebhechdees | 1) tt em -:_ a 7 °c wee Le cr oe Pall YS bk —s - arr } rt * oo |) =~ Aspromet OW) Company ve Pittsburéh,USA. om iA ‘ tr t \ - TABLE OF CONTENTS - - - 1555 ADVERTISING INDEX - - - 384 ble sit Bu ‘ re) ‘ 4 THE IRON AGE June 13, 1918 VK SN 1. Since the Koppers Company was acquired by American owners, January 1, 1915, it has placed in operation 16 by- product coke plants, totaling 1810 ovens and 30 benzol plants. Between now and September 1, 1918, it will put into operation seven (7) additional coke plants totaling 1490 ovens and ten (10) additional benzol plants, making a total of 3300 ovens and 40 benzol plants placed in op- eration in three years and eight months—an average of one benzol plant per month and one coke plant every two months since the first one was placed in operation. 2. The total annual production of coke and by-products Y from these plants will be: Coke. ; 15,700,000 net tons Y Tar ' , 160,000,000 gallons Sulphate of Ammonia. 266,000 net tons Benzol . , , 54,000,000 gallons Toluol . ‘ ; : 17,700,000 gallons Surplus Gas ~ « « 109,000,000,000 cubic feet with a total annual value at present prices of approxi- mately $187,000,000. 3. Of this amount the annual savings through the use of Koppers’ plants as compared with bee-hive ovens totals $90,000,000. The performance of these plants that are now in operation is such as to demonstrate beyond dis- pute that Koppers’ present practice leads the world in the manufacture of coke and its by-products. 4. The Company is stronger today and is better prepared than ever before to execute rapidly a large volume of work. WWWwiir PP MP { EEE HHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL091 I Ol WW IAEA] LH} ,,WGQ0 )H, UV WWWUUU UU, , ,0€,0 WWW01,100000 Ww — Qa CHa & — © on Y; Tye empyywun ) fo, fig™ New York, June 13, 1918 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 101: No, 24 Sidelights on Winchester Gun Production’ Control of Tools and Gages—Foremen Held Responsible for Inspection—Time Study Methods and Satisfactory Results BY W. E. NE of the two chief production departments of () the Winchester Repeating Arms Co. is the gun department. It is divided into 42 shops, em- ploying more than 6000 people. Its output consists of the sporting rifles and repeating shot guns for which the company has long been widely known, the riot guns which are a favorite weapon of city po- lice forces and the guards of munition plants, the modified Enfield rifles now being used by the United States army, and the new Colt-Browning automatic machine rifle, of which the company is at this time the principal producer. Its organization is molded to conform to the functional system that is standard throughout the plant and differs only in minor points from the or ganization of the cartridge department which has been described. The work of the functional staff *A number of article on the organization and manage ment of the Winchester Repeating Arms Co New Haver Conn., has been published in these columns th year The appeared in the Ss ue f Jar s, Jal 17, Jan. 24, Fel and March 7 FREELAND takes a somewhat different form because the gun department is essentially a series of big machine shops and the details of the functional work have been fitted to the tasks created by the more in- volved mechanical processes. Work of Preparation Section The big task of the preparation section is to pro vide and control the production tools of the depart ment. From 80 to 85 per cent of the work on pro duction tools used in the gun department is done by the tool department, the remainder the tool shops of the gun department. of the many variants which work of the adjusters in the gun department, it is not pos sible to carry the manufacture of the tools far be- vond this percentage when the work is done on a manufacturing scale in the tool department. The gun department has, also, a tool room of its own in which are made tools for small lots of special models of guns or what might be termed job orders being done in On account arise in the 152] 1522 Bach with to ¢~ Is Furnished attached Adjuste! Tool the « a Complete he inside of Which and Kit, over in distinction to the manufacturing orders which are placed with the tool department. This smaller shop is also well equipped to take care of emergency work in which special speed is desirable. The final grinding of the tools is done in the manufacturing shops when the fixture is adjusted to the machine and the work gaged. The preparation section of the gun department, in conjunction with the engineers, is carrying on an extensive work in the standardization of tools, which is one of the results of centralization of tool preparation in the hands of one responsible man and his assistants. In former times it was cus- tomary to use a tool usually only on a single opera- tion but now a tool is frequently used upon a num- ber of operations. This reduces the number of styles or kinds of tools and enables the preparation section to place larger orders on the tool department and effects a considerable economy in production cost. All tools, fixtures and gages are delivered by the tool department to a central tool cage in the gun department. This central tool cage is equipped with steel racks and each fixture has its own rack location, the fixtures being grouped by model and style. Much the same system is applied to tools and gages. The clerical and indexing work is thor- ough but requires only a few people to do it. Shop tool cages are scattered about in strategic points in the various rooms of the gun department and the system in these shop tool cages partakes of the same thoroughness and simplicity that character- izes the work in the central tool cage. The central tool cage gets all the fixtures for a job and delivers them to the shop tool crib. A loan card is placed One That Contain an Adjuster’s Fx of Trays of the juipment Gages THE IRON AGE June 13, 1918 Is ina each tool be Locked the the tools 30x A list number of the of the kit box in kit is ars on the rack in the central tool cage from which the fixture has been taken. Besides the central tool cage, the preparation section has another large storage room in which are placed the hundreds of dies which are used for forged parts, bayonets, etc. Tool kits are issued to adjusters in a standard crib which has been devised to hold a full equip- ment compactly. The use of this crib makes it easy for the adjuster or overseer to check up the tools in each kit. System of Gage Control The adjuster is held responsible for the par- ticular operation the gage is intended for. The gages are placed in trays and each adjuster is given a requisite number of trays to hold his gages. Each tray bears a different symbol and each com- partment in the tray carries a different number. For example, tray A has compartments numbered 1 to 8; tray B, from 9 to 16, ete. The same symbol or number appears on but one tray through- out the entire gun department. The gages, as they are located in the trays, are listed and the model, part, operation number, operation, symbol or num- ber of the gage, and the kind of gage it is, as well as the tray letter, location and adjuster’s name are noted. A typed card, mounted in a tin frame, shows a complete list of all the gages in a particular tray and this card is given to the adjuster to whom the tray is charged. This stays in the possession of the adjuster and new gages are added to the list as they are delivered to the shop. This card is the adjuster’s index to his gages as well as the list used by the checker each night. The informa- tion found on it is typed on another card which is made in duplicate. One copy is filed in the office of the preparation section and the other in the shop with the preparation overseer. When new or additional gages are delivered to the shop from the storeroom they are turned over to the preparation overseer who, after locating where they are to be used, charges them to the ad- juster, locates them and lists them on a card. He June 13, 1918 then sends a notice to the preparation section with the full information required for a third card. This information is checked by the preparation sec- tion and if complete the third card is made out and filed. A duplicate of this card is filed in consecutive order of symbol or number behind guide cards which designate the models and parts. As a means of checking the information given by the preparation overseer, the gage orders for new and altered gages are sent to the preparation supervisor each day by the gun tool central cage, which also furnishes a list of all gages drawn from stores each day. At five minutes before closing time each day, checkers assigned by the preparation overseer go to each tray, check the gages and place them in the gage truck which is provided. After all col- lections are made this gage truck is placed in the tool crib. If any gages are missing, the inspector, if he cannot immediately locate them, makes a re- port to the preparation overseer. The latter, if he ‘annot find the gage by the next work day morning. reports the loss to the preparation section, giving full details as to who is responsible. Further search is then made and if the gage cannot then be found the preparation supervisor takes whatever action is necessary. Each adjuster charged with gages must be able at all times either to produce the gage when re- quired or show a loan card for it. Should an ad- juster desire to use another adjuster’s gage, he makes out a loan card and gives it to the latter who holds it until the gage is returned to him, which must be before the close of the same day. Should a gage be borrowed for use in another shop or withdrawn for alterations, the request or order must go through the hands of the preparation over- seer who issues the necessary loan card to the ad- juster in charge of the gage. Inspection in Gun Department The system of inspection formerly employed this plant was to have central inspection points for partially or wholly finished products. With this remote inspection there was little control during production and the machine shops were not well informed of the faults that were found. One re- sult of this was that a larger amount of work was spoiled than is now the case. The old inspection system was a more or less despotic rule and caused considerable friction at times. When the new management took hold of the work in the gun department, a new order was in troduced, reversing the traditional methods of in spection in such work. As now carried on, the foremen are held responsible for quality as well as for quantity. At first this new idea met with some Model _t- Part sysbol +873 neceiver ? -depth £8: iT Ga plug e\iComd | +o |~ Kind et - -prill pole in |Dat — th5: Opera front ant-reer 7/11/14 HS j1%* itat e ro as to facil 5uar milling for Trigee? © fube and wagez zine THE IRON AGE 1523 The (Gages ls i ~ ' ire ( f£ the Day, Deposited in the Proper Trays or on the Lowe Shelves of This Trucl After tl Adjuster List I (Checked nd are Conveved to the Sho Toe Crib for Saf scepticism but the whole working force has been converted to the new doctrine. The old method of central inspection was broken down by degrees and now there is a combination of field and station inspection. An average through- out the plant now shows about three stations and a final inspection station for each shop. A large num- ber of girls are employed in station inspection and final inspection and, differing from the old practice, a division of work has been introduced so that ex- cept on the simplest components one girl does not gage the whole of a finished part but uses only one or two gages, passing the work along to a neighbor who carries the inspection forward. On Govern ment work there is no final shop inspection of as sembled guns, the final inspection being done by Government inspectors at a point nachine shops. Field inspection check the quality be made to go is not scrapped. remote from the functions: First, to see that work that can It is employed where the piece being worked upon is of and also where the has tw - second, t ' considerable value — of gre of each ma chine hour is large tation inspection is used where the money 1 the hens production is small. The and probability of value ant , 1 . value of making scrap is to a considerable extent a determining factor. Station inspection is always done whe su eivh, Cor Sait Ld ing, ami ' ng | C bobtne. ones DG2p | / | = Par+ | 18 Gage cv.) hecelvey 4age Symbol wD E ARTY prizay ke AD uS AR ae AA AN ap al ow AP bx a G@ 1524 GUARANTEE OF RATE PER _ 200 | SPRING SIGHT BACK | 17 MAME OF Peer GUN "BY ores Oo _ Qremarion 13 | Finish ream screw hole(CGrac is Spring : Ss iS THE COMPANY GUARANTEES THE ABOVE RATE FOR THIS OPERATION AS LONG AS THE METHOD DESCRIBED ON THE INSTRUCTION CARD IS IN EFFECT | Leland Gifferd Machine | WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY ( ~. sera eu save 4-29"16 Oars Card Guaranteeing Wage Base Handed to Workmatr ceeding operations depend upon the accuracy of vital or holding points. Full or 100 per cent gaging is always done on these holding points but not all gaging points are given 100 per cent inspection. On some parts, such as gun parts which are to be assembled in the factory, the gaging is sometimes as low as 5 per cent, but on those parts which are to be used for field or base repairs the inspection is always 100 per cent. Where there is any proba- bility of faulty parts causing loss of time in as- sembling, it has been determined that it is cheaper to gage 100 per cent than to spend the time adjust- ing these faulty parts in the assembling shop. All the gaging is not left to the inspectors, for the operators are also paid to do periodic gaging, this being a part of the rate of pay as determined by time study. Inspectors Placed Under Foremen The inspectors are directly in charge of the foremen in accordance with the policy of holding the foremen responsible for quality. The supervisor of inspection acts in an advisory capacity and the in- spection overseers are also to a large extent opera- ting likewise in an advisory capacity. There is rarely any friction between the inspection men and the foremen, but if differences arise the inspection supervisor is called in. Of course, part of the suc- cess of the plan of holding the foremen responsible for inspection work lies in the careful selection of foremen. The foremen and the preparation over- seers are held responsible for the condition of the gages. The preparation section makes periodic in- spection of the gages, checking them against master gages. At final inspection stations an instruction card is located in front of each inspector, thus removing any uncertainty as to the work to be done on any particular piece. A complete file is kept of inspec- tion records, and foremen when starting on a new or an old job are warned of previous troubles that have arisen in the course of the work. Every piece of steel carries an identification mark and if it is necessary to remove these marks in any part of the machining they are immediately replaced. Time Study in Winchester Plant In the beginning of its business the Winchester company decided to have its goods made by con- tract. The company furnished everything but labor which was hired by the contractor, who, in most cases, was a fairly good mechanic but had abso- lutely no conception of system of any kind and was more or less of a driver, usually more. Some of the evils of the old contract system existed until the great growth of the company took place in 1915. One of the first tasks that confronted the new man- agement was to set new and more equitable rates THE IRON AGE June 13, 1918 than then prevailed. The great demand for men in munitions work and the rapidly advancing scale of wages made it imperative that wages in the Winchester plant should be advanced, so the man- agement turned to time study experts for aid. In the very beginning, Mr. Otterson, then general su- perintendent, talked to the men explaining the ob- ject of time study and making clear the gain that was to be expected. In this task the superintendent of the gun department ably assisted and the men were prevailed upon to give the new method of rate setting a fair test. The Winchester management issued a card guaranteeing the rates that were set so long as no change was made in the method of operation on the work. This special guarantee card has been found to have a strong appeal to the men and has been a factor in enahling the company to continue its time studies and the study of rates scientifically without a protest from the men, in fact with hearty co-operation as they grew to understand the bene- fits that came to them because of this time study work. Only on one occasion has there been any trouble over rate setting and that was in one shop where the men threatened to go on a strike if the company did not immediately time study their jobs. This difficulty was easily smoothed over until the time came when the time study group could get husy on the operations involved. Time study work in the gun department was started in October, 1915, with two men, the object being to train these men to work up studies and, as they became proficient, to take on other men and in this way to build up an organization. It developed that it was a difficult matter to obtain satisfactory men and it became apparent that it would be necessary to train men outside of the or- ganization in the methods of manufacturing in the gun department. Accordingly a plan of study was laid out and the men with technical training were engaged and given a course of training on the dif- ferent types of machines. In this way a number of good men were finally developed. As the work went along the results obtained by time study were so encouraging that it was deemed advisable to increase the force in order to carry on the work more extensively. This was done as rapidly as possible but at no time were more than fifteen men engaged in this work. One reason for this was that the time study division proved to be a training school for men to fill executive positions about the plant and the gun department division was also a soon The Upper Grouping of 26 Machines Lower Grouping of 11 Was Replaced by the Machines June 13, 1918 training school for men selected to do time study in other departments. In the work of setting rates, a time study man and an expert machinist, usually a process engineer, collaborated on each job, the expert machinist being particularly helpful in detecting the spirit of the operator. In no case were the best men taken for tests, the effort being to find an average man. By this process, after the first few rates were made, the men took to the scheme and its success was assured. Naturally the first work was on the mili- tary models but it has now been extended to vir- tually ail the important jobs in the various shops. Time Study Cut Equipment Costs The first time studies were taken in a shop en- gaged in the manufacture of one of the most im- portant components of a military rifle. At the end of about five months enough time study had been taken and worked up to show that the required production could be obtained from the existing equipment by the correct manipulation of the feeds and speeds and by proper rearrangement of ma- chines. A further gain was made by not allowing one man to operate more machines than he could PIECE WORK INSTRUCTION CARD rato s s nSTRUCTIONS 210x1/ 250 001 tok ap work bez and place = ig PB 10x1/ ee +} ox ap handfal of pieces .05 = / 20. 16s eee S Paece piece ander roonee, Bas e ole 008 Afal ef piece $ “ex : Romero en finiened work peil ~10x1/ 250 “ba 202 (040 Min. (Handling Tise) #* 59.5% “ea hine 2.5%. : pllowance for washing ap and otling mac : | “O66 } } oremats wcents x (cus “B SHOP ) me — ortaa’ o# - ; ° : 4 SHES gyay e;) ital. 8, Sisk nome surotl mus) matg/ 97/16 pvM > eit k, = }- | : : S ” a . 3s we > oc S35 8S ~~ - S| iptt \"R) Sle - 2 \¢ & t y a . wii . : i] so °o \= ig 28 ow er * oe oe ~ o a ~3 2 THE IRON . FOr AGE 1525 ¢ nto sine — - = uns inning | RECORD OF Time WORKED AND EARNINGS | REDITED TO EMPLOYEE | NAME AND NUMGER | NUMBER AND NAME OF 2PERATION ' )- 7 ‘4 a SHop UNI fer Ss Ltce CHarGe Excess Time W Sh Z EARNINGS ONLY To ane “7 AZM, fe COWPLRTION OF oonaTie i9 /x& “es Pree W 8 s PREMIUM . actus wt tee Oe MONTH DAY HOURS rinisne : "| Axt&-B8 i< q a Bi» Funits 4 T oe 2 ; _ PREPARATION 1a we.eA Ow . 2 od = t —— —_ — T-t J q os . enmiume rim TOTALS . 0 Tt EARNINGS ENTERED ON CARRY VER AR R PIECE-WORK 2 P . O s PREM F NGS rae euane ae BONU q M EARNING conn = ated by one man. After the time study was made it was decided that two operations were unnecessary and they were therefore canceled. By changing the feeds and speeds of all machines it was seen that a greater production could be obtained and it was obvious that in order to obtain this increased production it would be necessary to reduce the num The ber of machines assigned to each operator. PREMIUM INS TRUCTK oN CARD h r _"Sng@ card at wi, iow © tools and wort 2 < = i ?. ( 5 ies ap aon and returm te machine 6 000 4 Piok ap piece lac a 5 Stert Saas + Pisce on senters © Start work « at Yi ? Wheel up to vo co 6 GRIND 9 2 pa BRIND 2 passes wort 200 ReP.M. 5S i/ee ee lett cee det Cone S1ow/ 6.45" per as 3 croke 11 Allowan-e for an’, *2% table and remove Peo “loa 12 Drews whee) 2.50 ie Piece 1.00 x l 15. ro *80 Machine Time at Ax 3 e00’ Handling Time at 85% Allewanoes for washing a: a sohing end Olling et — a Get card signed 4. (14 Returs work a, ; — ae - 3 ae PUI29 4z0e¢ consistently keep running. At that time a large number of machines were on order but, owing to market conditions, deliveries were delaved. This enabled the time study division to show the im- portance and profit of its work because, as a direct result its report, orders for 177 machines and ¢ oO; machines were then regrouped as shown. It was necessary to add one more machine t One ma chine on operation No. 1 was operated individually, producing 66.5 pieces per hour. operation and One No. and one on No. 3 were run together, producing 65 pieces machine 01 grouped Ney nour pel il if oO opera 219 fixtures were canceled, involving a total valua- tion No. 7 and one more machine to operation No tion of approximately $190,000. This particular 9 in order to turn out the required production. Ac case is a good example of the work of the time cordingly on these operations one operator runs study division and of its achievements in various’ three machines, each group producing 15 pieces per parts of the plant. hour per machine. By thus regrouping the ma- Milling machine operators on this work were running anywhere from four to eight machines and earning an average of 25 to 27 cents an hour. The machines were then grouped as shown in one of the illustrations. Each of these groups was oper- chines and reducing the number of by a single operator, the production was materia increased and the earnings of the operator increased from 25 hour. r) Li machines ru 27 to cents an hour to 40 This particular example re to +] 1Le¢ 46 cents ts the al sp rit of the new organization and the result of engineer- ing efforts, properly applied. In the manufacturing departments, that is, the gun and cartridge shops, the straight piece work plan is in operation. In figuring piece work rates, base rates have to be established for different classes of work, corresponding to the day rates for each particular class. As ordinarily the time to do work determined by time study is based upon a much higher rate of speed than if done on day work, an inducement must necessarily be offered. This inducement varies from 33 1/3 per cent to 66 2/3 per cent, according to the nature of the work. This percentage is added to the base rate per ma- chine hour and this sum divided by the number of pieces per hour at full production, as determined by time study, in order to obtain the piece rate per piece or per unit number of pieces. In the tool department the Towne-Halsey pre- mium plan of wage payment, based upon time study, is in operation. In the Towne-Halsey plan the operative receives as a premium one-half of the time saved. The time from which the premium is computed is called the time basis and is two-thirds greater than the task time, or time it should take to do the work, which has been determined by study. From the operation or job card the elapsed time to perform a given operation is obtained and the premium earnings derived therefrom are figured on a slip which is here shown. The day work earn- ings are figured on the job cards. Each job or operation card, before the operative gets it, has been marked “premium,” and on the back is put the task time per piece and the time basis. This is called rating the cards. How Rates Are Set In each shop there are one or more rate setters who come under direction of the planning overseer, but work in conjunction with the time study divi- sion. The information for setting rates is supplied by the time study division. Its duty is to take time studies, write up instruction cards, compile tables Need of Mechanical Laboratory Assistants B. B. Fogler, mechanical engineer in charge of the Mechanical Research and Development Division, Army Defense Problems, American University, Washington, D. C., states that the Government is in need of a num- ber of mechanical laboratory assistants and draftsmen for important war work in the development of parts from sheet metal, fabric and rubber. Graduates from manual training schools with one or two years’ shop experience or men with one or two years in an en- gineering school are desirable, and the pay is dependent upon ability and experience. Applicants are asked to send a smal] photograph and state their age, references, positions in the draft and willingness to enlist or be inducted in the army for work of this nature, if re- quested to do so. In spite of the labor shortage conditions, the Nova Scotia Steel & Coal Co’s plant, New Glasgow, N. S., in the month of May, broke all previous records for the production of steel and iron. The open-hearth plant produced 14,558 tons of steel ingots, and the blast furnaces 8835 tons of pig iron, as compared with 14,248 tons of steel and 8016 tons of iron in March, 1917, when the best previous record was made. The net gain is 316 tons of steel and 818 tons of iron. The National Association of Purchasing Agents has addressed both houses of Congress, endorsing the action of the Federal Trade Commission in seeking anti-com- mercial bribery legislation. L. F. Boffey is secretary of the association at 25 Beaver Street, New York. THE IRON AGE June 13, 1918 for standard operations, and supply standard time elements and standard feed and speed tables to en- able the rate setters to write instruction cards for the infrequent occurring jobs and to set the rates for the operatives. Besides the rate setters, each shop has one or more men who go among the operatives and assist them in carrying out the directions given on the in- struction card and report where the instruction cards seem in error and to need correction. They also set the speeds and feeds for the day work oper- atives. These men are called assistant overseers of production and are under the overseer of produc- tion, but work in conjunction with the rate setters. This same routine of rating job cards is carried out in the maintenance department. In that depart- ment on manufacturing jobs the piece work plan is used, and it is only on straight jobbing work that the premium plan is in operation. In the gun and cartridge departments, owing to the fact that the work is repetitive, and that com- paratively few different parts are being made and that a rate once set stands for all time or until a new method is devised, the work of rate setting is greatly simplified. One rate setter or rate clerk, as he is usually called, can look after and put into operation a great many rates and have time to at- tend to other matters. In consequence it is not nec- essary to have a rate clerk in each of the shops, and one rate clerk, with assistants, located in the central office of the department, takes care of all the rates of the department. This clerk is an as- sistant to the planning supervisor, but works in conjunction with the time study division, notifying the time study head when a rate is required, and ob- taining from the time study division the new rate with the instruction card and the guarantee of rate card. The rates are not shown on the back of the operation or job cards, but the operatives are noti- fied by their production overseers, who give them the rate and the hourly production the rate is based on. They are also given the instruction card and the guarantee of rate card. Pennsylvania Railroad Hiring Many Women To gain some idea of the rate of the present labor turnover on the Pennsylvania Railroad, and particu- larly the extent to which men are being replaced by women, a special record was kept for the 10-day period from May 27 to June 5 inclusive on all divisions of the Lines East. In the period named 4477 em- ployees left the service and 5122 new ones were hired. The net gain of 645 occurred entirely in the last two days of the period and was apparently sporadic. The figures relate to divisional forces only, and exclude the forces in the general offices. The most interesting feature was the rapid increase in the number of women employees on the payroll, accompanied by a decrease in the number of men. On May 27 there were 5682 women employees and on June 5, in a period of only 10 days, this had increased to 7227. Thus, in the period under question, 1545 more women were hired than meanwhile had left the service. The figures would in- dicate that during the 10 days in question there had been a loss of exactly 900 male employees as against a gain of 1545 female workers. With divisional forces of 148,000 to 150,000 the above record points to a 100 per cent labor turnover in a year. Illustrating the rush now on at aeroplane factories, the C. L. Morris Co., Plymouth, Ind., sends white ash and white oak pieces 8 ft. x 4% in. x % in. to aero- plane factories by express as it manufactures them. From other factories in the State, it is said, small parts for aeroplanes are being sent by messengers in order to make better time than by freight or express. June 13, 1918 HEARINGS ON TUNGSTEN Extensive Tariff Commission Inquiry on Domestic Minerals WASHINGTON, June 11.—An exhaustive investiga- tion of the production, importation and consumption of numerous mineral products, including the principal steel hardening metals, antimony, quicksilver, etc., has been undertaken by the United States Tariff Commis- sion. The first hearing will relate to tungsten and will be held in Denver, Colo., on Monday, June 17. On Monday, June 24, a hearing on antimony will be held at San Francisco at the Chamber of Commerce, which will be followed by hearings on quicksilver on Wednes- day, June 26, and on tungsten on Friday, June 28. Invitations have been sent out to producers, importers, manufacturers, consumers and representatives of labor organizations interested in these industries, 500 persons having been asked to attend the tungsten hearing, 150 to be present at the conference on quicksilver, and 60 at the hearing on antimony. Upon the conclusion of these hearings the commission will announce further features of its program, which it is understood will in- clude other hearings on manganese, chromium, molybdenum. and Data for Conservation and Tariff Purposes These hearings or conferences are being held pur- suant to a project now being worked out by the com- mission for the systematic assembling of information on the leading industries of the country, especially those of importance in the conduct of the war, with a view to presenting the facts in well digested form for the guidance of Congress in connection with both conserva- tion and tariff legislation. The commission, in its pre- liminary work, is receiving valuable assistance from manufacturers, dealers and consumers and this co- operation is being rapidly extended and strengthened. Engineering societies and Government bureaus are as- sisting in the work and the principal labor organiza- tions have been asked to supply data concerning all labor phases of these important problems. The con- ferences at Denver and San Francisco are specially de- signed for the purpose of securing information in re- gard to recent disturbances and changes in the tugnsten, quicksilver and antimony industries. The topics to be discussed will fall under three heads: (1) the con- dition of the American industry before the war, in re- lation to foreign competition; (2) the effect of the war on the industry; (3) competition with ducers after the war. foreign pro- The Tungsten Inquiry The commission announces that the conference with respect to tungsten “will take the form of an inquiry into the effect of the war upon production, markets, plant expansion, increase in cost of materials and wages since 1914, and post-war competition—all of which wil! be considered in their bearing upon the tariff. Im ports and exports, relative foreign and domestic cost of production of metals and products, and the adequacy of American ore deposits for domestic needs will be among the subjects discussed.” In beginning its investigation of the tungsten in- dustry in Colorado and California the commission hopes to secure information at the very sources of supply. The principal deposits of tungsten ore of commercial value, which are actively exploited, are located in the Mojave Desert and at Bishop, California. The Atolia district in the Mojave Desert is the world’s largest pro- ducer of scheelite, the white calcium tungstate. Other important tungsten districts are Boulder County and Silverton, Colorado; Dragoon, Yucca, Tiptop, Hua chuca Mountains, and other points in Arizona; and the Black Hills of South Dakota. There are smaller deposits in Colorado, Arizona and South Dakota and in Idaho, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico and Utah. In 1916, the latest year for which world’s production figures are available, about 65 per cent of the world’s supply was produced by four countries, the United States furnishing 21.7 per cent, Burma and the Shan THE IRON AGE 1527 States 19.4 per cent, Bolivia 51.1 per cent, and Portu- gal 8.4 per cent. The total world’s production in 1916 closely approximated 24,000 net tons of concentrates containing 60 per cent of tungsten trioxide. Most of the tungsten deposits are located in States in and west of the Rocky Mountains, while the users of ferrotungsten and tungsten powder are located in the Eastern States. Some ferrotungsten and tungsten powder is manufactured in the Western States and transported to the Eastern States in that form, but as most of this alloy is made in the Eastern States the bulk of the ore is transported across the continent. It is possible that with continued heavy demands upon the tungsten resources of this country the larger mines may give out, and the easily mined ores of the countries from which we import may also give out as they have in Australia. It may then be imperatively necessary to develop some of the smaller deposits not now workable at a profit. Bearing on the Foster Bill It will be noted that the information to be gathered by the Tariff Commission will bear quite as directly upon the problems underlying the Foster mineral con- trol bill as upon the question as to whether tariff pro- tection is necessary to establish permanently this in- dustry and others like it‘in this country. On the basis of the data now available Congress has reached the con- clusion that it is impracticable to cut off foreign sources of supply of these metals even for the important pur- pose of conserving shipping for the transatlantic move ment of troops and supplies without stimulating do- mestic production in some more or less artificial man- ner. It is probable that arrangements will be made where- by reports of the hearings will be available to the House and Senate Committees on Mines and Mining in order that they may be considered in the framing of the final draft of the Foster bill, which, from present indications, will be completed by a conference commit- tee appointed to harmonize the diverse provisions of the House and Senate measures. Ww. L. C. New Members of the Philadelphia Foundrymen’s Association The following are newly elected members of the Philadelphia Foundrymen’s Association: Lobdell Car Wheel Co., Paul S. Reeves & Son, Me- Hatton Foundry Co., Huxley Bronze Casting Co., South- wark Bronze Co., Girard Smelting & Refining Co., Bureau Brothers, Haines Jones & Cadbury Co., Me- Cambridge & Co., J. E. Lonergan Co., Philadelphia Sash Weight Works, Driscoll-Reese Steel Co., Morton Steel Casting Co., George Oldham & Son Co., David Lupton Sons Co., Ross Tacony Crucible Co., Robert J. Taylor, Inc., Harbison-Walker Refractories Co., Phila- delphia Fire Brick Works, Hyzer & Lewellen, Richard C. Remmey Son Co., George F. Pettinos, Charles E. Pettinos, Quigley Furnace Specialties Co. The Austin Co., Cleveland, has recently taken the following new contracts for factory buildings: A one- story building 60 x 140 ft. and a two-story building 35 x 45 ft. for the International Money Machine Co., Reading, Pa.; building 60 x 243 ft. for the General Electric Co., Schenectady, N. Y.; a foundry ex- tension 90 x 100 ft. for the Monarch Tractor Watertown, Wis.; an additional story 30 x 160 ft. to the foundry building for the General Aluminum & Co., Detroit; a building 100 x 120 ft. for the Chemical Co., Midland, Mich. CA. Brass Dow Rapid progress is being made by the Great Lakes Dredging Co. on the docks at Ojibway, Ont., for the Canadian Steel Corporation. The contract for docks and dredging alone involves an expenditure of approxi- mately $2,000,000. It is expected that this undertaking will be completed before winter sets in. To date no work has yet been started on the steel plant proper, although plans have been prepared and work on the started this foundations will be summer. J. L. Replogle Takes Over Steel Distribution After Priority Certificate Material, Orders May Be Filled in Preferred List Weekly Reports of All Pig Iron and Steel Shipments WASHINGTON, June 1] The War Industries Boa as the result of a carefu irvey of the findings of the oint committee of the board and tne \me ean Ir and Steel Institute, rece ppointed t estig the requirements Oo! tne Gover? nent and the essent industries of the country as compared with the prosps tive production of iron and steel, has formulated a | inder which the Director of Steel Supp \ | ally take ove} the distribut Oo ne re ani e¢ suutput and allocate it, first, to plants, Governmenta nd private, making war material; second, to manuf turers of so-called “‘essential’’ products included the ent preterence Ist of the priorithe comn ttee, and, third—assuming a surplus for t purp t ther ff approved consume At Least 85 Per Cent for War | iew of the estimate that the Government w eed least 85 pe ent of the t itp ( ‘ dustry for strictly war purposes, it is a que vhether there Wi be a surplu aiter all alk have been made to plants included in th preference st; but the officials of the oard ar opinion that while there may not alway é g there will be from time to time considerable qua iron and steel for general consumptio1 nd the oal pledges itself to adopt every possible device in conne¢ tion with the steel] distribution to reduce to a mi nun the hardship suffered by the non-essential industri Steps will be taken immediately to increase the outpu of the iron and steel industry in the most p manner, although, for the present at least, this featur: of the program will not involve any considerable of new construction, as blast furnace capaci yet being utilized to the maximum on account of the ‘urrent coke and labor snortage. rext of the Resolutions The War Industries Board on June 6 adopted the following resolutions: “Resolved by the War Industries Board that the fo result of this Institute, be and the same is lowing agreement, reached as a several con between a committee of board and the American Iron and Steel hereby ratified, confirmed and approved, to become ef fective at once: “Whereas, in connection with the present and rapidly increasing direct and indirect war requirements for iron and steel products has convinced the War Industries Board of the necessity for (1) a strict conservation of the available supply of iron and steel products, on the one hand, and (2) the expansion of existing sources and development ferences a careful study of the sources of supply of new sources of supply of iron and steel products, o1 the other hand; and “Whereas, the producers of iron and steel products in the main concur in this conclusion reached by the board and have expressed their willingness to wholeheartedly co-operate with the said board in its efforts to provide for promptly meeting the direct and indirect war requirements of the United States and its Allies for iron and steel products; “Now, Therefore, it is understood and agreed by the Committee on Steel and Steel Products of the American Iron and Steel Institute and the War Industries Board that no pig iron or steel manufactured products shall be shipped or delivered, except as follows: said ‘ , y certificates issued by the Priorities of the War . + priori Industries Board; o1 -) After priority certificates shall have been is filled, then producers of pig iron d of steel manufactured products may itilize ich raw materials and manufacturing capac ty, in is they may have available, to fill ordetl of their customers not covered Dy pl ority certificates, provided such orders are em braced within the schedule of purposes entitied to preference treatment as determined by the Priorities Board as follows Board promulgated and certified for observance to “Provided. howe ver. when Vel the P) iorities shall have steel manufactured the producers of pig iron and roducts, a revised preference list, no surplus material or capacity after filling or providing for all orders cov priority certificates priority orders save such plants embraced within such preference list; and “Provided further that and of steel manufactured products shall at the end of each week, ending with midnight Saturday thereof, pre pare and forward to the Director of Steel Supply of the War Industries Board a detailed statement of all ship- ments made during such week not covered by priority Be it further “Resolved that should any producer of pig iron or of steel manufactured products have any surplus war ma manufacturing capacity after filling (a) all orders covered by priority certificates and (b) all orders within the schedule of purposes entitled to preference treatment or placed by industries or plants within the revised preference list, after it shall have been promulgated and certified by the Pri- orities Board, then in such event such surplus materials disposed of by such producer or manufacturer to other customers subject to the ap- proval in writing of the Director of Steel Supply first had and obtained. Be it further “Resolved that the Director of Steel Supply and a committee appointed by the American Iron and Steel Institute shall jointly make a careful study of the present and prospective iron and steel requirements of each and every department and agency of the Govern- ment of the United States and of its Allies, and the ered by shall be used to fill non as are placed by industries or each producer of pig iron certificates. terial or embraced embraced or capacity may be 1528 June 13, 1918 capacity of the iron producing and steel manufacturing plants of the United States to meet such requirements and present to this board as early as practicable (1) a report of their together with (2) mendations of measures if any which should be taken to stimulate and increase the production of iron and of iron and steel products in order to meet the direct and indirect war requirements and the demands of tries of exceptional or national importance.” findings recom- indus- Present Priority Practice In authorizing resolutio stated the board in taking this action is these Saruch, of the War Industries Board, that “the purpose of the publication of Chairman to insure the direct and indirect war requirements of the United States and its Allies being fully met, which whatever surplus production there may be shall be equitably distributed among the industries not e gaged in war work.” Some explanation of these resolutions is necessary to rende) who are not them comprehensible to those familiar with the technical details of the priority met} ods now pursued by the War Industries Board be observed that in the distribution of all pig iron and manufactured steel products, material covered by p ority certificates 1s give! precedence. At the prese! time this classification covers practically every form of war material including warships, merchant vessel ordnance of all kinds, general supplies for the Arm and Navy, material for railroad construction and equip ment, etc., ete Material Over and Above Priority \fter the demands of priority certificate have bee met deliveries may be made to plants included the current preference list of the War Industries Board This list, as set forth above, has been compiled at joint of the Food and Fuel ad Administration, and the pri War should be explained that it was not framed with conferences of representative I ministrations, the Railroad orities committee of the Industries Board It reference to 1ts use in connector with the distrib it1o7 o! ron and steel and therefore its applicatio1 to the problem now in hand is not so definite as it would have been had it been framed with direct reference thereto It is obvious that many plants included in the prefer ence list are now being regularly supplied with ma terials under priority certificates, notably in the case of naval and merchant ships, aircraft, munitions, military and naval supplies, railroad equipment, et plants are doubly safeguarded by priority certificates and by inclusion in the preference list. h however, are many manufacturers who are not using priority certificates and it should be understood that the entire category of preferred plants is under close daily scrutiny and subject to constant revision, a state ment that will explain the reference to a “revised pref erence list” embraced in the first proviso to the board’s resolutions. The preference granted to fuel in the above list is intended to cover all iron and steel required by the coal mines, oil wells and refineries and in connection with the consumption of fuel for domestic purposes and for the manufacture of the commodities embraced in the entire preference list. ‘Similarly the preference for clothing is designed to cover all steel used in the manufacture of machinery employed by the clothing industry. Steel Committee Will Continue to Act The closing paragraph of the board’s resolutions foreshadows the continuance of the joint committee of the board and the American Iron and Steel Institute for an indefinite length of time for the purpose of studying the present and prospective requirements of the Gov- ernment and its Allies and the capacity of the iron and stee] manufacturing plants of the country. It has been THE IRON 1529 AGE found impossible to obtain an accurate estimate of the requirements of the Government and it is this fact that renders it so difficult for the authorities to determine use of what surplus, if any, will be available for the the general consumers after plants covered by priority certificates and the preference list have been provided for. Withir ply has been advised by the the past week the Director of Steel Sup- various departments of the Government of new requirements, not included in any previous estimate, aggregating more than of finished steel. 3.000, 000 tor The programs of the Shipping Board and the Ordnance Bureau and the demands of the Allie are still rapidly expanding and the end is not yet in May List Fall Short on Preference It is altogether proba e, in the opinion of ti 1} rector of Stee Supply and othe members of the board, that occasions will arise when it will be impossible supply even tne plat ts ineluded in the preference ist with 100 per cent of tne needs it in seeking to c« sO pig iron and all forn of semi-finished ste Vi i transferred from the plant of one consumer to that another wherever necessary, due gard being eg t the avoidance of hardship While the officials are t eeking publicity for such transfers, it Is a signif fact of whic! ones ment made that the f pecominge more ne more requel ind nat 1 t} v gregate very larg im ts of material are thu ‘ 4 moved from plat I 10 not tally ed e! othe) vhe? é nece reatel ly Cal A these cast the ow? tne ite} ire re re ‘ shit { tan ne nee ive me tT cr} é ¢ inv form of duress | n employed