The Iron Age 1920-02-19: Vol 105 Iss 8

ESTABLISHED 1855 +t aka aie rapes, or ee New York, February 19, 1920 Pg a se ame encemane Raga roe - yx: * ohh ee, " rn bits SeShsn Mater a Neel cations ON AGE VOL. 105: No. 8 a a Developments in Brass Melting—I’ The Now Ancient Methods Giving Way to the Electric Furnace — The Large Commer- cial Application of the Bridgeport Brass Co. come down to us from the ancients there is ( all the present day industrial arts that have none that has changed less in the technique of its practice than brass melting. tory of brass is much be- clouded on account of the fact that writers often confused and other copper alloys. We do know, however, that brass making was known in_ prehistoric times because many speci- mens have been found in ancient ruins. Many of the earliest writers mentioned brass, but not in terms certain enough to preclude its confusion with bronze. The first unmistakable reference in literature to brass was made by Dios- corides in the first cen- tury after Christ, and from then on there is no contribution to the litera- ture of brass making until the thirteenth century, when Theophilus de- scribed the calcining of calamine (zinc ore) and its mixture with finely di- vided copper in glowing crucibles. The melting and cast- ing of the metal in a brass mill is the most im- portant step in the whole process of making brass materials, because any failure here cannot be rec- tified by later manipula- tion. However, in spite of the vital character of this stage it is the one in which the least ad- vancement has been made. *This article will appear in three parts. Subsequent ar- ticles will deal with the manu- facture of sheet brass and brass tubes, rods and wire. it with bronze. BY OTIS ALLEN KENYON The early his- Vom Kupffer Cre. 261 befommbe dee SMeifing cine fchdne getbe Farb im Bruch / wollen fie aber Keficl und andere Vrbett Darauf: machen/fo giefien fie die Adfen mgrofs fe Secus / dic fondertich dargu gemacht fey / teldeman freon | Seu herfi/ veil fiedek Orts hergedrache werden | ju grofien Bettern/ ws foumien fic nachmals fneden / Drac stefen / und fchlagen/ twas nivollen und oie Zo foder Hatea | se aictusuSdwonarenteestghecmeten E. Die: Me Bricaurigen Stew .der Meurer der doe afen awfegt/H. ee nace en dnjufetsen/ fonderlich/ « haben wetfen/ c9 gefchicht a- nee ene die Vatofien ddertrefien Uber Foundry as Illustrated in Ecker’s “Un- tererdische Hofhaltung,.” Published in 1672. The literal translation of the reference letters is as follows A— interior view of a brass furnace, showing the arrange- ment of the crucibles and how they are set in place. B—furnace in action. C—crucib!le D—shovel for the calamine. E—pair of tongs for handling the crucibles. F—draft opening of the furnace. G—mold made of Brit- ish stone. H—represents the master caster. According to description given by the author, cala- mine ard fine coal were mixed together, with water and salt. The crucibles were heated and 46 lb. of calamine mixture were divided among eight crucibles, then 8 Ib. of conner were placed in each crucible. After 9 hr. in the fire the mixture was well stirred, allowed to stand tor an hour end then poured. The process here described is substantially the same as revealed by Theophilus four centuries previously. ~ 527 Fig. 1.—Brass Practically all mills that produce brass for roll- ing into sheets or rods, or drawing into wire or tubes, employ the crucible in the coal-fired pit fur- nace, which is, basically, the same method as that which was used in the middle ages. Referring to Fig. 1, which is reproduced from a drawing made in 1672, it is seen that the three main elements of the an- cient casting shop (fur- nace, crucible and mold) bear a truly remarkable resemblance to the corre- sponding elements in the casting shop of some of the largest brass mills of to-day. During the same period wonderful advances have been made by brass mak- ers in the mechanical working of brass, so that it cannot be said that the practice of casting has re- mained stationary because brass makers have not tried to improve it. They have tried, and up to very recently it seemed as though it simply couldn’t be done. The process was in the hands of the skilled workmen, and each mas- ter caster guarded his se- crets well. In order to prove the statements just made with regard to the similarity of the ancient methods of brass casting and the modern ones, the opera- tion of a modern pit fur- nace plant will now be briefly described. The Casting Plant in Brass Making The casting plant of the modern brass sheet, rod, exe tgpeueete Sipe eit Sek > ere Stier oo) om _——— - SR ng emer ore I ERE cr RMR mmo nN or eke ea Dla Nim as {ULE Ell AS Bt Hil Od A ia ¢ PPR MEL Age A SIO NPI mn! > Ot A BO 7 RN <A tS POI AN Hons: a ah at ice A APERIPY OH. er, ee © sie aaltaat 1764. of combustion. Fig Cross-section of a Typical Pit Furnace wire and tube mill consists of the following main elements: 1. Furnaces. 2. Crucibles. 3. Molds. The furnaces are almost without exception of the square, natural-draft pit type and usually em ploy anthracite coal for fuel. Fig. 2 shows a typical cross-section of such a furnace. Ordinarily ten to fifteen furnaces are grouped on a single flue, each flue leading to a chimney. It should be noted that the principal difference between this furnace and the furnaces used in the Middle Ages is that the gases of combustion are carried off at the side, while in the ancient furnaces they were allowed to pass up through the top and into the casting room. Then, too, the old furnaces were made large enough to hold a number of cru- cibles, usually eight (see Fig. 3), while nowadays there is one furnace for each crucible. The modern THE IRON AGE Fepruary 19, 1920 practice is to use anthracite coal in most instances, although coke and charcoal are also used quite extensively. In ancient times charcoal or wood was the fuel. The crucibles, which are ordinarily made of clay and graphite, usually have a capacity of from 160 to 300 lb. of metal. They require great care in handling in order to obtain a satisfactory life, and for this reason and others they constitute one of the weakest elements in the, casting shop. Ordi- narily the life of a crucible is 25 to 35 heats, de- pending upon the manner in which it is handled, and some casters by virtue of special practices get even longer life out of their crucibles. Comparing modern crucibles with those used in the Middle Ages, it is difficult to see any appreciable difference. The modern mold is made of soft, gray iron, hand finished. Metal intended for sheet brass is cast in wide, flat bars, while metal for rods and wire is cast in cylindrical billets. Metal for tubes is cast either in solid or hollow cylindrical billets, depending upon the process employed. In ancient times stone was used for molds. The Casting Operation Casting in this type of plant is entirely up to the boss caster. He, with his one or more assist ants, controls the fires, charges the crucibles, stirs and skims the metal, prepares and pours the molds. The whole process from start to finish is up to him, and he is usually paid on the basis of the output of good metal he attains. The eight or twelve fires under the charge of one boss are all started at one time. The crucibles are warmed carefully before charging with scrap and copper ingot. If the crucibles are not carefully dried out and gradually brought up to heat, they Fig. 3.—Brass Melting Furnace Construction as Illustrated in a Paper by Galon Before the Académie Royale des Sciences, The principal difference between these furnaces and the modern pit furnace is the method of taking care of the gases Here they were allowed to pass on through the top of the furnace into the casting shop, where they were caught under a large apron which led them into a common flue February 19, 1920 THE will flake off and crack, and their life will be ma- terially shortened. The charging of the crucibles must also be made with care. For in- stance, if the crucible does not set firmly or evenly on the bottom, it will be sub- jected to undue strain and is even liable to tip over. Then, too, the charge it- self must be so placed in the crucible that it will not become wedged and cause excessive strain against the sides when it expands before melting. All these points and many more require the constant and keen attention of the boss caster and his assis- tants. As the copper begins to melt, a handful of salt is added and stirred in to remove the copper oxide, and then the surface of the metal is covered with the same a layer of charcoal to pro- Fig. 7 tect it from the action of the furnace gases or the ing and maneuvering the Fig. 4 (at upper left) ern Casting Shop. The men here shown are bunkers located directly Fig. 5 (in circle) the tongs shown in Fig. 1, as there Fig. 6 (at upper air. After the charge is completely melted and the temperature raised to the proper point, the zinc or spelter is added. This temperature may be gaged by the expert caster through the medium of his stirring rod. His sense of touch is so trained that he can perceive the vi- bration due to the boiling of the zinc in the scrap, which signifies that it is time to add the spelter. The spelter, being lighter than the copper, will float to the top and finally oxidize and waste away unless it is thoroughly stirred in and the surface protected with a layer of charcoal or some suitable flux. In Fig. 4 is a view of a modern casting shop, showing a line of pit furnaces. The casters are stirring in the spelter. In the upper right-hand corner of the photograph may be seen the hoisting apparatus that is used for lifting the crucible out of the furnace and manipulating it, as will hereafter be described. IRON A Line of Pit Furnaces in a Mod metal, and fine coal used for over! the Empty crucibles and half crucibles may be seen at various points along the tops of the furnaces raising the crucibles and manipulating them during the process of skimming and Skimming a Crucible. The tongs with : which the crucible has been_lifted from the furnace are his used by the boss caster to manipulate it during the entire operation of skimming and pouring from the heat and gases, a rod link connects the block to These tongs should be compared with those is practically no difference ir the construction right) The ing the Stream and Holding Skimmer Iron, While He Pours with the Tongs is called to the great similarity between the molds here shown and the one shown in Fig. 1 the method of clamping the parts together is practically in both cases Pouring the Second Mold from a Crucible. This illustration shows plainly the which the assistant manipulates the jib crane for hoist- crucible during the ° and pouring operations AGE 529 After the introduction of the spelter the cruci- ble must remain in the fire long enough to over- come the chilling effect produced by the introduc- tion of the spelter before pouring. If the crucible remains too long in the fire the metal will be over- heated and an undue loss of zine produced, while if it is poured too soon be- fore the temperature has attained its proper value, the casting will not be good. The caster often judges the pouring temperature through the medium of stirring rod. His sense of touch is so trained that he can per- ceive the vibration, due to the boiling of the zinc, which signifies that it is time to pour. Since al] the fires are started at the same time it naturally follows that all the various operations occur at approximately the same time. Conse- quently it requires ex- traordinary skill on the part of the boss caster to manipulate the fires in such a way that each cruci- ble will be poured as nearly as possible at the time it is ready. The metal being considered ready for pouring, the coal is poked away from the crucible with an iron bar and the tongs with which the crucible is manipulated inserted and clamped. With a block and tackle fastened to a light jib crane, shown in Fig. 4, the helper hoists the crucible out of the furnace and swings it to a position on the cast iron floor as shown in Fig. 5, where the boss caster with a skimming rod removes the dross. This pho- tograph is an excellent illustration of the volatiliza- tion of the zinc which is going off in a white cloud because of the removal of the charcoal covering. In- cidentally, this picture shows why casters often suffer from “spelters’ shakes” which is a mild form stirring the is stored in openings la'ying the fires furnace A hoist is used for pouring To protect the rope Boss Caster Is Manipulat Back the Dross with His Attention It will be seen that rod and rope by means of skimming Re ee ee ee ee RINE OAs Seti aN OLR ES Tika ELIE ARE Ht S a mio a) kn a De = ui cleceeeee se nt te a AT a tla ne ole ; “ iF ie pt x eee no aaa ea sath ae hee ve ae Oe beh ae eae Sig JD. Lar ‘ * RL An at > votes 530 THE IRON AGE of poisoning by the inhalation of zinc oxide fumes. The helper who manipulates the crane does so with the aid of a rope and a rod. The rope serves to hoist the crucible, while the rod, in addition to offsetting the side pull of the rope, enables the operator to push and pull the trolley and jib to any desired position, thus giving him complete control Over the manipulation of the crucible. The caster has simply to tilt the crucible. This method of hoisting has been used for more than fifty years without appreciable change, although various un- successful attempts to replace it have been made. Its advantage is quick action. As soon as the crucible is skimmed it is hoisted and swung into position for pouring, aS shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The pouring itself requires great skill, as the perfection of the casting depends to a very large extent upon the manner of pouring. As is seen in the illustrations, the caster rests the edge of the crucible on the mouth of the mold, and as he tips the crucible he holds back any dross or char- RAILROAD BILL Strong Opposition to Conference Agreement, But It Will Probably Be Adopted WASHINGTON, Feb. 17.—Formidable opposition to the approval of the conference report on the railroad bill has developed in Congress, but the general belief is that the report will be approved and legislation en- acted before March 1, when the railroads go back to private control. The conference report has been en- tirely completed and will come up for consideration in the House within the next few days. Two of the House conferees, Representatives Sims of Tennessee, and Barkley of Kentucky, both Demo- crats, have refused to sign the conference report. This does not mean that the question has been made a party issue, because some Republicans as well as Democrats are opposed to the bill while a considerable number of Democrats are counted on to support it. Representa- tive Sims always has been an advocate of Government ownership and has sought a two years’ extension of Government control of railroads. He is expected to base his fight in this particular instance on the inclu- sion of section 6 relating to rate making of the Senate bill in the compromise measure. Representative Bark- ley is anxious for the enactment of legislation and does not favor Government ownership. The only part of the compromise measure to which he objects is section 6. Section 6 provides that the Interstate Commerce Commission shall adjust rates with the view of main- taining the average earnings of 5% per cent by groups of roads on the net investment. It also provides for the division of excess earnings over 6 per cent between the Government and the roads earning them. The House members who object to this section oppose any fixed guaranty and believe that if there is to be any such principle as this incorporated in the bill, author- ity to fix the percentage should be vested in the Inter- state Commerce Commission. The compromise bill continues the 5% percentage for two years, after which the commission is given authority to revise it. Organized labor also has opened fire on the confer- ence report and with the aid of those objecting to sec- tion 6 hopes to succeed in bringing about its defeat. The weekly publication of the Plumb Plan League de- nounces the entire bill as one which is satisfactory to Wall Street, stating that the bill validates $8,000,000,- 000 of watered stock and that it insures an increase of freight rates of at least 25 per cent. The compromise provision for the adjustment of labor disputes is de- scribed as “crudely drawn and as manifestly unfair to labor and that it will add to our industrial difficulties instead of decreasing them.” It is charged that “‘no more colossal fraud was ever pernetrated.” A hard fight is assured in the House and possibly February 19, 1920 coal with a skimmer iron, and at the same time he often uses the skimmer iron to divide the stream into two parts, in this way greatly improving the chances for a perfect casting, especially where wide bars are concerned. Previous to using, the molds are coated with a high-grade lard oil, which serves a two-fold pur- pose, namely: it prevents the metal from acting upon the iron, and in burning at the mouth of the mold it envelops the stream in a reducing atmos- phere, which decreases possibility of oxidation. The molds are slightly inclined so as to make it easier for the caster to pour the metal, thus pre- venting it from striking against the sides of the mold. If the metal strikes continuously in one spot the casting will be porous on that side. No attempt has been made here to cover the almost infinite number of fine points involved in the art of brass casting as practiced by the best men in the industry. In fact, the subject has never been reduced to an exact science. in the Senate also. Senator Cummins and Represen- tative Esch and others, however, believe that when members of Congress are confronted with the alterna- tive of approving this conference report or failing to enact any legislation, the majority will rally to its support. 0. F. S To Make Steel Sash Equipment at Chester A new company to manufacture a complete line of steel sash and sash-operating devices has been organ- ized by T. W. Allison of Allison & Co., Chester, Pa., John J. McClure, Edwin D. Glauser and Kingsley Montgomery, to be known as the Allison Steel Prod- ucts Co. A three-acre site at Second and Palmer streets, Chester, has been secured for a new plant, which it is contemplated will have an output of $1,- 000,000 worth the first year. The first unit will be 62x202 ft., of steel with sash and sash-operating equipment of the company’s own make. Contract has been awarded the Chester Construction Co. for the initial building to cost about $70,000. There will be six units in all. Contract has also been let for $30,000 worth of machine tools and other equipment. Plans are to begin operations in about 60 days. The officers of the new corporation are: T. W. Allison, president; E. D. Glauser, vice-president; John J. McClure, treasurer; Kingsley Montgomery, assist- ant treasurer and secretary. William Roper, general superintendent, long a prominent figure in the sash manufacturing industry, has evolved a line of sash operating devices for the company. Manufacturer Forms Export Company The Walworth International Co., a subsidiary re- cently formed by the Walworth Mfg. Co., Boston, to handle the export trade, is located temporarily at 39 Broadway, New York. The new company will also represent nine associated companies in the export markets, taking over the established foreign offices of the Walworth Mfg. Co. in London, Paris, Johannes- burg, Sidney, Bremen, Buenos Aires, Havana and San- tiago. Officers of the International company are: W. Ayer, president, and Alfred J. Eichler, vice-president and general manager. The New York sales manager is Charles Keefe and engineer J. L. Barry. The Associated Foundries of Cincinnati held their annual meeting and dinner at the Business Men’s Club on Feb. 12. The following officers were elected for the coming year: President, D. C. Jones, Lunkenheimer Co.; vice-president, Neil C. Lamont, Worthington Pump & Machinery Co.; secretary, George F. Dana, Peerless Foundry Co.; treasurer, H. A. Lammers, Cincinnati Steel Castings Co. A. H. Walstad of the Walstad Ma- chine Co., Tacoma, Wash., gave a talk on industrial President Irons Discusses Labor Problems’ Profit Sharing, Unions, Employee Representation and Other Factors Considered — Why the Steel Strike Failed — The Reactionary Employer and the Unreasonable Employee with the labor problem, I am fully convinced that so long as one man profits by another man’s labor, and so long as corporate greed and personal in- tegrity are not equal in all men, just so long will the question remain unsolved. If we can forecast the future by the past, one is led to believe that by a process of evolution in all probability some method will be found to bring about a more equitable distribution of the profits arising from invested capital and the people employed. To the unthinking the method of profit-sharing sug- gests itself. Any plan of this kind fails unless it pro- vides that labor share the losses as well as the profits. The many and wide fluctuations in the business of any industrial nation would penalize labor unnecessarily if placed on a profit-sharing basis that would be fair to both invested capital and labor. The profits that might accrue during good times would be regarded as part of the wages of the em- ployee and increases in wages that might otherwise be given would not materialize. In quiet times, when trade is dull, the disappearance of profits would automatically reduce the wages of the employees without further justification than the mere fact that the business was not profitable. As a general proposition, any industry or company that can not or will not pay living wages does not justify its existence and should close down and go out of business. Usually more strikes and lockouts occur in a locality or in an industry where keen competition or the geographical location is such that it is impossible to pay good wages. Profits should not be considered together with wage rates, as the lack of the former, while unfortunate, ‘is no fault of labor, and as living costs increase the wage earners must receive a proportionate increase and, if this is impossible, the country would be far better off as a whole if that particular industry closed down and the workmen compelled to go to more profitable em- ployment. \ FTER years of study and very intimate contact Labor Unions Public opinion is thoroughly aroused over labor union arrogance and tyranny, the storm clouds are gathering and the unscrupulous labor leaders are look- ing for shelter in the cyclone cellar of oblivion. All unions are not bad and all labor leaders not radicals, but unfortunately the public will not discriminate and injustice and punishment will be inflicted where not merited. Some of our craft unions resemble the guilds of medieval times and take pride in their work, the excellence of their workmanship, and to be eligible for membership requires proper apprenticeship before obtaining a journeyman’s union card. Unfortunately unions of this kind are being brushed rudely to one side and radical labor leaders filled with the argu- ments of Karl Marx are openly advocating syndicalism, sabotage, direct action, one big union, and have gone to the length of attacking our form of government. Time will not permit specific reference to the vari- ous forms of this mania except to say that the Com- munist, the Anarchist, the Bolsheviki, the Socialist, the parlor political economist, the 50-50 American and all those not loyal to country, flag and our form of government will soon discover that aroused public opinion against syndicalism is a more potent force than rattle-brained argument and theoretical nonsense. a an address before the University Club, Harrisburg, eb. 7, +President, Central Iron & Steel Co. 531 — BY ROBERT H. IRONSt — Many of us were provoked during the war by the tolerant attitude of the Government toward labor lead- ers and the unions. From the newspapers we learned that efforts were made by the Department of Labor and the War Labor Board to unionize the workers under very thinly veiled suggestions for the appointment of shop committees; that the effort was carried to the length of having some labor organizers exempted from the Army draft on account of being engaged in a necessary occupation. A very charitable view of this condition would be that these departments of the Government had an exaggerated idea of the importance of union labor and in their anxiety for production went too far. My solemn resolve to avoid statistics prevents me from mentioning the small portion of our total population that is affili- ated with labor unions. Any feeling we may have had regarding the tolerant attitude of the Government is now wiped away by the splendid work being done by the Department of Justice and the Labor Department in connection with:the de- portation of the radicals. Workmen Commended I will take this opportunity to commend the work- men of the entire district of Harrisburg. The men, regardless of union affiliations, were loyal, patriotic, stuck to the job, got out production and did not find it necessary to pass resolutions protesting their pa- triotism and loyalty to the Government. It is most important to differentiate between opposi- tion to labor unions as a whole as compared with ob- jection to some of the things they stand for. It is un- American to say that a man shall not join a labor union. A man has as much right to join a labor union as he has to join a church, beneficial order, club or association of any kind, just as much as the employer has to join a manufacturers’ association or the cham- ber of commerce. Collective Bargaining There is nothing inherently wrong with collective bargaining. If an employer could bargain and finally contract for his labor and place any reliance on the contract being fulfilled, I have no doubt that a ma- jority of employers would prefer this arrangement. While repudiation of contracts is not entirely confined to labor unions, yet as a general proposition many labor union executives, responsible for labor contracts, have a very elastic code of ethics. Frequently a demand for higher pay or shorter hours is made subsequent to a contract for labor hav- ing been signed prior to an important sale of a ship, bridge or some other large undertaking. Usually the repudiation of the labor contract comes at the most critical time and the company, perhaps under a penalty to complete the undertaking, is confronted with heavy loss if a compromise is not made with the labor rep- resentatives. Different Kinds of Employers We have had so much to say about labor unions that our attention should now be directed to the employer. The same wide difference is found among the employers as is found among labor leaders. The subject is so big and one is so limited by time and the forbearance of the members of this club that by a process of elimination we will not consider the big broad-gage business man, who is tolerant of labor unions, kind and considerate to his employees, and with a vision of the future is always on the lookout to im- e ge i) 532 THE IRON prove their condition as his economic situation may permit. We will also eliminate the heads of some of our craft unions, who are considerate of the rights of others, have due regard to the sanctity of a contract and are men of a high type and unquestioned integrity. Our attention will be confined to the stubborn re- actionary employer, who discharges men for merely identifying themselves with a labor union, and has no regard for the living conditions and the relation of the wages paid to the cost of living; and is jointly re- sponsible in a large measure with the radical labor leaders for the bitter controversy being constantly waged between corporate interests and organized labor. This type of employer and the class of labor leaders mentioned can best be described as the Sinn Feiners of American industry. A translation of the Irish Gaelic words Sinn Fein, standing as they do for the radical element in Ireland, would be “We ourselves” or, per- haps a better translation, “Ourselves alone.” The steel industry recently expended $300,000,000 and the workmen lost $50,000,000 in wages over the question of a closed shop in this industry. There could be only one conclusion to the controversy, and if thrice the money and time had been taken, the end would have justified the means. The industrial life of our nation was at stake and our democratic form of govern- ment was attacked. What broke the strike?—The right thinking, up- standing, two-fisted American workman, who, when fully informed as to the character of the birds of ill fame leading the strike, promptly packed his bucket and in many cases risked his life and went back to work. The Closed Shop Perhaps a word in explanation of the significance of the closed shop might be in order. It means that no workman can be employed in a certain industry or company without first joining the craft unions under which the plant may be operating. It also means that the worker has no choice in the matter, that he does not enjoy the full freedom of American citizenship and that he is entirely at the mercy of perhaps an un- scrupulous walking delegate. It means that, if the company braves the displeasure of the labor bandit, a sympathy strike will be called to compel the company to discharge the man not possessing that necessary badge of servitude—a union card. A very large proportion of the workmen in this country have not and will not become identified or affiliated with a labor organization on account of their inherent independence, their desire for freedom of ac- tion and, still more important, their wish to avoid identification with a certain class, as they realize fully this would preclude their advancement and promotion. After the industrial history of this period has been written, it will be found that the winning of the steel strike and the establishment of the open shop as a principle of American industry will stand out as clearly and as distinctly as the Bloody Angle at Gettysburg stands for the high water mark of the Rebellion. The principle of the closed shop is un-American, unpatriotic, unbusinesslike and will not be tolerated by the ma- jority of the people of this country who, in the final analysis, dictate all things for all men in a democratic form of government. In addition to aroused public opinion, several ele- ments may be mentioned to combat the principle of the closed shop, which, after all, is a form of syndicalism or revolutionary labor unionism. It must be under- stood, however, that syndicalism is bitterly opposed to the old-time craft unions which since their formation have discouraged the affiliation with any particular labor party. The syndicalist not only aspires to direct control over all the industries, but endeavors to dictate and control matters which are political and have to do with the form of government. Militant trade unionism and the principle of the closed shop became so obnoxious in Texas that in sev- eral cities open shop associations have been formed and are succeeding in restoring to these people the rights of American citizenship which, in a large meas- February 19, 1920 AGE ure, have been denied them. These associations are spreading rapidly, particularly in the South, and it is safe to predict they will be an important factor in bringing certain radical elements to their senses. Emergency Engineer Corps I have purposely avoided reference to pending labor legislation, to the coal strike inquiry and to the pre- liminary report which has been made by the National Industrial Conference now convened in Washington. I will, however, refer to a plan which originated in Germany and which is meeting with success. This plan is being considered by the National Industrial Confer- ence. The organization is formed entirely of volun- teers and is known as the Emergency Engineers Corps, their object being to maintain the railroads, power plants, water works and other public utilities neces- sary for the safety and welfare of the people. At the present time there are 30,000 men in this organization and the plan seems to be very effective and to meet with surprisingly little opposition from the conserva- tive branch of organized labor. As a matter of fact, the only severe criticism of the plan seems to emanate from the anti-Government socialists, wlio claim that the volunteer Engineers Corps is a creature of the reactionary strike-breaking program. Rockefeller Plan Various plans have been suggested and are being tried, to establish committees of workmen as a point of contact between the worker and the management. The first plan of this kind, and possibly the best known, is the Rockefeller plan which followed the strikes in the coal mines owned by the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co., which, in turn, is or was controlled by the Rockefeller interests. Some of you will recall the rioting, blood- shed and bitterness surrounding this strike, and the plan evolved after the settlement of the strike was with the idea of avoiding a recurrence of such de- plorable situations. The plan as finally developed not only covered the coal mines but the steel works as well and has been in operation for a number of years with some measure of success. The calling of the steel strike on Sept. 22 last was the most severe test that this plan had been subjected to and the entire industry was interested in watching its operation. During the steel strike the Colorado Fuel & Iron Co. was closed down, and during the coal strike the coal mines did not operate, so that you can draw conclusions as to the efficacy of this plan. . The International Harvester Co. has what is re- garded a very good plan, but in turn has had a very severe strike during its operation. The Midvale Steel & Ordnance Co. has a very elaborate scheme of works councils, but was also seriously affected by the steel strike. In all probability 200 corporations in the country are trying different plans, but as they are still in the experimental stage, it is well to reserve opinion as to their worth. As a general proposition it may be stated definitely that employees’ representation is not a substitute for fair dealing and that no plan of employees’ repre- sentation will serve for honesty and sincerity on the part of the employer in his relations with employees. If it were possible to segregate the greed and selfish- ness of the employer and the petty jealousy and sus- picion of the committees, the operation of the various plans would be greatly simplified. It can be safely stated that at present the works representation plans are not an unalloyed blessing. It might not be amiss in this connection to state that all these plans are meeting with the bitter opposition of trade unions. Advocates of plant representation, works councils and other similar plans claim they serve as a point of contact between the workers and the management. The so-called point of contact often results in a short circuit and blowout and is frequently a fertile field for trouble. Just as a straight line is the shortest distance be- tween two points, so is the point of contact simplified and made more effective by having the door leading to the office of the chief executive open at all times. This fact, together with a spirit of the square deal, will February 19, 1920 bring about many equitable adjustments of grievances without the complicated machinery of organization. If the average executive were as quick to detect the rumble of feet of a grievance committee over the office floor as hé is to listen to some trivial complaint regarding his product, much misunderstanding and bit- terness could be avoided. It has been my experience that while men are un- reasonable at times and unfair in their demands, yet frequently they have just cause for complaint and if given an immediate opportunity to air their troubles instead of allowing them to accumulate, differences will be forestalled and a real case of grouch and dis- content avoided. High Cost of Loafing Frequent reference is made to the high cost of liv- ing, whereas the real trouble is the high cost of loaf- ing. We are all trying to work less and spend more. It is difficult to avoid statistics, but reference must be made to drive home the above statement that while we have about 6,000,000 automobiles in the country we only have about 2,000,000 income tax payers. The eight-hour day is desirable and I hope to see the entire country on this basis some day, but there must be a general economic adjustment in all the in- dustrial nations to avoid penalizing one nation due to the failure of one or several countries failing to adjust their affairs to meet this situation. To pass legisla- tion in our country compelling all industry to adopt the eight-hour day would mean that to avoid curtailed production we would be compelled to assume a more tolerant attitude toward immigration. At the present time we could employ several million Japanese or Chinese coolies to do the rough work of the nation, as there is almost a famine of common labor. The situation is becoming worse by reason of the return of many foreigners to their native countries. Certain working conditions such as the long turn in the steel industry are disapproved by organized labor and very properly so. All the questions in dis- pute will be adjusted equitably when the supply of labor is adequate and improved conditions in com- peting countries will permit of same without jeopardiz- ing the industries affected. Will the ship ride the storm or will we have a Soviet form of government and nationalization of in- dustries? No—decidedly no, and not even the labor party now mentioned in certain quarters. They haven’t even rocked the boat, and if she gets a bit to one side we will trim boat, have a Boston tea party of another kind and dump overboard a lot of extra freight being carried in the form of the human hyenas now barking at our heels. In these days of coal shortage it seems a waste of good fuel and ship space to transport them to Europe, but this is necessary as there is not avail- able a road map to a certain quarter where the cli- matic conditions are not so favorable. As for the labor party and the labor vote, again No, as 85 per cent of our workers are not members of labor unions and they, together with a large majority of union men, will not vote a labor ticket and will continue to be either Democrats or Republicans, de- pending upon geographical location and the best interests of the industries of their particular local- ities. The people as a whole are weary of drivel and drives, and are resentful of some of the so-called social welfare work, particularly when the paternal attitude is taken. Some of the activities seem to be based on the assumption that workmen and their families do not possess ordinary intelligence and have no knowl- edge whatsoever of fundamental facts regarding health, sanitation and the ordinary conditions surround- ing their lives. Let us be good citizens before good Samaritans, teach thrift instead of theory and forget all the isms but one—Americanism. Stop the talk about the “poor downtrodden workingman.” He is not downtrodden and does not propose to be; he is too big, strong and independent for that; he does not court nor want your sympathy. What he needs is good advice and your help to make him appreciate his ad- vantages and opportunities instead of wasting time in THE IRON AGE 533 self-pity and snarling at his failure to receive in many instances that to which he is not justly entitled. Is the average man as good a citizen now as he was during the war? I doubt it. The reconstruction period is perhaps a better test of citizenship than the war period, as the urge of patriotism is not present and we are not fired with the same zeal for production in our desire for victory in the great conflict. Some might question the truth of this statement by pointing out the fact that while the boys were fighting our battles in France and were covered with glory and cooties for $30 per month, and no eight-hour day with time and one-half for overtime, we had an anvil chorus over here, particularly around the shipyards, for more pay and shorter hours. They were clothed in $10 silk shirts and covered with the prickly heat of discontent. Well, what’s the answer? Where will it all end and what is the remedy? The best anyone can do is to hazard a guess as to the outcome. The longer the association, and the more intimate the contact, the greater is my faith in the good, hard common sense of the average American workman and the stronger my belief and the greater my confidence that he will come out of this sea of theory, economic flub-dub, discontent and unrest, a better citizen, a better worker, with im- proved ‘social conditions, and above all with a better idea of the rights of others, and that in the future he will be guided by a spirit of fair dealing and justice. Dr. Moldenke on Fundamentals At the January meeting of the New England Foun- drymen’s Association, held Feb. 11 at the Exchange Club, Boston, Dr. Richard Moldenke, Watchung, N. J., was the principal speaker. In opening his address Dr. Moldenke stated that he felt he had thoroughly covered science as applied to foundry practice in the several times he previously had addressed the members of this association. He therefore decided to begin all over again, starting where he did 20 years ago. He assured those present that during the past 20 years science as applied to foundry practice has not changed, although many new phases of it had developed. He said it was necessary that the foundryman should have first of all a knowledge of fundamentals of iron based on ultimate and radical analysis, which show how the elements in iron are grouped. “The three things necessary in successful foundry practice are good material, correct meltings and proper mold- ings.” In speaking of the elements, he emphasized the importance of graphite content regulation, and subse- quently gave interesting illustrations of effects that silicon, manganese, sulphur, etc., have in the wearing qualities, toughness, etc., of iron. Dr. Moldenke stated that a high sulphur content was not generally believed so serious as formerly, but that proper regulation of sulphur is still one of the big problems of the foundryman to-day. He warned against scrap, saying that its sulphur content increased rapidly during the war. Hope was expressed that the time will come when foundrymen will buy scrap by specification as rigidly as pig iron. In treating the subject of steel mixtures, he said he hoped definite progress will be made this summer in establishing standards, which will regulate the ques- tion of semi-steel. It was claimed that to-day there is no way to differentiate between castings having small steel scrap content and those having large. The presence of oxygen in iron is one of the most ‘serious problems of the foundrymen, according to Dr. Moldenke, who admitted that some people differ with him on this point. The things to be watched closely in fuel analysis were sulphur and ash. In treating with the question of fluxes, it was asserted that the real basis of most patented fluxes is fluorspar. Later in the evening Col. H. H. Zornig, superin- tendent of foundry, Watertown Arsenal, told of his ex- periences in making pig iron from scrap in an electric furnace sufficiently good to make castings for jigs and fixtures, and making pig out of chips profitably, but in a small way, in an electric furnace. pa GT rf Sener ie . + Abs: rl ns os ae 3 ~~ sa “es «gah rote eat eal ate = Cie et : = TP a a a SE oe ; . - + _ L 2 ——— ee pen ati whe i tn, rie he AAAI NA AP EIA YR PRP ih Mele RLF EE REESE sifintieogihn sri Pe ee , Wr cere Ret) re et | ee Sth Ws itt ts! a ly tae ait Beds ty ae 1 Pie ; | ; i | ; ; . F : 1 a ae j 5 4 a wy ‘ > ' ' a4 i 534 THE IRON AGE SUPPLIES OF FERROMANGANESE Output in 1919 Small—Needs and Available Sup- ply—Low Record of Spiegeleisen Production of ferromanganese by American makers in 1919 was 179,079 gross tons, according to the blast furnace reports of THE IRON AGE. This is a little more than 50 per cent of the record total made in 1918, but it is still considerably more than the output in 1912, 1913, 1914 and 1915. The greatest decline has been in spiegeleisen, the 1919 output having been only 65,391 tons, according to the same data. This is less than the production for many years. The following table gives the production of ferro- manganese and speigeleisen for the last quarter of 1919 and for the last eight years in gross tons: Fe omanganese and Spiegeleisen Output in the United States in Gross Tons Ferroman Spiegel- Av. Per ganese iesen Total Month To Oct. 1, 1919 137,241 51,309 188,550 20,950 October . . 15,164 5,074 20,238 November eat te 15.464 1.500 19.964 December 5% . 21,230 4.508 15,718 Total, 1919. 179,079 65,391 244,470 20,372 Total, 1918 : 345,306 249,002 594,308 49,5: Total, 1917. . 257,834 LS8,852 $46,686 3 Total, 1916. 208,389 197,518 $05,807 3 Total, 1915.. 146,542 93,282 239,824 Total, 1914... 106,083 100.365 206,448 Total, PeEes xs 119,495 126,081 245,576 Total, 2088... 00+ kee ese 119,506 244,884 The monthly average output of ferromanganese in 1919 was 14,923 tons, the lowest having been 11,210 tons in December. The January production this year was 18,062 tons. The average spiegeleisen output in 1919 was only 5449 tons per month with its lowest in November and December. The January output this year was 5895 tons. Available Supplies of Ferromanganese The available ferromanganese supplies for 1919 are shown by the following analysis of output, imports and exports: Available Exports Supplies Output Imports To Oct ] 1919 137,241 18,649 2,048 153,842 October . 15,164 4,025 934 18,255 November 15,464 6,921 79 22,306 December 11,201 3,427 3 14,625 Total 1919 179,079 33.022 2.064 209,027 Aver. per mo., 1919. 14,923 2,752 255 17,420 Aver per mo., 1918. 28,77 2,264 298 30,741 Aver. per mo., 1917. 21,436 3,703 i76* 25,413 Aver. per mo., 1915 12,021 4,605 \ver. per meé 1913 9,958 10,672 5-Vr. ay 1910-1914 8,280 $8,399 *Last half only. While ferromanganese imports in 1919 were only slightly larger than those of 1918 they are still far behind the pre-war or 1913 imports. The maintenance of a moderate export trade last year is a feature of 1919 conditions in this industry. Supplies of Manganese Ore Imports of manganese ore in 1919 were less than in 1913 and only slightly more than in 1915. They were far less than in 1917 and 1918. The following table gives the data as to manganese ore imports into the United States: Manganese Ore Imports Total Aver. Per Month To Oct 1, 1919 ‘ 269,411 29,935 October ieee ll i Re eee Novembet ‘ 11,694 December 36,376 os Total, 1919 : 333,344 Zintte Total, 1918 : ‘ $91,303 40,942 Total, 1917 629,972 02,498 Total 1915 : 320,784 26,732 Total, 1913 . ° . 345,084 28,¢04 Imports of ore are now about equal to those in 1913. The receipts of manganese ore in Great Britain have experienced a striking decline. The industry there is intimately related to that in this country and for that reason the following table of British import statistics is given: February 19, 1920 British Imports of Manganese Ore Total Aver. Per Month SESS. whee pwee ks at bales aera 265,800 22,150 Sa eet d puis Wh GM eee a bare eee bale 365,606 30,467 ble eck ale a wh ee od 331,264 27,605 Ds b' son ow 68246 bee awe ease 439,509 36,625 DE Ginn oo eae an eee ene ee 377,324 31,443 DEE ideas densa dan eeeantenees 479,435 39,953 ESOS: vada fendcss ahaha eres 601,177 50,098 The 1919 imports were only about 45 per cent of the record rate in 1913 and they have declined almost yearly since then. Supplies and Needs in 1920 Not long after the United States entered the war it was officially estimated that the monthly needs of the steel industry were 28,000 tons of ferromanganese. This was based upon the use of 80 per cent alloy and a steel output of around 43,000,000 tons. The fore- going analyses show an average available supply of 20,372 tons per month up to January, 1920. Assuming the 1920 steel output to be close to 42,000,000 tons based on the production in January, and that 74 per cent of this is open-hearth steel with two-fifths of the Bessemer output absorbing spiegeleisen as high carbon steel, the following calculation gives the estimated amount of 80 per cent ferromanganese necessary this year at 17 lb. per ton of steel produced: Gross Tons 12,000,000 * 74 31,080,000 open-hearth steel. 42,000,000 31,080,000 10,920,000 Bessemer steel. 10,920,000 « 2/5 4,368,000 high carbon Bessemer steel. 5,552,000 low carbon Bessemer steel. 36,632,000 steel requir- ing ferro- manganese, 278,000 ferromanga- nese neces- Sary in 1920 Adding to the above 278,000 tons the 10,000 tons estimated as needed in the iron foundry business, we have 288,000 tons of 80 per cent ferromanganese as necessary for the American steel industry’s needs in 1920. To meet this total we have the probable avail- able supply of 252,744 tons [(18,062 + 3000) x 12] based on the assumption that the 1920 monthly domestic output will be equal to that of January, and that the imports of British alloy will average 3000 tons per month. Allowing for the usual errors in an estimate of this kind and the use of spiegeleisen as a partial substitute, the apparent deficiency at the present rate of output is only about 36,000 tons. The last analysis of this nature, covering the early part of 1919, appeared in THE IRON AGB, Dec. 4, 1919. Similar reviews of the manganese-iron alloy situation appeared in THE IRON AGE Dec. 6, 1917; Jan. 31, 1918; April 11, 1918; July 25, 1918; Dec. 28, 1918; Feb. 2