The Iron Age 1924-01-24: Vol 113 Iss 4

THE IRON AGE New York, January 24, 1924 ESTABLISHED 1855 VOL. 113, No. 4 Progress in Industrial Relations Important Gains Made by Progressive Corporations— Employee Representation Has Accomplished Much, But Has Not Been Perfected BY CHARLES HE end of 1923 and the arrival of the new year have marked an unusual industrial situation. For the first time in several years, there are no large trikes or important industrial disturbances in the na- tion. We have passed successively through the rush of war-time production and inflation with attendant strikes ind upheavals; and a depression and deflation period of layoffs and unemployment. The last year has been an era of steadiness in production, prices and general M. MILLS the present industrial peace temporary or permanent? Is the present situation simply a lull before a mighty storm? Have we passed the barriers to industrial peace that defeated us 10, 20 or 30 years ago? Have we gained a finer sense of justice, of square dealing, of sincerity? Subtle and Invisible Factors First of all, I believe we should consider the subject in its largest possible aspects; not thinking merely of VD AATOVLEUDEDPEOAOGEA ESCA How and Why Conditions Are Improving - We have a keener social conscience today than ever before which demands knowledge of industrial conditions. - Our more progressive corporations are realizing that proper industrial relations are akin to public relations, and that, therefore, industrial conditions must be equitable and just. . Public opinion, centralized in public welfare, demands industrial peace, and no monopoly of either capital or labor can be maintained for any considerable period. -. Physical working conditions have improved vastly during the last 25.or 30 years, and no longer are demands for improvement in these conditions made central issues in labor disturbances. - Employment methods, training and general treatment of wage-earners have improved greatly, and corporations are realizing today that proper personnel procedure is economi- cally sound as well as socially just. 6. The character and development of industrial representation plans are most difficult to analyze; in the short period they have been in existence they promise much in the future development of American industry. We must not expect too much too quickly. The real test will come in the establishment of real collective bargaining. To continue to progress in our industrial relations, we must have absolute faith in human nature. dustry. In his review of labor conditions in 1923, james J. Davis, Secretary of Labor, said: “This has been generally a year of industrial peace n this country, probably as peaceful a year in the re- lations of workers and management in industry as we have ever known. It is gratifying to note the in- creasing tendency among employers and employees to meet their joint problems and their joint difficulties in the light of their mutual interests. The full develop- ment of this tendency is not always tangible, but it is plainly evident to any one who is in daily touch with the industrial life of the country. More and more men and management are settling their disputes by joint negotiation without recourse to strike or lockout. They are cooperating to serve their mutual welfare 'y preventing suspensions of production and conse- quent loss to themselves and the public.” Such a statement inspires considerable thought. Is LEU TUN an improvement in material matters affecting working conditions; not only of the changed economic status of wage-earners; but also of those more subtle and invisible moral qualities that no chart or statistical analysis may portray. At the very start we are perplexed. We go back 30 or 40 years. We think of the labor riots of the ‘eighties. Yes, we say, we have progressed far beyond a Pullman strike or a Haymarket upheaval, but then— what about the West Virginia and Herrin of today? We still seem to. have labor conflicts as bitter and as disastrous as in 1889 or 1894 or 1899. Is there a difference between then and now? Surely in one distinct way we have progressed. We may have as serious industrial trouble as a quarter of a century ago, but at least we have a keener public mind about the matter. We have developed in these years a social conscience far more powerful than in 281 DD age 1 ue arto are yee ne I At: a arf aston cacti = tember a nea pa ceell <A a RRR ete Ssaeten eee : * di intitpnmpensmr isin - ote Rea on olden days. Today we want the facts of every im- portant industrial relations question. If a great industrial outbreak occurs anywhere in the nation to- day, every prominent newspaper and the most reput- able journals send their investigators to the scene of action. One opinion no longer suffices. Our public conscience demands all the facts. Great Corporations Awakening Our great corporations are awakening to this situa tion very rapidly. They are learning that proper in- dustrial relations within their organizations are abso lutely necessary if equitable public relations are to be maintained. Only recently an entire board of directors of one of the largest corporations in the country made an extensive tour of thousands of miles so as to make themselves acquainted, not only with their own em- ployees, but also with the public. As the chairman of the board of directors of that company said: “T had been convinced for a long time that big busi ness so-called, or the management of big corporations, Was missing something. I believe in the human element in business; I believe in establishing a personal con tact with employees. I do not believe that a board of directors managing a business of any proportions can + sit in their offices in New York or Chicago and get that cooperation or have that understanding with their em ployees that should prevail. “So I said to my board of directors, ‘We are going out to all our division points and we are going to meet face to face and talk with our employees. 1 want to see them and I want them to see us. I want to tell them what ideals inspire us, what our problems are, and what we are trying to do and what we expect of them.’ Every employee who could possibly be spared nded these meetings. The results were wonderful and far exceeded our expe tations.” Force of Public Opinion Because public opinion is keener than ever before, we are led to another conclusion—no single industrial group can threaten the peace of the Nation for any onsiderable period. A monopoly of labor or capital cannot throttle public opinion nor can a strong faction in either group attempt aggressive tactics that ulti- ately menace public welfare. In almost any great industrial conflict of today—a coal or a railroad strike, for example—the rights of the public are a central issue. Public opinion, then, demands not only facts, but the maintenance of industrial peace. Public opinion has also forced us to make progress in another direction. There is no comparison, socially speaking, between working conditions of today and 25 years ago. If you go into almost any plant built within the last ten years, you will find generally ex- cellent working conditions. The regulation of ventila- tion, the adjustment of light, the guarding of hazard- ous machinery, the building of adequate toilet and locker room facilities—all these things have come about not only because they were proved economically sound, but because public opinion demanded them. There is seldom a strike of any import today that is based either in whole or in part on unwholesome work- ing conditions. The dark, dank factories of the last eentury are no more. We have surely progressed in material Improvement of physical working conditions. Selecting the Right Men In the routine procedure of merely hiring men we have advanced. There are few large plants today that hire “by looking over at the gate.” The old days of personal favoritism between the foreman and appli- cant at the gate have largely disappeared. Manage- ment has come to realize that it is far more important to select the right kind of men for the job than to order the proper materials, and it has delegated to THE IRON AGE January 24 (994 experts the selection and the training of m The average executive has learned that a good n a stays a year on a job is worth much more than men of mediocre ability who stay six months. Manav-ment is coming to realize that the way to make a n stay on the job lies not in good working conditi: and wages alone, but in fair treatment. The absolutist days of the “hard boiled” foremay are numbered. Today, we ask for subordinate |cadey. ship in our plant, not through Jack Dempsey methods but through loyalty and common sense. We have come to learn that a man who has been fired out of a job unjustly can cause a loss of $10,000 worth of morale and company loyalty in a community. Of course, w must still “fire” the lazy, the inefficient, the liar, and all the rest of that tribe—all men are by no means perfect, but we have learned that the proper review of just causes and complaints pays. Never was mor attention paid than at the present time to the percent age and cost of labor turnover, and the companies that are most carefully analyzing the causes of separations are making the most substantial progress in their industrial relations problems. Whether or no the whole gamut of industrial relations machinery may remain, fundamental personnel procedure in_ hiring, transferring, placing of employees and compiling of labor records and statistics has been generally accepted by management. We have improved industrial rela- tions, therefore, by thinking of labor not en masse, but as composed of separate individuals and personalities Industrial Representation Plans When we come to the field of industrial representa- tion plans, joint conferences, joint councils and othe methods by which management has sought to improv contacts with its employees, the analysis of progress is difficult. In the first place, we must ask what the purposes of these various plans have been. Were they simply groups to discuss welfare activities, safety, 0 the physical side of working conditions; or were the) groups of representatives of both management and men set up to discuss the fundamental industrial relations questions such as wages, hours, and complaints and alleged grievances? If we may assume that the latte! type of industrial council is meant, we may proceed to a few general reflections. Oldest Councils Are New First, it is too short a time to pass judgment upon the success or failure of these organizations. The oldest councils in this country are now 10 years of age. We cannot judge what sort of a man a 10-year-old boy may become; why should we determine what joint councils may be 20, 40 or 100 years from the present? We must let the boy grow up first, and then judge of his manhood, Secondly, we are dealing with human nature—al element that cannot be charted or dissected. The character of these councils is as varied as the per sonalities which compose them. We cannot say al men are bad because there are some criminals; nol can we judge all councils by some which have ended 1D failure. In the third place, we must not forget that such a human agency as an industrial council may be used for either the most altruist or opportunist ends. The council system must be tried thoroughly, consciel tiously, sincerely. An industrial representation plan is not made for a moment, for a period of prosperity or depression; it is created for all time as an integra! part of our American industrial system. I do not believe, for one, that the success of indus- trial councils depends altogether on the eliminatio” immediately of all industrial disturbances. It is 4 far uary 24, 1924 hier sign to see men walk out over an honest rence of opinion than to have a council go peace- along, but openly sneered at by employees as ly another scheme “to put one over.” Direct dis- ion and even interruption of work are far better formal acquiescence and hypocrisy. Real Collective Bargaining ‘he final test of industrial representation and the » committee lies in the development of real collec- bargaining. The man in the ranks must come to that he deals with management on essential ‘s not as an individual or as a single representa- with limited powers, but as a delegate with the strength of the group. Today the average shop THE IRON AGE 283 practically unaffected by any local situation caused by disagreement between the council or committee and the management. Future progress in industrial repre- sentation will come largely in making employees and their delegates feel that they are not sharing in a mere old-ladies sewing circle but in a powerful, vital, red-blooded conference where essential issues are dis- cussed, Sincerity Required The origination and institution of industrial repre- sentation required large vision, keen insight, and a basic trust in human nature. Without absolute sin- cerity on both sides there is dismal failure, and such far worse situation than before. disaster creates a HARLES M. MILLS, the author of this thoughtful paper, has had extended experience with industrial relations work and in the past year traveled many thousands of miles, vis- iting plants in different parts of the country. Mr. Mills was born in Cleveland in 1892 and graduated from Amherst College, B. A. cum laude, 1914, receiving his master’s degree at Columbia University. in 1916. year he enlisted and became a first lieutenant of infantry in the World War. The following On returning from the war he engaged in plant and community surveys and was industrial counsel of the New York Department of Labor 1920 to 1921. He served with the National Industrial Con- ference Board, as head of the wage research department, 1921 to 1922, and has been indus- trial counsel with Curtis, Fosdick & Belknap, attorneys, New York, from 1922 to the present time. His work has included the publication of pamphlets and research booklets on wages, house working conditions, benefit associations and industrial representation. offers a most restricted and mild form of ollective bargaining. Few industrial representation ans permit arbitration on disputed questions to go outside of the company. The power of collective bar- gaining as established by groups of men in different of the same company or different industrial plants in the same locality is practically absent. Em- ‘loyees are not generally brought together in large nd diversified groups. The opportunity for collective hought and action is absent. In the average shop incil plan, the enforcement of demands upon manage- nt is confined at best to employees of a single rating unit. A corporation with several plants is uncil lants Lead and Zine in 1923 The mine and refinery output of lead in the United states in 1923 each made a fair gain, and the mine and nelter output of zine each increased about one-third, ccording to a statement by C. E. Siebenthal and A. toll, of the Department of the Interior’s Geological Survey, compiled from reports and estimates by pro- ‘ucers and others. Data for the Western States are ‘ken from the advance statements issued by the Geo- ogical Survey’s Western offices. Statistics of imports ind exports for 11 months are taken from the records f the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. The output of soft lead from mines in the Missis- ‘ippi Valley and the small output from mines in the tastern States amounted to about 243.000 net tons, and that of argentiferous lead from mines in the Western States amounted to about 291,000 tons, a total of 534,- 00 tons. The corresponding figures for 1922 were -67,441 tons from the Mississippi Valley and 209,408 ons from the Western States, a total of 476,849 tons. The recoverable zine content of ore mined in 1923 as about 623,000 tons, as compared with 472,184 tons 1922. The output of the Eastern States was about ‘9,000 tons (75 per cent from New Jersey), that of the entral States about 395,000 tons, and that of the Western States about 129,000 tons, as compared with 4,041, 296,430 and 81,713 tons, respectively, in 1922. The output of primary domestic desilverized lead / What we need is faith, and yet more faith, if we are to make industrial representation an essential feature of American industry. We cannot toy with representa- tion as with a new plaything. We cannot back up council plans half-heartedly or with any ulterior motives and expect success. We cannot expect to revolutionize industrial relations in our plants within one year or five or ten years. To progress we must have faith. In conclusion, then, I believe we have made con- siderable progress in industrial relations and largely for the reasons summarized on the first page of this article. in 1923 was about 304,000 tons, of soft lead about 184,- 000 tons, and of desilverized soft lead about 62,000 tons, making a total output from domestic ores of about 550,000 tons of refined lead, as compared with 468,746 tons in 1922, which was made up of 185,191 tons of de- silverized lead, 209,250 tons of soft, lead, and 74,305 tons of desilverized soft lead. The output of lead smelted and refined from foreign ore and bullion was about 65,000 tons, as compared with 63,916 tons in 1922. The total lead smelted or refined in the United States was thus about 615,000 tons, as compared with 532,662 tons in 1922. The output of antimonial lead is reported to be about 13,000 tons, as against 8075 tons in 1922. The output of primary metallic zinc from domestic ores in 1923 was about 485,000 tons and from foreign ores about 2000 tons, a total of 487,000 tons, as com- pared with 353,274 tons from domestic ores and 1003 tons from foreign ores, a total of 354,277 tons, in 1922. In addition to primary zinc there was an output of about 40,000 tons of redistilled secondary zinc, as compared with 32,988 tons in 1922, making a total supply of dis- tilled zine and electrolytic zinc in 1923 of about 527,000 tons, of which 145,000 tons was high grade and inter- mediate, 75,000 tons select and brass special, and 307,- 000 tons prime Western zinc. The apparent consump- tion of primary zine in 1923 was thus about 427,000 tons, as compared with 373,094 tons in 1922 and 203,600 tons in 1921. + ne arcane ne Oe mt: A a wntrteelletnialltin teense itn - Sainte pemememeirabasetanes ee a OE . , ene tela lieth ch _ ANOTHER USE FOR STEEL Woven Wire Highway Guard to Absorb Impact of Skidding or Speeding Automobiles A highway safety guard of woven wire, applying the principle of the aerial life net to prevent embank ment, ridge and curve accidents, was announced at the Chicago Good Roads Show in the week of Jan. 14. The woven wire, fabricated to absorb impact, is designed to replace wooden rails, stone walls and cables along highway “danger points.” Placed on top of curves, cliffs and at bridge approaches and sides, it is designed to stop skidding or speeding machines that hit it by the stretch of its fabric without destructive impact 01 serious damage to the car or injury to occupants. Tests of the guard demonstrated that it is impossible for a machine speeding as high as 45 miles an hour to break through it, according to W. T. Kyle, general man ager of the Page Steel & Wire Co., who sponsored it. It was produced by the Page company as the result of two years of highway engineering experiments. “Forty per cent of highway accidents and manv of those in cities result from cars golng over cliffs or bridge sides,” said Kyle. “The highway guard was built under a method of fabricating wire that would give strength, elasticity and recoil. It has been thor oughly tested under the Underwriters’ bumper impact test, and also was mentary test, by automobiles, Laboratory rammed, as a supple “In the Underwriters’ Laboratories bumper impact test the guard was stretched between two regulation posts and fastened to each post with ordinary 144-in staples. A 650-lb. weight, suspended at a point 68 ft. THE IRON AGE January 24 1994 above its center, was drawn back 30 ft. and to strike, the force being equivalent to that of a ty car traveling 20 miles an hour. ; “At each of four severe blows the fabric wed and elongated, acting in buffer fashion and den trat- ing it will stretch until the wires forming th: shes rest against one another. At each blow the; r : recoil, diminishing as the guard was pounded, »»); the shocks were entirely taken up between the two “In subsequent automobile tests, machines r it at moderate speed were brought to a stop, th coj] y pulling them back from danger. With the cars eving a: high speed, the meshes, giving similarly, ‘y es around the hood, allowing the blow to spend itself \; nly on the wheels, bumper, ete. Even though a blow might displace a post, in such a case the fastenings the away hold and the car is held.” Comparative tests were conducted before Connec. ing 20 miles an hour. The guard was only slight}; affected, it is stated, and the cars were not damaved. _ Impact of the Auto- mobile Is Absorbed by the Elongation and Simultaneous Narrow- ing of the Woven Wire Guard The guard can be installed unbroken for any tance, and if one section i3 caused to “sag” by a blow; that section can be replaced, Sections on either sides are not damaged. The guard is galvanized and pai! white, to make it easily visible at night. It is con structed of 24-in. wire link fabric. The mesh, formed by No. 9 wire, is square and is 1% x 1% in. The Simonds Saw & Steel Co., formerly Sim nds Mfg. Co., Fitchburg, Mass., has purchased the three- story building at 127 South Green Street, Chicago which will be used as a stock room and offices 0! company’s western sales force. tne Economic Progress of Simplification More Than Five-sixths of the Number of Varieties For- merly Used Have Been Eliminated in Some Industries —Personal Style Matters a Separate Problem By EK W. concentrated upon waste in industry, as revealed by the investigation instigated by Secretary of Commerce Hoover and developed by the Federated American Engineering Societies. Activities were launched almost simultaneously and cooperatively by the Fabricated Production Department of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, the Division of Simplified Practice of the Department of Commerce, the American Engineering Standards Committee, and with the sympathetic cooperation of engineering organi- zations in general, technical journals and trade asso- ciation periodicals. The three agencies mentioned planned their joint efforts so as not to overlap, so that, luring the period mentioned between 300 and 400 com- modity lines have received attention. It was first necessary to arouse each class of indus- try to the fact that waste actually existed. This was accomplished largely through transmitting to them the experiences of other lines. Then a committee or “key man” was found to undertake the making of a survey or analysis of conditions. In due time the forthcoming report gave enough of a cross-section of the industry to indicate that further activities were justified. N EARLY three years of organized effort have been Help of Trade Associations It was found, where lines had formed trade asso- ciations, that the work not only of organizing investi- gations, but giving continuity to this undertaking, progressed more rapidly and satisfactorily. The sec- retaries of these organizations soon caught a vision of the possibilities of worth-while economies and cooper- ated splendidly in carrying such projects through to consummation. From the beginning it was made clear to the indus- tries that none of the cooperating agencies mentioned had any arbitrary power, but simply were offering MMMM LMU MC CULLGUGH their helpful services in the elimination of wasteful varieties and practices. Even the invitations of the Secretary of Commerce that members of an industry come to Washington for a conference meant nothing more than offering them facilities to serve their own best interests and the public as well. It was only after these relations were understood by industry that real interest was aroused and progress made. While most lines approached readily admitted that too many variations of sizes, styles and kinds were being produced, it was quite another thing to bring about unanimity of views as to what should be dropped and what retained. Here also arose the usual clash between the sales and manufacturing departments, and in not a few instances was it necessary to retain many more variations than the situation warranted; but the wisdom of “making haste slowly” was du'y appreciated. Progress Has Been Gradual There were notable instances of this in the clay products lines, where certain sizes and kinds of brick were continued for a year or two, notwithstanding they were not needed; yet certain conditions in the selling field seemed to justify holding them for a time. In fact, narrow self-interest has been the _ greatest hindrance to progress in most lines and, while the responsibility has frequently been thrown upon the consumer, the burden of proof in most instances should rest upon the producers. Standardization, closely linked with simplification, has in no small way also hindered the movement, espe- cially through its being wilfully misinterpreted by writers for the public press. It has been charged that many important commodities were being reduced by hard and fast processes to standards so rigid as to eliminate the possibility of freedom of choice by the purchaser. Claims are also made that this effort would tend to kill initiative and bar’the progress of inventive W. McCULLOUGH while a young man made a connection with a small e plant in Illinois which distributed its products throughout the Central West, Southwest and Pacific Coast. He served this concern in various capacities in factory, office and management until, in 1904, he was called by the farm wagon industry to reorganize their trade association. He was secretary and manager until 1910, during which time he initiated thei) efforts in cost accounting and simplification of varieties, ete. The reduction of wagon wheel heights from 41 to 3 was practically accomplished during this connection, as also were many other standards, and the establishment of grading and inspection rules for wagon wood stock. These were the first rules established and recognized by both the mills and factories. In 1910 he assisted in the consolidation of the National Plow Associa- tion, National Association of Agricultural Implement Manufacturers and the National Wagon Manufacturers’ Association, forming the National Jm- plement and Vehicle Association, of which he became secretary and general manager. This organization represented 92% per cent of the country’s pro- duction of farm operating equipment and rendered much service during the He resigned in 1918 and joined the Chamber of Commerce of the United States in its new effort better to serve business, becoming manager of the Department for Service to Manufacturers. ae Mr. McCullough is considered an authority on trade association organ- ization and work and is in constant contact with their activities. He is closely associated with Secretary Hoover’s work of simplification and standardiza- tion, being a member of his planning committee; also his committee now constructing a dictionary of commodity specifications for federal, state and war. municipal purchasing. TIOVEUSSOSACALEEGUGLUOAUSCUNeNACNN Hees geL TEN E. W. MC CULLOUGH — HUA) DOOD Ea PMMA GAARA = CL A AR ttt eat ett OS TR het mien mount SI nl ar | Re ll ae TE gira etch al rg Shard? &- f) , 4a ‘ t>,3 ee * ; = s + ¥ > _ ' ‘ » . } ; i : : ; : , 7: é Ft 3 * “8 EE 286 THE IRON genius. All of this is not only erroneous, but to a degree malicious in checking many worth-while savings, where credence has been given to such statements, espe cially when emanating from seeming high authority. If simplification means anything, its operation clears the path for inventive genius and improvement, reduc ing as it does the volume of dead or slow-moving stocks of both materials and finished products. It is a step also in the direction of learning what the consumer’s real needs are and through efficient production, satis fying those needs at the lowest possible cost. It would seem that this whole effort should have een unnecessary, and that it really reflects discredit upon engaged in industrial direction, because these elements of waste, since atten those management and tion has been directed upon them, are so self-evident in many lines. But a more careful examination of the situation exposes the fact that, in conducting a manu- such a manner as to give its selling agencies the greatest possible liberty in securing busi- facturing plant in ness, it was not possible always to eliminate the ob viously unnecessary, at least when first apparent. The Shibboleth of “Service” For several “service” Was years prior to the war, i common trade slogan and most industries went far in satisfying the consumer, so much so that factories began to degenerate into made-to-order shops and, to account for the extra expense production costs and heaped up in increased overhead, new activities were This service was continually dinned into his ears to drown any protest against increasing prices. This lasted until a time was lost sight created with little created to pass this burden on to the consumer. wonderful the post-war boom, when price for of in the anxiety due to the belief, foundation, that there was a tre- mendous shortage of all commodities. We are just now beginning to fearing neither that present prices will be greatly enhanced, but rather looking anxiously and continuously emerging from this confusion and are realize that the consumer is “gun shy,” possible shortage nor ry indications of economies as forerunners of lowe The solution of these waste studies through simplifi- i id standardization has been largely in lines other than those involving the element of style—that is, those related to personal wear. Lines which consume largely iron, steel and most of the ‘elved early attention, and with them might be listed clay products and ceramics generally, paper. wood products and many composite lines closely allied The explanation for this rests largely in the fact that most of these lines may be included in the category ot particular, » tnem. commodities where personal examination making selections is not essential (as would be the ase of those commodities for personal consumption), ind which consequently ars non-resistant to the pro- posed changes. \ Measure of Performance In tracing the economic benefits of this work of sim- piification, it is perhaps easier tu visualize it through the use of percentages, the following percentages apply- ing to varieties dropped from the several lines named: Per Cent Be i springs gr Fruit and vegetable biskets ge Collars. ; ; Hammers, axes, ete 79 Lamp bases A Paper : é Paving brick Shotgun shells Woven wire steel fer Automobile tires These are typical of a number of ot'er lines in which the elimination percentages exterd from 25 to over 90. Some of these records were made by entire lines, others by individual initiative, It would be gratifying if it were possible to insert a table here which would indicate the monetarv econo- mies accomplished, the effect on lowered stocks of materials and completed products, as well as the savings made in warehouse rentals, taxes, insurance, handling charges and quickened turnover, but in most lines it is too early to do this adequately. The conditions under which simplification is carried out render it difficult, if not impossible, to trace such Savings through an AGE January 24, | 4 industry, and it is not always easy even in its cation to individual cases, yet the study is well worth while and justifies the effort. One of the greatest obstacles in getting such fi, 3 is the fact that all eliminations can not be mad a plant simultaneously, but must be done with du . sideration to both the stocks of materials and fi: | goods on hand. Consequently, in making a reck: g of this kind, comparison will have to be made bet ; the period before changes and the period when al! \- plification has been put into effect. During the int however, account may be taken from time to tim: as to quickened production schedules, prompter shipments, lower stocks carried both at factory and distributing ip points and of the improved conditions as to turnover by all three—factory, wholesaler and retailer. Savings in Woven Wire Fence This difficulty in measuring the extent of the benetits which accrue through the elimination of unnecessary varieties should not be attempted with the dollar yard- stick alone—even though it may be necessary eventually to show results in that way for certain purposes—for such a picture will be far from satisfactory in show- ing the vast benefits and gains. Let us, however, take as a case in point one important line which has used simplification with most gratifying effect—the woven wire field fence used by every farmer, the railroads and other large consumers. This industry confessed to 552 varieties, which were finally reduced to 69, with an expectation to reduce this number considerably more. This applied to the styles and kinds alone, but there also were other problems due to the bulky character of this commodity, including the fact that this fencing was put up in a little over 2000 kinds and sizes of packages. These were sweep- ingly reduced to 139. To measure the monetary value of this example of simplification would seem easy but, because of stocks being carried at many points for the convenience of the retailer and the farmer, it will be some time before the new is fully substituted for the iid. Can there be any doubt, however, of the savings to be reaped by all classes involved? Intra-Plant Progress Recently another interesting phase of this work has developed in one of the large industries whereby a fine record of progress has been reported through intra- plant simplification and standardization. This report will be interesting and encouraging to many lines not represented by trade organizations, where difficulty has been experienced in the formation of cooperative groups. In such instances it is entirely possible, and in many most desirable, to proceed within the individual plant. If the concern undertaking intra-plant simplifi- cation includes several plants or subsidiaries, the oppor- tunities are great for making splendid economies. The plant above referred to makes farm tools In large variety, some of these variations being necessary, owing to soil conditions or other requirements. These had been multiplied through ambitious selling forces and in part because, in taking over certain plants, peculiar types and variations were inherited; yet in the comprehensive effort to simplify, an exceedingly large reduction of varieties has occurred. The success they are making is, no doubt, due to the interest of the management. The elements of their problem included nomencla- ture, materials and selective use, design, practice, pro- cedure and data, machine parts and fittings, machine units, machines complete, attachments and equipment, methods of test and research. From these funda- mentals the study ramified into many details _and touched every activity in the producing process. Within comparatively few years they have made most re markable reductions in the number of types, sizes and kinds. These percentage eliminations range from 31 to 95 per cent, yet the consumer is being better served. It is quite as necessary, in intra-plant and individual plant simplification, to-make a survey as in operating through a trade association, and the results of such a survey should be dealt with from an economic rather than a competitive standpoint, for producers, like musicians, are not likely to be able to play “every instrument in the band.” Here is where the greatest january 24, 1924 st of broad vision occurs in the cooperative help given sales and production heads to management in com- sing the elimination schedules. Problem in Personal Wear Again referring to the so-called style or personal ear lines, which have not yet been attacked in this vaste campaign in an organized way, it is to be noted hat much has been done in reducing the number of lesigns, colors, ete., selected to meet the seasonal use if such lines as clothing, shoes, hats and certain ar- titles of women’s wear. The demand for bridging the inemployment gap in a number of lines, as a matter of more economical production, has brought about studies for the purpose of establishing a greater number of staples in style and design. A greater tendency is noted in the direction of rele- vating extreme or freak creations to the specialty or custom producer, where in our opinion they properly long, instead of permitting them to clog factory pro- luction and increase the overhead on regular lines, for the doubtful satisfaction of giving a portion of the rade everything asked for. The successful efforts of ndividual preducers of men’s hats, clothing, shoes, IRON IN KING “TUT’S” TIME \ Glimpse Into a World Without lron—Then the Dawn of the “Iron Age” We think of King Tut-Ankh-Amen and his civiliza- tion as existing in the dawn of history but, compared with the ages gone before his time, he was a modern, says “Pure Iron Era.” According to the authorities such as Prof. Henry Fairfield Osborn, man began to make tools out of stone 123,000 years before the birth of Christ but, according to no less noted authorities, he did not fashion iron until more than 120,000 years later, about 2000 B. C., when the “Iron Age” began. But copper and bronze were known and used for tools and weapons 2000 years before iron was mined and smelted. As was only natural, iron first came into use as a weapon of warfare. The rise and expansion of the \ssyrian Empire came on the crest of the first wave » mark the beginning of the iron age. Through con- tact with the Hittites iron was introduced among the \ssyrians, and the Assyrian forces were the first large irmies to be equipped with weapons of ferrous metal. \ single arsenal room of Sargon II’s palace was found to contain 200 tons of iron implements. The Egyptians might have maintained their em- pire, or at least sustained it for a longer period, had they imported quantities of iron from Hittite mines along the Black Sea. That the Egyptians did secure some ferrous metal from this source is recorded on a clay tablet written about 1250 B. C. by one of the Hittite kings, who mentions that he was about to send a shipment of “pure iron” to Rameses II, who had asked for it, and that in the meantime an iron sword was being sent to the Egyptian king as a gift. This was in the thirteenth century B. C., or approximately 700 years after the recognized beginning of the iron ige. While the Hittite civilzation was lower than that of Egypt and Babylonia, it might be said that this na- tion made up for its lack of culture by serving as the world’s ironmonger. Forced-Draft Smelting Furnace It is also recorded that the Egyptians developed a forced-draft furnace—consisting of a pit for ore, con- nected with bellows operated by the feet of slaves, as early as 1500 B. C. About the time Rameses II received a shipment of “pure iron,” ferrous metal was introduced among the Greeks. But it must have been a long time before iron came into common use in this nation, as the poet Aeschylus 500 years later called it the “stranger from the sea.” By King Tut-Ankh-Amen’s time, however, iron was common in Greece, and had virtually replaced bronze as a metal in war and industry. The across THE IRON AGE 287 women’s wear, knit goods and other lines are paving the way for organized efforts in the not distant future, for there can be little breaking down of the high cost of articles of personal wear while unlimited and unneces- sary varieties choke all attempts at volume production. There is nothing in this program which will destroy the privilege of individual selection, nor the right to have what we want when we want it, but rather a greater opportunity and at a less cost to the average consumer, who is the one most manufacturers seek to serve. It is not too much, I believe, for us to claim that this economic awakening, which usually comes to the Amer- ican people after a period of extravagance, is now not only well under way, but is better understood and is making a real step forward in our position as a leader among nations whose competition for the world’s mar- kets is likely to be more intense as war problems fade away and competitive fields everywhere are developed. Moreover, simplification and eventually reasonable standardization in its application to both production and quality of what we make are worthy of our great- est consideration in the protection of our home mar- kets, as well as our trade developments abroad. age of iron, in fact, marked the beginning of real civilization in Greece. The question has often been asked—what part did iron play in the marvelously rapid progress and con- trol of mechanical power in Egypt during the thirtieth century B. C.? According to Prof. James H. Breasted, no other period of the world’s history until the nine- teenth century witnessed any such development. Would it be possible today, even with unlimited labor and time, to erect a solid mass of masonry containing 2,300,000 blocks of limestone, each weighing on an average 2% tons, without the aid of metal machinery? The workmen, estimated to number 100,000, the largest group of laborers ever assembled in the world’s his- tory for a single task, were engaged for 20 years in building the great Pyramid. And this took place almost 1500 years before King “Tut” came to the throne, and 1000 years before the beginning of the iron age. Almost Pure Iron Produced It is a tribute to the labor and skill of the early iron workers that there remain today a few samples of prehistoric ferrous weapons and tools. Because of the slow methods of manufacture—the repeated heat- ing and working of the metal—the impurities were re- moved and an almost pure iron was produced, to resist the corrosive influences of the ages. What is thought to be the oldest piece of wrought iron in existence is a sickle blade found under the base of a sphinx near Karnak, Thebes, Egypt. Perhaps may be added a blade, probably 5000 years old, found in one of the pyramids. From this, one might ccn- clude that iron was in general use in Egypt prior to the thirteenth century B. C., and that the metal which might prove the theory today had rusted away, were it not for the fact that Egyptologists find no iron nor iron rust in any of the tombs of the nineteenth dynasty. W. M. Flinders Petri, who has made wide and in- tensive investigations in Egypt, states that there is no clearly dated example of the existence of iron in Egypt before 700 B. C., so it may be that Rameses II may not actually have received this shipment of “pure iron” from his Hittite neighbors, or that King Tut- Ankh-Amen may not have seen ferrous metal in use in his empire. But whether or not iron was used in Egypt, or to what extent it was employed by the other nations of the world 3000 years ago, we are impressed by the great ages through which man lived without iron; surprised that a civilization such as flourished in Egypt 3000 years ago could have been built up without large quantities of ferrous metal; and perhaps shocked in coming to realize how pitifully small have been our contributions to the science of ferrous metallurgy up to the present time. Pills 28x THE IRON AGE TREATING HIGH-SPEED TOOLS New Furnace with Special Equipment for High lemperatures \ tle over a year ago the Gleason Works at Rochester, N. Y., were confronted with the problem of ‘ n of high-speed tools for automatic gear hin the chief product of this company. | eo hea eatment operation these tools equ nerature approximating 2350 deg. Fam é g ‘he heat treatment at that time done . 1 ee it the results secured wer‘ sf v be Is¢ he non-uniform eS lt ] Torm V Tne Aa = - . nis specially as ertained to hat S l \ I bl h Wieas Worl ive pla ed in operation an electric furnace unit designed and manufactured by F. J. Ryan & Co., Phila- lelphia. The obtaining of resistors capable of with standing temperatures higher than 2000 deg. Fahr. has een a hindrance in solving the problem. During the var the German chemists developed a type of quartz arbon resistors for which working temperatures up 2400 deg. were claimed. With the hope that thes mig! he temperature problem, a few were im ported the Ryan company. They were found, how- e} le for general commercial usages at the e desired The R ym pal hen con mentit ( I f id graphi I { rly Le he elt ade lized lickly, and burned out before the desired temper ture had been reached. in the first experiment with solid graphite resistors pow? he amount of 27 KW. Was applied put. as tated, this did not secure the results. Working on the that some method would have to be devised to counteract the effect of oxidation on the heated elec trode, that is, a method whereby the heat of the clec- trodes could be increased inst intaneouslyv to a vrea many degrees higher than the possible saturation affin- ity of the air, the Ryan company designed a special low voltage transformer which was built by the Wagner Electric Mfg. Co., St. Louis. + Thé results were satisfac- tory tor commercial usages, Temperatures up to the January 24 | 994 working conditions of the furnace were reached . sjly and it was found that, after this temperature wag reached, the power input of this transformer , ) he reduced to the original calculation of necess in- put. Therefore the high power input is used o for bringing up the temperature and to overcome ox ing conditions. After operation of the furnace for some period it is found that tools of exceptional qual are being secured. One of the distinct advantages covered by this fur- nace design is the fact that the tools are convey: uto- matically through the furnace and are then extruded directly into the quenching bath. The heat of the tools entering the quenching bath causes fumes to be viven off which prove a direct benefit both to the electrode and to the tools. Toward the extension of the life of these graphite resistors, further experiments were car- ried out and it was found, by the injection of a smal] A Two - Chambe Electric Heat Treating Furna for High - Speed Steel Tools, Using Specially Con structed Equipment to Secure Tempera tures Higher Thar 2000 Deg. Fahr amount of gas into the high heating chamber, that from 40 to 40 hr. of continuous service can be obtained. Ex- periments are now being carried out toward the coat- ing of the electrodes with the viewpoint of extending even this present life. The furnace is briefly a unit made up of two cham- bers, one the main heating chamber in which metallic resistors are used and the final heating chamber in which the graphite resistor is used. The two chambers are separated by a wall. Both chambers are automati- illy controlled with Leeds & Northrup temperature control devices with power input and switches designed ryy by the Ryan company. The idea of obtaining steam power from the h ated center of the earth is not practicable at the presen! time, according to Dr. Thomas T. Read, of the Depart- ment of the Interior, who, with F. C. Houghten, of te research laboratory of the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers, has prepared for the Bureau of Mines a report on the cooling of mine air. rhe amount of heat that can be derived from hot rocs } not proportional to its temperature, but is limited by ‘he conductivity of the rock. It can only be usefully ©™- ployed on the surface and how to get it there wit out iosing most of it on the way is the problem. T' HE placing in operation by the United States Steel Steel Corporation's New Freight Service Boats Operate on Lakes in Summer and in Southern Waters During Winter Method Watched with Interest- Cargo Handling Equipment a Feature Corporation of two freight boats on the Great Lakes last summer for handling shipments of its mill products from Lake Erie and Lake Michigan : to Montreal for the Canadian trade is a step for- rd in transportation methods in the steel industry. the same time it has opened up a promising field the use of heavy handling equipment of a modern on boats for loading and unloading cargoes. These boats were placed in commission in July, tak- argoes from Chicago, Lorain and Conneaut, and it tated that their operation has proved entirely suc- ful. Late in the year they were sent to the Atlantic t and down to the Gulf of Mexico. During winters will operate in Southern waters carrying products Steel Corporation mills from Mobile and New Or- s to various Gulf ports, thus being kept in opera- the entire year. It is stated that this new trans- tation project of the Steel Corporation is being tched with considerable interest by at least one other re steel producer which may adopt the same plan handling steel products by water. From the cargo handling equipment standpoint the tanding feature of the two boats is the use on each two specially designed 5-ton electrically operated es, in a general way resembling locomotive cranes, t are mounted on the decks for handling the cargoes. th this crane equipment it is not necessary for boats ey y oad or unload where there are mechanical dock dling facilities as they can take on their cargoes at convenient dock. ‘he two boats named the “Steelmotor,” shown in the mpanying illustration, and “Steelvender” were built the Steel Corporation at its Federal Shipbuilding Co. nt and are operated by the Isthmian Steamship Line, ich is the operating company for the United States Products Co., another Steel Corporation subsidi- The vessels are 258 ft. long, or of the Welland al size, and have a ne