Government Co-operation in Standardization.—The United States Government is interested in industrial standardiza tion in two ways: first, as a purchaser, in the specifications for materials and apparatus, and secondly, through its service and research bureaux, in innumerable standardization questions.
Thirty-three branches of the United States Government are offi cially represented on sectional committees of the American En gineering Standards committee. The bureau of standards of the Department of Commerce is acting as sole or joint sponsor for 13 projects; the bureau of mines, Department of Commerce, for seven; the forest service, Department of Agriculture, for two; and the public health service, Treasury Department, for one. In addition, the bureau of standards, for example, is officially co operating through representatives on sectional committees on 69 projects. One or more branches of the Federal Government is participating in this way in practically all the work of the Ameri can Engineering Standards committee. The Department of Labour designates representatives on all sectional committees dealing with safety codes, and is publishing approved codes as Government documents. The State Governments are actively participating in the work, chiefly through national organizations of State commis sions, the most active being the International Association of In dustrial Accident Boards and Commissions and the Association of governmental labour officials. The highway and traffic commis sions (which co-operate through the American Association of State Highway Officials and the regional conferences of motor traffic administrators) and the railway and utility commissions also participate in this work.
The bureau of standards of the Department of Commerce is a national agency for standardization and industrial research. Be cause they carry Government approval, the standards developed in the course of bureau research often tend to become those de manded by intelligent buyers throughout the country. For example the Government specifications for cement and the tests therewith have become the commercially accepted standard. Again, the Government buys about $1,000,000 worth of electric lamps an nually on specifications. The acceptance is based on bureau of standards' tests, which have become the standard of the country.
The Federal specifications board was organized under the bureau of the budget in 1921. It is composed of representatives of each of the purchasing units of the U.S. Government, the chair man of the board being the director of the bureau of standards, ex officio. Its purpose is to unify Government specifications and to bring them into line with the best commercial practice.
The Bureau of Standards at Washington has been reorganized to include commercial standards as well as research and testing. As to commercial standards, its service is mainly promotional in character. It helps to work out such standards and adds periodical audits of adherence, also co-operating with the United States bureau of foreign and domestic commerce in applying the stand ards to foreign commerce.
The American Marine Standards committee was organized pri marily to promote simplification of practice and economy in the construction, operation and maintenance of ships and ports facili ties. The underlying authority is vested in a membership enrolled from the marine and allied industries. In 1928 its field was confined to three divisions : hull details, engineering (machinery) details, and ship operation details and supplies. Progress of simi lar work abroad is closely observed by exchange of publications with foreign bodies.
Standardization for Design, Construction and Tests.— For the purpose of bringing to the user the best obtainable opinion on the merits of appliances, devices, machines and materials in respect to life, fire and collision hazards, and theft and accident prevention, the Underwriters' Laboratories (Inc.) was established and is maintained by the National Board of Fire Underwriters. The laboratories are conducted for service and not for profit.
One of the most widely circulated codes of the laboratories is its code for electrical appliances, which consists of standards for design and construction, and tests of devices and materials for use in electrical circuits for light, heat and power, and for the forms of supervision of such products marketed under inspection and listing by the Underwriters' Laboratories. The code is in loose leaf form to facilitate revisions. The following standards are in cluded and may be also obtained as separate pamphlets : armoured cables and cords; cabinets and cut-out boxes; cartridge-enclosed fuses; cut-out bases; electric ranges; electric signs; fixture wires; flexible cords; flexible non-metallic tubing; ground clamps; heater cords ; knife switches ; panel board ; renewable cartridge-enclosed switches; rigid conduits; rubber-covered wires and cables; snap switches ; soldering lugs. Additional standards are constantly under consideration and in preparation. Lists of inspected elec trical appliances which have been examined and tested and found to comply with the standards of the laboratories are published semi-annually.