g THE BUREAU OF SCIENCE 



such as khaki, rain coats, hats, and string, purchased for the 

 Bureau of Constabulary, have been upon the basis of specifi- 

 cation. I referred to the standardization of material purchased 

 by the Government in my annual report for the fiscal year 

 1912, pages 2, 25, 26, 27, 50, 51, and 52, and in my annual 

 report for the fiscal year 1913, pages 73 and 74. In each in- 

 stance a remarkable increase in the quality has been noted after 

 the purchase of supplies under specification has been thoroughly 

 initiated, and this improvement in quality is usually secured 

 without an increase of original cost. In the testing of materials 

 and supplies, the Government of the Philippine Islands is far 

 behind other progressive countries. The successful solution of 

 many of our local problems concerning material for construction 

 must be solved by local research, as available information on 

 many of these subjects is meager and only a few general results 

 are applicable to the Philippines. For example, protective coat- 

 ings, paints, asphalts, dust preventatives, and iron and steel 

 may give good service in some climates, but prove unsatisfactory 

 in the tropics. In time, results obtained by studying the phy- 

 sical and chemical properties of various products, and materials 

 in connection with their efficiency in actual service, will be of 

 great value. From time to time I have pointed out the neces- 

 sity for a new testing laboratory and an increase in our force 

 and equipment. At the present time we perform, as well as 

 we can with our equipment, physical tests of a great many 

 materials, such as cement and other similar materials, concrete, 

 mortar, building blocks, bricks, stones, reenforcing iron, steel, 

 cloth, rope, M'ire, road material, and ties. On June 24, 1914, 

 His Excellency, the Governor-General, issued Executive Order 

 No. 62, which is as follows : 



E. G. Shields, Purchasing Agent; Warwick Greene, Director of Public 

 Works; and Alvin J. Cox, Director of Science, are hereby constituted a 

 permanent committee to be known as the Committee on Standardization 

 of Supplies. 



It shall be the duty of the committee thus constituted, after studying 

 the requirements of the various branches of the service, to establish certain 

 makes, grades, qualities, or kinds of material and equipment as the stand- 

 ards of their class to be furnished for Government use. 



After the standards of any classes of material or equipment have thus 

 been established, the Purchasing Agent shall furnish no others upon re- 

 quisitions unless (1) specifically authorized by the Governor-General, (2) 

 sanctioned by subsequent action of the committee, or (3) to admit of the 

 disposal of material and equipment already on hand. 



This is in reality an economic measure. The committee has 

 collected specifications enforced in many places and has held one 



