president's address — SECTION H. 167 



sufficient cause for its universal adoption for all descriptions of plate 

 work. The simple fusing together now so often practised cannot, 

 however, be regarded as satisfactory. At such a juncture the 

 physical nature of the material must differ considerably from that 

 of the remainder of the plate or bar, this nature having been to a 

 great extent derived from the treatment received during manu- 

 facture. Electric welding to be efficient should, therefore, be 

 accompanied by hammering, or by severe pressure from all 

 directions. 



A series of tests on the relative strength under alternation of 

 stress ot electrically-welded as against fused joints woidd probably 

 result in much valuable information on the subject being obtained. 

 The extent to which it is desirable to apply the process will greatly 

 dejjend on the relative local cost of current and fuel, which will 

 also be the chief factor in determining the use of electricity for 

 heating purposes in connection with industrial operations. There 

 is no comparison between the efficiency of direct and current 

 heating ; yet in Norway, where water power is abundant and fuel 

 scarce, it is found profitable to utilise electricity to a considerable 

 extent for the heating of nail rods. There a hollow carbon is 

 brought to a high temperature by the passage ot a low tension 

 current, and the nail lod fed through it at a speed dependent on 

 the degree of heat required. Rivets are also heated in a similar 

 manner. 



In the process of finishing surfaces there has been a marked 

 advance. Milling is rapidly displacing planing and shaping. By 

 milling is to be understood the shaping of metal by rotary cutters. 

 The milling machine is capable, not alone of doing with far greater 

 expedition all the work usually executed by the planer and kindred 

 tools, but also of preparing curved profiles hitherto finished by 

 filing to template. It is essentially a sizing-machine, and the work 

 turned out from it cannot be improved by any subsequent treat- 

 ment. It owes its efficiency to the use of a series of cutting edges, 

 and a continuous feed, as opposed to a single tool- point and 

 intermittent action. This principle is capable of very extended 

 application, and the metal-working machine of the future Avill 

 probably resemble in general character the appliances used for the 

 preparation of timber lo-day. 



Few who have had charge of Avorkshops can have failed to have 

 noticed the inefficiency of the means usually adopted for tlie con- 

 veyance of power from the prime mover to the various machine 

 tools. The wear and tear, interference with space and light, and 

 liability to accident accompanying belt transmission are familiar to 

 most. So keenly was this brought home to me some five years 

 ago that I elaborated a scheme for driving each individual machine 

 by a small "•Brotherhood" engine, actuated by compressed air. 

 The problem is now, however, solved in a more simple manner by 

 the use of electricity ; and a few years hence we shall look with 



