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Photo from Bureau of Standards 



A BONFIRE OF SHORT MEASURES 



This shows the destruction of a pile of short measures condemned and confiscated by 

 the city sealer of one of our large cities. It has been found that dry measures are the most 

 faulty, nearly 50 per cent of those tested by the Bureau of Standards being incorrect. When 

 this institution began its investigations there were only four States which had efficient 

 systems of inspecting weights and measures; now there are twenty-four (see page 169). 



Even that well-known article, red tape, 

 receiA^es due attention ; its material is ex- 

 amined; its color tested; its breaking 

 strength established; its every property 

 is determined, with the solitary exception 

 of its obstructive force, as that is beyond 

 the power even of the Bureau of Stand- 

 ards. 



Nearly 30,000 samples of the cement 

 bought by the government were tested 

 last year, representing a • purchase of 

 more than 2 million barrels. 



It has been found on submitting con- 

 crete to steam curing that in many cases 

 the compressive strength per square inch 

 may be increased as much as 500 per 

 cent or more, while in other cases the 

 concrete simply crumbled away. This 

 striking difference is assumed to be due 

 to presence of harmful material in the 

 concrete that failed. Further experi- 

 ments are being made, as it is hoped that 

 this simple steam test will finally elimi- 

 nate the tedious and costly tests now in 



use and that the composition of concrete 

 may be in some measure standardized. 



HOW MUCH SIIvK DOES A SIEK DRESS 

 CONTAIN ? 



In the textile division investigations 

 are conducted into the physical proper- 

 ties of materials, from the raw fiber to 

 the finished article, and it is interesting 

 to note that many curious adulterants 

 have been discovered. For instance, tin 

 and tungsten salts are used to give bril- 

 liancy and "body" to silk, in some black 

 silks as much as 40 per cent being used. 



WHERE THE PUBEIC SUEEERS 



The Bureau is endeavoring to secure 

 throughout the States uniform legislation 

 on the subject of our standards, and also 

 the establishment of a nation-wide sys- 

 tem of inspection. Such a system would 

 be able to enforce the use of honest 

 weights and measures in daily trade, the 

 need for which is immediately apparent 



168 



