*G. F. Schesinger, American Association of State Highway Officials, Columbus, Ohio.

*R. M. Hudson, Division of Simplified Practice, Department of Commerce.

E. J. Mehren, Chairman, McGraw-Hill Co., New York City.

Absent:

*P. St. J. Wilson (V. N. Peirce, substitute).

*Col. R. K. Compton.

*Geo. F. Fisk.

*G. F. Schesinger.

*R. M. Hudson-(H. R. Colwell, substitute).

Visitors:

Chas. Francis, Francis Vitric Brick Co., Boynton, Okla. Paul Holden, Assistant Manager, Department of Manufacture, U. S. Chamber of Commerce.

Meeting called to order promptly at 10 a. m. by the chairMinutes of the 1924 meeting were read by the secretary and adopted in full.

man.

Following its usual procedure, the report of a variety survey in the vitrified paving brick industry for year 1924, made at the request of the Department of Commerce by the National Paving Brick Manufacturers' Association, was read and analyzed by Mr. Duff, secretary of the Association.

Particular emphasis was stressed on the adherence to the 5 recognized types and sizes by the manufacturers reporting total shipments for the year 1924.

Forty-six companies, having a total annual tonnage capacity of 2,724,567 tons, or 92 per cent of the total tonnage capacity of the entire industry, answered the 1924 questionnaire. These companies reported actual shipments of 399,993,140 vitrified paving brick during 1924-84.1 per cent of which was within the five recognized types and sizes.

The application of the formula was much in evidence when the committee considered the 3x32x8" wire cut lug brick (Dunn) which has always been a recognized type.

The percentage of this size was 2.1 in 1922, 2.3 in 1923 and 2.0 in 1924, which is below the 21% per cent for three successive years.

Motion by Mr. Bates, seconded by Mr. McCullough, to the effect that "As the 3x36x82 wire-cut lug brick (Dunn) having fallen below the requirements, as specified in the formula, in shipments for three successive years, it be eliminated." was unanimously carried and adopted.

The deliberations of the committee as to the survey report having been concluded, the chairman requested Mr. Duff to advise the committee of the places and occasion that members of the various technical organiations had expounded at national conventions the action of the committee in formulating and adopting recognized sizes and types of paving brick.

Mr. Duff stated that Mr. Fisk had prepared an excellent paper on the entire simplification program as related to paving brick, which he read at the annual convention of the American Society for Municipal Improvements held in Boston last year. He knew of no other presentation. The chairman suggested that he secure a copy of that talk, amend it to include the action of this meeting, and have it reproduced for distribution and use at 1925 conventions of technical bodies interested.

At this junction Mr. McCullough requested permission to read certain paragraphs of a letter from Mr. Greenough, vicepresident of the Southern Clay Manufacturing Co., located at Chattanooga, Tennessee, regarding the non-conformity to the standards in the South and the tendency on the part of municipal engineers in that locality to demand more, rather than less, variety of paving brick. Mr. Greenough further suggested that the committee make some effort to correct this condition through holding district conferences under the auspices of the Department of Commerce in which the municipal engineers could participate and be appraised of the success now being enjoyed in the North due to the use of restricted varieties of paving bricks.

This proposal failed to meet with any hearty support of the committee principally due to the national scope of its work and the necessity for decentralization should such a plan be adopted.

The suggestion of Mr. Greenough did, however, sponsor the following motion proposed by the chairman and seconded by Mr. McCullough :

"The Committee recommends that the National Paving Brick Manufacturers' Association keep in touch with technical bodies for the presentation of the work of the Committee, and that the Committee further suggests that the National Paving Brick Manufacturers' Association appraise its members of the existence of the Department of Commerce pamphlet covering Simplified Practice in paving brick, with a view to having these manufacturers in turn circulate it among the engineers and other respective organizations.

Two questions were added to the survey form to elicit information as to why specials were necessary and if the demand for such specials was sufficient to suggest a change in the recognized varieties for the ensuing year. Excerpts of the replies indicated a decided trend toward the use of a brick less than three inches in thickness.

The explanation and discussion of the report and its accompanying diagrams having terminated, the chairman called the attention of the committee to the guiding formula adopted at the 1924 conference as a prelude to the consideration of the various types of brick, by shipments and percentages for the years 1914 to 1924, inclusive.

As the action of this conference was entirely dependent upon this formula, it will bear restating:

"That any variety of brick which shows less than 21⁄2 per cent of total shipments for three successive years be eliminated, and any variety of brick which shows 5 or more per cent shipments for three successive years be reinstated, unless special technical or other reasons shows that such action is undesirable; provided further, that the recognized varieties shall represent not less than 75 per cent of production.”

Discourse centered upon the 2x4x8% plain wire-cut brick (vertical Fibre Lugless) one of the 55 types eliminated at the November 15, 1922, conference.

The percentage of increase in shipments of this size and type of brick increased consistently from 2.2 per cent in 1922, 2.7 per cent in 1923 to 4.4 per cent in 1924, which indicated a definite trend toward its use in future years.

Opinions by those in attendance as to the reasons for its consistent and increasing popularity elicited interesting facts as to cheaper freight, durability, method of laying, localities where used, nature and kind of binder, surface wear as to light and heavy traffic, future markets and advisability of substituting it for a standard.

Owing to the absence of three of the members of the committee representing using organizations little information could be offered from this angle.

It was the sense of the committee, therefore, that the formula adopted at full session must be adhered to, and as the percentage increase had not equalled 5 or more, this type and size could not be adopted as a recognized variety. The ensuing year will in all probability determine its value and very careful attention will be given to its consideration at the 1926 conference.

No further business being before the committee, Mr. Mehren moved that it adjourn and meet one year from date, requesting the National Paving Brick Manufacturers' Association to assist the Department of Commerce to make a similar survey covering the year 1925 in sufficient time to enable the committee and other interests to have a copy for study and consideration prior to the meeting.

The motion was duly seconded and unanimously passed.

Respectfully submitted,

GEO. F. FISK.

Chapter XXI

BUSINESS PROCEEDINGS

THIRTY-FIRST ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENTS

Des Moines, Iowa, October 26-29, 1925

The first session of the Thirty-First Annual Convention of the American Society for Municipal Improvements was called to order at 8:00 Monday evening, October 26, 1925, at the Hotel Ft. Des Moines, Des Moines, Iowa, by President E. L. Dalton.

PRESIDENT DALTON: The thirty-first annual convention of the American Society for Municipal Improvements will now come to order. Mayor Garver of Des Moines will welcome us. Mayor Garver. (Applause.)

MAYOR GARVER: Mr. Chairman, and ladies and gentlemen: I am going to be very brief. For the past three years it has been my pleasant duty to welcome a number of conventions to Des Moines, and I want to say to you that there has not been any convention within the past three years that we more cheerfully welcome than we do you. We can talk especially to you. You have gone through the same troubles we are going through, and you are going to have more of them than perhaps we do. Some of you may have been wakened up at 2:30 o'clock on a stormy night by people who tell you that water is running up over the curb into their cellars, or trees have blown across the sidewalks, or electric light wires are down; it happens with us many times. You have had men and women come down and complain because the chickens of their neighbors get into their gardens. You have had all these little things to look after. Then there is the man who gets up at 5:30 to catch an early morning train and stops to phone you his troubles.

I want to say to you that we are glad to meet you at this conference and talk over with you our troubles. The traffic problems are the most important problems we have (we also