He also remarked that 21⁄2-inch brick if reinstated could also be cut from the 4-inch column of clay. The chairman informed the committee that he had been elected at the first conference to preside as chairman and that in each successive meeting of the Standing Committee he had automatically assumed the chair. He felt that the time was opportune for the committee to consider the election of another chairman, but Colonel Compton interrupted any further remarks of the chairman by nominating Mr. Mehren, which was seconded by Mr. Wilson, and unanimously adopted by the committee. No further action being before the committee, a motion was made for adjournment and being seconded was unanimously passed. The question as to the next annual meeting of this committee, as well as the collection of the necessary data through the medium of a survey covering the year 1926 being overlooked, it is understood that the National Paving Brick Manufacturers will assist the Department of Commerce in making this survey and placing in the hands of each committee man in sufficient time a copy for his consideration. The meeting adjourned at 1 P. M. Report on Committee on Standard Manhole Frames and Covers, U. S. Department of Commerce, Division of Simplified Practice By F. R. ALLEN, Delegate The first meeting of the Committee on Standard Manhole Frames and Covers, U. S. Department of Commerce, Division of Simplified Practice, was held in New York City, October, 1925, at the same time as the meeting of the A. S. M. I. was held in Des Moines; and as I attended the A. S. M. I. meeting I was, of course, unable to attend the meeting in New York. On January 30, 1926, the secretary of this committee, Mr. C. H. Shaw of the New York Edison Company, New York, issued a mimeographed report of the October meeting. Other than the election of officers for the committee the activities at the meeting were confined to general discussions and the presentation and reading of the following papers: "Standardization of Manhole Frames and Covers for Municipal Activities," by Mr. W. W. Bush, representative from the American Society of Civil Engineers; "Some Aspects of Standardization Among Electric Light and Power Utilities," by Mr. C. H. Shaw of the New York Edison Company; "Standardization of Manhole Frames and Covers in the Bell System," by Mr. L. B. Fish of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. Following the discussion it was decided that the committee should be re-subdivided as follows: 1. To consider Sewer, Water, Gas, Steam and Air. 2. Electric Light and Power, Electric Railways and Steam Railways. 3. Connecting System. 4. Specifications and Inspections. 5. Correlating Committee. On assignment of members of the sub-committees to these smaller committees the representative of the A. S. M. I. was assigned to committee one as above, of which Mr. W. W. Bush is chairman. Since the distribution of the report as above mentioned there has been no communication received from the headquarters of the committee. Report on Grades of Asphalt, U. S. Department of Commerce, Division of Simplified Practice By A. W. DOW, Delegate In response to your letter of August 9th, inquiring if I would have any report to make as a representative of the American Society for Municipal Improvements on Committee on Grades of Asphalt, I beg to say that while this committee has only had one meeting during the past year no changes were made in the specifications for asphalt, and I will therefore have no report to make for this committee. AMERICAN ENGINEERING COUNCIL Report of the Delegates of the American Society for Municipal Improvements to the American Engineering Council on the Formation of Plans to Secure a Division of Public Works in the United States Federal Government By G. J. REQUARDT and R. KEITH COMPTON Your delegates beg to present herewith their first report on progress being made upon the plan of consolidating and centralizing all the engineering forces of the United States Government, the duties of which by such consolidation can be performed more efficiently. For some time there has been a desire to reorganize the whole Federal Government system. The basic arguments in favor of such reorganization are those which have been repeatedly given for bringing together, under a common direction, services having the same general function or whose activities are of such a character that the services performing them should maintain close working relations with each other. In January, 1924, the American Engineering Council, with headquarters in Washington, requested all of the national engineering organizations to send representatives so that a discussion could be had as to what changes should be made in the engineering activities of the Government. Studies were made of the "Brown Plan," which was worked out in the Harding administration and which contemplated reorganization of all branches of the Government. The engineer delegates decided to sponsor this general reorganization plan rather than begin a fight for those particular needs in which they were interested. The engineer delegates studied all of the engineering departments of a non-military character in the Government and their general thoughts were to transfer all of those which would benefit among themselves by close contact with each other, to the Department of the Interior, to be organized there in a Division of Public Works. The engineering delegates, working with the American Engineering Council, backed the reorganization plan since it was felt that a small board created by this measure would give early attention to the desirability of a centralized engineering division in the Government. This bill failed before Congress, since many of our senators and representatives felt that its passage would place too much authority in the hands of the President and the small board. The Jones-Wyant bill (S-7605 and HR-7980) was presented at the last cession of Congress. (Spring 1926.) Its adoption will be urged this fall by the American Engineering Council and the engineer delegates. This bill is entitled "To change the name of the Department of the Interior to the Department of Public Works and Domain and to provide for the reorganization and more effective co-ordination of the Public Works functions of the Federal Government in the aforesaid Department," and provides for the transfer of the following engineering offices: The Bureau of Public Roads from the Department of Agriculture. The Rivers and Harbors Improvement from the Department of War. Early in 1926 the American Engineering Council and its delegates decided on the appointment of a small working committee whose duties it would be to thoroughly study all the engineering activities of the Government, to attend all meetings of committees on the Jones-Wyant bill and to advocate any amendment thereto which they felt would be necessary for greater efficiency and economy in the operation of governmental engineering bureaus and divisions. This committee consists of: Mr. E. O. Griffenhagen, Chairman, Dr. L. Wood Mead, Mr. Wallace Clark, Col. John P. Jackson, Col. Sanford E. Thompson, Dr. W. F. Willoughly, and This committee will report its conclusions probably this month, and will be prepared to go before the Congressional committees conducting hearings on this bill when Congress opens. The American Engineering Council also has organized state committees in thirty-four states to work up publicity as to the desirability of reorganizing engineering and public works bureaus and divisions of the Federal Government. This state work will be directed to show Congressional rep resentatives the interests their constituents have in the public works measure. Further work has been done by the American Engineering Council in discussing with individual members of Congress the desirability of such reorganization plans. There will naturally be much opposition within the Government itself to the reorganization of engineering activities and the transferal of divisions from one department to another. There are many engineering activities in the War Department which efficiency and economy show should be reorganized and it is likely that the greatest opposition would come from the War Department. This opposition from any source, if not founded upon sound reasons, should be combated by those who are familiar with the facts. All engineers are urged to learn the facts and to assist in this highly important step. It is believed by your delegates that the American Society for Municipal Improvements should continue its participation with the American Engineering Council in the study of changes in the organization of the Federal Government. AMERICAN ENGINEERING STANDARD COMMITTEE Report on Committee on Standard Tests for Penetration for Bituminous By F. P. SMITH, Delegate As a representative of the American Society for Municipal Improvements on Committee on Standard Tests for Penetration of Bituminous Materials Joint Sponsors, American Engineering Standards Committee, and Committee on Softening Point of Bituminous Materials and for Softening Point of Tar Products. American Engineering Standards Committee, I beg to submit the following report: No committee meetings of the American Engineering Standards Committee on the above tests have been held since the last meeting of the American Society for Municipal Improvements. So far as the American Engineering Standards Committee is concerned therefore, these tests remain unchanged. At the June, 1926, meeting of the American Society for Testing Materials, a few minor changes in order to clarify the description of the manner in which the test was conducted were made in the standard method of test for softening point of bituminous materials (R. & B. melting D 36-24.) These changes were accepted by the society and will be incorporated in the present standard method without publication as tentative. No changes were made in the method for determining the penetration of bituminous materials, or in the method for determining the softening point of tar products. Report of A. S. M. I. Representatives on Sectional Committee on Specifica. tions for Materials for Use in Trackwork and Design of Rails for Use in Paved Streets, American Engineering Standards Committee. By CHARLES E. DE LEUW, and C. L. HAWKINS, Representatives. This committee has really been charged with handling two entirely separate problems; one the specifications for materials for use in Trackwork and the other the Design of 7′′ Plain Girder Rails for use in Paved Streets. It is the work on this second subject that has been completed first. The organization meeting of the Sectional Committee was held on September 14, 1923, in the Engineering Societies' Building, in New York City, at which time five sub-committees were appointed. The sub-committees and the Sectional Committee have held a large number of meetings, the records of which are quite voluminous. It seems advisable to report separately at this time on the two subjects assigned to the committee, as follows: Specifications for Materials for Use in Special Trackwork.-Tentative specifications have been prepared but have not yet reached a point where the committee is nearly enough unanimous in regard to them to make it advisable to attempt any summary of the specifications themselves. Design of 7" Plain Girder Rails for Use in Paved Streets.-We enclose herewith report of the Sectional Committee dated November 19, 1925. The report contains blue prints of the new rail sections and splice bar sections, and gives a brief statement of the factors controlling the new designs. The writers would like to call attention to a certain aspect of this work which has an important bearing on the value of the work of this committee, which feature is not referred to in the report itself. Included in the personnel of the committee were representatives of the two companies which manufacture all the plain girder rail manufactured in this country. These companies are the Lorain Steel Company, of the United States Steel Corporation, and the Bethlehem Steel Company. In designing these rail sections consideration was given to the commercial questions involved, and it is believed that the designs are satisfactory to the manufacturers, and that they will endeavor the use of these new sections instead of the old sections, which they are intended to replace. This is likely to prove a very important factor in the general adoption in these sections. Consideration was also given to the point of view of the users of such rail, and it is believed that these three sections offer sufficient variety in weight and are sufficiently close in design to the sections rolled for certain individual users, so that the electric railway industry, which uses these sections should adopt them to the general exclusion of the large number of existing sections which have been designed by various street railway companies or by the rail manufacturers. The nominal weights for the three sections are 82 pounds per yard, 92 pounds per yard and 102 pounds per yard. In all cases the rails are |