PURPOSE OF ESTABLISHING THE BUREAU OF STANDARDS

The object of establishing the Bureau of Standards is luminously set forth in the hearings before the comittee on weights and measures and in the debates in Congress on this measure.

I desire to call attention to a bureau in which it appears that the desire to get control of all forms of activities has developed into a megalomania, and to point out some of the crimes it has committed or attempted to commit against the battered and bleeding food law.

Professor Edward Murray East, eminent biologist of Harvard University, says:

In our most cherished beliefs, from the earliest ages to the present, there is a great deal to justify the opinion of the cynic that man is to be distinguished from the apes not by his lack of a tail, but by his megalomania. Since becoming the dominant animal on the surface of this cosmic atom, he has never, until recently, had the slightest doubt concerning his supreme importance in the general scheme of things.

I am not looking into the activities of the Bureau of Standards in any way which would reflect upon any member of the Bureau, either as to his capacity and ability, or as to his honesty. I assume, and I believe the disease of megalomania is to some extent epidemic; it attacks people against their desire and will. We do not lose our esteem for those who are ill of influenza or high blood pressure. We might attach some personal blame to those who suffer from typhoid fever. We should regard megalomania as a sad misfortune.

It is not in any way my purpose to review all the expansive activities of the Bureau of Standards. I will confine my remarks to those activities which affect scientific ethics, public health, and adulteration of foods.

The Bureau of Standards was intended to be a natural enlargement of the old office of Weights and Measures. This office for some mysterious reason was connected with the Department of the Treasury. The enlargement of the office and its change of name to the Bureau of Standards was first publicly suggested by the Secretary of the Treasury, the Hon. Lyman J. Gage (50th Congress, first Session, House of Representatives, Document No. 625.) The general purpose of the new Bureau is outlined by the Secretary of the Treasury in the following language:

The functions of the bureau shall consist in the custody of the standards; the comparison of the standards used in scientific investigations, engineering, manufacturing commerce, and educational institutions with the standards adopted or recognized by subdivisions; the testing and calibration of standard measuring apparatus; the solution of problems which arise in connection with standards; the determination of physical constants, and the properties of materials when such data are of great importance to scientific or manufacturing interests and are not to be obtained of sufficient accuracy elsewhere.

Under the head of conditions which necessitated the establishment of a National Standards Bureau the Secretary makes, among others, the following remarks:

Throughout our country institutions of learning, laboratories, observatories, and scientific societies are being established and are growing at a rate never equaled in the history of any nation. The work of original investigation and instruction done by these institutions requires accurate reliable standards, which in nearly every case must be procured from abroad, or can not be procured at all. * * *

The recent acquisition of territory by the United States more than proportionately increases the scope and importance of the proposed institution, since the establishment of a government in these possessions involves the system of weights and measures to be employed. During the near future large public improvements will be undertaken in these countries; schools, factories, and other institutions will be established, all of which require the use of standards and standard measuring apparatus.

The National Academy of Sciences endorsed the movement in the following resolution:

Whereas the facilities at the disposal of the Government and of the scientific men of the country for the standardization of apparatus used in scientific research and in the arts are now either absent or entirely inadequate, so that it becomes necessary in most instances to send such apparatus abroad for comparison: Therefore, be it

Resolved, That the National Academy of Sciences approves the movement now on foot for the establishment of a national bureau for the standardization of scientific apparatus.

The American Chemical Society approved the measure:

Resolved, That the Congress of the United States be urged to establish a national standard bureau in connection with the United States Office of Standard Weights and Measures, which shall provide adequate facilities for making such verification of chemical measuring apparatus and for stamping the same as are provided by foreign governments for similar work."

Prof. Simon Newcomb, U. S. N., said:

I do not think that anything I could do or say is necessary to emphasize the practical and scientific importance of introducing the highest standard of efficiency and precision in the work of such a bureau.

Prof. Albert A. Michelson (head of department of physics, University of Chicago) made the following statements:

It gives me great pleasure to indorse the measures proposed regarding the importance of the establishment of a central bureau of weights and measures, the functions of which shall be:

(1) The calibration of all standards and measuring instruments used in scientific or commercial work.

(2) The investigation of problems which arise in connection with standards or standard measuring apparatus.

(3) The determination of physical constants and the properties of materials.

A large number of eminent scientists joined in the same general way in urging the enactment of the measure. Wherever reference was made to foreign institutions they were institutions for standardizing weights and measures of various kinds in all the different countries.

When the measure went before the Senate (50th Congress, Second Session, Document No. 70), the Secretary of the Treasury appeared also before the Senate Committee. Among other reasons which he advanced are the following:

In this particular of standardizing weights and measures and testing apparatus of every kind the older countries are far ahead of us; in fact, it may be said that there is no comparison between us. We are dependent utterly upon Germany, perhaps France to some extent, and England for our measurements and those standards which we are obliged to resort to in testing and comparing when we enter into competitive work against them. * * *

Now the establishment of a bureau like this, where the Government is the custodian and the originator of these standards of weights and measures as applied to all the higher scientific aspects of life which we are so rapidly developing in, has, to my mind, a value far and above the mere physical considerations which affect it, although those physical considerations are fundamental and most important. Nothing can dignify this Government more than to be the patron of and the establisher of absolutely correct scientific standards and such legislation as will hold our people to faithfully regard and absolutely obey the requirements of law in adhesion to those true and correct standards.

Before the Senate, as was recorded in the document above mentioned, many scientific men appeared and all in the same strain stressing the importance of standards of accuracy for all kinds of weights, measures and instruments of precision. Among those was Mr. 0. H. Tittmann, Superintendent of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, and Professor H. A. Rowland of Johns Hopkins University.

The Association of Official Agricultural Chemists adopted the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists most heartily indorses the movement in progress for the establishment in this country of a national standardizing bureau, and hereby declares that the absence of facilities such as would be provided by the proposed bureau has seriously hampered the work of this Association, owing to the difficulty of obtaining in this country, with official certificates of accuracy, the flasks, burettes, pipettes, weights, thermometers, polariscopes, and other apparatus needed in the work of official chemists. The use of apparatus which bears the official stamp of the Government would eliminate one element of dispute in commercial analyses, thus preventing the expense of litigation, and would, in general, increase the value of the work of this Association by facilitating the attainment of uniform results.

Not only were scientific men all over the country interested in the establishment of standards invited to give testimony, but the heads of departments in which scientific work was carried on were also asked their opinions respecting the proposed legislation. The Secretary of Agriculture asked the head of the bureau most interested to prepare his paper. Mr. Southard, in introducing the discussion in the House said:

Mr. Speaker, the functions of the present office of weights and measures are confined to the ordinary measurements of mass, length, and capacity. That was sufficient, perhaps, when that office was established. In the early days the standards in question were the pound, the yard, the bushel, and the gallon. Now, however, the progress of science and the complexity of industrial processes resulting from it require derived standards of a thousand and one kinds--all kinds of measuring apparatus--volumetric apparatus used in the chemical laboratories of the Government and similar laboratories all over the country--standards of measurement for high and low degree of temperature, etc.

I must stop here to indicate some of the different kinds of measuring apparatus. They are barometers, thermometers, pressure gauges, polariscopes, instruments of navigation, steam-engine indicators, and instruments of a thousand different varieties. That the graduations and indications of these instruments should agree with the fundamental standards is a question of most vital importance, and without the facilities for such tests and comparisons the public is deprived of the greatest benefits to be derived from the standards recognized by the Government. We have in this country to-day no means of testing these different instruments of precision. The result is, we have to send them to Germany or France or England or somewhere else to have them tested and calibrated.

The bill has been enthusiastically indorsed by all the heads of Department of the General Government having scientific bureaus, as well as by all the chiefs of such bureaus. As furnishing an illustration of the necessity and value of this proposed bureau to the General Government, I will quote from the statement of the Secretary of Agriculture:

"I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of April 24, and beg to assure you that the establishment of a national standardizing bureau, having the function outlined by you, will be of the highest value and importance, not only to the scientific bureaus, offices, and divisions of this Department, but to the country at large. Its influence will be felt wherever the quality and value of substances are fixed by chemical and physical tests, whether this be in connection with scientific investigations, in connection with manufacturing and other industrial processes, or in connection with commercial transactions.

"Speaking for this Department alone, I wish to say that it has been our policy to patronize the American manufacturers of scientific apparatus whenever practicable without hampering our investigators by compelling them to use apparatus of an inferior grade. The art of the construction of scientific apparatus has been brought to such a high degree of perfection under the fostering care of European govemments--notably Germany--that we have been compelled to send abroad a large proportion of our orders, either directly or indirectly, through importers. The greatest disadvantage resulting from this state of affairs is not the delay, inconvenience, and expense connected with making purchases abroad; nor is it to be found in the danger of injury to delicate and expensive apparxtus during transportation across the sea.

"It is the necessity of importing the certificate of a foreign government whenever an official certiflcate of accuracy is desired with apparatus. In Germany an order can be issued for apparatus with the specification that the goods delivered must be of the quality and accuracy recognized by the regulations established by the standardizing bureaus of the Imperial Government. Apparatus made in accordance with these regulations are regular commodities, and are described in the catalogues of all the apparatus makers and dealers. When the goods are received the purchaser is able to send a proper proportion of the shipment to the government standardizing bureaus and base his acceptance or refusal of the goods upon the results of the official tests. For the accommodation of customers who need certified apparatus for immediate use most of the dealers keep in stock apparatus bearing the official stamp.

"The disadvantage under which American scientific workers--notably chemists--labor is evidenced by a recent experience of the Division of Chemistry of this Department. The confusion of standards and carelessness which has characterized the manufacture of graduated chemical glassware in the past is notorious. Some months ago the Division of Chemistry issued to an American dealer and importer an order for graduated glassware, to be made in accordance with the regulations of the German Imperial Testing Commission.

"While all this apparatus was to fulfill the requirements in point of construction and limits of error in graduation of the regulations named, certain pieces were to bear the official stamp of the Imperial commission. At the special request of the American dealer to whom the order was sent permission was granted to import only the pieces of apparatus requiring the official stamp and to supply for the remainder of the order apparatus of American manufacture, but made in accordance with the regulations named. After considerable delay the goods were delivered. The certified pieces were eminently satisfactory; the uncertified ones were quite the opposite. They were unsatisfactory both in the form of construction and in regard to accuracy.

"As an example of the degree of inaccuracy, it may be stated that a flask marked to contain 100 cubic centimeters was found to contain 100.3 cubic centimeters. I do not believe that this experience was due to unworthy motives on the part of either the manufacturer or dealer. This experience is simply the result of the absence in this country of any well-established and authoritative standards governing the forms of construction, the system of graduation, and the allowable limits of error for apparatus of this kind. The mere adoption of regulations relative to the character of apparatus admissible for stamping by a national standardizing bureau will cause a revolution in the apparatus manufactured and give to it that highly important quality, uniformity.

"As a further illustration of the great desirability of such an establishment, I may call your attention to the contention which has arisen in the courts in the United States in the last few years concerning the regulations prescribed by the Treasury Department governing the polarization of imported sugars. These regulations were prepared by a joint commission consisting of the Chemist of the Department of Agriculture as chairman, a representative of the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Office of Weights and Measures, and the Chemist of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

"The regulations were based upon the most careful scientific determinations and the apparatus and utensils employed by the customs-house officers standardized by the Office of Weights and Measures of the Coast and Geodetic Survey. Nevertheless, the accuracy of these officials has been called into question by the importers, and the question is now the subject of expensive and tedious litigation. The existence of such an office of your Department as you propose to establish would have avoided all sueh trouble by the weight of its authority. This is only one of the many instances where the utility of such a bureau would prove of practical advantage to official operations."

It is not because of any desire to claim credit for supporting the campaign to establish the Bureau of Standards, but for other reasons which are important that the Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry at the time mentioned desires to state that he was the author of the letter signed by the Secretary of Agriculture.

It is a matter of some interest to know that the importers of sugar paid import duties under protest according to the regulations above cited. The case finally reached the Supreme Court. The Chief of the Bureau was asked by the Solicitor of the Treasury to write the scientific part of the brief before the Court. It was unanimously decided in favor of the Government. Nearly a million dollars were saved by this decision. It would be illuminating to cite many other cases but the records of the discussion of this bill are all on file and those who are interested in the matter can find them in the references given. The Congressional Record of Feb. 1, 1901, pages 1793 to 1795, and March 2, pages 3473 to 3478 in the House; and 3487 and 3515 in the Senate may be consulted.

The wonderful unanimity of scientific men in support of this measure is best illustrated by the words of Mr. Southard's address on page 1794 of the Record above referred to:

Shortly after the reference of the measure to the Committee on Coinage, Weights and Measures that committee received a deluge of indorsements, most commendatory in character. They came from almost every Department of the Government and from the different bureaus in the various Departments. They came from the governors of States and from the departmental officers in the States. They came from scientific bodies, from scientific men, and from associations of scientific men. They came from men engaged in educational pursuits everywhere. They came in the form of resolutions adopted by the faculties of universities and colleges throughout the country. They came from the great railroad corporations, many of which maintain, as gentlemen know, chemical laboratories in connection with the operation of their roads. They came from the great iron and steel industries of the country and from the manufacturers of electrical machinery and appliances, and they came from agricultural associations and from other sources. In other words, they came from almost everywhere. and I may say that these were no mere perfunctory indorsements, but were characterized by a remarkable zeal and earnestness, indicating clearly and strongly the desire, in this connection, of the people making them.

The attitude of all these supporters of this measure, who practically represent all the scientific men of this country interested in physics and chemistry, shows that they all understood the bill exactly the same way; it was to be a real bureau of standards, of all weights and measures. There was no hint of extending the functions of this bureau to standards of purity of foods, drugs, soaps, or anything else; nor was there the least hint of the Bureau of Standards engaging in manufacturing, or promoting manufacturing in any way except by furnishing accurate standards of measurements for all the processes that go on under the guidance of accurate measurements in official industrial and commercial activities. To invade the domain of agriculture and to furnish plans for building dextrose manufactories were never even suggested.

Rarely has any topic been presented to Congress in which members of the committees considering the measures, and witnesses brought before them, and speakers on the floor of each house, have shown greater unanimity than was exhibited in connection with the establishment of the Bureau of Standards. The character of the work was fully understood by all participants in these discussions. The standards which were to be established were those in every case of precision and accuracy for the use and enlightenment of all parties needing standards of measurement of all kinds. Only one witness, Professor Rowland, saw in the wording of the proposed act any possibility of departing in the activities of the bureau from the basic purpose for which it was organized. Professor Rowland, with that keen sense of accuracy and definiteness for which he was so renowned, pictured some future Director, who, by misinterpreting the spirit, and also the words of the act, might proceed to explore fields of investigation entirely foreign to its purpose. In his testimony before the Committee of Coinage, Weights and Measures, Professor Rowland made the following suggestion:

There is one point that is left out in this bill, and I do not see how it can be covered, and that is with regard to the kind of standards that are to be adopted. Shall the director of this standardizing bureau have the right to introduce any standards he pleases, or shall they be more carefully defined?

Many of the activities of the Bureau of Standards illustrate the prophetic wisdom of Professor Rowland's foresight. As an illustration of how far the Bureau of Standards has departed from its base, a few quotations from the budget submitted for the fiscal year 1928 will show.