A chemical company writes, “We have heen in the habit of specifying quantities in the mctric system an our orders for the laboratory chemicals.” A refher of sulfur packs and sells his product in metric units:
In the purchasing of heavy chemicals far glass making, I feel that it will be impractical to depart from the English ton and pound basis, until the R. R. freights are reckoned on a metric basis. Among our shipping crew, a certain degree of familiarity with kilos is developed by handling export packages. Some other measurements, such as caps for jelly glasses, are also metric.
We have for some time heen packing our sulfur in 50-kilo sacks t o conform with the metric standard of weights and measures. We have also heen endeavoring t o pack our barrels also Zngland is holding us hack according to another manufacturer, aceordine t o metric weiszhts. but as the trade is accustomed t o ~~~~~~~~. certain ;zed barrels we &tv; n i t as yet been able to accomplish “As an officer of a concern manufacturing rare chemicals and this, hut expect witbin a short time to have all of our packages shipping same abroad, especially t o England, in considerable conform with the metric system which we consider much more quantities, the introduction of this system is not very practical satisfactory than the old system of weights. at the mesent time.” But we must not hold I3ngland back, and then, too, conditions Several correspondents desire to go furlher than the committee in England may change just as they are changed in Japan and has requested: Poland Quite unsolicited, comes the following: “The Hampton Roads Chemists’ Club most heartily indorses the program of the Metric System Committee and faithfully pledges to support the movement by ordering chemical supplies by metric weights and measurements.” We recommend this action to our local sections. Several purchasers have heen misled by the rough conversion table published hy J. T. Baker into supposing that the users of metric weights are being penalized. We can state on the authority 01 Mr. Baker himself that this is not intended and customers should observe that they secure full weight. Since 1 kg. = 2.205 You can rest assured that this company will do what they lhs., “500 grams 10 per cent above.1 lb., 1 kg. 2.2 times 1 lb.” can to coiiperate in this matter and will be Rlad to specify our is sufficiently correct for an approximation. recruirements in the metric svstem when w e feel remonsblv sure We are able to extend our list of those manufacturers and t h i t they can be interpretid correctly by the company from whom we are purchasing material. As a matter of fact we feel dealers who are able t o quote supplies on a metric hasis (Table reasonably certain that the majority of our raw materials are 11). To anyone desiring them, “stickers” will be sent to be purchased from companies who will be glad to coiiperare in this affixed t o all lists sent to manufacturers and dealers. movement. ~
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Others urge the committee to strive toward legislation, hecause so long as customs and freight rates are adjusted or^ English weights our progress is limited. This firm heartily indorses the movement t o introduce the metric system. At various occasions we placed before our state representatives a t Washington the importance of adopting the metric system of weights and measures. Upon being questioned as to the advisability of using the metric system in our business, our stand bas always been very favorable. We firmly believe it t o be a step in the right direction to order laboratory supplies and chemicals in the metric units as far as practical.
Tmra II-SUPPLBMBXT~RYLISTOII MAWUPA~IIURFPS AXD D~ALBXS Wao An8 PRSPAXBD TO SU*-PPLYGOODSON MBTRZC SPECIPICITIONE American Pharmaceutied Co. Arthur H. Thomas Co. Aspirin Company of America centra1 scientific co. Edward P. Dolbey & Co. E. H.Sargent 81 Co. Leonard Danzixer Newark Wire Cloth Co. Pow~rrWeighfman-Rosengaitea 1 co. Pyrolectric Instrument co. Willlam Gaertner & Co.
A Laboratory Rheostat
A large oil company states: I n 1 been our h:ibit where\er p r x t i c n h l e fur several years tu plilce our O T ~ C ~inF this w 3 y for Inhoratuv sup1Jics. I n future v c ;hall verv chdlv order all materials. both chemicals
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and apparatus, in metric inits, as recommended by your mmmittee. Beside fine chemicals, we of course use large quantities of heavy chemicals in the refining of petroleum. At present i t is manifestly impracticable t o purchase these in metric units. When, however, you have succeeded in lining up the country‘s industries under your banner, you will not find us in the rear.
bustion and mufRe f&aces, and for general laboratory use where portability and flexibility are of importance. The rheostat is of the graphite compression type. As shorn in the accompanying cut, i t consists of a column of heated graphite disks mounted on an insulated rod. It has a normal capacity of 200 watts, but will stand 500 to loo0 watts under momentary loads. It will carry a maximum of 40 amperes continuously, and can be used on either direct or alternating current circuits UD t o 250 volts.
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One company manufacturing chemical apparatus sees a difficulty: We are willing to give our support t o the metric system as far as possibie, but would state that W e believe our principal difficulty will be with the workmen who have t o use the chemicals in fulfilling the practical process work. They do not know the least thing ahout the metric system. This difficulty, however, is being solved hy the chief chemist in a glass works: We are in sympathy with the movement to aid in the transition to metric units, and although our purchases of chemicals (laboratory) are small, I shall be glad to order them by metric weieht and measure. 1”am planning to give a lecture on the metric system for o w machinists, mold-makers, and others in the plant, in connection with Industrial Y.M. C . A. work.
The resistance of the rheostat is dependent on the treatment of the disks. It is possible t o assemble rheostats with a minimum resistance of 0.01 ohm, or they may be made of disks which will give 30 ohms or more under pressure. Since when all pressure i s released from the column the resistance is approximately one hundred times as great as when the disks are under full compression, the maximum resistance in these two rheostats is 1 and 3000 ohms, respectively.
