564





RECORD   AND   GUIDE





September 20, 1913





Government Work.

PLYMOUTH, MASS.—Bids will be received by
Oscar Wenderoth, supervising architect, Treas.
Dept.. Washington, D. C, until Oct. 1) for the
construction, complete (including plumbing, gas
piping, beating apparatus, eleclric conduits and
wiring, interior lighting fixtures and approach¬
es), of the V.  S. Post Office at Plymouth, Mass.

NEWPORT, R. I.—Sealed proposals will be
received at the Bureau of Yards and Docks,
Xavy Department, Washington, D. C, until
Oct. 4 for boilers, heaters, centrifugal pumps,
turbines, coal conveyor, their installation and
piping connections, underground piping systems
for distribution of steam, hot and cold water,
a sewer, electrical conduits and brick chimney
for the naval hospital. Newport, R. I. Esti¬
mated cost, $4tl,0CH.). Plans and specifications
can be obtained on application to the bureau.
H.   R.   Stanford,   Chief   of   Bureau.

NEW YORK.—Proposals will be received at
the Bureau of Yards and Docks. Navy Depart¬
ment, Washington, D. C. until Oct. 4, for re¬
modeling tire-alarm system at the navy yai'd.
New York. N. Y. H. R. Stanford, Chief of
Bureau.

NEW YORK.—U. S. Engineer Office, First
District, room 710, Army Building, ol* White¬
hall St.—Sealed proposals for dredging in the
Harlem River will be received until Sept. 25.
W.   M.  Black.  Colonel.  Engineers.

NEW YORK.—U. S. Engineer Office, First
District, room 710. Army Building, 39 White-
hail St.—Sealed proposals for deepening Battery
Reef, East River. N. Y.. will be received UDtil
Sept. 2.5. Information on application. W. M.
Black.   Colonel,  Engineers.

PLYMOUTH, MASS.—Sealed proposals will
be received until Oct. 9 for the construction,
complete (including plumbing, gas piping, heat¬
ing apparatus, electric conduits and wiring,
interior lighting fixtures and approaches), of
the United States post office at Plymouth, Mass.
The building has a ground area of approximately
6.375 sq. ft. Fireproof construction, stoni? and
brick facing, slate and composition roof. Draw¬
ings and specifications may be obtained from
the custodian of site at Plymouth. Mar.s., or at
the office of the supervising architect. O. Wen¬
deroth.

----------•----------

The  Hotel  Building  Mania.

The same fever that caused the California
gold fi^d stampede of '49 and whicli has de¬
veloped many times since then, is manifest in
New York City in the burried construction of
one gigantic hotel after another. Scarcely have
we recovered from the amazement aroused by
the wonders of these new palaces than the an¬
nouncement comes that another hotel more
sumptuous and capacious than its forerunners
is to be built. There seems to be but slight
consideration as to the profitable operation of
these hostelries and none whatever concerning
their effect on the long established houses. The
later proposition is one which the builders of
a hotel can scarcely be expected to weigh, but
which does possess the gravest potentialities for
the  owners  of existing  hotels.

From what sources is the capital drawn to
finance these mammoth new hotels? It comes,
very largely, from the plethoric purses of suc¬
cessful dealers in hotel supplies and equip¬
ment. These gentlemen after a long or short
period of remunerative business with the hotels
of the city, find themselves with well-filled
coffers, aud decide that they, too, will embark
in the business of caring for the public. This
brings them into direct competition with their
patrons and in the last analysis the money of
the hotel man is devoted to an unfair compe¬
tition against himself. It is much like feeding
a dog that is certain to bite its owner in the end.

The optimist will arise at this point and favor
us with a procession of strong adjectives about
the "wonderful"' growth of the city, its "un¬
counted thousands of visitors." and a good deal
of other balderdash which means absolutely
nothing. New^ York City has to-day the most
ample hotel accommodations for the next ten
or fifteen years, and every additional hotel is a
source of menace to the existing hostelries and
a highly questionable investment, besides. If
there is any who doubt this, let him check up
the list of hotel failures and consult any ex¬
perienced hotel man as to the alarming in¬
crease of cost incident to operation, and the
terrific stress of increasing competition.

However, if capitalists seek to risk the issue
of new hotels there is no way to prevent it; but.
when those capitalists happen to be supply and
equipment dealers, it is time for the hotel man
to look around and ascertain with whom he is
doing business.—Hotel Review.

-----------•-----------

The  Harvests.

The harvest has prove!  somewhat disappoint¬
ing—tbe   only    exception   being   wheat,    which
. premises a bumper crop.    The anticipated yield
of our principal  crops, based upon the  Govern¬
ment  report, is as follows :

1913.                      1912.

Estimated.              Actual.

Wheat,    bush......     754,000.000          7.^0,267,000

Corn,    bush.......2,351,000.000        3.124.000,00^

Oats,   bush........  1.066,000.000       1,418.000,000

Barley,   bush......      16S.OOO,000           223,800.000

Total    bush.....4,339 ,OiX).0OO        5.496,067,000

Potatoes,   bush.....    325.000,000          420.C00.010

Hay.    tons.........       63.000.000            72.700.00o

Cotton,    bales......      13,000,000            14,100.00:>

The money value of these four principal grain
crops at current Chicago prices is about $300,-
rOO.OOO. as against $290,000,000 a yaar-ago. In
view of the high prices for corn, cotton and
other ap-ricultural products, our farmers as a
class will receive a? much money this year as
last year and probab'y more. ' This means that
a few districts will suffer serious losses; while
the great majority of farmers will enjpy con¬
tinued prosperity.





THOROUGH   PLUMBING.

Character   of  Test   New   Law    Compels
Candidates for Licenses to Undergo.

Under the administration of James M. Mor¬
row, chairman, the Examining Board of Plumb¬
ers has made more exhaustive the examination
that candidates for master plumbers' licenses
must pass before bting registered. Some idea
of the scope of the questions asked candidates
to-day is contained in a recent quiz, which fol¬
lows :

1.     (a) Why is a tube placed on the cold-
water supply inside of hot-water boiler, and
what precaution should be taken with the
tube? (b) What would happen if a cold-
water tube in a hot-water boiicr dropped off,
and what would be the result if by mistake a
lube was placed on each of the cold and hot-
water pipes  inside the hot-water boiler?

2.    There is a double range with a waterback
in each range and two separate boilers. The
owner wants to take out the two boilers and
put in one boiler and bave the water heated
by both waterbacks and circulating to the one
boiler. What size boiler would you put in
p.ace of the two  separate boilers?

3.    What cold-water pressure will a standard
copper boiler stand ? Which will stand the
most pressure, a galvanized iron or a copper
boiler?

4.      (a) Where should the vent pipe con¬
nection be made to 2-in. and lU-in. full S-
lead traps used on fixtures? (b) Where should
the vent pipe connection be made to a one-half
S-lead trap at a wash basin where the distance
between the trap and the vertical waste and
vent  pipe   is  3  feet?

5.    How would you place an additional drain¬
age Y-fitting in the center of a vertical gal¬
vanized, wrought-iron soil pipe which is in
place in a five (5) story building? And what
fittings would  ycu use?

6.      Is there any objection to using black
wrought-iron pipe and black recessed drainage
fittings for soil and waste pipe? State the ob¬
jections,  if any.

7.    What, if any, are the objections to using
a brass trap with interior partitions to form
the  seal?

8.     Why should a drainage fitting for steam
exhaust or steam blow-off pipe be piaced on
the house sewer outside of the house?

9.    Where a wash basin in a barber shop is
installed in the center of the room, not near
any wall or partition, how would you back
vrnt  the  trap?

10.     What objections, if any, are there to
horizontal runs of extra heavy cast iron vent
pipes?

11.    How would you make the connection be¬
tween branch veut pipe and vent opening on
the crown of a 2-in. brass full S-trap, using
brass or galvanized wrought-iron pipes, and
what  fittings  would   you  use?

12.    What objection, if any, is there to using a
vertical rain water leader for a soil or waste
pipe?

13.    Tn a private bouse where the refrigerator
is located in basement, would you put a trap on
the refrigerator waste directly under the re-
refrigerator? Give the reasons for your answer
and stale any other arrangements that you
would   make.

14.     What are the causes of explosions in
range   waterbacks?

15.    What sizes would you give for the fol¬
lowing traps: (a) Water closet traps; (b) slop
sink trap; (c) wash tub trap; (d) wash basin
trap?

16.    Upon applying a water test to a system
of cast-iron drains and soil pipes the following
defects were found, (a) a small leak in a
cau.ked joint: (b) a leak due to a split hub;
(c) a sand hole in a Y-fitting. How would you
remedy these defects?

17.     How   would   you   repair   a   broken   fitting
in  a gas  line under the floor?

18.     Explain fully how you would make a
smoke   test?

19.     What, in your opinion, is the best way
of reducing the pressure on water supplied to
fixtures without being  a  mechanical device?

20.     What size should the house sewer be
where the lot is 100x100 feet and the fall of
the house sewer 14-in.  to the  foot?





Comfort  in   Summer   Cottages.

Comfort is the primary requisite for the sum¬
mer cottage. Gilt chairs have no part in it.
The great feature is the living room, for here
the whole family and their friends assemble
on dark days and oftentimes in the evenings-
Th? living room should have an abundance of
light, a touch of the outdoors and comfortable
chairs.

There should be neither carpeting nor mat¬
ting in a summer house. A few small rugs in
the bedrooms and living room are all that are
needed in this line. Try not to have any¬
thing in the summer home that is for display.
The chairs should be comfortable, the rugs
durable, the tables large and there should be
plenty of pillows handy. You can take a pillow
with you and go out under the tree and read
or sew. They should be covered with material
that  will   stand   the  wear  and   tear.

Leave the door's and windows open as much
as possible and take your sewing or work out
on the porch, or down hy the water. You will
be surprised how much easier and more pleas¬
ant the work becomes as soon as you do it in
the  open  air.—Southern  Architect.





Extent of the Steel Industry.

A cersus of the rolling mills and steel works
w?s tgken at the close of the yeaf ini2 and the
pumber of comp"et'-d plants, as given in the
bulletin of tbe .American Iron and Steel In¬
stitute, was 661, located in thirty-three States,
the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone.
Panama, of which .565 were active during the
vp^r and r6 were idle. At the close of 1911
tbe number of completed works was 647. of
which 543 were active and 104 were idle. There
was a gain in 1912 over 1911 of 14 completed
plants.





BUILDING MATERIAL PRODUC¬
TION.

What   the    State    of   New    York    Con¬
tributed During Last Year.

Another proof that the year 1912 was an
exceptional one and therefore should not be
comparable with the volume of business car¬
ried in the present year is shown in some sta¬
tistics just issued by the State Geologist. John
M. Clarke, at Albany. The report shows that
the products .at New York's mines and quar¬
ries last year were valued at $36,519,382. an
advance of nearly 17 per cent, over the total
reported for 1911. and nearly equal to the rec¬
ord established in 1907, which was a season of
exceptionally high prices. The volume of out¬
put, he says, was far in excess of that of any
previous  year.

"Among the individual industries," says the
report, "clay-working ranks first in value of
annual yield, with a total of $11,947,497. Clay
structural materials, inclusive of building
brick, terra cotta, fireproofing and tile, ac¬
counted for a value of $8,301,839, and pottery
products for a value of $2,876,762, the latter
much   the   highest   that   has   been   reported.

"The quarries of the State, which yield a
varied assortment of stones suitable for build¬
ing, ornamental, engineering and manufactur¬
ing purposes,  contributed  a value of $5,718,814.

"Cement is another important product of
which the output last year amounted to 4.-
783..535 barrels, consisting of 4.495,842 barrels
of Portland and 287,693 barrels of natural ce¬
ment.    The value of the outturn was .$3,631,097.

"Tbe mining of gypsum, the raw material
from which plaster of Paris and hard wall
plasters are made, has steadily grown in im¬
portance, and a total of 506,274 tons reported
for 1912. set a new figure for the industry.'*





SAYS CLOSED  SHOP IS ILLEGAL.





Indiana Court Rules in Case of the Key¬
less Lock Company.

In a decision handed down by Judge Thorn-
Ion in the State Court of the County of Marion.
Indiana, in a suit brought by the Keyless Lock
Company against the officers and members of
the International Molders Union of North
America for an injunction and $10,000 damages.
Judge Thornton granted the enjoinment prayed
for and awarded the plaintiff $6,<XiO as damages
arising from a strike the defendants called upon
the works of the company. In the following
passage in his decision Judge Thornton in refer¬
ence to the closed shop said :

"An act performed to compel men, against
their will, to join a union, or to become union
men, is illegal. Thus, where a union attempted
to compel certain non-union men to become
union men. with the alternative that if they did
not they would lose their jobs or employment;
and by reason of their refusal or failure to ac¬
cede lo the demand, they lost their employment,
and were unable to obtain other employment,
and thereby were damaged, it was held that the
action of the union was illegal, and its partici¬
pating  members  were  liable.

"The defendants might make such lawful rules
as they pleased for regulation of their own con¬
duct, but they had no right to force other per¬
sons to join them. The necessity that the plain¬
tiffs should join this association is not so great,
nor is its relation to the rights of the defend¬
ants, as compared with the rights of the plain¬
tiffs to be free from molestation, such as to
bring the acts of the defendants under the
shelter of the principles of trade competition.
Such acts are without justification, and there¬
fore are malicious and unlawful, and the con¬
spiracy thus to force the plaintiffs is unlawful.
Such conduct is intolerable, and inconsistent
with  the  spirit of  our laws."





City's Year  Book  Gives Many  Facts.

The "Municipal Year Eook" has been issued
for general distribution. In an introduction,
Robert Adamson. Secretary to the late Mayor
Gaynor acknowledges the valuable service
which was given by the Bureau of Municipal
Research   in  the  preparation  of  the volume.

The way taxes are raised to pay the expenses
of the city government, and the issue of bonds
to pay public improvements is described among
the functions of the !^inance Department. Tbe
borrowing powers of the city are described, as
well as the method employed in preparing the
annual budget to pay which the annual taxes
are imposed upon real and personal property.
The different kinds of property upon which
taxes can  be levied a,re also given.

Interesting information is shed upon the
method of granting franchises to public service
corporations and tbe manner in which the
franchises are taxed. The subway question is
also briefly discussed. Then a short descrip¬
tion of the* functions of every department in the
city follows. It Is the same of all the county
officers  and  the  courts.

The total estimated population of the city is
given as 5.372.983. The greatest density of
population is Manhattan, Brooklyn is second.
The white population numbers 4.669,162; ne¬
groes and similar races, 97.712. Russia leads
as the country of nativity of the foreign-born
population ; Italy is second, Germany is third
and Ireland is fourth. The male population is
estimated to be 2..585.492. and the female 5.173.-
(>64. Heart trouble causes the most deaths, with
tuberculosis a close second. Manhattan leads in
the birth rate. Brooklyn is second, and Queens
is the last of the five boroughs.

The total roster of city employes numbers
about 82.015. Of these the greatest number are
in thp service of the Board of Education, total¬
ing 25.800 men and women. The Police De¬
partment with 19.640 employes comes next in
numerical strength. The Street Cleaning De¬
partment has 7,002 employes and the Fire De¬
partment,  5,145.