a position corresponding to that of the motor which is actuated by the scale head, which is in turn operated directly from the scale mechanism.

The CHAIRMAN. Have you any questions to ask of Mr. Cruikshank, Mr. Roeser, or Mr. Hem?

Before proceeding with the next item, I should like to call your attention to the equipment which the Service Station Equipment Co., of Muskegon, Mich., has brought to the Conference for your inspection and interest. The trailer carrying their exhibit will be found adjacent to the North Building, and I believe you will find it of interest. I should now like to call Vice President Jensen to the chair.

(At this point, A. J. Jensen, Vice President of the Conference, assumed the chair).

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON PROPOSED FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR THE STATES IN ADMINISTRATION OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES LAWS, PRESENTED BY JOHN P. MCBRIDE, CHAIRMAN

You will recall that the action of the Twenty-ninth Conference was against the adoption of a specific bill, a copy of which had been submitted by mail to all members of the Conference, but to have the Committee direct its efforts so that some appropriate action might be taken before the Congress to increase the appropriation of the Bureau for the specific purpose of operating testing equipment both for railway track scales and vehicle scales, to send representatives to State meetings and to assist the States, counties, and municipalities as might be requested from time to time.

After conference with the Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations, before the termination of our Twenty-ninth Conference, it was found that nothing could be accomplished for the fiscal year 1940, as the legislative session had completed matters of this nature and was ready for adjournment. The suggested method of procedure was to acquaint the Department of Commerce and the Bureau of the Budget with the desires of the Conference in this matter, and on July 27, 1939, the following letter was sent to the Secretary of Commerce.

Hon. Harry Hopkins,
Secretary of Commerce,
Washington, D. C.

Dear Mr. Hopkins:

For several years, the National Conference on Weights and Measures has considered the problem of achieving the uniformity desirable in proper national and local weights and measures enforcement and has had a committee particularly assigned to this task. This committee is made up as follows:

John P. McBride, Director, State Division of Standards, Boston, Mass., chairman. Frank L. Hammon, Director, State Bureau of Weights and Measures, Boise, Idaho.

Rollin E. Meek, Chief, State Bureau of Weights and Measures, Indianapolis, Ind.

Charles C. Read, Superintendent, State Department of Weights and Measures, Trenton, N. J.

S. T. Griffith, Chief, City Division of Weights and Measures, Baltimore, Md.

J. H. Meek, Director, State Division of Markets, Richmond, Va.

W. P. Reed, City Inspector of Weights and Measures, Atlanta, Ga.

Many methods, seeking to accomplish this purpose, have been suggested, but it appears to this committee that a very sure means, not involving too great an

expenditure, would be set in motion, if, through your good offices, you could see your way clear to add to the Bureau of Standards appropriation, a sum of not less than $25,000, this amount to be set aside for the express purpose of enabling the Bureau of Standards to render services by agreement with or at the request of weights and measures or other proper officials in the several States and Municipalities.

The Bureau of Standards is the fountainhead of national enforcement and promotion of uniformity, and it has achieved marked success along this line. Special testing equipment is sent to the several States and Municipalities and the Bureau representatives have in the past attended State meetings of weights and measures officials and this work has brought about the present state of progress in this field of law enforcement. The State and Municipal officials are duly grateful for this assistance and feel that the above-suggested appropriation will guarantee a continuance and enlargement of this policy.

I trust that you will act favorably on this request and if evidence is desired as to the value of this work to the several States and Municipalities, I will be glad to furnish the same.

Sincerely yours,

(Signed) JOHN P. MCBRIDE,
Chairman,

Committee to Provide Assistance for the States in Administration of Weights and Measures Laws.

On August 5, 1939, Colonel J. M. Johnson, Assistant Secretary of Commerce, acknowledged this letter as follows:

Mr. John P. McBride, Chairman,

Committee to Provide Assistance for the States in Administration of Weights and Measures Laws, Room 194, State House,

Boston, Mass.

Dear Mr. McBride:

Your letter of July 27, 1939, suggesting an added appropriation for the National Bureau of Standards to enable the Bureau to render service to the States and Municipalities by cooperating with them along the lines of weights and measures administration has been received.

We will be glad to give consideration to your proposal in connection with the preparation of our estimates for the fiscal year 1941.

Cordially yours,

(Signed) J. M. JOHNSON, Assistant Secretary of Commerce.

On November 13, 1939, a letter was directed to Harold S. Smith, Director of the Budget Bureau:

Mr. Harold S. Smith, Director,

Budget Bureau,
Washington, D. C.

Dear Sir:

For several years the National Conference of Weights and Measures officials have been considering means to restore to the States the cooperative service of the National Bureau of Standards somewhat curtailed by lack of funds in that Bureau. The Federal Bureau is a clearing house for weights and measures problems and has demonstrated its ability to handle this problem with a view of promulgating uniformity in the enforcement activities in the various States of the Union.

It is now doing cooperative work in sending out the railway track scale testing unit and the vehicle scale testing unit and annually conducts a national conference for discussion of problems preliminary to advising on promulgations of the specifications and regulations. The former practice of the Bureau was to send delegates to the State conference for the purpose of discussion and advice but this has been discontinued for several years.

A committee was formed at the last National Conference in June of this year and I am its Chairman. The purpose of this committee is to promote cooperation between the State and Federal officials to the fullest. There are many fields in which this work can be enlarged but this is impossible without sufficient funds. At the suggestion of members of the committee, I am therefore requesting that

the sum of $25,000 be set up in the Bureau of Standards appropriation for the purpose of aiding the States of the Union in matters in which they may seek further

aid.

Very truly yours,

(Signed) JOHN P. MCBRIDE,

Director.

On November 20, 1939, this letter was acknowledged as follows:

Mr. John P. McBride

Director of Standards and Necessaries of Life

Department of Labor and Industries

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Room 200, State House,

Boston, Mass.

Dear Mr. McBride:

The Director has asked me to acknowledge receipt of your letter of November 13, 1939, concerning an increase of Appropriation for the National Bureau of Standards for expansion of its cooperation with the States in matters relating to weights and measures, and to thank you for the information therein contained. Very truly yours,

(Signed) L. C. MARTIN, Assistant Director, Estimates.

On May 2, 1940, the following communication was received from L. C. Martin, Assistant Director on Estimates:

In response to your inquiry of April 23, 1940, relative to an increase of appropriation for the National Bureau of Standards for the purpose of aiding the States in the testing of weights and measures, the Department of Commerce Appropriation Bill for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1941, as passed by the House and the Senate, includes no additional amount for this purpose. The amount contained in the bill will, however, permit the National Bureau of Standards to continue in the fiscal year 1941 such assistance to the States as has been furnished during the current year.

Very truly yours,

(Signed) L. C. MARTIN,
Assistant Director, Estimates.
It is not what

That, of course, is what the Bureau is doing now. we sought, so the letter was rather disappointing.

Through the good offices and courtesy of Dr. Briggs, it was possible for our Committee to meet yesterday afternoon with Major Jones of the Bureau of the Budget. We placed before him the ideas which we had in mind. We probably spent 2 hours discussing the proposition, and I hope that we have properly impressed Major Jones, so that when the 1942 Budget is prepared we will get favorable consideration. The Committee recommended an appropriation of $25,000. However, we are not insistent on that amount, as that properly should be as the Director of the Bureau of Standards shall ascertain. After all, he is the man who is going to spend the money; we are merely suggesting a figure in round numbers.

The thought of the Committee was-and I think it is the thought of Dr. Briggs and was also his thought at the time of the presentation of the matter during the Budget hearings-that for a beginning the ideal thing would be to provide certain employees of the Bureau who might visit the various States and municipalities at their requests

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