Page Four

    

 

By Al N. Schrlebcr

New Deal Reversal

A further phase in the evolution of
New Deal philosophy was marked
last week with speeches by President
Roosevelt on housing and Senator
Harrison of Mississippi on tax revi-
sion. Senator Harrison made a con-
fession of error and tore into the tax
his committee had written as “add-
ing confusion to the economic life
of the country." Thus it is assured
that definite action will be taken at
the present special session of Con-
greSs to drastically modify the undis-
tributed corporate profits tax and the
capital gains levies which business
men have been decrying.

Another reversal of policy was in-
dicated by President Roosevelt when
in his housing speech he recommend-
ed the production of more goods at
lower prices, in contrast to the poli-

 

cies of the AAA and NRA, which at
tempted the production of fewer
goods at higher prices. This destruc»
tion and change is both radical and
fundamental. 'He said, "The point is
quickly reached where increased
costs mean reduced consumption . . .
which, in turn, means a decline in
someone’s business and someone's
employment." These new policies
strike the first decent blows of the
administration in warding off the
current business recession which may
assume serious proportions if imme-
diate action is not taken.

Building Cycles

The building industry has contrib-
uted a negligible amount to business
recovery. During 1934 the building
industry hit a low of 60,000 yearly
units in contrast to the 1920-1929
average of 800,000 yearly units.
Typical of durable‘goods industries
which tend to be unstable, this in—
dustry has fluctuated widely although
running through major cyclic periods
of about twenty years with minor
cycles every five years. Theoretical—
ly 1938 marks the beginning of we
pansion of the twenty year cycle.

President Roosevelt’s housing pro-

 

gram therefore coincides with the
building cycle. It provides encourage-
ment for the building; of individual,
homes and large scale housing proj-
ects by increasing the insurable lim—
its of the Housing Act to 90% of
the appraisal value. In addition it
reduces the interest on mortgages
from 61/2% to 5'49?) or {Bl/2%. He
hopes that 300,000 to 400,000 units
can be built in the next five years
which will mean a spending of 12
to 16 billions of dollars.

fieduce Labor Costs

Governmental aid cannot solve the
problems, however, unless private
industry, labor, and financial inter-
ests give full support. Two of the
major difficulties have been the small
purchasing power of the public and
the high cost of construction. As
business conditions improve, more
persons will be able to invest money
in homes. But definite action must
be taken to reduce the construction
cost.

Labor unions are exceedingly pow—
erful in industry and have set up a
standard of wages far out of line
with wages in other occupations. As
a result members of the building
trades get a high hourly wage but
work so little that their yearly in-
come is small. A reduction in union
scales will take off the throttle hold

 

 

 

on building activity and will result
in greater yearly salaries for the
workers.

Homes by Mass Production

Another need is cheaper materials
and methods of construction. Those
in the building industries seem to
have missed the American genius for
efficient and economical large-scale
production. Here the engineer plays
a. major role. Already steps have
been taken towards the mass produc-
tion of [ire-fabricated homes, scien—
tifically planned, and using modern
materials and methods. Any con-
tinued movement in this direction
will greatly increase the comfort and
standard of living of the American
public and incidentally provide a vast
field for further engineering achieve-

 

merits.

 

Arx News

Several Arx have said that they
are getting slightly bilious over the
judgment notices and thus see~
ing them in print might precipitate
a sudden deluge very damaging to a
suit front so we’ll take it easy and
hope they hold it. Class B— Bradt,
Goers, Lindahl, and Scott, mentions,
and everyone else a half, and that's
that.

A problem for you to figure out——
Quoting from the last Class “A"
antique—«‘This problem was liked
very much, it is nicely designed and
well done—so u'c gone it a Half Men-
tion.” Incidentally many of the fol-
lows ure rooting for a recent First
Medal mum to come through again so
we cun~laugh and laugh and laugh.
And don’t ask why. 01' who we’d
laugh at. The best plates in this
judgment were turned in by Skubic
and Johunson for a Mention Com-
mended grade.

The sophomores have heard of a
man who is lefty twice. Somehow
it seems that the Physics course must
have improved as far as entertain-
ment is concerned.

 

 

 

 

ARMOUR TECH NEWS
AFJVHE. Hears Talk

on Personnel Work

“Personnel Work" was the topic
discussed by Mr. Elmer Rietz, gen-
eral manager of the Power Regula-
tor Company, at the A.S.M.E. meet-
ing held “last Friday at 10:30 in Sci-
ence ll—Iall. Mr. Rictz described the
engineering training and the factors
necessary in his type of work.

Since the majority of the com-
pany’s business is custom builthit is
vital that their salesmen be trained
engineers. The general organization
is divided into two divisions: contract
and “over the counter" sales. The
engineer must be familiar with both
jobs. In selection the firm desires
men well rounded in scholarship, per-
sonality, and activities. Emphasis is
placed on the importance of the per.
sonal interview, application blank,
and a telephone conversation. After
the selection of men a training course
foHOWs which includes a shop course
followed by outside training.

Mr. Rietz spoke of different meth-

Tuesclay, December 7,. l9'37

  
  
     
  
  
  
  
  

Junior Class Monte Carlo
Enjoyed by Froliclcing ’39

 
 
  
   
  
  
 
  

Announce Discovery of New
Gas in Chemistry Lecture

  
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
 

Increased Rigid Frame
Wee Told by Speaker

 

 

 

Games, swimming, and ping-pong
featured the highly successful Monte
Carlo smoker held by the junior class
Wednesday, November 24.

The main event of the evening, the
contest in which the winner had ac-
cumulated the most “money” in vari—
ous gambling games, was won by E.
C. Carlson. Carlson was a heavy
winner in the various dice and card
games in which he enrolled himself.
He received as his award a free bid
to the Junior Formal to be held next
March.

M

A new, rare gas was discovered
here at the Institute recently, but
the (late of the event has not yet
been disclosed. The several profes-
sors that found it hesitate as yet to
verify their discovery, lacking con—
fidence in their results until full
proof of its existence has been com-
pleted. This proof, however, is far
enough advanced to assure them that
its fate will not parallel that of other
hypothetical elements, as Britannium,
and land in the garbage can.

Its properties, as yet known, are
unique. Its atomic weight has been
partially calculated, indications seem-
ing to prognosticate a value of 2.5. It
is so rare in an unconfined state, that
its percentage in the atmosphere to
three decimals is .000 plus.

Experiments have shown that it
obeys the gas laws unconditionally,
this conclusion being limited only to
the accuracy of the experiments. This
ods for securing employment for the characteristic is so evident, in fact,
graduating engineer. He mentioned that one of its discoverers has sug—
schools, newspaper ads, letters, gested calling it the ideal gas itself.
friends, and agencies as possible The big obstacle in the proof-com-
leadg. pletion is the complex difficulty of ob-

Giving his annual talk before the-
WSE, Mr. Henry Penn, member of
the engineering department of the
United States Steel Corporation, spoke
last Friday on the growing tendency
toward rigid frame construction in
steel designs. Most of the use so far
has been in bridge structures where»
the construction adds greatly to the
beauty of the structure, a more and
more important factor now that the
age has passed when the idea was
merely to get a structure over a water
span.

The tendency has also moved into
the airplane industry where this type-
of construction adds much needed.
head room and yet eliminates space-
where it is unnecessary.

 

The sophomores are not only loo-
ing trained as architects by their
critic, Mr. Mell (accent on Mr.) but
they are also going to be gentlemen
if he has anything to say about it.
“Take your hat off son, where do you
think you are?” is lesson number one.

The column is grateful for the
pinch hitting done while we caught
cold down East and so thank you to
George 0. 0. Nobody Caren Shocks
Danforth alias Big Apple—«made into
hard cider, at least. With this A. G.
goes off the deep end, sip, sip.

ART GUM.

 

taining its spectrum. It was found as
50 per cent of the residue of a pure
vacuum, and. incidentally, is indicat-
ed in the brains of lazy people. Its
existence was unintentionally an-r
nounced when Dr. C. A. Tibbals il—
lustrated inert gases by “Neon, Ar—
gon, and So-on.”

Copyright 1931. kisser! a Mme Tomcat; 00. w »