freight ton miles on the part of the railroads who are parties to the shift of tonnage, made under the urge of a temporary economic condition.

At the foundation of the abuses that surround the mine workers' union lies the much discussed check-off. Years ago certain operators agreed to collect at the source, certain special assessments levied for sick benefit and funeral purposes. From this modest beginning the abuse has grown until the tax levied on mine workers, and through them on the consumers of coal, runs into millions of dollars annually. This tax, running frequently above 6 cents per ton of coal produced, is used to build up and maintain the machine that in the fall of 1919 defied all three branches of our national government, executive, judicial and legislative. When a man seeks employment in a union mine his "card" is demanded and, if he is unable to show membership, he is compelled to sign an order authorizing his employer to check off an initiation fee ranging from $5.00 to $50.00. I recall a case 'where the son of a coal mine owner, who was then an engineering student, was compelled to sign up for a $50.00 check-off in order to enter his father's mine during vacation as an assistant to the mine surveyor. This method is used to collect funds to fight neighboring operators in the immediate vicinity, or in other states. I further recall where an operator producing coal in two states, checked off dues in one state to be used against him where his men were on a strike in another state. The mine workers' union is the only union in existence which requires the employer to collect its dues and assessments at the source. A union which cannot exist by the free and voluntary support of its own membership has no justifiable place in our social structure. The enforced membership and payment of dues such as here exists is slavery, no more, no less. The condition should be wiped out with the end of the present agreement.

I have before this expressed my belief in the theory of collective bargaining. I am in favor of unions soundly constructed and honestly administered. All unions should be forced to incorporate and should be subject to all of the laws, rules and regulations, that govern corporate or partnership holdings of capital goods or accumulated savings, including the payment of federal income and excess profit taxes. All malicious interference with the operation of a mining property by its labor should be eliminated. There is a place for the union in our social structure but a sanitary corps would find much to do in the way of cleaning up the United Mine Workers of America.

The fourth and most important element in the coal industry, the consumer, must assert himself if the troubles that continuously beset him are to be remedied. Both coal operators and miners are opposed

the collection and publication of the facts that surround the production and sale of coal. This attitude is a mistaken one very largely engendered by the legal advisers of the operators and, as a matter of course, opposed by the oligarchy which controls the Union. Surely we can trust our national government to collect and publish reliable data covering this vital industry. No one today questions the integrity of the statistics collected by the government covering the operation of the railroads.

Given all the facts we can chart a course that will insure fair sailing for each and all of the four elements that go to make up the coal industry.

OF LOCAL INTEREST.

Mr. J. D. Robertson, Vice-President of the Joint Council, and Mr. Baxter L. Brown will represent the Associated Engineering Societies on the Committee of Two Hundred named to select the items to be voted on in the coming Bond Issue Election for the city of St. Louis. Several other members of the Associated Societies are included in the personnel of the committee through their connection with various civic and business activities.

The United States Commissioner of Education has issued a call for a conference, to be held at the Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, May 1st and 2nd, 1922. The subject of the conference will be "Business Training, for the Engineer, and Engineering Training for Students of Business." Commercial and trade organizations, engineering and scientific societies, educational institutions and prominent individuals, have been invited to participate. The co-operating committee appointed by the Commissioner includes many of the foremost workers in industry, engineering, science and education in the United States.

Mr. E. W. Schadek has been named to represent the St. Louis Branch of the A.S.M.E. on the Joint Council of the Associated Societies. to succeed Mr. Walter Bryan, President.

Mr. Calvin M. Rice, National Secretary of the A.S.M.E., dropped in for a short visit with the St. Louis Branch, on Friday, March 3rd.

Mr. Leonard Day, Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Water Department, reports considerable progress on a series of tests of powdered coal now being conducted at the pumping stations of the Water Works.

The American Society of Civil Engineers will hold its Spring Meeting in Dayton, Ohio, on April 5th, 6th, and 7th. The first day will be devoted to a symposium on flood problems, the second to an inspection of the Miami Conservancy work, and the third to visiting McCook Field, the National Cash Register Co., and the American Rolling Mills at Middletown. Mr. Baxter Brown is in receipt of a very cordial invitation from Mr. E. D. Smith, Past President of the Engineers' Club and Associated Societies, and now Engineer of Power for the National Cash Register Co., to let him know how many St. Louis engineers intend to visit Dayton on this occasion, and to convey to all such prospective visitors his earnest wish that they arrange to give him some of their time. Any of our members who are planning to attend the meeting are urged to notify Mr. Brown as promptly as possible.

We announce with regret the death, on September 20, 1920, of Mr. Harry Dickman of Dexter, Mo., owner of the Dickman Brick and Tile Co. Mr. Dickman had been a member of the Engineers' Club since 1909. His limited personal contact with the Club during the past few years, is responsible for the delay in receipt of the news of his death. APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP.

Member-BYRON L. ASHDOWN (age 32), Graduate, University of Missouri 1916, B.S.C.E., and from School of Mines and Metallurgy, Rolla, Mo. Now practicing Mechanical and Structural Engineering. Sponsors: Chas. S. Butts, W. E. Rolfe.

THE ENGINEERS' TABLE.

H. F. Roach, aided and abetted by W. E. Rolfe, is on the trail of a BIG IDEA. There is some speculation about the Table, as to what

Mr. Roach will do: (a) if he proves his point, and (b) if he doesn't. In any event it looks as if relief from tension might make him feel as if he had "no place to go." Well, we all wish him luck with his catoptric anamorphous optical system, anyway.

Somewhere in the United States-a specification for a dry cellar. "Drain-Properly prepare to meet any condition that might arise so that we may prevent an absolute condition to positively avoid any possibility of water at any time, under any condition, entering the cellar." Engineering News-Record.

MEETINGS IN REVIEW.

1040th meeting. Feb. 15, 1922. Engineers' Club. 55 present. It was voted that, the President of the Joint Council having appointed three delegates to attend the organizing conference of a civic committee to investigate conditions in the building industry, the Associated Societies adopted the recommendation of the Joint Council that it be authorized to take such action in the matter as it deems advisable.

Mr. A. P. Greensfelder, Secretary of the Fruin-Colnon Contracting Co., presented a paper on "The Problem of Every Engineer-Developing St. Louis of Today into a Metropolis of Tomorrow." The paper was followed by a lengthy discussion.

A motion picture was shown of the Colfax Station of the Duquesne Power Station, Chadwick, Pa.

1041st meeting. Feb. 22, 1922. A.I.E.E. 45 present.

Mr. P. Y. Danley, Lighting Specialist for the Westinghouse Electric and Mfg. Co., presented a paper on "Street Lighting.'

Two reels of motion pictures illustrating Fire Hazards were shown following Mr. Danley's paper.

1042nd meeting. Mar. 1, 1922. A.I.M.M.E. 40 present.

Mr. Eugene McAuliffe, President of the Union Colliery Co., read a paper on "The Bituminous Coal Situation." An abstract of this very timely address appears in another column.

THE F.A.E.S. BULLETIN.

Commercial Stocks of Anthracite and Bituminous Coal as of January 1st, 1922. The following is a summary of the reports on stocks of coal prepared jointly by the Census Bureau and the Geological Survey under the direction of the Secretary of Commerce. The total commercial stock of bituminous coal on January 1st was estimated to be 47,000,000 tons, or 16,000,000 tons less than the amount in storage at the end of the war. The present stock is sufficient to last about forty-one days if perfectly distributed. The stocks are estimated to last consumers as follows: railroads, 35 days; coke plants, 42 days; steel works, 48 days; electric utilities, 51 days; coalgas plants, 89 days; other industrials, 51 days. Retail coal yards have bituminous enough to last 33 days and anthracite sufficient for 44 days.

Topographic Mapping. The House Appropriations Committee reported the Department of the Interior bill cutting the budget recommendation of $425,000 for topographic mapping work to $275,000. The House voted down an amendmant of Representative Hayden of Arizona to increase this appropriation to the budget recommendation of $425,000. Engineers are vitally interested in this item and they are in hope of convincing the Senate Committee that an appropriation of at least $425,000 should be made. Should this topographic mapping work be curtailed to the extent necessary under an appropriation of only

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$275,000 it would so cripple the state cooperative work and the topographic mapping branch of the Geological Survey, that advantages from the proposed Temple bill would be offset for some time after it becomes effective.

The Senate Appropriations Committee has reported the Department of the Interior bill to the Senate carrying $100,000 for topographic survey work. This is an increase of $125,000 over the amount carried in the same bill when it passed the House.

Business Cycles. Senator Kenyon's business cycle bill met with little favor when laid before the Senate on February 15th. It was opposed mainly on the ground that it would take away from Congress and vest in the Executive a control of expenditures on public works. It also was contended that the situation might be made worse by errors in forecasting the approach of a period of depression. When the amendment was attached, limiting the bill's scope to public buildings, Senator Kenyon had the bill sent back to committee on the ground that such an amendment would destroy the effect of the legislation, even if it were passed.

ROBERT W. HUNT

JOHN J. CONE

D. W. MCNAUGHER

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