Measures for Progress: A History of the National Bureau of Standards

13L ELECTRICITY, RAILROADS, AND RADIO (1911-16)
So great was the success of the first of the NBS "household" circulars with the American
public that Secretary of Commerce RedJield wrote to Stratton: "I think the time is
peculiarly fit now for the immediate publication of the book 'Materials in the House-
hold.' I hope nothing will be allowed to delay it longer and that you may be able to
tell me that it will appear within a very short time. It seems to me that it is wanted
at this time more than ever before and at least as much as it will be wanted in the
future." Letter, Aug. 22, 1917, NARG 40, Box 118, 67009/5.
research work of the Bureau for the Government was of equal service and
value to the public. Through publication of the specifications of a Bureau
standard, he said, "the public can see what should be allowed * * * and
what should not." 65
That the "public" he referred to was industry rather than the ordi-
nary householder, and in some cases only the industry for whom the specifi-
cations were established, was evident from the nature of the Bureau reports.
The circular on incandescent lamps, for example, specifically stated that
"only those thoroughly instructed in the art of lamp manufacture and in the
science of photometry should undertake to determine upon the acceptability
of lamps under the terms of the specification." While of considerable use
to organizations with laboratories possessing the apparatus and skills for
* * * 1912 (Dec. 2, 1910), p. 261; Hearings * * * 1917 (Feb. 2, 1916),
p.974; Hearings * * * 1917 (Dec. 1, 1916), p 478.