11
New Ideas and Improved Methods
By FLOYD QUERY
The Bridge That D idn’t Fall
Many of the bridges built on the
state highway system fifteen or more
years ago are too narrow for modern
heavy high-speed traffic. Where these
bridges are through trusses, the struc
tures themselves are sometimes endan
gered by hèavÿ vehicles or overhanging
loads striking vital, stress members.
This has been particularly true with
logging trucks. Over the past ten years
a procedure minimizing this danger has
been worked out.
Travelers over our highways will
often see heavy timbers fastened to the,
top and bottom of the sloping end
posts of narrow steel trusses. These
timbers take up the shock and stiffen
the member so that failure is generally
avoided. In other cases extra steel struts
have been placed to brace the end posts
and prevent buckling.
It was one of these struts that pre
vented the failure of the Yamhill River
Bridge near Valley Junction when it
was struck by a logging tru ck on
April IL
Credit for the development of these
reinforcements should be given to the
bridge maintenance superintendents of
the State Highway Department. Many
of these men have cooperated in work
ing out the details. Some of the earlier
installations were suggested by W alter
G\ Krueger of Coquille and H orton
H ughlett of Salem.
$28,000,000 saved by employees’ sug
gestions in U. S. N avy Yards during
1944.
Editor’s N o te.
Department heads and employees are
invited to send in any new methods de
vised by a department, division or indi
vidual which show a decrease in cost of
operation, a more efficient method, or
any other instance which reflects an
employee contribution to better, more
efficient state government. These ar
ticles should be addressed to Improved
Methods Editor, 1615 Nebraska Avenue,
Salem, Oregon.
Moderft Methods Fay
Organization of a special Collections
Division under the supervision of H. E.
Osborn that consolidated responsibilities
previously divided between three divi
sions has resulted in a reduction df 6 3 ^ j
in the accounts receivable of the State
Industrial Accident Commission. Since
Osborn took over on May 1, 1943, the
accounts receivable have dropped from
$394,907 to $14?;017, a reduction of
$251,890.
Even though economic conditions
were favorable, this reduction was ac
complished during a period of greatly
increased volume. Organization of a
modern credit control unit with mod
ern credit procedures was planned by
Administrator Ralph W . Emmons, to
cut accounts receivable in half and
eventually to effect a reduction of 50%
iir credit losses to the Industrial A c
cident Fund.
Ray Lafky, as attorney for the Com
mission, has made outstanding improve
ments; in legal procedure which have
materially contributed to the reduction.
Other personnel assisting Mr. Osborn
are H . V. Carpenter, O. R. Christman,
R uth Kellogg, Anna Barr, Eva Hansen,
R uth Kriesel, Josephine Lange, June
Paine, Mary Burke, Virginia Petersen,
Doris Albin and Frank Gordon.