Concerning More on A review of office and travel technology and policy progress 1970 - present
Yes, I well remember the first calculator I had, handheld that is. I went through college with a slide rule as calculators were not available. My wife bought me a handheld calculator for Christmas about 19[7]4 from Sears. It would add, subtract, multiply and divide. She paid $65 for it and it measured about 6 X 6 inches. Not really handy as a pocket unit at that time.
As for multiple size mills, the mill at Cedar Springs GA had one machine when I went to work there in 1966. In the following two years, two more machines and all the attendant equipment was started up. The unique feature was all three machines were 280 inch machines. so the rolls, felts, etc were interchangable. Also about 100 miles north was another mill with the 280 wide machine and the superintendents were brothers-in-law. When one needed something and didn't have it in stock, he would call his brother in law and borrow. We did this often and with no problems. Does this system still work, probably not anymore.
Tommy Surles
Florida
USA
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Jim,
The comments on calculators reminded me of the first one I ever saw. In 1971, my father was a route manager for American Bakeries in South Carolina, I was 6 years old. He had to "check out" every night after all the route salesman had returned to base. Mom would take my sister and I with her to deliver dinner every once in a while, as he struggled to manually add all the numbers in a big manual ledger at the end of the day.
Dad's forte was not math! I remember they bought a calculator - no brand that I recall other than blue - for about $200. This thing added, subtracted, multiplied and divided. Today they are throwaway items with lots more features at trade shows. Then, it saved him hours of manual work each night...
Today, in my mill, we scan more data and print more reports in 10 minutes than anyone could have done in 1971 in 2 days... Now I feel old.
Think Safety!
Jim Kicklighter
Kansas
USA
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Concerning Optimum Modern Mill Size
Dear Readers:
This column received an unusually large amount of email, nearly all of it agreeing with me. Some asked me to not print their comments as they named very large mills and the problems associated with them. Below are the ones I can print.
Jim
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Jim,
RE: Three Machines. As Union Camp and as IP, the Prattville mill was not able to justify adding a third kraft or medium machine. Believe me we tried. 'Course I don't know what's in the works today but up to 2003 - no go.
RE: Dog abuse. Last month a fellow here got angry with his mother and set fire to her dog. The dog survived in Montgomery Humane Society care making front page headlines with heart wrenching pictures for several days. Net results: thousands of dollars contributed to the Society from all over the world and huge public awareness that injuring or killing a dog or cat is potentially a felony offense in Alabama. I agree with your thought that this issue isn't any greater than it has been. However I know we have a different attitude about the cruelty subject. We would be more prone now than before to take action against someone who abuses their animals.
Hope to see you in November at IPST.
Gene Canavan
Alabama
USA
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Hi Jim:
Excellent article on mill sizing. It makes one think outside of the box. In Milton, ON near my hometown there is a home builder who now has a portable factory. He manufactures the houses in pieces and literally ships them around the corner to the subdivision. This gives him 365 potential work days in construction, an important consideration in Canada. They recycle within the plant. There is less waste and pilferage (a common occurence at outdoor sites). They figure they save over 10% of the house cost. If this is their stated public figure I wonder what the real number is. This is pure profit because the product (your new home) is a function of construction cost v. market value. When they have completed the subdivision, they simply disassemble the factory and move on to the next location.
Benjamin Prinsen
Ontario
Canada
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Concerning Other musings (wolves)
Jim,
I heard another "view" on birds (cockatoos) in Australia, where (as you drive through the countryside) there are literally hundreds of cockatoos in the roadside trees. Our host (in Australia) said here we shoot them!
Chuck Green
New York
USA
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