t. Records of small test slabs
of this kind will be found in the library of the Society.

Mr. Godfrey makes the good point that the accuracy of an elastic theory
must be determined by the elastic deportment of the construction under
load, and it seems to the writer that if authors of textbooks would pay
some attention to this question and show by calculation that the elastic
deportment of slabs is in keeping with their method of figuring, the
gross errors in the theoretical treatment of slabs in the majority of
works on reinforced concrete would be remedied.

Although he makes the excellent point noted, Mr. Godfrey very
inconsistently fails to do this in connection with his theory of slabs,
otherwise he would have perceived the absurdity of any method of
calculating a multiple-way reinforcement by endeavoring to separate the
construction into elementary beam strips. This old-fashioned method was
discarded by the practical constructor many years ago, because he was
forced to guarantee deflections of actual construction under severe
tests. Almost every building department contains some regulation
limiting the deflection of concrete floors under test, and yet no
commissioner of buildings seems to know anything about calculating
deflections.

In the course of his practice the writer has been required to give
surety bonds of from $50,000 to $100,000 at a time, to guarantee under
test both the strength and the deflection of large slabs reinforced in
multiple directions, and has been able to do so with accuracy by methods
which are equivalent to considering Poisson's ratio, and which are given
in his book on concrete steel construction.

Until the engineer pays more attention to checking his complicated
theories with facts as determined by tests of actual construction, the
view, now quite general among the workers in reinforced concrete
regarding him will continue to grow stronger, and their respect for him
correspondingly less, until such time as he demonstrates the
applicability of his theories to ordinary every-day problems.

PAUL CHAPMAN, ASSOC. M. AM. SOC. C. E. (by letter).--Mr. Godfrey has
pointed out, in a forcible manner, several bad features of text-book
design of reinforced concrete beams and retaining walls. The practical
engineer, however, has never used such methods of construction. Mr.
Godfrey proposes certain rules for the calculation of stresses, but
there are no data of experiments, or theoretical demo