Abstract :
The sixth session of the International Commission on Illumination was held at Geneva, Switzerland, July 22–25, 1924. It was attended by delegates from the National Committees in the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy and Switzerland, and by a representative from Japan. This meeting was particularly notable as it marked the active entrance of the Commission into the field of practical problems of illumination. In addition to the plenary meeting, five technical sessions were held, devoted to consideration of the following subjects: primary standard of candlepower; definitions, symbols and vocabularies; measurement of lights of different colors; and, wo sessions on practical use of artificial light. In all the sessions American contributions played a prominent part, notably the report by Dr. Herbert E. Ives covering an investigation on “A Primary Standard of Light following the Proposal of Wardner and Burgess.” The meeting which dealt with definitions, etc., agreed upon a considerable number of terms and definitions to be added to those adopted at the 1921 session. The meeting dealing with heterochromatic photometry received reports from a special committee summarizing progress during the last three years from the national laboratories in England and France and from the Bureau of Standards Turning to the question of the actual use of light, the Commission heard three notable papers representing the situation in America with particular reference to the activities of organizations commercially interested in furthering its more efficient use. John W. Lieb set forth the point of view of the modern operator of central stations. His paper was followed by those of G. S. Merrill and A. L. Powell respectively on “The Demonstration Method of Teaching Good Lighting Practise” and “Practical Illuminating Engineering.” Another group of papers dealt with street-lighting. The final technical meeting dealt with the legal- regulation of lighting with reference to factories and school buildings. Automobile lighting was likewise discussed in a report from a special committee under chairmanship of Dr. Clayton H. Sharp.
