CONTENTS

Necessity for general application of principles of economics.—Labor a blessing—

not a curse.—Love for one's work a requisite.—Business opportunity of U. S. A. being lost.—Necessity for Americans to work harder and more efficiently.—Increasing national efficiency through application of economic principles.—Importance of the work of the engineer and increasing his efficiency.—Teaching economics in technical schools.—Report of Committee of S.P.E.E. on "The Study of Economics in Technical Schools.—"Suggested treatise on "Economics of Engineering".—Author's lectures on "Engineering Economics" at University of Kansas.—Author's failure to interest others in proposed treatise on "Economics of Engineering".—Presentation of this book as a sample of what is needed in all engineering specialties.

Literature on Engineering Economics very meagre.—Definition of "Economics."—

General economic principle.—Economics of proposed enterprises.—Experience requisite for making economic investigations.—Complication of economic investigations.—Example of economic study for proposed bridge across San Francisco Harbor.—Short-sightedness of promoters.—Glaring example of failure for want of economic study.—Economic study for proposed bridge over Mississippi River near New Orleans.—Economic study for replacement of a bridge over the Mississippi River.—Method for comparing the economics of several methods of accomplishing the same result.—Method of contrasting several differing types of construction.—Mathematical treatment of economic comparison.—Special conditions precluding adoption of most economic method of procedure.—Anticipating the future.—First cost.—Systemization.—Time versus materials.—Labor versus materials.—Compensating factors in economic comparisons and frequent wide range of economic limits.—Economic variation with live loads.—Recording diagrams.—Economics of mental effort.—Labor........................... 6