=Transfer Files.= Files for the storage of transferred correspondence can be of cheaper construction than the regular filing cabinets, as they are less frequently referred to and not subject to the same hard usage. They should, however, be of reasonably substantial construction; it is usual to keep business correspondence at least two years, and it may be necessary to refer to it many times after it is transferred. Then, too, if substantial transfer files are provided, they can be used again and again; sufficient transfer files to hold two years' correspondence will last indefinitely.
[Illustration: Fig. 34. Card Sectionet _Shaw-Walker Co._]
At first, manufacturers of vertical filing equipment supplied nothing more substantial than boxes made of binder's board. Boxes the size of a vertical file drawer were used. These were usually stored on shelves, and to refer to the contents it was necessary to take down the box and remove the cover. To keep pace with improvements in filing cabinets, new styles of transfer files have been perfected. One of the most satisfactory of the more modern styles is the drawer transfer file, which is practically a single drawer section. It is made of light wood with a drawer as shown in Fig. 36. These files can be stacked, one on top of another, and locked together, making a solid filing cabinet. The drawers hold the contents of a vertical file drawer, but are not equipped with follower blocks, and are not recommended for current filing. These transfer files cost more than the old style, but when durability and accessibility are considered, they probably are more economical in the long run.
[Illustration: DICTATING TO THE BUSINESS PHONOGRAPH, MANUFACTURED BY THE NATIONAL PHONOGRAPH COMPANY, ORANGE, N.J.]
[Illustration: Fig. 35. A Stack of Sectionets _Shaw-Walker Co._]
=Metal Files.= Metal furniture is rapidly gaining in popularity for office use. All sorts of office furniture is now made of sheet steel--desks, tables, chairs, counters, and filing devices for all purposes. Metal cabinets are made in upright sections and equipped with the same filing devices found in wooden cabinets. Fig. 37 shows a row of metal sections, combining a variety of filing devices. At either end are roller book shelves and a cupboard, while in the center are six styles of files.