AIF Meeting, Rye, Ν. Υ. A Staff Report PROBLEMS of public relations, legislation, • a n d technical advances in the field of crop protection occupied the two-day spring meet ing of 75 members of the Agricultural In secticide and Fungicide Association held at the Westchester Country Club, Rye, Ν . Y., April 13 and 14. Preliminary meetings of the association's committees, preceding the closed sessions of the membership, prepared reports on activities and plans for future action later submitted to the meeting for full discussion. W. S. G avan, American Cyanamid & Chemical Corp., chairman of the associa tion's Legislative Committee, reported on efforts to secure uniformity in state laws governing the labeling, packaging, and han dling of economic poisons. Proper regulation is recognized as being in the interest of the public and of the industry, but the enact ment of laws differing from state to state in troduces complexities which hamper pro duction and increase costs to consumers without providing compensating additional protection to the public. Present legis lative confusion, according to the committee, stems largely from the inadequacy of the Federal Insecticide Act of 1910, which is now practically obsolete and no longer supplies a satisfactory model for workable state laws. The association voted to cooperate with governmental and other agencies in framing a new federal statute that will cover changed needs adequately. New technical developments and problems related to insecticides and fungicides were presented by Alfred Weed, John Powell & Co., chairman of the association's Technical •Committee. Special interest attached to developments in the application of D D T (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane), now se verely restricted t o use in growing quanti ties to protect our Armed Forces from insect pests; This newly important synthetic has been shown by investigator ο of the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine to have important and valuable applications in the control of insects that damage and destroy agricultural crops in addition to its effectiveness against parasites on human be ings. Discussion of these uses centered around a series of reports by P . N. Annand, chief of the bureau, and his co-workers, scheduled for early appearance in the Journal of Economic Entomology (February, 1944, not yet is sued). These reports compare the action of D D T , both for dusting and spraying, with present insecticides in protecting crops and farm animals and show it to-have valuable advantages in many applications. D D T can Be used advantageously in aerosol bombs. Necessarily these developments must await ate end of the war to be utilised by agricul ture, in view of the large present military demand for the product and its consequent complete restriction to this use by WPB. Important technical problems arising in connection with the coloring of economic poisons, now required by most states, were reported by the committee t o remain y e t un solved. Mutual effects-of coloring materials and base materials on each other, effects of coloring on the efficiency of the base material
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in use, and possible damage by added colors to plants are typical unsolved problems neg lected by legislators in framing laws on the subject. The number of available coloring materials whose effects have been completely investigated is at present inadequate to meet the requirements of conflicting regulations now on the statute books or under considera tion by the various states and federal agen cies. More research, particularly in the field, was urged to correct this situation. Ernest Hart, Niagara Sprayer &, Chemical Co., presided over the association's dis cussion of its problems of public relations as chairman of its Committee on Member ship and Information. Principal activity of the association in this field is the publication of an external house organ, A.I.F. News, through which information of value and importance to agriculture concerning the industry's produots and their applications is carried to interested parties. Editorial and circulation policies were gone over in detail with the membership and plans made for future progress. Other matters receiving special attention were radio programs of direct interest t o farmers, and participation by the association in cooperative activities with other groups, particularly with the Cot ton States Branch of the American Associa tion of Economic Entomologists and with the National Cotton Council. Glenn Campbell, of Campbell Sanford Advertising Agency and member of the association's Advisory Committee, outlined the essentials of publio relations and.sug gested directions which future plans should take to improve public understanding of the industry. Washington problems of the industry received full attention. Discussion was led by Lea 8. Hitchner, executive secretary' of the association, and included a talk by Charles J. Brand, exeoutive secretary. National Fertilizer Association, detailing some of the experiences and activities of that related group with governmental agencies. Plans for the summer meeting of the asso ciation at Spring Lake, N. J., during the 'Week of Labor Day were announced by J . B . Cary, Niagara Sprayer & Chemical Co., presi dent of the association. At that meeting, visitors, particularly state and federal offi cials, are to be invited to attend and t o participate in discussions.
Hogan Receives Vitamin Β Complex Award Albert G. Hogan, of the University of Mis souri, has been given the Mead Johnson & Co. Vitamin Β Complex Award for 1944. by the American Institute of Nutrition. The Committee of Judges makes the following citation with the» choice of Dr. Hogan as medalist: "The award is made to Albert G. Hogan in recognition of bis pioneer work on certain aspects of the vitamin Β complex, work which &as progressed successfully^for many years and whicix has contributed materially to the modem knowledge of vitamin B."
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Phillips Medal Award The Francis Clifford Phillips Medal in Chemistry for 1944 has been awarded to David M. Boodman, highest ranking senior in the course leading to the bachelor of sci-
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David M . Boodman ence degree in chemistry in the University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Boodman was born in Pittsburgh, July 4, 1823. He is a graduate of Taylor Allderdice High School. He entered the university in September 1041. At the end of bis junior year, Mr. Boodman was given membership in the AMEBTCAJT CHEMICAL SOCIETY by the chemistry faculty.
He is a member of Sigma Pi Sigma, honorary physics society; Sigma Kappa Phi, modern foreign language society; Phi Lambda Up silon; and Sigma Xi. The Phillips Medal was provided by the late Francis Clifford Phillips, who taught chemistry in the University of Pittsburgh from 1875 to 1915. It is awarded annually
Coal Research Completion of plans for expanded research, financed by the bituminous coal industry and allied interests, looking toward new postwar coal utilization, was announced April 26 by H. N. Eavenson. Pledges of financial support covering a 5-year period have passed the $2,000,000 mark. Some coal-carrying railroads and industries closely allied to coal have joined with mine operators in con tributing to financing the program. A meet ing of the board of directors is to be held soon, to determine exact allocation of funds.
National Society of Plastic Tooling The National Society of Plastic Tooling has been organized by representatives of five aircraft companies to accelerate develop ment of plastic tooling as a recognized pro duction process. Delmar Anderson, CurtissWright Corp., Buffalo, is president. Production of rayon in the United States in 1943 exceeded the previous high of 1942 by more than 5%. according to the Textile Economics Bureau. B y the middle of 1944 an annual production rate of 240,000,000 pounds of high tenacity yarn for tires is ex* pected. Approximately 50% of the viscose process yarn and from 10 to 15% of the ace tate yarn went into war use during the year.
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