322
I-VDCSTRIAL A N D ENGI-VEERISG CHEMISTRY
Vol. 18, No. 3
AMERICAN CONTEMPORARIES John Townsend Baker
As a citizen he belongs in the first class. He has always been willing to help and has helped in all good works. He has helped OHN TOWNSEND BAKER is first of all a modest in church and school. I n the late war he took a n active p a r t in man. Then he is a n industrious, a n ingenious, and a n the Liberty Loan campaign. H e sent his only son t o France t o honest man. To these qualities he owes the prosperity die there. H e is a trustee of the Easton Board of Trade, and which he now enjoys at the age of sixty-five as a manufacturer takes an active part in its work. of pure chemicals. All his life he has been of a n inventive After graduation from Lafayette in 1882 Baker and I began turn of mind, although - he has taken out few patents in his the hanufacture of pure chemicals on a one-acre lot on the flank own name. This earlier bent he owes t o of Chestnut Hill, near Easton, Pa., in a Thomas M. Drown, who was head of the suburb now covered with dwellings. Two Department of Chemistry at Lafayette years later George P. Adamson joined the College before his time, but who by precept firm. In a few years the buildings became and example taught all of us to strike out too small and the plant was moved to its boldly without much regard for precedent, present quarters along the Lehigh where it Baker has had a large share in many soon developed into a considerable busipatents which have been taken out in the ness. I n 1902 we sold the business t o the names of others by working out the deGeneral Chemical Company and in 1904 tails and by persevering until success was Baker left the firm and established the John attained after others had abandoned hope. T. Baker Chemical Company. Since then This work resulted in the bottle for hyhe has associated W. P. Fitzgerald, Charles drofluoric acid, the nitric and hydrochloric A. Davis, and H. H. Garis in the manageacid condensers, the drop-tube boiler, and ment, and to them he ascribes the credit others less well known. for much of his success. In manner Baker is kindly and courteIt is difficult for me to speak of Baker ous, but rather sparing of words. I have with moderation. H e was my pupil. For only once heard him make a speech, but twenty years we were business associates then i t was a good one-full of wit and without a n unkind word. H e is still my humor, full of affection for the man he friend and it is a pleasant task t o write was talking about, beautifully expressed, this sketch. J . T. Baker and grateful to the ear because sincere. EDWARD HART
J
NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE The Control of Industrial Waste HAT the need for a scientific study of our industrial possibilities has been felt is evidenced by the recent action of the Secretary of War in dividing the United States into a number of industrial districts. A table has been compiled of the products t o be furnished by the larger companies in the various districts. Such a n investigation, however, considers only the active plants, or those capable of renewing operation on a standard product. There is a need of a type of organization which will correlate the various idle factors of all types of industrywhether of equipment, process, by-product, buildings, or even men-and present such information in a tangible, accessible form. The larger chambers of commerce are studying the problem from their local viewpoint. Campaigns are being mapped out for obtaining new industries which will best meet t h e needs of the community and supplement the industrial assets of the city. In some cities, complete listings of all industrial possibilities, including present plants, their by-products, future city expansion, health hazards, climate, labor facilities, transportation, markets, etc., have been prepared by engineers hired t o study the location from every possible angle.
How can the idle factors of the chemical industry be best brought t o the attention of those in the industry who can use them? If a board of competent men were formed, what would be their duties and how would such a board be maintained? Let us consider a few organizations which are equipped to cope with such a situation. (1) The large industrial research corporations are undoubtedly fitted to offer invaluable suggestions in regard t o exchange of by-products and the investigation of new lines of research. Such work would be supported by the results of the research and t h e plant installation fees. The viewpoint, however, would tend to be limited t o the chemical industry. Unfortunately most of the research organizations at present lay greater stress upon the development of the process than on the economic and humanitarian phases of t h e problems presented. ( 2 ) A commercial technical organization, which would be entirely a consulting service and be sustained by the commissions resulting from making the contact. Such a n organization would be unhampered by any special chemical investigations. The remuneration, which would be a direct result of t h e amount and quality of the services offered, would necessitate a thorough investigation into fields other than chemical. Such a procedure approaches the required national viewpoint. (3) The various individual societies of the organic chemical, leather, paper, gas, and other industries are well equipped to obtain a large amount of valuable information from their members. This information would he more freely given to a
