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INDUSTRIAL CHEMISTRY NEWS EDITION by the American
Chemical Society
Editor: HARRISON E. HOWS Managing Editor: ROBERT P. FISCBELIS Assistant to the Editor: N. A. PAUCINBOM Associate Editor: D. H. KnxBffFBR EDITORIAL OmcB: NEWS EDITION OPTICS: ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: 70Θ Mills Building, 600 High St.. 19 B. 24th St., Washington, D. C. Newark, N. J. New York. Ν. Υ. Entered as second class matter at Boston, Pa. Issued three times a month ; Industrial Edition on the 1st; News Edition on the 10th and 20th. Subscription to Industrial & Engineering Chemistry. $7.50 per year; News Edition only, $1.50 per year. Single copies, 10 cents. Subscriptions should be sent to Charles L. Parsons, Secretary, 1709 G St., N. W., Washington, D. C. Vol. 3
JANUARY 20, 1925
Kevs
Edition
Annual Reports on the Progress of Chemistry
& ENGINEERING Published
CHEMISTRY
No. 2
Denatured Alcohol Figures have been prepared by the Industrial Alcohol and Chemical Division of the Prohibition Unit which show in detail how large a factor the automobile has become in the increased utilization of denatured alcohol. A survey of each State and the District of Columbia has been made, the tabulation showing the number of private passenger cars in service, motor trucks, taxis, busses, and cars for hire, the total of all classes for the country being 15,092,177. The reports of the Weather Bureau were re lied upon to determine the months of freezing weather in each State, and estimating the quantity of nonfreeze solution necessary to operate these cars during the freezing period, we arrive a t a total of over 28,000,000 gallons as the amount required. The totals for individual States vary from 3,010,500 gallons for N e w York, with its five months of freezing weather and its 1,204,213 cars, to nothing for such States as Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, where normally there is no extended period of freezing weather. In testimony recently given before a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the Cramton Bili one manu facturer stated that his requirements would account for an in crease of one million gallons of alcohol annually, and yet another in a different field testified that his yearly requirements ex ceeded two million gallons. It is small wonder, therefore, that the legitimate alcohol-using industry resents the inferences and even direct charges that have been made to the effect that it is these industries which are responsible for considerable diver sions of alcohol into illegitimate channels. A normal growth of the chemical industries and those depending upon their products easily accounts for an increased demand for alcohol, both pure and denatured, and answers the ill-considered charges of many who seem unable to conceive of alcohol as a chemical raw ma terial.
Potash—A Primary Product From a report of the Geological Survey entitled "Potash in 1923" we learn that during that year America produced approxi mately 10 per cent of the K 2 0 imported. Eighty-five per cent of the 20,215 tons produced came from the plant of the American Trona Corporation. This is the only plant in America in com mercial operation now making potash as a primary product. In common with many other industrial enterprises, this plant produces and sells by-products which form an important eco nomic factor in its business. Potash, however, is not a by product or a secondary factor, but is the principal product of this corporation. Potash was produced as a by-product in some eight or ten plants during 1923, accounting for the remaining 15 per cent of America's production. One of these plants, the U. S. Industrial Alcohol Company, of Baltimore, furnished over two-thirds of this by-product potash, leaving but 5 per cent as the output of other by-product activities. Both these plants show increased production for 1924, and although the American potash produc tion is admittedly but a small amount, of the total required, it is nevertheless an important factor in our chemical scheme of things. We must not lose sight of the fact that the principal business of one of these corporations is the production, in America, of potash.
Notice was given to the members of the American Chemical Society in the June 10 issue of the News Edition that the "An nual Reports on the Progress of Chemistry," published by the Chemical Society of London, had been made available t o members of the American Chemical Society at tlie same rate as t o members of the Chemical Society; viz., 9 shillings—post free. In that notice the limit for the application was s e t as December 31, 1924. The notice, however, was printed s o early that the usual response has not been received, and in view of the fact that it may have escaped the attention of our members a short extension of time is allowed by the Krigiish society, provided applications are sent in at once.
The South's Development We extend our congratulations to the Manufatiurers Record of Baltimore for the account of fifty years of southern progress issued as Part II of the Manufacturers RecOrd for December 11, entitled "The South's Development." Nearly four hundred pages are devoted to a discussion of all phases of the upbuilding of the South and its relation t o the nation, to the natural resources and industries of the South, and to the account, not only of the past but to a forecast of the future. To have gathered the information and. contributed articles which comprise this issue is in itself a great task, but t o have conceived and carried through this plan t o make accessiole in attractive form what is in reality a handbook of trie South is indeed an undertaking to command our admiration. Editor Edmonds and those who work with him are to b e highly commended.
The Bureau of Commercial Economics The Bureau of Commercial Kconomics, with offices at 1108 Sixteenth Street, Washington, E>. C , is a n altruistic enterprise. It was founded by a man who w a s temporarily blinded and who realized upon the restoration of his sight t o what a great extent many people are prevented from seeing what the world offers because of their inability to travel. He therefore organized the Bureau of Commercial Economics and used the facilities of governments, manufacturers, ?nd educational institutions throughout the world to bring t< ;tlier a great variety of useful information in the form of motion pictures and other graphic means of presentation. These pictures are invariably displayed to audiences which are admitted free and the reels which com pose the library of the Bureau are in constant u s e by universities,, colleges, community institutes, chambers of commerce, and trade and scientific associations. The scope of the Bureau is international, both in the source and the display of its films. Its activities are maintained by subscription and voluntary contributions, and its films π*π be had by reputable groups who assume responsibility for the prop erty, pay transportation both ways, and agree to make n o ad mission charge. Our readers who are interested in using motion pictures as an aid in presenting scientific subjects will find the Bureau of Commercial Economics a fruitful source.
Laird and Kraus Address Philadelphia Section The regular monthly meeting of t h e Philadelphia Section was held on Thursday evening, December 18, and was auspicated by a dinner at Keplinger's. An enlightening and thoughtprovoking address was delivered by John P. Laird, Director of the laboratory of the Pennsylvania State Department of Health, on "The Relation of Chemistry t o Medicine." Immediately following the dinner the meeting adjourned to t h e John Harrison Laboratory, where a very lucid exposition of t h e fascinating sub ject of "The Non-Metallic Properties of Metallic Elements'* was given by Charles A. Kraus, Director of the Newport Rogers Laboratory of Chemistry, Brown University. A committee on the Philadelphia water situation was appointed. Horace C. Porter, A. Henwood, J. Howard Graham, and Horace R. Blank compose the committee. Councilors elected were: George E. Barton, C. S. Brinton, Walter T. Taggart, Jacob SGoldbaum, Edwin F. Hicks, Frederick C. Nonamaker, and Charles H. LaWall.
A Summary of Researches i n
Progress
The fourth number of The Nucleus, published by the North eastern Section of the American Chemical Society i s entitled a "Research Number" and summarizes current research problems that are being investigated at Harvard, Clark, Wesleyan, and Boston University. This offers a suggestion to other section publications for it is extremely valuable to have records of re searches in progress at institutions in any given geographical area.
