CHEMICAL AAID ENGINEERING
NEWS WALTER J. MURPHY · Editor SÈ3i4Bm B&tUMo IMit&vh
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J. H E old nursery rhyme which divided the three full b a g s of wool among the master, the dame, a n d the little boy d o w n the lane will have to be modernized to include a cut for t h e D e p a r t m e n t of Agriculture if S.2033, a bill recently i n t r o duced by Senator O'Mahoney, becomes a law. The p r o posed measure allegedly undertakes to correct c e r t a i n marketing and economic disadvantages under which t h e western wool grower a t the present time is operating, . b u t contains provisions which would put the D e p a r t m e n t of Agriculture in further direct competition with the i n d e pendent consultants and testing laboratories of this country. If the department is given such authority in o n e commodity it is reasonable to suppose t h a t such powers eventually will be extended to all raw materials. Under Section 9 of the O'Mahoney Bill the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to expand a n d intensify research and studies, a n d to engage in demonstration work, as t o problems relating to t h e production, processing, p r e p a r a tion, manufacturing, standardization, grading, m a r k e t i n g , and utilization of wool, mohair, sheep pelts, goat pelts, and products thereof, including studies of competing materials a n d manufacturers a n d including the establishment and maintenance of laboratories a n d pilot p l a n t s . In carrying o u t such operations, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to cooperate with and e n t e r i n t o contracts with public a n d private organizations. Under Section 10 the Secretary of Agriculture is a u t h o r ized, after investigation and due notice and o p p o r t u n i t y for a hearing, to fix and establish types and standards of quality and condition for the grading of wool, mohair, wool tops, and mohair tops, and to conduct tests for the s h r i n k age, clean content, length and fineness of fiber, and a n y other characteristics of wool, mohair, wool tops, and m o hair tops. Section 10 further provides t h a t the s t a n d a r d s % fixed a n d established b y the Secretary shall be published in the Federal Register and sixty d a y s after such publication shall become the official wool and mohair standards of the United S t a t e s . T h e most objectionable part of t h e bill, however, is contained in P a r t 6 of Section 10.· "Any person who has c u s tody of or a financial interest in a n y wool, mohair, or t o p s therefrom, m a y submit the same or samples thereof, d r a w n in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Secretary of Agriculture, to such officer or officers of the D e p a r t ment of Agriculture as m a y be designated for the purpose p u r s u a n t to t h e rules a n d regulations of t h e Secretary of Agriculture for a determination of the true grade shrinkage, or clean content, including t h e comparison thereof, if requested, with types or with other samples submitted for the purpose. T h e final certificate of t h e D e p a r t m e n t of Agriculture showing such determination shall be binding o n officers of t h e United States and shall be accepted i n t h e courts of the United States as prima fade evidence of t h e true t y p e grade or comparison thereof when involved i n any transaction or shipment in commerce. The Secretary of Agriculture shall make rules and regulations for s u b mitting samples of wool, mohair, or tops therefrom for typing or g r a d i n g / ' I t is plain t h a t the Department of Agriculture, if t h e measure is passed as now written, will be competition w i t h
consultants and testing laboratories (small businessmen). T h e small businessman of the chemical i n d u s t r y , t h e consultant a n d owner of a testing laboratory, faces a black looking future. Apparently he intentionally or otherwise has been selected by those who pose as t h e friend and champion of small business as t h e No. 1 sacrifice on the altar of bureaucracy. The proposed O'Mahoney wool bill is b u t one straw in t h e wind. T h e D e p a r t m e n t of Agriculture, according t o information which the editors of this publication believe to be reliable, is engaged a t t h i s very moment in direct competition with private testing laboratories in t h e Chicago area which specialize in egg analyses. I t is becoming increasingly evident t h a t determined efforts will be m a d e t o carry over into peacetime operation a n d in direct competition with private enterprise, m a n y of t h e d e p a r t m e n t ' s testing laboratories started during t h e war t o pass on g o v e r n m e n t purchases. T h e D e p a r t m e n t of Agriculture is not the only governm e n t agency providing direct competition to t h e small businessman in t h e chemical industry. On March 22 t h e Philadelphia office of t h e Technical Advisory Service, D e p a r t m e n t of Commerce Office of Small Business, forwarded to us a request for d a t a , aside from t h a t contained in confiscated enemy p a t e n t s , on m e t h o d s of manufacturing progesterone, testosterone, and estradiol. Our answer was the suggestion t h a t t h e firm interested in these products employ a capable consultant. I n a letter dated April 1, we were in effect told t h a t we did not understand t h e operations of t h e Technical Advisory Service a n d t h a t a representative of the Washington h e a d q u a r t e r s would contact us t o explain the plan. T o d a t e we h a v e n o t been contacted—and therefore remain unconverted. T h e outlook for thousands of m e n and women, m e m b e r s of t h e chemical profession, is none too bright. After years of study a n d experience they are engaged as small professional business m e n and women i n performing services for industry. T h e y face increasing competition from governm e n t d e p a r t m e n t s a n d agencies. T h e word " r e s e a r c h " intrigues t h e politician, even though he knows little a b o u t its many ramifications. H e is ignorant of, or chooses to ignore, the fact t h a t t h e consultant is a small businessman and will be eliminated if Government takes over his m e a n s of livelihood. T h e politician would lead the general public to believe t h a t t h e chemical industry is solely composed of gigantic enterprises. Nothing is further from the t r u t h . I n t h e category of small businessmen are t h o u s a n d s of independent consultants w h o are vitally i m p o r t a n t to industry, b o t h large a n d small, if t h e idea of p r i v a t e e n t e r prise is to r e m a i n p a r a m o u n t in t h e American w a y of life. At this p o i n t p e r h a p s we should all rise a n d sing t o the t u n e of t h e old Y a l e ditty, a n d snore recently a d o p t e d by t h e air cadets: We are poor little consultants about to lose our way Baa, Baa, B a a We are little black sheep who have lost our pay Baa, Baa, B a a Gentlemen researchers out of a job, damned from here to Eternity God have mercy on such as wé Baa, Baa, Baa
