March, 1929
I S D C S T R I S L d S D EiVGISEERISG CHEXIXTRY
201
The misinformation, incorrect and deceptive statements, and unsound data presented have done great harm, and because they have been taken as true in some localities have contributed to disturb normal industrial processes. We are told that in one locality cottonseed is being withheld from the gins because a demand for manufacturing xylose worth one hundred dollars a pound is anticipated. It is a great pity that Senator Schall’s advisers could not have saved him the embarassmeiit that must be his as a result of becoming a party to something that appears like propaganda, probably aimed a t certain developments under private capital, to which reference is made in the Congressional Record of February 7 , beginning a t page 3132. It is fortunate that Congressman Holaday has endeavored to correct the misstatements in the syndicated articles and is able to quote government officials to refute completely the claims that have been made. It develops that the alleged correspondent was responsible for the Schall bill, but why he is so interested is a matter for conjecture. In the series to which we refer. statements are made that newspaper correspondents in Washington have banded themselves together to suppress information on farm waste utilization, that the United States Department of Agriculture has FEW years ago our good friend Ellwood Hendrick in conspired with the Washington newspaper correspondents and his inimitable style wrote some verses, entitled “Kews- the lumber and paper industry to prevent the manufacture paper Chemistry,” which were most entertaining and ac- of pulp from field crops, that the Department of Agriculture curately portrayed the vein in which the lay press formerly has attempted to prevent the Bureau of Standards from disdiscussed chemical discoveries. That type of chemistry has covering new methods to help the farmer, that private enterwell-nigh disappeared, and the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY prise has failed, and that the new methods discovered a t is most grateful to the press of the country for its construc- the Bureau of Standards would not be adopted by industry tive cooperation. until these public demonstrations are made. In his address, Rarely, if ever, even in the old days of sensational news- Congressman Holaday indicates how completely these statepaper chemistry, were the heights reached in the Congressional ments are untrue, but the damage that has been done reRecord of January 7, 1929, equaled. mains and shows itself in extensive correspondence which There were many smiles when Senator Schall, of Llinne- the bureaus concerned are obliged to handle in an effort to sota, introduced S. 4894, which was a bill authorizing appro- correct the misinformation that has been given and the erronepriations for “demonstrating plants in the utilization of waste ous impression that has been made. products from the land.” I n the introduction to the bill We have repeatedly pointed out how needful those in public one noted numerous errors in the “whereases,” and then life are of the advice of experts in these days when outstandfound autho;ization of a million dollars for a plant to demon- ing public questions rest on scientific achievement. We strate the manufacture of flax and wheat-straw pulp and doubt if there will soon be another example which so depaper. and five hundred thousand to demonstrate the manu- cisively proves the point. facture of alcohol from potatoes-both to be located in Minnesota. Then came a million for rice-strsw pulp and paper manufacture in Arkansas; another million for similar manufacture from sugar cane a t Baton Rouge; a million for strawboard in California; a million for cornstalk pulp and paper in HE views of an individual with respect to the saturation Indiana; another million to demonstrate the manufacture of of the market for chemists and chemical engineers is wheat-straw pulp and paper in Kansas; and fifty thousand naturally limited to his own experience. Where schools dollars to demonstrate that xylose can be manufactured have met success in preparing men for industry, the demand from peanut shells, the plant to be located in Georgia. With usually exceeds the supply, while elsewhere some difficulty the number of people easily available in Washington and may be encountered in placing graduates. In view of the vicinity who could throw real light upon these questions and dircussions which we hear on this subject, we took some explain the unsoundness of such procedure. as well as waste pleasure in learning recently from one progressive and rapidly should it be undertaken, it seems strange that the Senator, growing concern that its rate of expansion is, to a certain who is doubtless sincere. should have introduced such a bill. degree, limited by the availability of suitable personnel. The Congressional Record of January 7 , begintiing on page This organization appreciates so keenly the importance of 1299, contains remarks by the Senator on turning farm waste well-trained men that it rarely turns down a likely candidate into farm profits and devotes several pages to newspaper and is always searching for better brains, for which it clippings, some of which relate to the experiment a t Danville, is willing to pay. There have been many ways of saying Ill., in which we have all been interested, and further to a that there is always room a t the top, that there is less crowdseries of syndicated articles purporting to be by a well-known ing a t the top than a t the bottom of the ladder, and so on. Washington correspondent. These comprise “3 series of arti- But here is a concrete example of what is facing a good many cles suggesting that the Bureau of Standards be permitted of the industries either founded on science or those that to add an almost unbelievable revenue to the income of the have become science conscious. I n every profession there are American farmer, resulting from experiments just completed always a number who do not have the capability of achieving a t Washington.” Had these articles appeared only in the the place which they have set up as their ideal. It is equally Congressionnl Record, far less harm would have been done, true that there will always be a distinct shortage of those but they were syndicated by their author and widely printed. who are really qualified to take the lead.
Here and there one finds a manufacturer or firm fully cognizant of the benefits accruing to them if technical men are permitted to take leave for specific research work in one of our educational institutions, and some of these offer graduate work which would seem to be well designed for such study. Xnno~uicements in our S E ~EDITIOK S from time t o time place emphasis upon particular facilities, and we know of in>tances where special courSes along lines which their experience showed needed the help of continuing adult education have been provided for men on leave from industry a t the institutions for advanced training. We believe progressive firms would be glad to cooperate with men who show themselves ambitious enough to undertake this further work. We have known of some cases where the industry concerned has been willing to do more than its share to assist such a man to become a far more valuable employee. Announcements of special summer courses, of fellowships and instructorships, and other inducements appear from time to time. !Are recommend a consideration of these opportunities in planning the best use of one’s time.
Congressional Chemistry
A
Expansion and Men
