EDITORIALS time not come ~ I i c nthe man ~ v h obuys an original package of nppnrntus or clicmicals should h a w tlic lovest price for t h n t L1-c llavc frcquciitly been asked what arc t h e prcscnt con- package, rcgardlcss of t h e rcst of his order? Why should a ditions uncIcr n.hicli apparatus and chemicals can bc imported. laboratory bc given special consideration because of the size To supply thc msivcr n c have rnadc a carcful invcstigntion, of a misccllnncous orclcr ovcr another laboratory which is and belicw the results justify editorial comment. willing to buy in stnndard pacltages? TO t h e bcst of our It seems inadvisable to undertake importntion of misccl- knowledge, this condition docs not obtain in other lines of Inucous lists at the preecnt timc. Wlicrc highly specialized business. The grocer ivho buys a barrel of sugar gets the lowpicccs of npparntns are reqiiircd and the purchaser is prepared est pricc on the barrel without regard to t h e number of boxes t o inke any 2nd all risks involvcci, inciuding nnnoying ciciays, of raisins, prunes, a n d soap which accompany the order. thcrc is, of course, more rcason for importation t h a n There Each item is priced on the quantity of t h a t item. misceilaneous lists for stiidcnts are to be purclirLwd nt definite Some dcnlers hnvc also been somewhat responsible for prices nnd for dclivery a t a specified time. lye find t h a t with present methods of buying by encouraging large laboratories tlin prcscrit German gowrnmentnl control of glnsswnrc pt'icw to estinintc in March what they !vi11 need iii October. The tlirough csport rcpulntions, there is little, if any, price result has becn that mnny an institution has found itself with ntfvantngc i n importing glnssuwc, porcelain, etc., from t h a t quantitics of material Iying idle in the stockroom, has bought coiintry. T h e tiinc of delivery is most uncertain, while unwisely csccpt for n few stnnclnrd itcms, and has in many rliiniiry is often ililvrior to tJini of lirc.--iv'rtr y w s . This mat- cases prncticctl false cconomy. It n ; o ~ l t l1 3 ~an escellcnt tcir of q i i d i t y nntl ~ v n r l m n n s h i p:ipplirs both to nppnlntus thing for nll concerned if tlic dcnlcrs would agree upon n nnrl to ciiciriicnl.. Jlucli inferior nppnrntus hns coinc in 1111- sound business sslcs policy and seck codpcration of thc niu.t.krd and 1s cnllctl .Imericnn in case of complaint. One laigc liuycrs in following out that policy. of thc bmt known mnkcs of rcagrnts s h o w nlniost unbclicvIt dcvolvcs upon the consumer to dctcrminc what is quality. ablc tlctrriorntion as jutlgod by recent lots, and we arc in- For csnmplc, rubber manufacturers linvc comc t o know t h a t forincd tlint t h e :ictunl mnnagcrncnt of the works has rcccntly many ordcrs for tubing nnd stoppers zre plnccd solely on t h e fallen into new hands. There is therefore little, if any, ad- hmis of price, and thc maker finding the bcst may for introw n t n g c i n price, qunlity, or delivery. Lnst year onc of our ducing n high percentage of various fillers a n d substitutes h t known supply houscs purchased only 6 per cent of its gets tlic busincss. Thc result is t h a t the best apparatus sccick from Gcrninny, dcspiic ~ i i grcnt c ndvantsgc in exchange. clcalcrs cnn no longcr clcpcnd upon regular stock production T i e prcscnt unsatisfactory condition under which imfor Inhorntory uce, but are compcllccl to have special tubing portations can be madc prcscnts a wonderful opportunity to and stoppcrs mndc to insure uniformity and reasonable qudAincricnn mnnuf'acturers and t o our dcnlers. Therc is also a ity for the purpose intended. iicc\(I for constructive work on the part of t h e users. Let us And so Kith many other items in thc list of 15,000 ~diic11 treat thcse points in turn. make u p the modern chemical npgnratuf catalog. Our l\'r ncctl not rchcnrsc the wonrlcrful achievements of our Committcc on Giiarantecd Reagents and Standnrd Appnmtus is doing constructive work of valuc. Might not that ii1:~rl1i!':lcttl~rr~ thus far. ilmrricnn manufncturers h a w i t i : d f i c m ~ in l glas5, in porcclnin, in pyrometew, in hcmacytom- Committcc or somc otlicr bc clinrgctl with the duty of dei n clcctricnl incn\urcmeIit apparatus, analytical bnl- termining stnndnrtlc; of qunlity 3s n protection to tlic pur, drctric furnaccs, clcctrjc o w n s , :dl shcct-mctal n'nrr, clinscr 2nd nlso to the fnithful mnnufacturcr arid dcaler n.ho :rll limiln-nrc, rind a long list of tlcviccs which cnll for just, ns cndcavors to give q w l i t y a t n rcnson:tblc pricc? iiiu(~1iinqcmuity, rcwurcefulncw, ,znd pcrsistcncc for their T h e whole situation is after all an economic one. Wc tlcvclopnicnt ns is tlic case with any chcmicnl nppnratus. have stated somc of the factors involvcd. We can' accomStrr: 1 5 tlic tiinc for .Imei.icnn inaniifncturcrs to win all of thc plish thc best for nll conccrncd if we can agree upon a .\iiivric:\ii an(1 :L4:irc of tJic world mnrkct in face of foreign vorlcing progmm. What is your cspericncc? voiii1)ctition by tlic siiiiplc mcfhod of mnking the best appnrat u < :it crlunl or lon-cr priccc. if iJiis is possihlc, but a l m y s the llrb-t. l r a n y tluulit mhcthcr the i\merican market can ever The Freight Factor ~irctlby Alncricnn ninkcrs on a pricc h i s . There arc Our clicmicnl industry ]ins I m n confronted with one Iiniiciim y h L i n d i ~ : ~ ~Qiidity ) ~ . must bc mnde tlic distinction. .Iin~r.ic~uis cannot I)(! c y m t c d t o pay high prices for inferior cap after nnotlicr nnd hns nlready ovcrcoinc dificultics i i i . t f ~ ~ r i]Jut d , tlicy soon Icnrn the real cconomy of Iiuying gootls greater tlinn t l w c ever prcscntetl to otlicr comincrci:il cnter.I Inrgr stock of n foreign &ss lies unsnlnblc in priscs. ilinong the dificulties which nrc c m n i o i i to industry I< I I C ~ Y L I I W w r b n stiicIrni,s Iinvc lcarnctl tIi!tt i n thc i r i gc:iicr:ti, imt vvliicli :~ffcct,clicmistry t o :in unusunl dcgrcc, Iuiig run an ~Iirierioan g1n.s is not only Ixttcr bllt more t,lic FrciSlit fnotor is :tn csnrnplc. Otlicr couiitries (lo not meet this difficulty. Tiicy arc e co n om i e nl. I n goinr :ilmiit, we liavr hcnrtl of instnnccs whcre mnnu- fimdlcr, have consuming marlicts licnr prorluction ceri1em, factrircr\ 11,zvc not h c n willing to coijperRtc fully with users or hnvc the advantage of wntcrwnys like thc Ithinc. Tlic in provitling g!:~.-s~\nrcarid otlicr itoms in accortinncc m i t h sen ennldes mnny protluccrs to drlivcr goods nt n rntc n-liicli rewrin:iIh ipcxilicationi. JI:Lniifncturcrs must gv n littlc prnctically stiflcs tlic cort.csponrlinp; Ainericnn industry. rnorc t h i n half way i f t,hc imi, rcsiilts for all concrrncd arc to Thus, grades of clay for certain porcclnin insulntors arc brought from \\'ales at tcii sldlinjis pcr ton frciglit, while the snmc be fJht a i nrd , dcalars I1;iv~thrir oppoi t,rinity i n lirlping to plncc the gndcu from Ainrrirnn pits cnrry n freight of from n i n e to ten purchnqc of Iargc qiinni itici; o n n redly sounrl liasiq. IT:\..; tlic clollnrs n ton t o corisiiiiiing mnrlicta. Onc of the cliicf IinntfirYIi(l
