another, or else have started a business of his own. Suppose now that t h e lowestsalaried furrier had asked his t w o brothers t o form a union to raise their standard of living. Would they have become enthusiastic about it? It seems to me that this story pretty well illustrates the position in which chemists find themselves. Those who do nothing but count furs correctly, adding nothing of their own accord, will welcome any remedy which promises them higher compensation; those who can do a little better either might be induced to join, or else will be inclined to take their chances o n advancement by merit; but those who know how to translate their knowledge into terms of dollars and cents would hardly be interested. Buret
Readers
vs. Research
Chemists
The fur counters in chemistry are the buret readers. T h e y either belong t o the classification known professionally as laboratory technicians, or are fully trained chemists w h o perform no more than the tasks assigned t o t h e m , being unwilling, perhaps unable, to blaze a trail of their own. Technicians are to real chemists what nurses are to t h e medical profession. Nurses take temperatures, count pulses, give enemas. Their work, while essential, has little resemblance t o that of t h e surgeon who charges a thousand dollars for the operation at which they assist, or for which they prepare the patient. If technicians want to form a union, I see nothing wrong with it. * T h e y are craftsmen like nurses, or printers* or steelworkers, whether they read burets, determine sulfur in pig iron, or do other routine work. Their tasks require skill and training, but little or no individual initiative. They m a y do their work exceptionally well, or only moderately so, but they can do no better than do it faultlessly. T h e y have no chance to distinguish themselves in a w a y which rings the bell o n the employer's cash register. I t is understandable that, lacking other leverage, they believe that collective bargaining will improve their lot. Within certain limitations they are likely to be successful, more so if their demands are reasonable, less so if they ask for more than the traffic can bear. Control laboratories, after all, are only a specialized form of insurance, and if an insurance costs too much, people will go without it. Any firm jealous of its reputation will control its incoming and outgoing merchandise, but if t h e control comes too high in price, it may b e cheaper t o let complaints arise and adjust them. I know of concerns which have reduced their control work; others are having their work done b y commercial laboratories. T h e steadily rising ethical and scientific standards of supply houses also have diminished t h e necessity for constant checkups of incoming materials. V O L U M E
2 4,
NO.
9
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» »
Furthermore, whenever control work b e comes t o o expensive, human ingenuity will find automatic or semiautomatic methods t o take i t s place. An ordinary spindle can be used today to determine specific gravities, where scientific knowledge once was necessary; when the testing of automobile batteries became a routine task, a mechanical instrument w a s quickly p u t into use to do the analyst's work. Similar developments are taking place continually. Analytical chemists are in a way their own economic enemies, m a y even become their own grave diggers. N o t ail analytical work, of course, c a n be done b y routine workers, and I do n o t wish to detract from the merit of analysts who are putting their academic training t o good use. Their prospects also depend on the cash value management places o n what they do and, a s a rule, I a m afraid they can contribute very little of a tangible nature to the profits of the business. "But," you will say, "we are n o t technicians, nor are we analysts. W e are r e search men. Our station in life is fundamentally different." Is it really? I agree that the case of the chemist w h o does research work, o r other chemical work of an advanced nature, presents a differe n t economic aspect, but more so in degree than fundamentally. Working in an u n limited field, the problems he solves have a way of generating new ones in their
2%e
Cover
Selétllk^
wake; therefore, he is not his own economic enemy. But if he can do no more than execute other people's ideas, he still is a routine worker, even if on a higher level than the routine analyst. I t is for routine workers that unions have been created, and I am saying this without the slightest intent of disparagement. Where would the world be without good routine workers? Where would chemical industry be without skilled craftsmen? And why should not they, the same as other craftsmen, use any legitimate method open to them to improve their condition? Turning now to the high-grade research chemists, who form t h e bulk of the profession, who possess both initiative and ingenuity and are willing t o use them, 1 regret to say that their opportunities, too, are restricted. Our present business system is based on mass production; consequently, greater emphasis is placed on distribution than on technical development. T o illustrate: When an automobile is put on the market, its price is calculated on an-output of so many thousands per month. Should this output not be reached, all financial calculations go by the board, and the producer will run into financial difficulties. A research chemist in his employ m a y discover a new method of utilizing gasoline, thereby bettering the mileage per gallon'and, admittedly, in the course of time, increase sales. Neverthc-
•': ^ f f T 4 ^ ^ ^ 3 * » * 5 * * * î - -
r4
\w Β EBESSNT, ,QBL pur - cover; this issue, Roèssler and Hassiachar Chemical Co. î Harvey N . Gilbert, who will be presented at Niagara Falls in tlie same capacity "*? with the'Jacob F. f filerai of He lijftjé ' continue^ wah. this organization, ^ the "Western New" Yorïl· ëécèiba' of Hbhe which subsequently became Me Electro-" | e AÇS.âV Niagara ' . Ή ^ ^ ^ ^ ? ^ itf5^ cHeniicalstjÊètmrJtJmènt'orÉl I. du Pont'l âwarà was foimde^ - de Néinbùrs :^s Cô;, m ^'various research $ Jâebb-F* Sch^e^opif;^ positions., jEe is a t present in charge of < lishment of ^chemicalindustry '-otf: -fche the research work'on sodium and cya-^i mde^products^in tmSiOrgamzationi' ^r^ t| \Niagara frontier toencourage a n d x e c o g : GilBertcS-nomerous^patents mythe fieldofw nize ~th£v'spinfr of ψ^^^^ί^^^ύ^ά^^ sodium; ' proaucfcionu*purMcatiomv* nanr; J w h o is'dirécKôrbftïiesoaîunî^aùd^yànïàé dlinè, andKàppHcation^EayeJ c6htBbuted r | products research JofyEi-Ju' du~Bont-. de not onlv--to thetexpandisg use or -this 4 Nemours ,& Θ.οΛ Inc^. w a s unanimously metal in-inausfarv;^but.also ,to;progress^ chosen from: t ^ » in others fields :^such&as. relectrolysiSiOig ;Nèw^Yo*ric SecliipnFÊy^^ for îiis .outstanmng contributions t o ^ n e ^ aqueoiis^o2utions-and>fusedvsalts/;allo3gi production)" ':^^J^jg^y^^^m^^^^-. making, metal?îrefining, ana descaling; m k Hé ha§ •coiîtrijbutëËKalso, to tnejproâuç^â b)'xâbtaiU^spmùM'^âË derived'prTotiuétsi taon aribV i m p r o v e àhd formais contribution, ^6 i^eiav^d.e' ;1s^liflg practice thro riyèa'fïoms]bmùmi "*•·'/ Τ?Λ o f a novel^prpcé^f^^ââg;'àomi^-iiy* ^The ;: -l#iet ' SbhoêpopÎ ^meiîàMstl wajs' j i âxfaJ' '{ "V ''••"·*y' . :'/." Τ Ϋ ^ ^ ν ν ' selected-;ë^ a^jury comxtos^d of"Waîton^i Born iri Ëha^bèrisburgi Pa/,! i n I 8 8 9 , B. Scott, cHairmⅈ 'Àffî
