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I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
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Vol. 15, No. 6
EDITORIALS
A Division of Labor
it seems to us that the first question shouId be-Can this work be done to better advantage elsewhere? Is it the type N working out problems by the scieqtific method, what of work that so nearly approaches applied science that i t should be the division of labor between the scientific should be undertaken at the sole expense of the industries laboratories of the Government and those inaugurated and concerned, preferably in their own laboratories or through supported by industry? suitable arrangements with commercial or academic laboraThe time has come when our government laboratories tories equipped for this class of work? If so, the governcan insist that industry assume more responsibility, thus ment scientists should do all that they can to help direct the affording the government laboratories a much desired oppor- work, give freely of their advice, and, if need be, loan men. tunity to do more really fundamental work. Concurrently, But it should not be made a part of their own program. the industries to which the value of fundamental work has The second question should be-Is this particular bureau been demonstrated should do all they can to secure for the the one in which this work should be done if it is to be underfederal laboratories freedom from interruption and increased taken under government auspices? Fortunately, the last support to enable them to carry out a satisfactory research few years have seen created the Bureau of the Budget, which will not approve appropriations for work in one bureau program. Unquestionably, many an industry has been inducted into duplicating that in another, and the Bureau of Efficiency, a research program by the gentle method of first having the which is called upon to determine the facts in the case. Government do some of its research. This is commendable The bureau first approached should refuse work if it does not and of mutual advantage, but the number of instances properly come under its own direction and assist the inquirer where this course must be pursued is constantly diminishing. in finding the proper laboratory. This plan is not only best The example set by more than fifty trade associations and from an economic standpoint, but also for industry. scores of individual establishments in inaugurating and If the industries will take over all those industrial problems adequately maintaining research will do much to convert which are more on the applied than on the pure side of our the others. The admirable policy of creating advisory science and support the federal laboratories in a program of committees of men chosen from among the industries and fundamental research, the latter can then undertake that educational institutions to assist in guiding governmental type of investigation which the industries for one reason research has had as its principal by-product the stimulation or another cannot do to the best advantage. The deterof research in those laboratories from which the members mination of standards and of constants, investigations into of the committees come. Their usefulness in this connection the behavior of materials under a811sorts of conditions, and is therefore twofold and difficult to overestimate. in general the long-time studies on why rather than how, There are also instances where the men are placed tempo- are typical of what we have in mind. More than one group rarily in government laboratories to cooperate upon a special of scientists is impatient to engage upon such problems which problem. This procedure is likewise commendable, makes must be solved before real progress can be made in many for efficiency, and might be extended very profitably by send- related fields. But they are constantly called off to devote ing more government men into industrial laboratories on their energies to righting some immediate disorder, so that the same basis. Even where the type of fundamental work, they cannot really become acquainted with the factors which which we believe is the peculiar province of government cause it. The difference is similar to that between the work laboratories, is undertaken, much would be gained if industries df the practitioner and of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical usually consulted on new projects could directly support Research. Unfortunately, too, in some bureaus in the past them through the appointment of research fellows. This there has been the necessity or desire, or both, to do only plan not only augments the federal appropriations, but en- that type of work which could be translated into increased sures an interest from the start on the part of industrialists. appropriations. We believe that our government bureaus The Utilization of the resulting data is thereby guaranteed have so established themselves as a valuable asset that this to a degree that would be difficult upon any other plan. consideration can now be disregarded. We must remember that the Government ’is the largest Results obtained at small cost are more often than not underbuyer in the country, and that as such some of its laboratories evaluated. What we fear is that industries may come to lean too must become sufficiently familiar with materials, their probheavily upon the federal laboratories for the fundamental lems of manufacture and utilization, to enable them to adwork essential to their own advancement. There are ex- vise the Government both as to the preparation of proper amples of industries saying to themselves, “our importance specifications and the determination of whether the goods to the public is such that the Government should do our supplied conform to them. But aside from this, we hold research for us,” and this attitude we believe leads to much that the government laboratories are seldom justified in interference with the kind of work the federal laboratories undertaking industrial research except as a stimulus to the are set up to accomplish. I n other countries we have the industries themselves, concerning a material of vital interest example of the results of too much assistance on the part to the people yet solely under the control of a single corp6raof the government. One of the difficulties confronting the tion, or where there is no question as to the best results being Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in Great obtained through such a course. It seems clear that such a division of labor must be carried Britain seems to lie in the grants made in the establishment of research associations which have not encouraged industries out if we are to derive the greatest good from our expenditure, to support the enterprise as had been contemplated, but have and we believe all those concerned will be quite willing to bear their part of the burden and share with each other the rather led them to expect further grants. When an industry approaches a government institution, fruits of their effort.
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