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obtained a t greater values of ATt. This is inevitable, because a slight error in pipe-surface temperatures makes relatively large errors in the values of h,. I n this apparatus the flow of steam was in the same direction as the flow of condensate. This would aid in the removal of condensate from the pipe surface and result in an increased coefficient. Literature Cited (1) Badger, Trans. A m . Insl. Chem. Eng.,13 (II), 139 (1921). (2) Badger and Shepard, I b i d . , 13 ( I ) , 139 (1920). (3) Clement and Garland, University of Illinois Expt. Sta., Bull. 40 (1909). (4) Kerr, Louisiana Agr. Expt. Sta., Bull. 149, 27. ( 5 ) Morris and Whitman, IND. ENG.CHEM.,20, 234 (1928). (6) Pridgeon and Badger, I b i d . , 16, 474 (1924). (7) Van Marle, J. I. and E. C . , I b i d . , 16, 458 (1924).
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Figure 7
Industrial Public Relations from the Engineering Standpoint’ Leon V. Quigley BAKELITR CORPORATION, 247 P A R KA v z . , A-RWYORK, N. Y.
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ODERF industry, built fundamentally on research, production, and sales, has nom developed an auxiliary department which coordinates with the first three in relating industry to its market or “field of force.” This organized effort-interpreting and relating industry to its clients and to the general public-is designated by the term “public relations.” The work embraces several distinct lines of activity, but always there are two principal standards which it is expected to meet. From the standpoint of science technical information must be unequivocally accurate; commercial effectiveness demands that it be interesting and keyed to the readers’ viewpoint. Granting this twofold standard, public relations work in the chemical industry can proceed most effectively when its purpose and methods are understood and constructively criticized by the chemist and engineer. no less than by industrialist and commercial executive. I n citing the departments of research, production, and sales as fundamental in modern industry, we are, of course, additionally aware of the importance of finance and administration. We are assuming, however, that these factors underlie industry as a whole, and in the inter& of conciseness we shall not elaborate on their function. Likewise we are mindful of numerous other departments in industry, such as purchasing, advertising, engineering service.. The scope of the present paper will not permit a discussion of these several related departments. For the purpose of this rbsumb, they will be understood to be included under the three major divisions, research, production, and sales. So, too, public relations activity is related, particularly to sales. I n some measure it could be classed under each one of the three fields, but in view of the scope of duties it is probably best understood when separately considered. To a limited extent public relations work can be performed, and is performed, by workers in every department of industry. I n organizations of considerable size, however, the field of the activity becomes ’
1 Received March 8, 1930. Presented before the Division of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry at the 79th Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Atlanta, Ga., April 7 to 11, 1930.
automatically so large that a separate departmental unit is assigned the task of its direction. The work of such a department may be defined as an organized and sustained liaison effort dedicated to the task of coordinating an organization with its market or field of senice. I n this function it does not replace or duplicate the work of service engineering and sales, but serves rather as an auxiliary. An interesting fact is that public relations activity does not operate like sales promotion and advertising, within the scope of their correct definition. True, it is conducive to sales results, but its methods are those of mediation rather than promotion. I t studies and seeks to improve the relationship between industry and its market, but it differs from advertising in the content, method, and appeal of its work, and notably in the regulation of emphasis. The economic value of public relations work is found in the fact that it serves to relate industry to its market. Thus it participates in the development, direction, maintenance, or increase of commodity interchange. Commodity interchange is usually the raison d’etre of business, commerce, or industry. Origin of Public Relations Work
The origin of public relations work can be traced to the older profession of law. Analogies are found in the logic of its procedure, the advisory nature of its counsel, and in the reliance it places on expert testimony. I n industry the advisor in public relations is as yet less understood in his function than the corporation counsel in his legal function. This condition appears natural, however, when we realize the relative antiquity of the legal profession. Probably difficult to define was the profession of the first lawyer who stood forth t o interpret the position of a client. Organized legal counsel developed only after the premise was granted that there was both justification and value in having some particular consultant designated to study the procedure of the law and to specialize in presenting the other fellow’s case at court. Like the business of law, the work we are discussing is as old as human experience. The role of the ambassador is not
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new. However you may regard the term “public” as descriptive of the mediation or liaison department, the word “relations” is here properly explicit. Not only does it imply the coupling of things together, but it means also the act of recounting, describing, narrating. Thus, according to definition, counsel on public relations serves both as coordinator and narrator. Public relations work, as a profession, had its industrial origin at the beginning of the present century. Its development, then, was occasioned by the effort fairly to interpret both sides of controversial situations which arose in the operation of public utilities. One senses the difference between a frantic and a temperate press a t the time of coal strikes and railway labor trouble; likewise a t times of regional or national economic depressions; likewise when operating regulations for public utilities are being determined or adjudicated by courts or boards representing municipalities, states, or the nation. Found useful in emergencies, when accurate interpretation was desperately needed, public relations liaison was retained to function when interpretation could be justified only as part of normal operation. From public utilities-notably, electric power, transportation, and communication companies; organizations engaged in the mining and distribution of coal and oil; and companies engaged in the packing of meat products-an interest in organized mediation and interpretation developed in the electrical manufacturing industry generally, including the producers of electrical machinery. During the past decade the organized effort of interpreting an organization to its field of force has advanced to embrace professional societies, trade associations, research foundations, as well as numerous industrial organizations, mechanical, electrical, and chemical.
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writer” is too often made to speak as one in authority, whether about pentosans or ptarmigans, Diesel engines, or television. Looking at the problem from another angle, we find that the researcher responsible for the achievement is seldom in the best position to interpret his work to the public, even though he be willing to make the attempt. So, too, in industry. The achievement of the research laboratory and of the production unit can best be interpreted by qualified witnesses who specialize in the difficult technic of interpretation. Naturally, it is to be stipulated that ex parte witnesses be zealous in obtaining from the actual doers of the work every morsel of evidence which will be conducive to accurate interpretation and thorough understanding. It is assumed, further, that the interpreters will be bound by standards, technical as well as literary; also that their training and experience in a given technical field will have been such as to give authority to their interpretation in that field. At this point you may suggest that all of the work of the research laboratory cannot be talked about to trade journals, to the newspaper press, to clients, to the public. Likewise, it is fair to say that a portion of the work in plant and laboratory is not worth talking about. But, with complete recognition of these conditions, it is the business of the interpreter to consider all factors, and then ethically to disseminate such portions of the available information as may appear, in his judgment, to be interesting, timely, and useful. Information should be released only when it is deemed valuable to the recipient, and to the recipient no less, and in fact a bit more, than t o the organization which releases it. Standards
From these considerations we find that there are severa1 requirements to be met. Science and engineering require, The value of public interpretation of science achievements and properly, that the description of technical work be authorihas been recognized by such organizations a s the AMERICAS tative, accurate, conservative, professional. Next, comCHEMICAL SOCIETY, and it may be assumed that the work of mercial industry requires that the reporting of its work be acthe News Service is well known to you. Harrison E. Howe, curate and constructive; further, that the report be in acthe director, in his annual report published in the Journal cord with a highly individualized, though ramified entity, of the American Chemical Society of February, 1930, says: called policy. Industry stipulates, also, that public relations activity, like other departments, be justified economically a s The AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETYNews Service has become contributing to the raison d’etre of the particular business of an institution of international reputation, highly regarded by the the industry. Finally, the clientele, or the public, requires press associations and by the authentic channels established by thedailypress to disseminate important news. * * * An activity that the interpretation of technical work be correct, interestsuch as the News Service requires continued effort if the great- ing, or advantageous to them-in general, it must be worthy est results are to be obtained. Fortunately, the SOCIETYhas of their attention. adopted this policy, with the result that the News Service is held Reviewing the standards imposed upon technical public in high respect and the results it obtains are cumulative for the SOCIETY and for science relations work, and understanding its place and relative imThe value of the third party, or counsel, in interpreting the portance in industry, we see that it is a subject in which men work of science and industry can best be indicated by a spe- of science may be expected to be increasingly interested. Their interest and cooperation, manifested by criticism and cific example. For instance, let us consider the case of a suggestion, are indispensable. More than upon any other chemist announcing, at a meeting of the AMERICAK Cmwfactor, successful furtherance of public relations work in the CBL SOCIETY,the completion of a phenomenal research chemical industry depends upon the intelligent cooperation achievement. We should expect this to be reported in trade journals and in the newspaper press. It is the duty of science of chemists and engineers. to make its work known-for the advancement of science, Classification of Public Relations Work for the instruction of the profession, and for the information Industrial public relations work can be classified into six of the public a t large. But today scientific advance is so ramified, and specialization so universal, that the average or eight major branches. The comprehensive program outpublication may be in no position to obtain a suitable account. lined below embraces activities which are variously described The expert reporting of technical achievements, in divers as technical publicity, press bureau, educational service, specialized fields, can be accomplished by the magazine or news service, etc. newspaper, per se, only when it maintains a large reportorial (1) Furnishing technical information to the trade journal and staff of experts. For most publications this entails an ex- newspaper press, particularly a t their request, and in line with pense too large to carry. Perhaps the press would omit men- established journalistic and technical standards. (2) Cooperation with authors, editors, and lecturers who retion of the incident in question; more likely it would publish quest informational summaries of an industry or data on some an account which was sensational, rather than conservative; phase of its specialized operation and policy. garbled and ambiguous, rather than concise and accurate. (3).Preparation of bulletins and institutional literature of a That clever, valuable, inimitable fellow known as “staff technical nature-involving compilation of data, preparation of Interpretation of Scientific Achievements
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text, and selection and captioning of illustrations. This form of manufacturers’ literature is devised, not as a general advertising message to customers or potential customers, but rather as technical literature. It may be designed for specific groups-engineers, scientists, students, the public. (4) Cooperation with personnel of industry, by assisting in their preparation of papers and articles for presentation to the professional societies. ( 5 ) Cooperation with innumerable organizations and individuals, (classifiable as miscellaneous). Their first contact with an industry may, or may not, warrant transference to the other departments, such as research, production, and sales. This heading includes the maintenance of a general information bureau. (6) Preparation and presentation of public addresses; participation in work of professional societies, trade associations, etc. (7) Educational service. This involves the dissemination of information to universities, colleges, and schools; the devising of exhibits, pictorial services, motion-picture films, etc. ; also the furnishing of advices for theses and for student projects. (8) Observation and study of the trend of news events, generally, with a view to coijperation with the press in guiding public attention authoritatively t o particular science aspects thereof. For instance, the public relations counsel of a company producing helium would be useful to the press and valuable to his company by reason of his being informed on current dirigible flights. Valuable also would be his technical knowledge-of chemistry and physics generally, and of the properties, and isolation problems, of the rare gases specifically.
-4subject of especial int’erest is the field of educational service by industry. Industry meets education along many avenues, but particularly in the transfer of education’s product to adult employee status. It is apparent that there must be a liaison of interest between the two fields. Likewise, it is assumed that cooperation by the industrialist is to be responsive to t’he invitation of the educat’or. I n other words, cooperation is to be along lines which have been approved by educat’ors as sound, et’hical, and valuable in the work of the classroom. But nom one may suggest that, in order to justify the maintenance of educational service by industry, the program must be made reciprocally valuable. True, but this reciprocal value to industry must be entirely secondary, and incidental to the primary purpose of education. Whatever is furnished material, inby industry t o the schools and colleges-text formation, or consultation-has properly as its dominant purpose scientifically and conservatively to inform. Education, and each of the other seven topics enumerated, could profitably be made the subject of a separate treatise. It is the purpose of the present paper to present a concise and balanced infroduction to the program of public relations as a whole. Principles of Procedure
Evidence has been offered to show that puhlic relations activity, as a department of modern technical industry, is properly conducted according to principles d procedure which are sound from the engineering viewpoint. What are these principles? First, reason for the work must be surmised t’oexist. Second, a logical purpose of the work must be established. Third, the principal subdivisions of the work must’ be determined; this involves establishment of limits or defining the field of operation. Fourt’h, all important relevant fact,ors must be listed and appraised. Fifth, the relativity and related importance of these factors must be accurately determined, Sixth, as the locus of field limit broadens, coherence and unity of the principal purpose must remain paramount. Seventh, the central purpose of the work must be in focus from the viewpoint of engineering and science, impersonally, as well as within the focus of the int’erested industry. The sequence of this procedure is analogous to the deductive and inductive methods which underlie the logical advance of labcratory and plant work in chemistry. It’ suggests
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the engineering maxim of “getting all the facts and then proceeding.” Conducted in line with such principles of engineering procedure, public relations work relies on the cooperative interest and support of those engaged in the more operational technical phases of the laboratory and the plant. Benefiting from the constructive criticism of the chemical profession, it will proceed to do its best work, as an adjunct to production and sales, and as a eo-partner of research, which is the nucleus of the industrial future. Conclusion
By review of the points we have cited, the subject of public relations activity is doubtless nom clearer in mindparticularly its function in chemical industry. We see that the subject is specialized; further, that it does not supplant or duplicate the aim and function of other departments of industry whose designations, becausc older, are better known. I n defining the role of public relations departmental work in cheniical industry, you will recall that its prime function is that of interpretation and adjustment. Present-day industry is characterized by market complexities and by rapid transitions of process, of product, and of product application. Because of the importance and prevalence of these factors, research has come to be recognized as the safeguard of industry. I n further recognition of these characteristics. specialized departments are delegated to coordinate, continuously, the viewpoint of an industry, and its reason for existence, with the requirements and interests of the clientele and public which it is in business to serve. You may not agree with Abraham Lincoln that public sentiment is everything. Lincoln went further to say that “with public sentiment nothing can fail, without it nothing can succeed.” You may say, for instance, that there are chemical industries which do not concern the public a t all. While exceptions to any such statement can undoubtedly be found, the fact should be granted that the value of coordination between certain industries and the lay public is a minimum compared to an indispensable maximum for others. But in considering the function of public relations work in chemical industry, we do not mean that the field of contact is, necessarily, the millions of men on the street. The public of a n industry may involve principally the general public, or the industry’s clientele, or both. Abundantly granted is the fact that the future of industry is governed by the vigilance and extent of its research. Recall a t the same time that applied chemistry is the industry which has, relative to its capitalization, the most monev devoted to research. Research, t o do its best work in safeguarding industry, requires interested support. The conviction that research laboratories are valuable, and the guarantee of their maintenance by the “patient money,” of which John Teeple speaks, is based on interest in the results, understanding of the method, and confidence in the value of rcsearch achievement. Public relations work whose business it is to inform, to interpret, and to enlist cooperative interest. fulfils, therefore, a fundamental function in chemical industry.
The conversion of xylose to the corresponding monobasic and dibasic organic acids by oxidation constitutes a possible use for this now readily available sugar, according to the Bureau of Standards. A study of the oxidation of xylose with nitric acid indicates that the best production of the sugar acids takes place with the least loss of nitric acid when the molar ratio of sugar to nitric acid is kept close to 1:2, and when the period of oxidation is kept to a minimum. This latter precaution is necessary because the nitric acid driven from the oxidation mixture after the first vigorous reaction has taken place is almost entirely unrecoverable.
