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law has been framed by the Soil Improvement Committee and a committee appointed by the chairman of the National Fertilizer Association which will be presented t o the Association of Commissioners of Agriculture in the effort to enlist their co.operation toward uniform legislation in all states. The report by Paul Rudnick from the Committee on Research and Methods of Analysis states t h a t the committee has before it the following subjects: METHOD FOR DETERMINATION O F SULFUR IN PYRITES-Mr. H. c . Moore has completed his work and has developed a satisfactory method, based on the Allen & Biqhop Method, and intended to teplace the faulty Lunge method. This will be presented to the Supervisory Committee for approval as soon as possible. MBTHOD FOR VALUATION OF NITRATE OF SODA-This subject has been taken up by Dr. E. W. Magruder. The purpose of this work is t o select OK develop a suitable method for the valuation of nitrate of soda for commercial purposes t o replace the antiquated, faulty West Coast Refraction method.
METHODFOR THE ANALYSISO F AMMONIUX SULFATE-The purpose of this work is t o develop a satisfactory method for the sampling and analysis of commercial ammonium sulfate. It has not been possible to assign this subject up t o the present time, but every effort will be made t o get i t under way as quickly as possible.
This being the regular meeting for the election of officers, a motion was passed authorizing the chairman t o appoint a nominating committee to return recommendations for officers for the coming year. The chairman appointed for this committee Messrs. Atwater, Rudnick and Blair, who recommended the following : Chairman, F. B. CARPENTER; Vice Chazrman, R . N. BRACKETT; Secretavy, H. C. MOORE; Executzve Contmzttee, H. J. WHEELER,C. H. JONES, E. W. MAGRUDBR, A. J. PATTBN.
A motion was made and duly passed t h a t the secretary cast the vote of the division for the as recommended. As there was no further the meeting was adjourned‘ H. C. MOORE,Secretary
NOT= AND CORRESPONDENCE CHANGE OF ADDRESS SECRETARY’S OFFJCE, A. C. S.
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synonym of it is mentioned or implied in the title. If this had been done 48 more compounds could have been found, making 63, although they would not, of course, have been tabulated in Members should note that the address of the Secretary, convenient form as they are in the decennial index. However, Charles I,. Parsons, is changed from Box 1505, Washington, it appears t h a t nearly half ( 5 2 ) of the compounds of the benzoD. C., t o 1709 G St., N. W., Washington, D. C. The SOCIETYtriazole group which were described during the ten years, were has opened new offices a t this address. Dr. Parsons has re- published more or less incidentally in 17 articles and could hardly signed from the Bureau of Mines in order t o give more time t o have been found conveniently in the best of indexes on the old SOCIETY work. He will also undertake a limited amount of plan. If a decennial formula index were available the searcher private consulting work, especially in the lines of inorganic could merely ascertain whether any particular compound had or chemistry and mineral technology, which he has for the past had not been described. .eight years handled for the Bureau of Mines. The ring index is an additional, and, so far as is known, original, feature which will enable a user of the indexes to trace THE DECENNIAL INDEX A S AN AID TO ORGANIC down by its formula (he need not know its name), any ring comRESEARCH plex, however complicated, and its derivatives as well. Some The final volume of the decennial index t o Chemical Abstracts 450 names of parent rings are listed in the decennial ring index alone, and many of these stand for two or more isomers, so it will soon be in the hands of subscribers. The two subject volwill be seen t h a t such an index is needed. It is supplemented umes form a practically complete index t o chemical literature for the years which they cover and the annual indexes for 1917 by a large number of numbered ring formulas in the main index. A list of organic radical names (about 3 3 0 ) , with their formulas, and succeeding years, being arranged on the same system, m a y be regarded as supplements to it, bringing it up t o date is also given, so that no doubt will exist as t o their meaning. periodically. The object of this note is t o call attention t o the The present editors of Chemical Abstracts are to be congratunique aid which thiq system of indexes offers in the searching ulated on the many admirable general features of the new inof organic literature. dexes, such as the “entry-a-line” plan, abundant use of cross The naming of the organic compounds according t o a uniform references and notes, indexing of subjects rather than words, system and indexing them under the names of parent compounds etc. One of these features will be of special help to the organic t o an extent not hitherto attempted in an index, give the system chemist if he will take the trouble t o become used to it, namely, some of the features of a general handbook of organic compounds, the little superior figure a t the end of the page reference which combined with the very great advantage of up-to-dateness. indicates the ninth of a page. When the page is full of organic It fills a need, therefore, which even a formula index (much as names a great deal of time is saved by narrowing down the t h a t is t o be desired) could not meet; and it has, in fact, already choice t o one or a few. With a little practice the location been used at Ohio State University in manuscript form with becomes very easy indeed. gratifying results. XENIA,OHIO AUSTIN M. PATTERSON One example may be given: Suppose that someone wishes t o August 27, 1919 look up the literature of the benzotriazoles (azimidobenzenes). At “Benzotriazole” in the decennial index will be found the full AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT names of 115 compounds, arranged in order, with their page At the 58th Meeting of the AMERICANCHEMICALSOCIETY references. Of the 2 5 abstracts in which these compounds are a large banner in the SOCIETY’S colors was hung in front of the described, only 6 give any indication in the title that would lead Bellevue-Stratford Hotel. This banner, which is made of the t o their being indexed under one of the class names given above. emblem, was purConsequently, in the ten annual indexes, prepared in the cus- best material and is a beautiful SOCIETY chased by Dr. George D. Rosengarten and has been presented tomary way, only 15 of the 115 compounds would easily be t o the SOCIETY to be kept in charge of the Secretary t o be used found. The rest are scattered through the vocabulary by reason of the fact t h a t their names have such beginnings as “dinitro-,” when needed a t future meetings of the SOCIETY.I feel also “phenyl-,” etc. Two more abstracts contain so much space that public acknowledgment should be made of the fact that on benzotriazoles t h a t they should have been indexed under this has heretofore been unknown t o the members t h a t Dr. Rosengarten has for some years furnished t o the SOCIETY .class heading in spite of the fact t h a t neither this name nor any the high-
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grade stationery attractively embossed with the SOCIETY pin, which is used in the offices of the President and Secretary. I feel that these contributions to the SOCIETY’S welfare should be known to all of our members and, accordingly, make this grateful acknowledgment here. CHARLES L. PARSONS, Secretary WASHINGTON, D. C.
LECTURES IN PREVENTIVE MEDICINE HARVARD UNIVERSITY Harvard University announces that Dr. Thomas M. Legge, Chief Medical Inspector of Factories in Great Britain, has been invited t o give a course of Lowell Lectures and the Cutter Lectures in Preventive Medicine for the coming year. These lectures will be given under the auspices of the School of Public
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Health of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Division of Industrial Hygiene. Dr. Legge will lecture in Boston on November 18 and ensuing dates upon the following subjects. The completed schedule of lectures will be issued on October 20. Twenty Years’ Experience of the Notification of Industrial’ Disease. Twelve Years’ Experience of Workman’s Compensation Act and Industrial Diseases. Medical Supervision in Factories. Industrial Poisons and Their Prevention. Anthrax. Fumes and Gases. Industrial Fatigue. Industry as a Subject for Art. Manufacture under the Mediaeval Trade Guilds.
WASHINGTON LFTTER
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B y J. B. MCDONNELL, Union Trust Building, Washington. D. C.
So far as Washington is concerned, the question of what protection will be granted the American dye industry by Congress, probably overshadows other things of interest t o the chemical world. The Longworth measure, in brief, provides for increased ad valorem duties, imposes higher specific duties, and has embodied in it the 45 amendments t o the existing tariff law which were recommended some time ago by the United States Tariff Commission. The fight that is certain to take place on the bill, however, will come upon its provision for a dye import licensing commission which shall have control of all imports and from whom it will be necessary t o obtain licenses for importation of dyes. Passage of the measure, without changes that will make i t materially different, is probable, although the opponents of the measure both among the dye consumers and dye importers have been busily endeavoring to strengthen their lines in Congress. With what success they have met yet remains to be seen; there is, however, little doubt of its passage. The Democratic members of the Ways and Means Committee, led by Representative Kitchen. of North Carolina, have solidly voiced their approval of an import licensing commission as a means of protecting the dye industry. They have also vigorously scored the tariff imposed in the measure as entirely too high, and unnecessary in view of the licensing feature. Republican members, on the other hand, are in support of the high tariff feature, and the majority are willing to accept the licenqing provision if they are convinced it is necessary. While Chairman Fordney of the committee has declared that “he has little faith” in the licensing provision, he has promised that he “will vote with the majority of the committee members in favor of the bill as it stands.” The sentiment in Congress is practically unanimous that the American dye industry should be protected sufficiently t o insure its continued growth and development. The Republicans are, naturally, protectionists, and the Democrats have before them the fact that President Wilson specifically mentioned the dye industry as one whose growth should be assured through protection. The question remaining to be solved is the method of protection. So ably was the case of the industry presented before the committee that, with the exception of one or two, members have been satisfied that the main essentials of the Longworth measure are necessary to proper protection. Representative J. Hampton Moore, of Pennsylvania, recently chosen as the Republican candidate for mayor in Philadelphia, is the chief opponent of the licensing commission. It was the absence from Washington of Mr. Moore, who under a leave of absence from the House was conducting his campaign in Philadelphia, which has been the principal cause of delay in consideration of the bill. Plans t o have the measure called up on September 15 met with failure because of the absence from Washington of Chairman Fordney, who under the rules of the House is formally in charge of the bill reported out by his committee. Representative Longworth has been active in rallying leaders t o the support of his measure, however, and several members of t h e Republican steering committee are among its supporters, Representative Moore has been determined in his opposition. It was at his instance that the hearings before the committee
were reopened and several consumers and dye importers were heard by the committee. The reason for his opposition, it is believed, is to be found among certain textile interests in Philadelphia. Mr. Moore also has held several conferences with Herman A. Metz, who is active in his efforts to defeat the licensing commission proposal and has charged several times that the American dye industry has not developed as has been stated by the dye manufacturers. The great body of the House will follow the leaders in voting on the measure. Republican leaders will support it because of its high tariff, and Democratic leaders will support it for t h e licensing provision, and although the latter probably will attempt to reduce the tariff rates, they are expected t o lend sufficient votes t o pass it. Following passage by the House the bill will go t o the Senate. There i t will be referred to the Finance Committee, of which Senator Penrose, of Pennsylvania, is chairman. In all probability hearings will again be held on the nieasure before the Finance Committee, and it is safe t o assume that opponents of the licensing feature will attend in greater force, and perhaps, better prepared, than was the case during the hearings before the House Ways and Means Committee. As to the probable fate of the measure in the Senate, it is yet too early to speculate. Senator Penrose, however, has said t h a t he will not strongly oppose the licensing commission, having been convinced that a greater number of dye consumers had offered their support t o it than had opposed it. Chairman Fordney has put off consideration of the dye bilk until all of the several other tariff measures which have been acted on by his committee have been disposed of. Early in August the House passed the measure introduced by Representative Bacharach, of New Jersey, which provided tariff protection for laboratory glassware, laboratory porcelain ware, optical glass and scentific and surgical instruments. It provides a tariff on glasswares and porcelain wares, laboratory apparatus, and other apparatus and appliances wholly or in part of glass or porcelain, for use in the sciences, or in analyzing or testing or for use in education, of 60 per cent ad valorem. A duty of 45 per cent ad valorem is imposed on philosophical, scientific and laboratory apparatus, utensils, instruments, and appliances a n d parts thereof, finished or unfinished, and preparations, including boxes and bottles containing the same. Dental and surgical instruments are given the protection of a duty of 60 per cent ad valorem and optical glass and instruments, are assessed 45 per cent ad valorem. Some other tariff measures have been passed by the House, but these, together with the dye bill, which still is t o be acted upon, must go t o the Senate, and when they will be acted upon by that body depends largely upon the speed with which the Treaty of Peace is disposed of. This may be passed within a short time or it may take several weeks before action is taken. It is hardly possible that either the dye bill or the scientific instruments measure will reach the floor of the Senate before the middle of October a t the earliest, according t o present indications. A supply of German vat dyestuffs, and possibly some other chemicals, is expected to be received in this country within the next sixty days. Dr. Charles H. Herty, editor of the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, sailed for France
