Oct., 1916
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING C H E M I S T R Y
975
1
NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCEp PAPER AND PULP TECHNOLOGY COURSES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MAINE Editor of the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: I enclose a clipping from The Chemical Engineer for August, purporting to be an extract of a letter by 8.D. Little in the Philadelphia Ledger. The date of its appearance in the Ledger is not given. “There is no school of papermaking in the country, and one of our most urgent industrial needs is the establishment of special schools in this and other industries for the adequate training of foremen who shall possess a sufficient knowledge of fundamental scientific principles and methods to appreciate the helpfulness of ,technical research. The Pratt Institute a t Brooklyn is fully alive to this demand and has shaped its courses admirably to meet it.” Mr. Little is the author of this statement, as it appeared in his annual report in February, 1913, as official chemist of the American Pulp and Paper Association. This statement is no longer true. It has not represented the facts since it was made, for in that same month of February, 1913,the University of Maine offered its first course in Pulp Mill Chemistry. Since that time this university has introduced ten courses, both classroom and laboratory. in Paper and Pulp Technology. Last year more than forty students in Chemical Engineering elected these courses. The effort of the University of Maine to provide instruction in the principles and practice of paper and pulp manufacture has met with such success that this field has since been entered by several other institutions. Some graduate work has already been done a t the University of Michigan and work in this field is contemplated by Syracuse University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and McGill University. It should be understood that the work a t the University of Maine is not merely the following out in the laboratory of a few set formulas and their explanation in the classroom, as a trade school might do. The curriculum a t Maine emhraces instruction in the fundamentals of chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics and languages. Among the students in the Pulp and Paper curriculum have been men from New York, West Virginia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and even from China and India. Graduates are already widely scattered in the United States and Canada. It, is, therefore, quite incorrect to say that there is no school of paper making h this country, even though we lack some expensive equipment and have not the extensive support and encouragement (compared with the schools of Germany and France) that ought to come from the Paper and Pulp Industry. J. NEWELLSTEPHENSON UNIVERSITY OB MAINE ORONO,September I . 1916
A. C. S. PROFESSIONAL INDEX Editor of the Journal of Industvial and Engineering Chemistry: In your editorial “Something to Think About” in THISJOURNAL, g (1916), 768, you suggest that the A. C. S. maintain a card catalog showing the professional status of its members. The application of some such idea as this to the entire membership list of the society would undoubtedly be of much value to a large number of the members. As you point out, it is very easy to become a member of the society. Also there are institutions in the country which consider membership in the A. C. S. sufficient ground on which to extend their courtesies, and accept this qualification as an indication of personal responsibility. ,is you probably know, the U. S. Department of Agriculture does maintain such a card catalog of all those employed in agricultural work under its jurisdiction. This suggestion of yours i s one worthy of serious considera-
tion, not only by the industrial chemists but by every member of the American Chemical Society, whether he be industrial, educational, or research chemist. Personally, I trust the idea will be followed out, and that we shall have such a directory available to all members just as our present directory is. GRIFFIN,GEORQIA FREDH. SMITH September 11,1916
CHEMISTS’ PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION Editor os the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry: While I feel that nothing is to be gained by a prolonged polemic discussion of the merits of Mr. Rollin G. Myers’ proposal to form a “Chemists’ Protective Association,”l I would like to close my discussion by pointing out that the keynote of my criticism of his proposal is that the efficiency of the individual worker and his attitude toward his work should be the basis of advancement. As a corollary to this proposition, I would add that I conceive it to be the duty of every chemist in charge of a laboratory to act as an inspiration to his men; to point out to those of promise who lack college training, by what means this lack can be made up (such means being for instance, work in Company schools where these are provided; the taking up of correspondence courses; evening study such as is afforded in many cities by the various evening schools, the extension work of Columbia University in Kew York City being a notable example; or where possible, actual attendance a t some university or college, if for no longer a period than a summer session per year for several years) and, finally to encourage all their men, college-trained or otherwise continually to study and thus keep abreast of progress in chemical science. Here is where the effect of the American Chemical Society on the efficiency of the worker is felt. By becoming a member he gets the opportunity to meet men who are doing things well in chemical lines and through reading the journals he receives, he has an opportunity of keeping in touch with chemical progress all over the world. The use he makes of these opportunities depends solely on the man and if he makes the right use of them, I cannot see how he can fail to advance-measure his worth in any way you will. On the other hand, Mr. Myers in his first article distinctly states in the second paragraph of the first column, p. 798, that the ends for which he advocates a “Chemists’ Protective Association” are: “The first, to increase the financial return of chemists; the second, to raise chemistry to its rightful and just place among the professions.” He then goes on to say: “The first end is the more important and cogent. For this reason the writer will make it play a predominant part in the discussion to follow.” In view of the emphasis he thus places on the financial return to chemists, and the relation between personnel and wages, I hardly see how he can attribute to me the sentiment that “worth is expressed in earning capacity.” Moreover, nothing of the sort was expressed in my former note, the nearest approach to such an idea being the statement that men capable of doing nothing but low-grade routine work should justly receive low salaries. This, of course, does not imply that all routine work is low-grade, for such is manifestly not the case. All~outinework should be under the supervision of a competent and, preferably, a well trained man. I have no objection to a broad definition of “Chemist” but I do object to one such as Mr. Myers proposes: one which by its very nature disheartens the ambitious young fellow, who, while Lacking college training, is a t work in a laboratory and meanwhile is making use of every chance to improve himself. April 10, 1916 1
WILLIAM
c. h I O O R E
Trim JOURNAL, 7 (1915), 798; 7 (1915) 100. and 8 (19113, 383.
