4
INDUSTRIAL
AND ENGINEERING
INDUSTRIAL & ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
CHEMISTRY
News Edition
spend too much money for publications and the California Committee appears to be maintaining one extreme position while many others are equally extreme in the other direction. Our Directors have certainly shown a disposition through many years to allot every possible cent to publication enterprises rather than to general activities, and have ueen criticized by many because this policy left no funds for building up our organization and undertaking other special forms of Published by the American Chemical Society service. The Directors whose action is criticized by California include three gentlemen who are college professors, Editor: H. E. HOWE Managing Editor: B . P. GARNETT Assistant totheEditor: N. A. PARKINSON Associate Editor: D. H. KILLEFFER four more who have been professors and have made their reputation in this field of activity, and only two who were first trained in our industries. With more than 85 per cent EDITORIAL OFFICE: ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT: 810 Eighteenth St., N . W. 19 E. 24th S t . of our expenditures devoted to chemical publications, the Washington, D . C. New York, N . Y. Directors were compelled to make the clrief reduction on Entered as second class matter at Easton, Pa. Issued three times a month; journals in order to draw a balanced budget. If the reducIndustrial Edition on the 1st; News Editions on the 10th and 20th. tion had been taken from management, neither t h e Society Subscription to Industrial & Engineering Chemistry, $7.50 per year; News nor the publications could have functioned. The journals. Edition only, $1.50 per year. Single copies, 10 cents. Subscriptions should be sent to Charles L. Parsons, Secretary, 1709 G St., were treated alike when the ten per cent c u t was proposed N . W., Washington, D. C. and this reduction was made from the amounts requested by the respective editors. The editor of Industrial and EngiMARCH 20, 1923 neering Chemisti*y had already made a large reduction in his request over 1921 expenditures and it would seem that he rather than the Executive Committee of the California The California Statement Section, headed by two associate editors of the Journal of T T H E request of the Executive Committee of the the American Chemical Society, should have made comCalifornia Section we print on page 5 a further state- plaint. We are confident that in this and all other actions our Directors have done their best to prepare a balanced ment from it. We believe our California friends fail to appreciate what budget and at the same time serve the wishes of t h e majority has been and is being done and are not familiar with present of our members. Later in the year with increased income, conditions. Lack of contact and opportunity to discuss this reduction was found unnecessary, arid the number of affairs with other members of the Society may be largely pages originally requested by the editors w a s printed. In 1922, the Journal of the American Chemical Society spent in responsible for this condition. round numbers 5.3 per cent, Industrial and Engineering The Secretary's communication was published at the request of the Committee on Progress in Society Procedure. Chemistry 14.5 per cent, Chemical Abstracts 2.1 per cent, Neither this Committee nor any one requested us to print and the News Service 20 per cent less than in 192L The most recent communication from the California the California letter, which had already been given wide circulation to local sections, councilors, and many individuals. Committee quotes Proceedings for January, 1922, yet fails Subsequently when inquiries were made as to the reason for to make any mention of the further report of the Treasurer, the Secretary's statement, we printed in the February 10 found on page 93 of the Proceedings for October, in which a issue the offer of the Secretary to send copies of the Cali- very greatly unproved condition was outlined. One of the fornia letter to any member. Although several hundred Executive Committee of the California Section was present copies were multigraphed in anticipation of a demand, only when this report was read. While the engineering societies do have junior members, thirteen copies have been requested. The Secretary's letter is mere fact, plainly stated, and the dues of these juniors are equal to the dues of t h e members unless statement of fact may be considered criticism, there of the American Chemical Society. Has the Executive Section forgotten that we has been no published "imputation" of improper action on Committee of the California l the part of the signers of the California letter. To the best allow a discount of 33 / 3 per cent to all students of chemistry, of our knowledge there has been no objection to any open whether undergraduates or graduates? In 1922, 1358 of our discussion of Society "policy," but there are many who feel younger men took advantage of this and in addition 40 other that it would have been much better for the Society had the undergraduate students obtained membership and one journal Directors been allowed to reply to the alleged conditions and for S6.00 a vear. The majority of the latter chose Industrial to correct the many misstatements of the letter before it and Engineering Chemistry. It must be emphasized that the was given such wide circulation. The Committee may have Society dues have been held to the lowest possible figures. had no other motive than the welfare of the American Chemi- Considering the purchasing power of the dollar to-day and cal Society at heart, but it did not give adequate consider- the increased cost of paper and printing, the dues are actually ation to all the factors that are involved and to the interests lower than they were ten years ago. represented in the several groups within our Society. JudgThe California Committee overlooks several important ing from past records, it now seems certain that the effect points with respect to this journal. Industrial and Engineerof the original communication will be a decrease in the fluids ing Chemistry is a "chemical publication'' in which on the which the Society can devote to "chemical publications" in average 70 per cent of the space is devoted t o scientific 1923 to an extent greater than any possible savings which the material. I t has been our policy constantly to inquire Committee's suggestions contemplated. verbally and by letter regarding the wishes of t h e majority The point is made that too much money is being spent for of our members, and we have reason to believe t h a t the prespurposes other than chemical publications, and yet over ent plan and scope oFtiii? publication is what t h e majority 85 per cent of our total expenditures are for chemical publica- prefer. Our records show that the California Section has tions. A part of the costs criticized are properly chargeable appointed a staff correspondent, but none of our correto this item. We know chemists who firmly believe that we spondence discloses dissatisfaction with any of the depart-
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