June, 1918
T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y
Further comment is unnecessary, except t h a t we recommend t h e reading of this section of this editorial t o Congressman Nicholas Longworth, who sought about a year ago t o build a one hundred per cent d a m across t h e platinum stream b y placing a prohibitive tax upon platinum jewelry, which patriotic effort, however, was defeated. T H E J E W E L E R S AGAIN
W h a t t h e jewelers’ publication would have t o say regarding t h e most recent commandeering order, was a matter of interest t o us. I n T h e J e w e l e r s ’ C i r c u l a r of M a y 15, 1918,we found what we sought. On page 1 0 2 it is stated “In speaking of this platinum order, the Jewelers’ War Service Committee, which has been in close touch with Mr. Conner in the preparation of all details in connection therewith, made a full statement through its secretary, in explanation of the way the order will work out.” (Italics are ours.) a n d on t h e following page (103) t h e “Statement by t h e Jewelers’ War Service Committee, Regarding t h e Government’s Most Recent Order, Commandeering Platinum, Iridium and Palladium” contains this illuminating paragraph : “The order has been sent from Washington t o approximately 1,000 manufacturing and retail jewelers and refiners. Our committee has been in constant touch with the oficials, advising them as to the necessary steps, and the manner and form in which they should be taken. .It was our function t o assist
the government and t o protect the interest of our trade in every way possible. The committee, therefore, urged that the order be drawn up in a different and simpler manner than that which the trade has just received, but it was impossible t o do this on account of the legal restrictions placed upon the officials issuing the order. T h e representatives of the Government were very solicitous of the welfare of the jewelry trade, and we are pleased to state that every question was given careful and courteous consideration. However, the objects t o be attained could not be reached in any other way. The result was that all platinum, iridium, and palladium in the hands of those receiving the order, no matter in what form, has been commandeered; but releases or waivers of delivery to the Government have been arranged in order not to disturb the industry unnecessarily.” (Italics are ours .) One final quotation from t h e same issue (page 105, editorial page) gives t h e jewelers’ view-point: “The men and women in the factories and workshops who to-day are making large wages for the first time in their lives, can obtain the necessaries of life by working half time and if their purchases are confined to the necessaries of life they will work only half time. What they are striving for-the incentive that makes them work the full day and even overtime is the opportunity t o buy the luxuries of life which are for the first time within their reach. “Take from these people the opportunity to buy jewelry, to dress well, to go to the theatres or indulge in luxurious eating or living and you take away the real reason that go per cent of them are willing t o start in their work early and go home late. They do not want money as money; they want the money for what it will buy. It is the luxury that they have craved for years and one they could not get, that they demand now as a compensation for their work.” I n t h e name of t h e factory and workshop men and women who have just bought so widely Third Liberty Loan Bonds, whose every thought now is t o help win this war, and whose effective labor is to-day so largely responsible for t h e speeding up of t h e great national production machine, we protest against any such aspersions upon t h e motives which lead them t o their daily toil.
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PATRIOTIC SERVICE BY WOMEN
Fortunately there is a strong popular movement, growing stronger each day, which will eventually offset such sordid activities; t h e full story of Mrs. Spear’s untiring and patriotic personal activities must some d a y be told; Mrs. Alfred S. Weill’s letter, mailed t o t e n thousand women of Pennsylvania, and reprinted on page 494 of this issue, constitutes another phase of this movement; so t o o t h e war pledge cards for platinum conservation will have their decided effect, and finally t h e stirring words of t h e wife of t h e Governor of Massachusetts, Mrs. Samuel McCall, will surely find a ready response in t h e hearts of all American women. We quote from a n interview reported in t h e Boston A m e r i c a n of M a y 4, 1918. “The giving up of little things like jewels-luxuries-and things that have no value as necessities, does not entail a great sacrifice. “And even if it did, the women of America would not hesitate. They have given their sons, their fathers and their husbands. They have given all that they value most, the people that make life for them. Are they going to hang back when it is a question of mere bauble? “The women of the country aren’t lacking in the spirit that has to go behind a country in war times. They can give without a murmur, and jewelry is a small concern when it is considered in Connection with life. “It seems to me that any woman who orders any jewelry in platinum settings at a time like this either cannot understand or feel deeply the love of country. And if she has any of the material on hand she ought t o be entirely willing to surrender it-such a small thing t o do, when others are giving their lives.” T h a t interview must have taken place a t t h e base of t h e Bunker Hill monument. F U R T H E R LOSS P O S S I B L E
I n conclusion, attention is called t o paragraph 5 of t h e letter signed b y Mr. Conner a n d sent o u t b y him along with t h e commandeering order t o a p proximately one thousand jewelers. T h e paragraph is as follows: “The undersigned will consider applications, on forms which will be supplied upon request, for further releases of platinum, iridium and palladium.” Is there t o be still further dissipation of our limited supplies of these vitally important metals? Finish that dam I TYPICAL GERMAN PRONOUNCEMENTS A correspondent has forwarded by mail t o this office a newspaper clipping containing a dispatch from Amsterdam, dated April 18. T h e article announces t h e conferring of t h e Bunsen medal upon Professor Haber, head of t h e Chemical Research Institute of Berlin, for his lecture on “ T h e Relation of t h e Exact Sciences t o Militarism.” Professor Haber is quoted as having said in t h e course of his lecture, “Gas attacks arose on both sides out of t h e requirements of t h e situation.” W h y did he not follow more closely t h e example of German statesmen a n d say, “Gas attacks were inaugurated b y our enemies while we were defending in Belgium t h e invasion of t h e Fatherland,” despite t h e awful memories of t h e British in connection with t h a t C y s t wave of chlorine at Ypres? When international
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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 CHEMISTRY
amenities are again t h e order of t h e day i t may be well t o take under careful consideration t h e question of readmission t o good fellowship in t h e world-body of chemists of those German chemists who were responsible for t h e plans which started t h e armies of t h e world upon this frightful medium of attack. Again Professor Haber is quoted as having said, “The reason why t h e use of gas is disliked b y our enemies is t h a t t h e use of protections against gas attack calls for a special measure of discipline and intelligence in t h e common soldier.” How typical of t h e German mind! RESEARCH AND THE TAR BABY
There is one product on t h e market which is too cheap, a n d this through t h e natural working of t h e law of supply and demand. T h a t is a rather startling statement in these days when prices of all commodities are soaring. Still more startling does t h a t statement become when it is revealed t h a t this product is composed solely of organic compounds, for these seem t o be adapted particularly t o spectacular price elevation. Nevertheless, t h e statement is true, for in a recent number of t h e Weekly Naoal Stores Review t h e editor remarks (and market quotations seem t o sustain his contention) t h a t “spirits of turpentine is t h e only cheap raw product in the world to-day, rosins being t h e next cheapest. ” The explanation of this anomalous situation is easily found in war conditions which have largely decreased building operations, made difficult t h e securing of shipping space, and shut off from t h e producers of naval stores t h e hitherto extensive markets of Germany and Austria, particularly t h e former. Certain increased uses of these products for war purposes cannot compensate in any measure for these unfavorable influences and t h e net result is financial distress for t h e producer. Three remedies have been suggested. The first, most natural, and usually applied in industry, was t h e curtailment of production; b u t with an industry so loosely organized as this one, success in such an effort cannot always be safely predicted. The second was a proposal b y a correspondent of t h e Review t o “divide t h e territory into zones and have an agent for each zone, whose duty i t would be t o visit each still and ship t h e turpentine for t h e operator.” If we were overproducing, it would be t h e d u t y of this zone agent “to dump the surplus spirits o f t the ground.” The reference t o the ground rather t h a n t h e gutter is good, in view of t h e extra-urban character of t h e industry, b u t we cannot refrain from a surmise as t o what would happen t o those zone agents, as a result of t h e physical activities of t h e individual operators, about t h e time t h e aforesaid dumping process began. Such a test of t h e value of t h e anti-dumping clause enacted by t h e last Congress would scarcely be fair because of its unexpected character. The third remedy was suggested at a conference last September: between representatives of t h e producers and officials of t h e Bureau’of Chemist r y , when t h e Government chemists were urged t o
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find new uses for turpentine. This would be a step in t h e right direction. T h a t Bureau exists t o serve are t h e people; b u t herein lies a real difficulty-there so many people interested in so many different lines of industry t h a t no particular industry ought t o expect everything in the way of salvation from this source, especially in view of t h e restricted appropriations available t o t h e Chief of t h e Bureau a n d his able associates. None of these measures adequately meets t h e situation. May we, therefore, venture t o call t h e attention of our friends in t h e naval stores industry t o a development of t h e past few years in many lines of industry, namely, t h e creation of, well-equipped and well-manned industrial research laboratories, in which by scientific procedure, seemingly slow at t h e outset, real industrial progress is being made through improvements in methods of manufacture, resu‘ting in increased yields and more efficient plant operation in general, through t h e discovery of new possibilities of raw material and through t h e development of new uses for t h e manufactured products. Millions of dollars have been invested in these laboratories a n d t h e end is not yet. No surer safeguard of t h e industrial future of this count r y exists. If, however, it be argued t h a t t h e output of t h e plant of any naval stores operator is too small t o justify large expenditures for research, we would urge careful consideration of t h e movement in many industries toward co6peration in such endeavor. A typical case is t h a t of t h e research laboratory oE the National Canners’ Association in Washington. Proving no severe tax upon any individual concern, this laboratory has solved a multitude of problems, has had a t its disposal material from all sections for test and study, and through t h e t a c t of its Director has brought all elements of t h e canning industry into more harmonious relationship. Following this example, the oil men of t h e West have united in a cooperative research laboratory a t t h e University of Oklahoma, and still more recently t h e leather trade has determined upon a similar cooperative effort and its research laboratory is now being equipped in New York City. The growth of t h e idea has been rapid a n d its roots have struck deep into t h e industrial life of t h e Nation. I t s latest manifestation is t h e appointment of Dr. John Johnston as Secretary of t h e National Research Council with t h e understanding t h a t his energies are t o be directed largely t o t h e development of cooperative industrial research, a n opportunity for fine service by a man preeminently qualified for t h e undertaking. If t h e turpentine operators are soon t o gather in annual assemblage, may we suggest t h a t Dr. Johnston be invited t o address t h e convention on t h e subject which he has so deeply a t heart, along which line will be found t h e real a n d permanent cure for low prices and t h e future advance of t h e naval stores industry. One thing we know: t h e turpentine operators are somewhat slow in taking hold of a new idea-but when t h e y do, they t a k e hold hard. There was genuine foundation for Uncle Remus’ story about the t a r baby.
