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Waterside Sites for Chemicals Inland waterways attracted some 175 chemical and process industry plants and expansions in 1956 ATERSIDE SITES are b e c o m i n g
in-
creasingly popular. During 1956, all industry picked 570 major sites on waterways for new manufacturing plants a n d expansions, power plants and terminals. This figure contrasts with 480 sites in 1955 and 346 in 1954, according to American Waterways Operators. T h e appeal of waterside sites varies fro in company to company, of course, but certain factors a r i general: Barge transportation Is available; water for industrial purposes is usually unlimited; iow electric power rates are often associated with low-cost barge transportation of coal and fuel oil. T h e chemical industry led t h e way, planning 133 new plants or expansions along inland waterways last year. High among t h e process industries is p u l p with 24 sites; aluminum is using 20
C&EN
J A N . 2 8,
1957
14; fertilizer, textiles, cement, and rubber are taking others. T h e year started off a t a high level. In fact at t h e end of the first quarter of the year, American Waterways Operators pointed out t h a t more waterside sites had been chosen i n that period than in any similar one since decentralization of industry began on a wide scale after World W a r I I . This rate continued to increase. During t h e first quarter, industry selected 138 sites; during the second q u a r t e r , 147; during the third, 1 7 3 . Thus t h e nine months' total of 458 was only slightly under the total for t h e entire year of 1955. Some areas served by inland waterways fare better than others. The Chicago Association of Commerce a n d Industry lists a 1956 plant investment of $500 million in t h a t area. Louisiana lists new plant construction in 1956
costing nearly $700 million, t h e bulk of it on tlie Mississippi River between Baton R o u g e and t h e Gulf of Mexico and on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and connecting inland waterways. T h e Ohio Valley Improvement Association lists plant construction in the Ohio Valley costing more than $1.5 billion last year. A n d the bulk of Alabama's S30O million plant construction during the year was along t h e W a r rior-Tombigbee W a t e r w a y and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.
Lend o Helping Hand NAS-NRC committee asks industry's aid in finding jobs promptly for Hungarian scientists and engineers JLJLUXGAMAN T ESCAPEES arriving in this
country need jobs in many cases. Of those that arrived during 1956, more than 10f/r could b e classified under the Labor Department's "professional, technical, a n d kindred workers" listing. To h e l p identify a n d place those hav-
