35 



Weeks and Sheaffer were the only witnesses and the hearing lasted 

 less than an hour. The Secretary traced succinctly the history of the 

 controversy between Pioneers, Inc., and NBS, involving the FTC 

 and the Post Oiffice. He noted that there were many testimonials 

 from satisfied users of AD-X2 (including his own company). He 

 noted that "The manufacturer had independent tests made by the 

 tj.S. Testing Co., of Hoboken, N.J. — controlled field tests extending 

 over a period of 362 days." The results of these tests, he said, "rendered 

 credible the experience reported by consumers." ^^ He took note, 

 also, of the tests at MIT under the sponsorship of the committee. 

 Then he said: 



I am not a man of science, and I do not wish to enter into a technical discussion 

 or be accused of overruling the findings of any laboratory. But as a practical 

 man, I think that the National Bureau of Standards has not been sufBciently 

 objective, because they discount entirely the play of the marketplace and have 

 placed themselves in a vulnerable ijosition by discussing the nature and scope 

 of their prospective reports with the verv people who might not want to see the 

 additive remain on the market, and when their reports and results of tests were 

 questioned, discussed the matter with other scientists, engaged by your committee 

 to make separate, objective findings. 



I cannot help but wonder how many similar cases have never been heard about — 

 how many entrepreneurs who were convinced they have a good thing for the 

 people, were licked before they started, whether they knew it or not and by their 

 very own Government to whcm they paid high taxes.^' 



By way of rectif\dng the situation, the Secretary promised the 

 committee that he ^\■ould have the functions and objectives of the NBS 

 examined and reevaluated "* * * in relation to the American busi- 

 ness community * * *." He would "* * * put a group of scientists 

 in the Bureau who have never had any connection ^nth this matter 

 and tell them to test tliis thing in every conceivable way * * *." 

 Meanv.'hile, aU circulars and technical reports dealing ^yith battery 

 additives would be \\ithdrawn until the tests were completed. ^^ 



The agitation over the "firing of Astin" was not quieted by the Secre- 

 tarj-'s appearance and testimony. Wtiile Secretary Weeks occupied 

 himself ^^dth negotiations vith the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Sciences, and the 

 Visiting Committee of the NBS, the Senate Small Business Com- 

 mittee staft" was engaged in accumulating information bearing on 

 the issue. They ^dsited Ritchie's operation in California, inter\dewed 

 many users of AD-X2, and collected military test data on field 

 and laboratory experiments with the additive. After seA^eral post- 

 ponements, the committee hearings on the AD-X2 issue resumed 

 June 22. «3 



IV. Management of the Issue 



As presented to the Congress, the AD-X2 case does not appear 

 to have been viewed as invohing profound or far-reaching issues. The 

 case was described as one of many small grievances in wliich some 

 small business found itself unable to establish a viable relationship 

 with the Federal bureaucracy and other institutional hazards of the 

 commercial environment. Emphasis in researching the issue centered 

 on factfinding: An effort to establish the facts of the case, and a 



" Hearings, op. cit., p. 2. 

 " Ibid., p. 3. 

 S8 1bid., p. 4. 

 8« Ibid., p. 9. 



