Searching for Discoveries 



command the Kcrviroa of nciuiitific iiivi-stiKntorB at italanes no low 

 that a goo<i riork in tlio United States would not bo tumptcil to 

 acrcpt. The industrial vupremncy uf Germany is credited to the 

 thorough inve!iti)n'tiong which are made the basis of business. It 

 is explained that scientists in Germany arc not influenced by salary 

 alone to give their services to industry. The esteem and respect which 

 attach to such a |>osition, and more than these, the adequate arrange- 

 ments for pensioning sei-refaries and other einployes, and their families 

 in case of death, have much to do with the williiifrness of men of 

 culture and experience in Germany to jdaco their services at the dis- 

 |>osal of commercial and manufacturing organizations at salaries which 

 would not attract men of equal attainments in America. 



It is coming to be n?cognized in this country, but not to so great 

 extent as in Germany, that industry is not sure unless it is built on 

 scientific research. The oldtimo farmer had no education and wanted 

 none beyond the ability to read and write. It is different now. 

 Agricultural colleges are in every part of the country. A prominent 

 railroad magnate was reported to have said, somewhat contemptuously 

 a few years ago, that college graduates could be hired at six dollars 

 a week and were dear at that. Such, however, is not the best judg- 

 ment of the progressive men of the country. It is no longer generally 

 believed that discoveries are accidental. It is at least admitted that a 

 discovery in a certain field is not likely to be made by a man who is 

 not working in that field. Most competent men now believe, with 

 Tennyson, that "science moves but slowly, slowly creeping on from 

 point to point. ' ' Nature 's secrets are unlocked only with effort. If 

 more speed is made now than formerly, it is because there are more 

 and better workers, but it holds still that 



"Not a truth has to art or science been given 



But brows have ached for it and souls toiled and striven. ' ' 



In this connection the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research at 

 Pittsburgh is filling an important place. It was founded and endowed 

 for that work. Its field is industrial development by the aid of 

 scientific research. Industries of great wealth, like the Standard Oil 

 Company, some of the steel, paper and mining companies, sugar 

 mills, and packing organizations, maintain highly trained research 

 men and finely equipped laboratories to work out special problems; 

 but there are numerous corporations, companies and individuals work- 

 ing with natural or artificial resources which are in uo less need of 

 efficient investigators, yet hesitate to equip special laboratories ami 

 maintain full corps of technically trained men. 



The founders of the Mellon Institute aimed to meet that need, and 

 the school is doing it. The research laboratory and library are among 

 the best in the world. A recent announcement by the directors of 

 the school explains how manufacturers may avail themselves of the 

 institute's equipment and resources at a small part of the cost of 

 maintaining independent laboratories. Many manufacturers have 

 already taken advantage of these facilities. 



If a special problem is to be worked out for the benefit of a 

 manufacturer, he enters into a contract with the institute that he 

 will supply a sum of money. The institute uses this fund to employ 

 research men to do the work in the school 's laboratories and in purchas- 

 ing special apparatus if needed. The discoveries, if any are made, 

 belong to the corporation, company, or manufacturer supplying the 

 funds; but after a specified term of years, according to the con- 

 tract, the school will publish the discoveries for the benefit of the 

 public. It is customary in many instances to provide bonuses, in 

 addition to salary, for research men who make valuable discoveries. 

 These bonuses run as high as $10,000. This is a constant stimulus 

 to investigators to do their best work. 



The scope of research now going on is wiile. It shows the con- 

 fidence of the manufacturer in the scientist. Among the investigations 

 now under way, and in charge of high-class technical men, selected 

 for their fitness for the work which each has in hand, are the follow- 

 ing: Baking, for which $23,500 has been provided, and $20,000 in 



I... HUMS for ili-i<ivirii».; ghi.', t'i.Timi; «(iiii., $",,71111; nliliz:ition of 

 leather waste, (1,200 and ten per cent of the value of discoverie* 

 which may bo made; utilization of fruit wnstt*, $2,000 and $10,000 

 bnnUK; composition flooring, $.1,000, nnd ono per cent int4>rc«t in 

 sales for five years; crude potroh'UMi, $30,000 and ten per cent bonus; 

 natural gas, $14,000 and five |M'r cent bonus on the value of dis- 

 coveries; cement, $.'1,600 and $lii,000 bonus; manufacture of foodf, 

 $10,000 nnd $10,000 bonus; desert i>lant8, $1,800 and fivo per cent 

 interest in tho commercial results; alumimim, $10,000 and an equal 

 sum as bonus; turbine engines, $1,800 and $.'1,000 bonus; various 

 other investigations witli similar cash sums to pay tho research men, 

 and provision for bonuses as additional recompenso for those who 

 mako valuable discoveries. 



The tendency of tho times is thus shown : Manufacturers are 

 developers of known resources, but the trained scientists are more nnd 

 more depended upon to find nnd unlock hidden doors. Germany'!, 

 enormous i)rogress in material development has been duo to tho close 

 association in that country between tlie captains of industry on the 

 one hand and tho chemist, bacteriologist, metallurgist, machinist, and 

 electrician on tho other. 



This country has infinitely greater natural resources than Germany, 

 and when full development has been attained — if there is such a thing 

 .Ts full development — its wealth will bo so multiplied that the few 

 re>..oiiri'ps wl]i<li may become exliausted will not be missed. 



New Phases of Shipping in the South 



New Orleans appears to be wide-awake to the opportunities 

 offered by the European war for her exporters to go after tho 

 Spanish American trade, now that England and Germany have 

 their hands tied. The most accessible points of attack are the 

 countries bordering the Gulf of Jlexico and the Caribbean. The 

 United Fruit Company, which operates a number of modern liners 

 between this port and Panama, touching at Central American 

 ports, proposes to establish a service to Mexican ports on October 

 1. Three steamers will be assigned to the new service, and as the 

 lumbermen have been looking forward to the restoration of peace 

 in the Mexican republic they will now have ample facilities for 

 making regular shipments to Tampico, Vera Cruz and Progrcso. 



Several weeks ago, prior to the declaration of war, the Hamburg- 

 American line announced that it would establish a regular service 

 between New Orleans and Caracas, Venezuela; Cartagena, Colom- 

 bia; Santa Domingo; Port-auPrince; and Kingston. There has 

 long been complaint because of the lack of adequate freight 

 service between New Orleans and tho north coast of South 

 America, and if the martial atmosphere abroad is sufficiently 

 clarified by the third week in September, the Hamburg-American 

 sailings will be inaugurated per schedule. 



So far-reaching has been the cataclj'sni caused by the Kuropean 

 war, especially involving the export business, that the talk of 

 competition between the Pacific slope exporters and southern manu- 

 facturers of yellow pine and hardwoods has somewhat subsided. 

 However, it is expected that fir, redwood and other Pacific coast 

 woods will be shipped to the Atlantic ports, although the rate wall 

 will be a barrier to their further progress so far as interior markets 

 are concerned. Cj'press men do not fear this competition at all. 



Interest in this question has been augmented by the opening of 

 the canal on August 15 to vessels drawing thirty feet of water. 

 The Atlantic and Pacific Steamship Company, operated by W. K. 

 Grace & Co., has built four new ships to send through the canal 

 to the Pacific coast, touching at this port. New Orleans will also 

 be the terminus of a line established by the same company to 

 stations on the west coast of South America. 



Nine new ships, ranging from lOjOOO to 16,000-tonnage, are being 

 built by the three Japanese lines that have announced their 

 intention of coming through the canal, touching at New Orleans. 



