652 NATIONAL CHEMICAL SERVICE. 



From all Departments and Establishments of the vast organisation 

 for the production of explosives, which has been built up so largely under 

 your constructive genius, British chemists imite in acclaiming the 

 example which you have set by your zeal and energy, your wide outlook, 

 and your eminently practical methods of dealing with men and material. 



Apart from the fact that this great work has very substantially con- 

 tributed to the success of the allied arms, the Institute recognises thai 

 through the technical training which j'ou have initiated for chemists 

 engaged imder you, many have gained experience which must prove of 

 great benefit to them when they come to devote their energies to the 

 furtherance of the arts of peace. Your woric with the Ministry should, 

 therefore, be reflected for many years in the progress of chemical industry 

 in this countrj^ 



The Institute congratulates you heartily on the success that has 

 followed your efforts, and on behalf of British chemists desires to add 

 that you carry with you their warm regard and their best wishes for the 

 future. 



Among Mr. Quinan's many friends in South Africa few- 

 realise the actual magnitude of the services rendered by him and 

 his staff of chemical engineers to the Allied cause, but all will 

 agree that those services must have been immense in order 10 

 have evoked such a tribute. 



In the course of his reply Mr. Quinan wrote: — 



I feel with you that the events of the past four years of war have 

 completely altered the position of the (fhemist in Great Britain,, and I 

 confidently predict that the eyes of the manufacturers of the country will 

 be opened to see the urgency of the need for highly-trained chemical 

 supervision of manufacture, and also that the chemists and the teaching 

 institutions of England, and I hope of the Empire, will view their 

 obligations to industry in an entirely new light.* 



It will be recollected that when Mr, Quinan's services were 

 placed at the disposal of the Imperial Government he left South 

 Africa at barely an hour's notice. On arrival in England he 

 found that the output of trinitrototuol did not exceed a few tons 

 per week. He was authorized to inaugurate explosive works, 

 which eventually employed nearly half a million hands, and his 

 organising and constructive ability had a larger share than most 

 people imagine in silencing the German artillery. It is a matter 

 for much gratification that a South African chemical engmeer 

 should have contributed so conspicuously to the, ultimate triumph 

 of the Allied cause. 



One of the most interesting documents of the war [said Sir William 

 Pope in his presidential address on "^Chemistry in the National Service," 

 delivered to the Chemical Society on March 27, 1919] is the second report 

 on the costs and efficiencies for H.M. factories controlled by the Depart- 

 ment of Explosives Supplies, which has been recently issued. This report 

 contains a minute analysis of the working costs for each period of each 

 factory engaged on individual items of manufacture; it states what pro- 

 portion of the cost per ton of product is borne by labour, raw materials, 

 fuel, maintenance, etc., and provides an incitement to further eiTorr 

 towards economy of working by giving a "bogey" cost-sheet made up of 

 the most efficient details of cost selected from the complete analysis of 

 expenses. It will be clear that an immense amount of organising power 

 was required to achieve this stupendous result; it was due largely to the 

 genius and energy of Mr. K. B. Quinan, 



^ Proc. Inst, of Chemistry (1919) [r] 25. 



