41 



feeling of jealously, a fear lest some other worker will gain more of reputation or 

 popular favor? I much fear me that were we fully truthful with ourselves some 

 slight leaven of professional jealousy might be found working in our actions. It 

 seems clear to me — very clear indeed — that before we can properly seize the op- 

 portunities offered, there must be some practical, though not necessarily formal 

 co-ordination of work. 



Take the opportunities for concerted, co-ordinated work in a single science 

 and notice how great their practical as well as theoretical value. There are cer- 

 tain natural resources of the State which may be materially developed in some 

 instances, or have their utility greatly increased in others, by full and complete 

 chemical studies. Perhaps that of the greatest importance from a commercial 

 standpoint is the thorough and complete investigation of the clay deposits 

 of the State. I will be pardoned for saying that I think that the last vol- 

 ume of the Geological Reports fully justifies all the grants ever made to the 

 survey by the preliminary investigation of the clay deposits of the coal bear- 

 ing counties. The certain outcome of the work is the rapid development of new 

 industries, based upon this formerly unutilized resource, which will annually 

 produce thousands of dollars in excess of all appropriations ever made for the 

 survey. But this investigation has but begun, and a full knowledge of the clay 

 deposits will only be possible after many years, unless there be in the various 

 laboratories of the State full and complete studies made of the possibilities of 

 these clays in various directions. Some are fitted specially for tile, some for 

 paving brick, some for building brick, some for pottery, special uses which can 

 only be determined by studies in the chemical laboratory or by the costly experi- 

 ments of actual manufacture. From work of this character would naturally fol- 

 low monographic work upon the chemical problems involved in the successive 

 steps in the manufacture of each of these various products. Such work would 

 give almost immediate return and would appeal to a much larger constituency 

 than the scientist can usually hope to reach. 



In the line of increasing the utility of resources already developed, it is evi- 

 dent that chemical investigations would reveal many ways in which our coal and 

 gas and oil might be made to yield even richer returns than at present. 



That an intimate relationship exists between public prosperity and public 

 health is no longer questioned. It is a matter of popular knowledge, which is 

 taking form in the various voluntary and legalized organizations for the improve- 

 ment of sanitary conditions in homes and municipalities. This movement sug- 

 gests another opportunity for concerted chemical work bearing upon these grave 

 problems. No more valuable work for the State could be carried out than that of 



