428 THE NEW WORLD OF SCIENCE 



concerns to put into their organization program provision for 

 adequate research laboratories and personnel. It might be 

 supposed that the purely selfish interests of such organizations 

 would already have led them to go as far in this direction as 

 current industrial circumstances warrant. There are not a 

 few conspicuous instances in which this is true. But there are 

 many others in which for various reasons a fundamental un- 

 willingness to encourage the establishment of research organiza- 

 tions is deeply ingrained. Among these reasons ranks high 

 a not altogether intelligent conservatism ; and the dread of be- 

 ing obliged to discard extant equipment and methods, despite 

 the possibly increased profits, also figures conspicuously. Cer- 

 tainly from the point of view of public welfare and the national 

 position in times of peril, it is highly desirable to induce these 

 industries to adopt an enlightened and generous policy of re- 

 search. 



The case of the small producer is quite different. It is out 

 of the question for him to establish a laboratory on any scale 

 which is likely to promise justification in terms of immediate 

 financial return. There is, however, no reason why he should 

 not combine with other small manufacturers in his own line 

 of work to finance investigations of a kind directly beneficial 

 to himself and his colleagues. This plan has actually been tried 

 both in this country and abroad, and with very considerable 

 success. The Research Extension Division of the Council has 

 had the good fortune to be a prime mover in a number of 

 projects of this general type, and while the specific details are 

 likely to vary, in view of the peculiar conditions met with in 

 the different industries, the general principle of cooperative 

 work has apparently come to stay. 



Not the least interesting of the developments which are to 

 be hoped for from this stimulation of industrial research is 

 -^/ I a recognition on the part of the industries of their obligations 

 to the discoveries of pure science, which in every case under- 

 lie successful improvements in industrial practice. It seems 

 hardly too much to believe that in the not remote future this 



; 



