National Resources Planning Board 



16. Industrial research lias an ever- widening field, 

 and shows no tendency to terminate or even to be re- 

 stricted for lack of new opportunity. 



Recommendations 



TO INDUSTRY: 



1. Several large industries are found to lack extensive 

 provision for research. It is recommended tliat leader.-^ 

 in such industries associate themselves with representa- 

 tives of the National Research Council in a sj-stemati- 

 cally organized investigation of the possibilities of their 

 undertaking industrial research, and of practical ways 

 and means for realizing tlie possibilities. 



2. Although no attempt is made in this report to 

 define a procedure for initiating research, the various 

 studies and the introduction suggest several sources of 

 information and cooperation in providhig for research. 

 It is recommended to companies not now conducting 

 research, that they consult one or several of the sources 

 of cooperation indicated in this report and consider 

 carefully the establishment of research as a continuing 

 activity. The -section on small industries and the 

 introduction, in particular, may be found helpful for 

 this purpose. 



3. In order that more extensive and effective applica- 

 tion of the biological sciences in the food industry may 

 be encouraged, it is recommended to companies in the 

 prepared and preserved food fields, that common 

 ground be sought for the joint support of fundamental 

 biological research. 



4. Some companies publish scientific findings regu- 

 larly, and, in general, publication is permitted when 

 protection of the new findings has been assured. In 

 the opinion and exporience of the committee, industries 

 have not only not sufl'ered, but have profited by 

 adopting a liberal publication policy. 



TO LABOR AND INDUSTRY: 



5. An almost untouched and extremely profitable 

 field for cooperation is believed to exist in the conduct 

 of research on fatigue and related matters affecting the 

 welfare of labor, and thus, also, industry. It is recom- 

 mended that labor and industry join in initiating 

 systematic research in this field. 



TO GOVERNMENT: 



C. Industrial research as a national resource capable 



of contributing to public welfare should be fostered. 

 Any restrictive policies on research on the part of Gov- 

 ernment are opposed to the public interest. For 

 example, any tendency toward insisting upon capitaliza- 

 tion of research expenditures for tax purposes might 

 prove a dangerous threat to the welfare of industrial 

 research. 



7. In several branches of [niic and applied science, 

 abstracts of the technical literature are supported by 

 scientific societies. Such support is becoming increas- 

 ingl}' burdensome and increasingly inadequate in the 

 face of the enormous and rapidly expanding amount of 

 technical matter being published. An excellent means 

 of Government contribution to industry would be proper 

 provision for systematic and complete publication of 

 abstracts of scientific and technical literature. 



S. Provision should be made for the extension and 

 revision of the International Critical Tables of Numer- 

 ical Data, Physics, Chemistiy, and TcchnologA', origin- 

 ally published in 1926 under the auspices of the Inter- 

 national Research Council and the National Academy 

 of Sciences. These critical tables are the principal 

 combined source of authentic records of properties of 

 materials. As such they should be brought and 

 kept up-to-date. 



9. Extension of research means increasing dependence 

 upon adequate and correct standards of reference. 

 Establishment of standards requires most exacting and 

 long-continued laboratory work, a high caliber of 

 technical personnel, and, frequently, expensive facili- 

 ties. There is need for much more research on stand- 

 ards of measurement than is now conducted, and it is 

 recommended that the National Bureau of Standards 

 be given encouragement and increased tangible support 

 for research on standards. It is also recommended 

 that any appropriations for such support provide 

 ample funds for adequate publication and distribution 

 of tlie Bureau's findings. 



10. In order that findings of Government labora- 

 tories generally be made readily and continuously 

 available to industry, it is recommended that Govern- 

 ment bureaus receiving appropriations for scientific 

 work be less restricted than at present in allowances 

 for representation at technical meetings, for publica- 

 tion of findings, and in general, for cooperation with 

 iiuliistriiil technical workers. 



