THE CHEMISTS' BUILDING 125 



stration to the American public of the importance which this 

 profession has now assumed from the technical standpoint. 

 The consulting chemist, housed in laboratories for his own 

 use, can well expect greater consideration than the man who is 

 obliged to conduct his work in a ramshackle rookery, or, at 

 best, in an out-of-the-way corner of a general commercial 

 building. But, apart from any mere question of ostentation, 

 the business man or manufacturer frequently fails to seek 

 chemical advice, on questions of real importance, from igno- 

 rance of the manner of setting about it and sheer indolence in 

 ascertaining it. Many do not even seem to know that there is 

 such a man as a consulting chemist. May not some eyes be 

 opened and some extravagant waste of natural resources be 

 avoided, by persistent efforts of the manager of this central 

 home of chemistry, and the rule of thumb be replaced by 

 the rule of scales? 



The American Chemical Society has gradually accumu- 

 lated a library of considerable magnitude, which has been 

 deposited of recent years with The Chemists' Club, which or- 

 ganization has acquired, by gift and purchase, many vol- 

 umes of its own. But the shelf -space has been so limited, that 

 but few of the books were accessible and even then could 

 only be consulted under unfavorable conditions. In the mag- 

 nificent " Chandler Hall" the entire library will be available 

 for consultation at all reasonable hours. It is also planned 

 to establish a collection of duplicates, to be loaned freely to 

 reputable chemists throughout the country. Here again, the 

 provision of a suitable working-place will serve not merely 

 the local interests, but, perhaps even more effectively, the 

 scattered outposts of chemical endeavor. 



One of the chief disadvantages under which the American 

 investigator labors is the difficulty of obtaining research ma- 

 terial. The German or French experimenter can obtain, 



