228 



NATURE 



I N' IVEMBER 21, 1918 



up to the 60 per cent, of the prime fat steer, but 

 ai .in average of 56 per cent, was still high enough 

 to secure a place in the first tirade of quality. 

 What these figures mean in terms of beef output 

 is demonstrated by Prof. Wood by a comparison 

 with the results of pre-war experiments, from 

 which it would appear that the decrease in oilcake 

 consumption from 8 lb. to li lb. per head per day 

 only reduces the liveweighf increase by 3*3 per 

 cent., and the meat output b) 9 per cent. The 

 results show further that from the point of view 

 of profit the high cake ration would assuredly be 

 a mistake at the present time, since for each extra 

 pound of beei produced 13 lb. of cake costing 

 about 2i\ would be consumed. 



Even more far-reaching conclusions as to the 

 desirability of aiming at a lower stage oi fatness 

 in beef production under present conditions are 

 arrived at by Mr. K. J. J. Mackenzie and Dr. 

 I-'. II. A. Marshall from investigations of which 

 a summary is given in the September issue of the 

 same journal. These conclusions are based upon 

 data obtained with ninety-two beasts of different 

 degrees of "ripeness" specially selected for the 

 purpose, weighed and slaughtered under condi- 

 tions permitting of exact observation. The ob- 

 servations were extended further to the edibility 

 of selected portions of the carcass and the pro- 

 portion of, waste invoked in their consumption, 

 from the data obtained the conclusions are drawn 

 that the ordinary method of judging the condition 

 of a beast by "handling " may often lead to seri- 

 ous errors of judgment as to its fitness for the 

 butcher, generally resulting in far too many beasts 

 being kept beyond the most economic time for 

 killing; that beyond a certain point further in- 

 crease in weight does not contribute effectively to 

 the meat supply, being mainly waste fat; and that 

 no serious complaint on the ground of quality 

 can be brought against the meat from the half-fat 

 beast, the consumption of which is attended with 

 the minimal quantity of waste. 



On certain points of detail the practical man 

 will doubtless find these observations not entirely 

 convincing, but the general support they afford 

 to the policy of retrenchment in cattle-feeding can 

 scarcely be questioned. C. C. 



STATE ASSISTANCE TO THE DYE 

 INDUSTRY. 



A MEMORANDUM (Cd. 9194, price sd.) has 

 just been issued by the Board of Trade giv- 

 ing detail the scheme for the allocation and ad- 

 ministration of the funds provided by Parliament 

 for assistance in the development of the dye in- 

 dustry. It is pointed out that the primary object 

 of the financial assistance to be given is to make 

 the British textile users of dyes independent of 

 German dyestuffs, and to enable the manufac- 

 turers to bring down the cost of production to a 

 point at which competition with the large-scale 

 industry of Germany will be commercially possible. 



Loans and grants of nmnr\ are to be given to 

 assist in the provision of buildings and plant, and 

 for the maintenance of a system of research. These 

 NO. 2560, VOL. I02] 



funds are additional to and independent of the 

 moneys already advanced to the firm known as 

 British Dyes, Ltd. There are dyes which at 

 the present time are not being manufactured in 

 this countr) at all, or are being made in quantities 

 insufficient lor the reasonable needs of dve users, 

 and in this direction especially encouragement is 



needed. 



As to the work ol research distinct from the 

 technical routine of manufacturing operations, it 

 is now recognised as an inherent part of the in- 

 dustry, and that it properly enters into the cost 

 of production, since experience shows that in 

 normal times a constant Mow of new colours or 

 varieties of colours is necessary for the main- 

 tenance of those dye-using trades which are 

 subject to outside competition, it is also acknow- 

 ledged that, while continued research must be 

 carried on, it does not follow that commercial 

 advantages may be immediately secured. The 

 administration of the scheme will be carried out 

 by (t) a loan and grant committee, (2) a trade 

 and licensing committee, (3) an inspector of re- 

 search, and (4) an inspector of accounts. 



The business of the trade and licensing com- 

 mittee will be to determine what colours and inter- 

 mediate products shall be licensed to be imported 

 into the country after the war, and in what quanti- 

 ties, and to advise the Commissioner as to the 

 colours and intermediates the manufacture of 

 which should be specially encouraged, and the 

 order of their importance. The committee will 

 consist of four representatives of colour users and 

 four representatives of dye manufacturers under 

 an independent chairman appointed by the Board 

 of Trade. 



The inspector of research will occupy an im- 

 portant and somewhat difficult position. It is 

 obvious that he must be a highly qualified 

 "organic" chemist with special knowledge of the 

 production of intermedial cs, as well as dyes. By 

 his reports to the Dye Commissioner he will prac- 

 tically control the work that goes on in all the 

 research laboratories connected with the works, 

 and as the connection between the experiments 

 actually in progress and the ultimate bearing of 

 the results on industrial operations is often not 

 very obvious, a good deal of patience and dis- 

 cretion will need to be exercised. 



Conditions relative to the rate of interest to be 

 charged on loans and the amount to be set aside 

 for depreciation and obsolescence of plant and 

 buildings, as well as for the repayment of the 

 loans, are set forth in the memorandum. 



COMMERCIAL I VIATION. 



Till'" subject of commercial aviation is one that 

 has attracted a great deal of attention 

 during the latter phases of the war, and now that 

 hostilities are at an end it has become a matter 

 of the firsl importance. A vast organisation has 

 been created in order to provide the necessary 

 machines and men lor the needs of the Royal Air 

 Force, and it seems almost certain that the full 

 military output of which we are now capable will 



