46 SECTIONAL ADDRESSES 



the community ; but it must be emphasised once more that the chemist 

 can do these things only by virtue of his inheritance of knowledge and 

 technique. The attack on such problems, to have a reasonable chance 

 of success, must be organised on the basis of what is already known 

 and what has already been achieved ; nay, more, one has abundant 

 ground for belief that the attack, so organised, is bound to succeed, even 

 though it may be ' in the long run.' 



In the last twenty years the amount of directed chemical research in 

 this country has increased enormously. Industries of the most varied 

 description have begun to realise the potential value of the trained chemist 

 in solving their special problems and putting their manufacturing processes 

 on a more rational basis. In this general movement the State, through 

 the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, has taken a promi- 

 nent part by fostering Research Associations. The work of these organ- 

 isations — such as those dealing with rubber ; with paint, colour and varnish ; 

 with cotton or wool ; with non-ferrous metals ; with sugar confectionery 

 — is in many cases largely chemical or physico-chemical in character. 

 The Research Associations have not only shown how general problems 

 affecting an industry as a whole can be solved by joint research efforts, 

 but their existence and activities have induced a notable degree of 

 ' research-mindedness ' in the individual associated firms. Financially, 

 the work is based on co-operation between the State and industry,- on 

 the principle that the State helps those who help themselves. 



The State itself has founded a number of organisations for the study 

 of chemical problems of national importance, and has thus formally 

 recognised the significance of directed research for the community. 

 Six years ago one of my predecessors in this Chair, Sir Gilbert Morgan, 

 gave an account of one of the most notable of these State experiments, 

 namely, the establishing of the Chemical Research Laboratory at Tedding- 

 ton, and the investigation there of various important problems by a large 

 staff of trained chemists. The work carried out at Teddington has in- 

 cluded the study of synthetic resins and low-temperature tars and the 

 exploration of chemical reactions occurring under high pressure, as well 

 as research on metal corrosion, chemotherapy and water softeners. 



Fuel and food are two notable cases in which State-aided investigation 

 is being carried out, and problems connected on the one hand with 

 pulverised and colloidal fuel or the low-temperature carbonisation of 

 coal, and on the other with the storage of fruit or the preservation of fish 

 and meat, are being intensively studied at appropriate centres. Reference 

 might be made also to the work of the Building Research Station, where, 

 amongst other matters, the factors detemining the weathering qualities 

 of stone are being studied. Other experts than chemists are naturally 

 concerned in the investigation of these problems, but the chemical and 

 physico-chemical aspects are frequently the predominating ones. 



Again, the serious question of river pollution has been taken in hand 

 with State help, and some years ago a chemical and biological survey of 

 the river Tees was set on foot, the Tees being chosen for investigation 

 because of the great variety of factory effluents discharged into it both in 

 tidal and non-tidal reaches. Some of the newer industrial developments in 



