September 29, 1916] 



SCIENCE 



443 



classification of the resources of the empire 

 as regards raw materials, and of foreign 

 chemical products in respect of distribu- 

 tion throughout the world, with ruling 

 prices, tariffs, cost of transport, and if pos- 

 sible cost of production. On the educa- 

 tional side it is suggested that the depart- 

 ment should collect data regarding oppor- 

 tunities for chemical instruction and re- 

 search in various parts of the empire, and 

 should consider possible improvements and 

 extensions of these. The department 

 would of course be in charge of a highly- 

 trained chemist, with a sufficient number 

 of chemical assistants. 



This proposal, which has been widely 

 discussed and on the whole very favorably 

 received by chemists, has much to recom- 

 mend it; to mention only one point, the 

 unrivalled resources of the Board of Trade 

 would facilitate the acquisition of informa- 

 tion which might otherwise be difficult to 

 obtain, or which would not be disclosed ex- 

 cept to a government department. The 

 principal objections which have been raised 

 are based upon the fear that the proposed 

 department, however energetic and enter- 

 prising it might be at the start, would soon 

 be so helplessly gagged and bound down by 

 departmental red tape as to become of little 

 or no service. This danger, however, could 

 be obviated to a great extent by the institu- 

 tion of a strong advisory committee, repre- 

 sentative of and elected by the societies con- 

 cerned with the different branches of 

 chemistry, which would keep closely in 

 touch with the Chemical Intelligence De- 

 partment on the one hand and with the in- 

 dustry on the other, and which would act as 

 adviser of the permanent scientific staff of 

 the department. There is, I fear, little 

 chance of seeing Dr. Forster's proposal 

 carried into effect unless all the societies 

 concerned move actively and unitedly in 

 the matter ; they must do the pioneer work 



and must submit a definite scheme to the 

 government, if the desired result is to be 

 attained. In the not improbable contin- 

 gency that the board of trade will decline 

 to take action, I trust that the scheme for 

 the establishment of an Information Bu- 

 reau — on lines similar to but somewhat less 

 wide-reaching than those which I have just 

 indicated — which has been under the care- 

 ful consideration of the Council of the So- 

 ciety of Chemical Industry, will be vigor- 

 ously prosecuted. Difficulties, chiefly finan- 

 cial, stand in the way, but these are not 

 insuperable, especially if the sympathy 

 and support of the government can be en- 

 listed. 



Unless the conditions and methods which 

 have ruled in the past are greatly altered 

 it is hardly possible to hope that the future 

 prospects of our chemical industry will be 

 bright; it is essential that the representa- 

 tives of the industry should organize them- 

 selves in their own interest and cooperate 

 in fighting the common enemy. More than 

 ever is this the case when, as we are in- 

 formed, three different groups of German 

 producers of dyes, drugs and fine chemicals, 

 who own seven large factories, have formed 

 a combination with a capital of more than 

 £11,000,000, and with other assets of very 

 great value in the shape of scientific, tech- 

 nical and financial efficiency. Hence it is 

 eminently satisfactory to be able to record 

 the active progress of a movement, origi- 

 nated by the Chemical Society, which has 

 culminated in the formation of an Asso- 

 ciation of British Chemical Manufacturers. 

 The main objects of the association are to 

 promote cooperation between British chem- 

 ical manufacturers ; to act as a medium for 

 placing before the government and govern- 

 ment officials the views of manufacturers 

 upon matters affecting the chemical indus- 

 try; to develop technical organization and 

 promote industrial research; to keep in 



