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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIV. No. 1137 



achievements of the members of our sister 

 societies in mechanical and mining and civil 

 engineering, and the accomplishments of 

 our fellow-workers, the industrial chemists, 

 they are being aroused to the vital impor- 

 tance of the products of science in the na- 

 tional defense. 



Arising out of this agitation comes a 

 growing appreciation of the importance of 

 industrial scientific research, not only as an 

 aid to military defense but as an essential 

 part of every industry in time of peace. 



Industrial research, conducted in accord- 

 ance with the principles of science, is no 

 new thing in America. The department 

 which is under my charge, founded nearly 

 forty years ago to develop, with the aid of 

 scientific men, the telephone art, has grown 

 from small beginnings with but a few 

 workers to a great institution employing 

 hundreds of scientists and engineers, and 

 it is generally acknowledged that it is 

 largely owing to the industrial research 

 thus conducted that the telephone achieve- 

 ments and developments in America have 

 so greatly exceeded those of other countries. 



With the development of electric lighting 

 and electric power and electric traction 

 which came after the invention of the tele- 

 phone, industrial scientific research labo- 

 ratories were founded by some of the larger 

 electrical manufacturing concerns and these 

 have attained a world-wide reputation. 

 While vast sums are spent annually upon 

 industrial research in these laboratories, 

 I can say with authority that they return 

 to the industries each year improvements in 

 the art which, taken all together, have a 

 value many times greater than the total 

 cost of their production. Money expended 

 in properly directed industrial research, 

 conducted on scientific principles, is sure 

 to bring to the industries a most generous 

 return. 



While many concerns in America now 



have well organized industrial research 

 laboratories, particularly those engaged in 

 metallurgy and dependent upon chemical 

 processes, the manufacturers of our coun- 

 try as a whole have not yet learned of the 

 benefits of industrial scientific research and 

 how to avail themselves of it. 



I consider that it is the high duty of our 

 institute and of every member composing 

 it, and that a similar duty rests upon all 

 other engineering and scientific bodies in 

 America, to impress upon the manufac- 

 turers of the United States the wonderful 

 possibilities of economies in their processes 

 and improvements in their products which 

 are opened up by the discoveries in science. 

 The way to realize these possibilities is 

 through the medium of industrial research 

 conducted in accordance with scientific 

 principles. Once it is made clear to our 

 manufacturers that industrial research 

 pays, they will be sure to call to their aid 

 men of scientific training to investigate 

 their technical problems and to improve 

 their processes. Those who are the first 

 to avail themselves of the benefits of indus- 

 trial research will obtain such a lead over 

 their competitors that we may look forward 

 to the time when the advantages of indus- 

 trial research will be recognized by all. 



Industrial scientific research departments 

 can reach their highest development in 

 those concerns doing the largest amount 

 of business. While instances are not want- 

 ing where the large growth of the institu- 

 tion is the direct result of the care which 

 is bestowed upon industrial research at a 

 time when it was but a small concern, 

 nevertheless conditions to-day are such that 

 without cooperation among themselves the 

 small concerns can not have the full benefits 

 of industrial research, for no one among 

 them is sufficiently strong to maintain the 

 necessary staff and laboratories. Once the 

 vital importance of this subject is appre- 



