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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXV. No. 629 



cific articles and abstracts relating to each 

 individual branch will be found in a spe- 

 cial journal." It is, of course, implied 

 that so long as the members in a special 

 field are too few to warrant the publica- 

 tion of a special journal, the papers rela- 

 ting to those fields would continue to ap- 

 pear in the common journal, which would 

 otherwise be devoted to the proceedings, 

 reviews and papers of general interest. It 

 may, however, be seriously questioned if 

 the separation of abstracts in the manner 

 indicated would be advisable. It were, in 

 my opinion, far better that these should 

 continue to appear in a special abstract 

 journal which should, like the common 

 journal, go to all members. Those desiring 

 could then subscribe, for a moderate sum, 

 to such of the special journals other than 

 that of their special field as they would 

 feel able to afford. 



Less closely related to the future of the 

 society as a society is a matter — already 

 laid before the council at Ithaca, but tabled 

 without action — that must, however, sooner 

 or later engage attention. This has to do 

 with the question of compensation paid for 

 chemical services and the reflection that is 

 cast on the profession at large by the 

 utterly inadequate recompense that is com- 

 monly offered and, of necessity, accepted. 

 This is far below what the properly edu- 

 cated chemist should receive, considering 

 the time and money spent in acquiring his 

 education and the extent and variety of 

 the knowledge that he must master at the 

 start and accumulate so long as he prac- 

 tises his profession. In so far as this ques- 

 tion has to do with regularly salaried em- 

 ployees, the solution is perhaps more 

 troublesome than in the case of those per- 

 forming special services, such as analytical 

 work, and that phase of it I shall not con- 

 sider. A serious obstacle to be overcome 

 before analytical chemists can occupy the 

 position in public estimation that should 



be theirs, is that presented by shysters, 

 posing as qualified chemists, particularly 

 as analytical chemists, who seek and accept 

 work at rates so low as absolutely to pre- 

 clude accuracy in the results they obtain, 

 so that the whole profession suffers for 

 their misdoing. That these men are able 

 to attract customers may be due to the 

 greed of both employed and employer, but 

 is in larger measure due to the ignorance 

 of the employers as to the real nature of 

 chemical work. It will be difficult, if not 

 impossible, to educate the public in chem- 

 istry, but it would seem as if a partial solu- 

 tion might be reached by establishing some 

 such standard of efficiency as that repre- 

 sented by membership in the Society of 

 Public Analysts in Great Britain, which 

 should be a guaranty, so far as such things 

 can be guaranteed, that the member is a 

 duly qualified analyst. Such an organi- 

 zation might well be established here, and 

 it need in no sense compete with any other 

 existing organization, nor need it call for 

 more than nominal dues. Its membership 

 should be most carefully guarded and any 

 member showing himself unworthy should 

 be summarily dropped. Such action would 

 be prima facie cause for similar action by 

 the American Chemical Society with re- 

 spect to the culprit, if he possessed mem- 

 bership in that society. Membership in 

 that organization would then be a reason- 

 able guaranty to those wishing work done 

 that it would be well done, and the rates 

 of compensation could be maintained at 

 figures commensurate with the quality of 

 the work. Those patronizing non-members 

 would then have but themselves to thank 

 if disappointment and loss resulted from 

 so doing, and they would soon learn, as so 

 many others have learned, that cheap work 

 is usually bad work. 



In the foregoing, I have endeavored to 

 outline the present situation with its exist- 

 ing complications and some of the sug- 



