Decembeb 18, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



879 



be diiScult to adduce any stronger argu- 

 ment in support of its value than the 

 marvelous achievements of these great firms. 



An unfortunately frequent difficulty en- 

 countered in the employment of research 

 chemists, or in the establishment of a re- 

 search laboratory, is that many manufac- 

 turers do not appear to grasp the need or 

 importance of such work, or know how to 

 treat the men in charge so as to secure the 

 best results. The industrialist may not 

 even fully understand just what is the 

 cause of his manufacturing losses or to 

 whom to turn for aid. If he eventually en- 

 gages a chemist, he is sometimes likely to 

 regard him as a sort of master of mysteries 

 who should be able to accomplish wonders, 

 and, if he can not see definite results in the 

 course of a few months, is occasionally apt 

 to consider the investment a bad one and 

 to regard chemists, as a class, as a useless 

 lot. It has not been unusual for the chem- 

 ist to be told to remain in his laboratory, 

 and not to go in or about the works, and 

 he must also face the natural opposition of 

 workmen to any innovations, and reckon 

 with the jealousies of foremen and of vari- 

 ous ofiicials. 



From the standpoint of the manufac- 

 turer, one decided advantage of the policy 

 of having all problems worked out within 

 the plant is that the results secured are 

 not divulged, but are stored away in the 

 laboratory archives and become part of the 

 assets and working capital of the corpora- 

 tion which has paid for them; and it is 

 usually not until patent applications are 

 filed that this knowledge, generally only 

 partially and imperfectly, becomes publicly 

 known. "When it is not deemed necessary 

 to take out patents, such knowledge is often 

 permanently buried. 



In this matter of the dissemination of 

 knowledge concerning chemical practise, it 

 must be evident to all that there is but little 



cooperation between the manufacturers and 

 the universities. Chemical manufacturers 

 have been quite naturally opposed to pub- 

 lishing any discoveries made in their plants, 

 since "knowledge is power" in manufac- 

 turing as elsewhere, and new knowledge 

 gained in the laboratories of the company 

 may often very properly be regarded as 

 among the most valuable assets of the con- 

 cern. The universities and the scientific 

 societies, on the other hand, exist for the 

 diffusion of knowledge, and from their 

 standpoint the great disadvantage of the 

 above policy is this concealment of knowl- 

 edge, for it results in a serious retardation 

 of the general growth and development of 

 the science in its broader aspects, and 

 renders it much more difficult for the uni- 

 versities to train men properly for such 

 industries, since all text-books and general 

 knowledge available would in all probability 

 be far behind the actual manufacturing 

 practise. Fortunately, the policy of indus- 

 trial secrecy is becoming more generally 

 regarded in the light of reason, and there 

 is a growing inclination among manufac- 

 turers to disclose the details of investiga- 

 tions, which, according to tradition, would 

 be carefully guarded. These manufacturers 

 appreciate the facts that public interest in 

 chemical achievements is stimulating to 

 further fruitful research, that helpful sug- 

 gestions and information may come from 

 other investigators upon the publication of 

 any results, and that the exchange of knowl- 

 edge prevents many costly repetitions. 



INDUSTBIAL FELLOWSHIPS 



If the manufacturer elects to refer his 

 problem to the university or technical 

 school, such reference may take the form of 

 an industrial fellowship and much has been 

 and may be said in favor of these fellow- 

 ships. They allow the donor to keep secret 

 for three years the results secured, after 



