38 R. GREIG-SMITH. 



it can to assist him in the good work. His work is classical f 

 and is the foundation upon which huge industries will in 

 the future be established. Yet he is now working alone 

 in his laboratory when he should have a staff of trained 

 assistants working under him, discovering the industrial 

 possibilities of our natural products. It would pay the 

 State. His memorial should be raised now in the form of 

 a research laboratory of which he should be the director. 

 We have money to spend upon a luxury like the Conserva- 

 torium of Music, but apparently none to assist research 

 which would lead to the establishment of new industries. 



State utilisation of Waste. 



There are certain directions in which our State Govern- 

 ment is moving to utilise waste. There is for example the 

 hydro-electric scheme to make use of the waste power of 

 the Shoalhaven and other rivers. There is the scheme to 

 establish a number of fish depots at various parts of the 

 coast, so that the fishermen may be able to dispose of their 

 entire catch. At present, they expect to be paid for one 

 basket out of every ten they send to market; the other nine 

 are condemned and become fish manure. The State is 

 about to instal an up-to-date vacuum plant for the utilisation 

 of the fish offal. 



In the gas that collects in septic tanks, we have an 

 example of the utilisation of a waste product from a waste 

 material. Sewage in its anaerobic fermentation gives off a 

 mixture consisting chiefly of hydrogen and marsh gas. It 

 is inflammable, and can be utilised in gas engines for the 

 production of power. This is being done at Parramatta 

 and at North Sydney. Mr. Smail has informed me that the 

 sewage from about 20,000 people gives about 1,500 cb. ft. 

 of gas daily, which for the production of power is equal to 

 825 cb. ft. of coal gas. From this we see that the sewage 

 contributed by an individual daily yields 10*8 cb. in. of gas 



