: “SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
BLACK COAL ECONOMY COMMITTEE. 
The opinion is widely held that in Australia, as in Great Britain, 
there is urgent need for the examination of the economic position arising 
from the existing methods of the distribution and consumption of black 
coal. Important fields for inquiry are suggested by the recent British 
investigations and developments, particularly the recovery of benzol, 
and the provision of cheaper power. After a superficial consideration 
of the subject, the Advisory Council of the Institute of Science and 
Industry has appointed a Special Committee to make detailed inquiry 
into the whole question of black coal economy. ‘The members of that 
Committee are:—Professor Orme Masson (Chairman), Messrs. V. 
Anderson (Avery & Anderson), R. Boan (Chief Chemist, Victorian 
Railways), C. F. Courtney (General Manager, Sulphide Corporation), 
Colin Fraser (Managing Director, Broken Hill Associated Smelters), 
Ht. W. Gepp (General Manager, Electrolytic Zine Co.), Hssington 
Lewis (Assistant General Manager, Broken Hill Pty. Co.), A. 
McKinstry (British Westinghouse Co.), A. A. MeIntosh (Works 
Manager, Metropolitan Gas Co.), C. N. Newman (Managing Director, 
Howard Smith Ltd.), and E. P. Grove (Merz & McLellan). ‘This 
Committee will carry out such investigations as it considers necessary, 
and will report regularly to the Advisory Council of the Institute. 
PROPOSED REVISED CLASSIFICATION OF IMPORTS. 
In the early stages of the work of the Advisory Council of Science 
and Industry it was found that, owing to the unsatisfactory grouping 
and insufficient subdivision of imports of chemicals, it was often imprac- 
ticable to obtain any reliable information regarding Australia’s require- 
ments. Information of this nature—as to the consumption of various 
materials and commodities—is, of course, of fundamental importance 
Im connexion with proposals to establish new industries. A special 
Committee, consisting of chemical, statistical, and tariff experts, was 
appointed to draw up a revised list of chemical imports. The list 
was duly accepted by the then Comptroller-General for Trade and 
Customs, and came into force in August, 1917. The result is that the 
value of the returns has been enormously increased. 
Similar difficulties have often been experienced in regard to other 
groups of imports, and a meeting of the Executive Committee was held 
to consider the whole matter, in consultation with Mr. J. Cuming 
(representing the Victorian Chamber of Manufactures), Mr. R. 
Cochrane (representing the Victorian Chamber of Commerce), Mr. S. 
W. B. McGregor (British Trade Commissioner), Mr. E. T. McPhee 
(representing the Commonwealth Statistical Bureau), and Mr. Stirling 
Taylor (Director, Bureau of Commerce and Industry). All those 
present were strongly in favour of steps being taken to extend the system 
of reclassification on a scientific basis, so as to cover the whole list of 
imports. It was decided that the same procedure should be followed 
as in the case of chemicals, and that a number of committees, each con- 
sisting, if practicable, of a manufacturer, an importer, and a statistical 
and tariff expert, should be appointed. A Central Committee was also 
appointed to make the necessary arrangements for the organization of 
the work of the sectional Committees, the co-ordination of their reports, 
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