SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
‘CATTLE TICK ERADICATION IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 
The Committee in Perth has held several meetings, and has practically 
completed the drafting of a scheme for driving back the cattle tick pest 
from the pastoral properties along the main stock routes. It is proposed 
that the work should be carried out on a contributory basis of £1 for £1 
by the Commonwealth and Western Australian State Governments. 
r 
UTILIZATION OF KELP. 
The Committee in Tasmania has completed its investigations, and 
is engaged on the preparation of its final report. Among other things it 
has discovered a new product obtained by precipitation of the organic 
matter. The moist precipitate can be pressed into any convenient form 
and then hardened by treatment with formalin. It turns perfectly in 
the lathe, and takes a high polish. It is suitable for the manufacture 
of buttons and other small articles, and for insulators for electrical 
purposes. 
CLAYS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 
A further progress report has been received from the Special Com- 
mittee which is investigating the clays of Western Australia. The 
report gives particulars of a number of clays tested in connexion with 
the pottery experiments. Some of the clays were found to be especially 
suited for chemical and sanitary ware, some for the manufacture of 
porous battery jars, and some for white earthenware. Others were par- 
ticularly suitable, when mixed with granitic fireclays for the manufac- 
ture of many classes of refractories. Some of the clays were, however, 
found to be of but limited utility, such as the manufacture of porous 
butter-coolers and cheap glazed jars for use as food containers of various 
kinds. Others again were found to be particularly good for special 
purposes, such as for use in Portland cement making and roofing-tiles. 
FERRO-ALLOYS. 
Investigations have so far been carried out on the manufacture of 
ferro-chrome and ferro-tungsten, the most important alloys in the manu- 
facture of high-speed tool steel. It has been shown that there is no 
difficulty in manufacturing ferro-chrome at a reasonable cost, providing 
that a cheap source of electric supply is available. Ferro-tungsten con- 
taining over 80 per cent. of tungsten has been made by reducing 
wolframite ore by means of carbon, without the addition of any iron or 
oxide of iron. A satisfactory method of preparing tungsten powder free 
from carbon has also been devised. " 
_ THE SPARROW PEST. 
Captain S. A. White, Adelaide, Past-President of the Royal Aus- 
tralasian Ornithologists’ Union, is supervising the steps which have been 
taken by the Institute to prevent the spread of sparrows to Western 
Australia. Some time ago; the Institute made inquiries and ascertained 
that sparrows had reached Tarcoola, along the route of the East-West 
Railway, and that they had also travelled along the coast and had been 
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