SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 
It was also agreed that the first call on any funds which might be 
made available by the Federal or State Government for the purpose of 
research work should be devoted to those subjects which have a direct 
bearing on the primary producing industries. 
The Conference decided to initiate a publicity campaign in the 
interests of science, and the Chairman, Mr. Peter Board, M.A., intends 
to call a subsequent meeting to consider the personnel of the committee 
to undertake that work. 
NITROGEN REQUIREMENTS OF AUSTRALIA. 
During the War the British Government appointed a Nitrogen 
Products Committee to consider the relative advantages for the Empire 
of the various methods for the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen from 
the point of view of both War and Peace purposes. The Institute was 
requested to prepare a statement as to the probable requirements of 
Australia in fixed nitrogen both for the manufacture of explosives and 
for fertilizer purposes. The necessary information has been collected, 
and a report on the matter is now nearly completed. 
COLLIE COAL AND GAS PRODUCTION. 
The Western Australian State Mining Engineer, Mr. A. Montgomery, 
M.A., F.G.S., who is a member of the Western Australian State Com. 
mittee of the Institute, has issued a report on the subject of Collie coal 
and gas production. Though Collie coal appears to be rather hopeless 
as a source of illuminating coal gas made by the ordinary retorting 
process, Mr. Montgomery states that it by no means follows that it 
cannot be made available for town illumination by some other process. 
It has already been used successfully in the Electrical Power-house, 
Perth, and in the electric lighting of the City of Perth. Leaving this. 
alternative out of consideration, however, there is yet another method, 
by-which Collie coal may be utilized as a source of gas for town illu- 
mination. In view of the general use of incandescent mantles, the 
modern requirement is for a good heating gas, not an illuminating gas, 
and Mr. Montgomery states that for the former purpose Collie coal 
can be made to serve quite well. To make a heating gas from Collie: 
coal, however, for the purpose of town gas supply, would require a 
radical alteration in the method of production of the gas, as the-retort- 
ing process would have to be done away with altogether, and the Mond 
process, or one of the similar modern methods, would have to be used. 
TERRA-COTTA CLAYS AND ASBESTOS IN QUEENSLAND. 
The Chief Government Geologist of Queensland, Mr. B. Dunstan,. 
states that numerous inquiries have been made regarding the utilization 
of the ferruginous clays of the Brisbane district for the manufacture of 
terra-cotta tiles. A great number of samples of clay have been tested 
and ‘deposits examined. While some of the material is of first-class 
quality no large area of workable clays has yet been found. Mr. Dun- 
stan thinks, however, that there ‘is no doubt that deposits suitable for 
térra-cotta work will ultimately be found not far from Brisbane, where- 
there is a large number of low flat areas in which clays have been 
formed from the disintegration of the Brisbane schists. 
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