SCIENCE. AND INDUSTRY. 
FOREST PRODUCTS LABORATORY. 
In this issue there appears an article by Mr. I. H. Boas on Forest 
Products Laboratories in other parts of the world. Mr. Boas has 
recently returned from a trip round the world, where, on behalf of the 
Institute of Science and Industry and the Western Australian Govern- 
ment, he has been making inquiries into the methods adopted abroad to 
obtain the greatest economic utilization of timbers. Unfortunately, Aus- 
tralia has not awakened to a full realization of her forest wealth, or to 
the necessity of treating the timber which is used, in an economic 
manner. In addition to the waste in the forests themselves, there is enor- 
mous preventable waste in the treatment of timber. No scientific 
investigation has been made into the physical qualities of our timbers, 
and although local users are more or less compelled by force of circum- 
stances to make use of whatever varieties or condition of timber that is 
made available to them, manufacturers in other countries, with a wider 
selection to choose from, are chary of employing Australian woods. A 
member of the Executive Committee of this Institute who recently 
returned from the United States of America illustrated the disadvantage 
under which Australia laboured through lack of scientific knowledge 
of its hardwoods. He was discussing the question of Australian timbers 
with the President of the Steel Corporation, United States of America, 
and asked him if he had ever tried them for steam-ship or railway 
train furnishings. The reply was that nothing definite could be ascer- 
tained about their special suitability. It appeared that American users 
were favorably impressed by the appearance of the wood, but were taking 
no chances with its utilization. Mr. Boas indicates the scope of the 
research carried out in the United States of America, and his report, 
which he is now compiling, should prove of value to the Commonwealth, 
He-has been appointed for twelve months to act as Forest Products 
officer for the Institute, and it is hoped that before that period has 
expired a commencement will have been made with a Forest Products 
Laboratory. 
- AN AMERICAN INSTITUTION. 
The Forest Products Laboratory at Madison, to which Mr. Boas 
refers, is an institution of industrial research devoted to the study of 
properties and economic uses of wood. In many cases investigations are 
conducted im.co-operation with the wood-using industries to develop 
new processes or methods having economie value. Results, so far as 
possible, are checked by application on-a commercial scale, and no 
investigation is considered completed until the industrial value is estab- 
lished. All information secured is made available to the industries 
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