THE LEATHER INDUSTRY. 
expected to furnish. This would of necessity be the work of the tannery 
chemist, and such tanneries as do not employ chemists might fail to 
profit by the work done at the university. For example, suppose the 
university chemist proved the value of bating and recommended the use 
of a certain type of bating liquor that was slightly alkaline. A tanner 
who now delimes his stock with dilute acids, but does not bate, reads 
of the great discovery and attempts to profit by it. He follows the 
instructions carefully, but the resulting leather is much inferior to what 
he has been making. He concludes that bating is detrimental and 
remains satisfied with his deliming process. He has gained nothing 
from the research simply because he did not have in his plant a 
chemist with sufficient training and knowledge of the tannery to see 
that good results could not be expected until the vegetable tanyard. 
was altered to conform to the changed condition of the stock coming 
from the beamhouse. Before instituting the bating process, the stock 
arrived in the yard in a slightly acid condition. After bating, the 
stock was slightly alkaline. To meet this changed condition, either 
the tan liquors should have been more strongly acid or the stock should - 
have been put through the usual deliming process after the bating. 
Thus a given discovery might be hailed as a success by certain tanners 
whose processes chanced to be specially suited to receive it, while other 
tanners would consider it a failure. z 
The industry needs the help of the university chemists, and it also 
needs highly trained chemists holding positions of responsibility in its 
' tanneries; its development will be greatest when these two groups of 
chemists learn to do teamwork. 
667 
