Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-25

THE goal of science is clear; it nothing short of
l the complete Interpretation of the universe
The material prosperity of nation is determined
by the in which utilized by the eff
6ciency of its industries in methods of production and
utilization of its wastes The proper efficiency in meth
DDS of production and manufacture be obtained only
by an intelligent scheme of working and familiarity
with raw materials. The manufacturer must know
how produce the best with least waste. Herein lies
future commercial salvation; for the great natural
resources becoming exhausted, and the producer
the chemist and scientific worker in order
to find out how he save There must in the future
be closer alliance between the called practical man
and the scientific worker.
Science has solved many problems; but many more
remain to be solved if industrial efficiency is brought up
to proper level Day by day there lost to this world
untold millions in money and appalling number OF
human lives We hear of the swapping of steel rails the
failure of BRIDGES our boilers corrode; ninety per cent
of the potential energy of coal is lost through the
stack and by radaton energy disspated by noise and
friction. Our rivers pouring into the sea wealth
from the waste of great cities and our great peat bog
numbering many square miles and holding vast stores of
energy, still lie practically untouched. Trolley wires
snap, railway ties last scarcely five years. our road
beds up by heavy traffic, paint needs frequent
renewing, and books far from indestructibe.
Yearly the lumber industry wastes the equivalent of
three hundred thousand of forest sawdust and
scraps the paper industry literally pours money into
the rivers and beehive coke ovens obtain only coke.
wasting sxtyve to eighty per cent OF the coal into the
air We have piles of wealth in cum banks in our
low grade iron and lean gold and silver
We have great deposits of iron worthless account
of its high content of titanum and sulphurc acid
plants throw away thousands of dollars worth OF iron IN
their wastes from pyrites burning.
We import from Spain annually two and a half million
dollars worth of fortysix to fifty per cent pyres
costing the manufacturer practically eight dollars ton
while great deposits of thrtyve to thirty eight per
cent pyrites lie practically untouched because way
has been found to burn OF such low sulphur con-
tent proftaby. We also import from Germany yearly
three and half million dollars worth of potash salts
important constituent of plant food There millions
of tons OF potash locked up nsOlube sllcateS OF
potash the eldspars but we haven't succeeded as yet
in profitaby extracting it for the fertilizer trade.
Is this not field for the research worker? Does the
world not need his hep Few realize what the chemist
has done what he do Every advance in utilizing
waste every problem solved, makes tor better living
The chemist usually quiet and unassuming, and Tor
that seldom class do chemists get the credit
due to them
1.-The key of Progress is hidden in question mark.
In order to be able do thing successfully to
material to its greatest advantage, everything 1t IS pos
Water has been used from times far remote but even
could not be used to its greatest good for the
human until the properties of steam were fully
derstOod, until steam recognized Obeylng the
gaseous laws enunciated by the chemists Boyle, Avo-
gadro and Gay Lussac and until Watt had applied the
expansive power of steam to the steam engine.
What They Have Already Done
IN passing, let glance at of the wonders
achieved by the chemist and his brother the phys-
cst Let turn from the rather discouragng things
be done to some of the magnificent things already
complished.
Black coal and its sticky, jety tar have literally been
changed into hues of the rainbow. Formerly immense
in India iven to indigo culture; but
India imports indigo made synheticaly from coal
products and great of land have been opened
cultivation for something else. AS chemists