New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-05
GOETHE RESEARCH
PLAN IS PRAISED
Manufacturers in All Par.
of Country Show Keen
Interest.
COLUMBIA SEEKS
LABORATORY FIJNn
Two Sites Already Offered 70,
Engineering Plant TO Solve
Industrial Problems.

Immediate Endorsement Of the -,
ject for establishing at Columbia n,
versity large industrial engineerins ;.
search laboratories, as Sc: forth \.
Frederick A. Goetze, dean Of the s,,S
uate engineering school Of Column,
University, has come from all psr,
Of the country. Manufacturers ana
heads of large industrial plants ara
keenly interested in the plan, and |. 4,
now thought at the university that u.
necessary funds for the erection Of
large laboratory will be available soon
Within the last week TWO sites hav.
been offered TO the university for n,
100000 laboratory, which is the trt
step in the project as outlined by Dean
Goetze. II is estimated the building
would cost S3jO,OOO, and the necessary
equipment $4,000. Every effort will
be made Immediately TO obtain fund,
sufficient to warrant the procuring Of
an option on site along the Hudson
and the breaking of ground.
The ultimate plan called for In Dear
Goetze's report to President Butler
contemplates the securing OF an en-.
dowment ranging from S2,000000 to
S5,0O0,oC0. With this obtained, Dean
Goethe states that the production Of
Americas industries would be vastly
increased through new processes
worked out in the laboratories, as IA
done in Germany.
Industrial manufacturing association,
have already submitted problems which,
il solved, would materially aid indus.
tries. Such requests are being received
daily, and the already large labors,o.
ries of the graduate engineering de.
partments are unable TO cope with
the demands upon them. With this
ever growing demand for just such IA.
cilities as Dean Goethe suggests II is
thought the manufacturers will be glad
TO furnish necessary funds for the
project.
Four years ago Dean Goethe, Pro.
fessor Milton c. Whitaker. head OF the
Graduate Chemical Engineering De.
partment, and Professor Arthur l.
Walker, of the Graduate School Of
Mines, travelled through Germany, Bel.
GUM and England observing closely the
Industrial plants of these countries and
the part the universities played in the
industrial progress of each. The plan,
outlined by Dean Goetze crystallied
from these observations abroad.
Ii was found in Germany that all 0.
the industries submitted their impor.
tant research problems 20 the unyer.
sites, where the master minds OF the
country were set az reaching a solu.
ton and making rapid industrial
strides possible. Some OF the blgges,
problems recently submitted to Go.
lumbia have to do with industrial
chemistry.
"The American Gamers Assoels'
ton" Professor Whitaker said yesies.
day, "has asked US to find some method
by which all danger of ptomaine. POI
soning from eating preserved food can
be avoided. Another request has come
from the American Laundies Assoels'
ton for the preparation OF substances
which will facilitate cleaning clothes
and yet not injure them"
Or. Walter Rittman discovered new
process for the production OF toluoI
and other chemicals from crude petro'
leum, and is now az the head Of q
large plant at Pittsburg built TO pre-
mare toluol for the manufacture oil ef'
plosives. Dean Goetze points 70 thn
instance as an illustration OF what re-
search work in a university Laboratory
can do for industry.