Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1915-06-11

needs men who have a foundation
upon which they can build
A second function of the state en-
cheering college is direct aid to its
industries. IL should establish a
certain leadership. 1t should de-
termine facts, investigate difficult
les and solve problems. 1t should
cultivate the scientific spirit, the
search after new facts and new
truth.
Consider for moment how long
"a time--century after century
that mans knowledge of the world
about him advanced so little. There
came a change. There was an in
tellectual awakening, new attitude
toward the physical world. The
scientific method developed; there
was a spirit of questioning; accepted
facts were found to be without
foundation. The world ceased to be
a flat and the accepted theory that
the world was composed of four ele-
ments: earth, air, fire and water
we're found to be inadequate.
Why we're ordinary phenomena
discarded, while literature and
philosophy and art flourished? Pos
sibly there seemed little reason for
questioning when all the phenomena
of nature had an authoritative ex-
PLANTATION, particularly when one
risked his freedom or his life if he
doubted the laws of nature which
had been prescribed by church and
state.
But the change came; the doubt
er, the questioner, the seeker after
truth were followed by the discoov-
erer and the inventor-and the en-
gineer.
Anyone who may think that we
have reached a stage where further
advance is impossible or unneces-
sary, is in great error. We have
considered the rate of growth pf
various industries; we might also
have determined their quality In
creasing economy and efficiency has
rivalled increased output. Electric
central stations have increased in
size, and they are more economical
in fuel. The enormous generators
installed a dozen years ago for OPP
Grating the elevated road in New
York City were driven by engines
which were the acme of a century
Although as good as
new they are being scrapped and
replaced by steam turbines of six
times the rated capacity and with
a full requirement only two-thirds
as great for equal output.
Incandescent lamps today give
three to six times the light for the
same current consumption as did the
lamps of eight years ago. Electric
motors are cheaper and more de-
pendable and are better adapted to
their work. These things have not
come by chance. New and improved
better designs and new
methods of manufacture are the re-
suit of intense effort by the manu-
facturers.
The advance from $1,000 volts,
the highest on the coast II years
ago, and 100000 today is the out
come of experiment and investiga-
ton and trial. Progressive manu-
featuring companies have progressed
because they have carried on indus
trial research. An automobile tire
manufacturer spends 100000 a
year on his laboratory. The Dupont
Powder Company employs $50
chemists. We can talk across the
because the A. T. G T. Co.
has spent great sums for research.
Concrete is reliable because re-
search has demonstrated how it
should be used.
In the past our problem has been
to get results; materials have been
abundant and we have gained a
reputation for American wasteful-
ness and prodigality But we are
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