The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-10-09
APPLYING SCIENCE TOOUR INDUSTRIES.
Secretary Redfield Foresees Uses in Peace of Some Expenditures Made Rail road Experience an Ex- ample.

William c. Redfield, Secretary of Commerce, thinks that not the least worth while thing about the war has been it's tendency to make us more efficiently apply our scientific knoWl- edge to industry and commerce.
 ''Before the war" he said, Ger many led the world in two respects. first, in the application of science to industry and, second, in the applica- ton of education to industry. It was on these two things that her great and rapid growth and prosperity were based. Compared to the British Elm fpire, or our own country, her natural resources were not great. Neither had she an accumulated wealth com parable to either. But she had what neither had-the application Of brains at the top and brains in the shop; trained, efficient brains and hands throughout her commerce. By reason of these she prospered and grew strong. In those two essential matters we are today making expen- ditures in the war which shall serve the purposes of peace.
 ''In the rush of war news most Of us lose sight of the work of the Fed eral Board for Vocational Education for instance. Yet this work means everything to the future commerce and industry of America. It supplies the lack we felt before the war; it supplies the basis in which Germany prospered. It is standardizing train- ing for work and for industry in all our States. It is providing Federal funds and supervision to make that although we do not see it, we are building up force of workmen and workwomen who know with thelI brains why they are doing the work their hands are being taught to do This reacts immediately upon the shop in lower cost, greater production less waste of materials and time, anc greater ability to compete. The worF is by law so arranged as to enlarge in scope from year to year and is a present successful and productive up on a countrywide operating basis.
 "The Bureau of Standards, which il time will be known as the great indus trial laboratory of the nation, is ; complement of the Federal Board fo Vocational Training. In it's construc
 
 ken step forward in applying scienc to industry as Germany long ago di and as we have hitherto failed to dC do not forget that there are scienti fic services in the Government i more than one department whic have rendered and will continue render valuable services to industr! l do not for moment want to de tract from their value and usefulnes do, however, suggest that not on has as yet reached the problem i the way the new industrial laborator is intended to meet it.
 "Science In it's application to all or industries is to be made availab here Many a factory cannot solN the problems that underlie it's wor merely because 1t must earn its livir as it goes, and problems take tin and money to search them out. Ma( a factory has come to grief becaui 1t did not understand and could n understand, the full scientific natul of the forces with which it was wei ing. There was no way of bringir in any thoroughgoing way, the sciel tific knowledge of the country to be; upon these plants.
 '"The laboratory now building is di tinctly for war purposes. With u plant already in existence, it is ser ing to make our military forces ( land and sea more effective and po7 erful. The demands of the army al navy come to this service a the ra of one every half hour of the wor ing day Yet the expenditure, 8 though for war; is so directed that will be valuable for peace. It W be a definite fixed contribution to u nations welfare. Many manufactr CTS welfare. Many manufacturers day have reason to be grateful to t \ Bureau of Standards for what it given of counsel and assistance. Tn hardly realize as yet what will be pc sible in the way of further aid wh the relaxing of the strain of war sh place the greatly enlarged facilit at their disposal.
 Thus, both for the office and { shop, for the manager and the m; there is being developed today for 1 use of all of our industries the t essential factors in which Germa was distinguished from all the rest
 the world before the war and