The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1920-11-13

organize, correlate, coordinate and direct such
effort must, in the long rum bring greater prog
ress in less time, with less expense and with
greater saving.
Work of this character requires the services Oh
highly-trained specialists along widely varying
lines. The forester's knowledge of tree growth IS
necessary to the engineer studying the mechanical
properties of various trees In order that he may
wisely select for study those species which are, or
may become, available for use. The engineers
knowledge is necessary to the physicist engaged
in problems of drying wood in order that the effect
of such treatment on the mechanical properties
may not be overlooked The pathoOgists knowl-
edge is necessary both to the engineer and
physicist I'm order odetermne the effect of decay
on the properties under investigation and equally
is his knowledge necessary to the chemist pur-
suing his work on the development of durable
waterresistant Clues on preservatives to prevent
decay and on prevention of decay in pulpwood
and wood pulp The knowledge of the dendro-
ogist is necessary to all in order that the identity
of the species under study may be determined with
certainty and in order that pecullarities of their
structural anatomy may not he overlooked.
An organization of such men provided with
proper equipment, materials and facilities for
work cannot in the long run fail to secure results
of value. 1t is such an organization that we
have attempted to develop. shall make no at
tempt to describe it In detail. Suffice it to say
that prior to 1917 1t comprised a personnel of
approximately so, expanding during the next 1S
months to 500, and at present includes slightly
less than half that number. The aggregate ex-
penditures over the entire tenyear period are in
the neighborhood of two million doars-a yearly
average Of about 100000. This is but an in.
significant sum when the breadth of the field and
magnitude of the problems are considered The
results Of much of the work cannot of course be
quoted in dollars and cents. Certain other re-
suits, however, enable the use of such a ward
nd Of haro Mill
serve to convince you that organized Industrial
research is paying proposition.
The building and construction trade, for ex-
ample, uses annually approximately FIVE and a
half billion feet fer structural purposes where
strength is important This material is worth
roughly $200000O00. investigations at the forest
products laboratory on the mechanical properties
OF American woods has given knowledge permit
ting 20 per cent increase in allowable working
stresses in structural timbers. This means nos
sble saving of $40000OO0 annually; If results are
actually applied to only 10 per cent of such ma
terial, the annual saving will equal S4,OO0OOO
The claims for loss and damage to commodities
in shipment actually paid by the railroads amount
to $100000000 annually Proper mailing davel-
oped and recommended by the forest products
laboratory. and adopted by the National Associa.
ton Of Box Manufacturers, and through them by
many companies and shippers, if conservatively
estimated to but per cent of this loss means
total saving of $1o00-O00 year.
Work on water-resistant CLUES and plywood for
airpanes carried az the laboratory during the
war emergency aloae saved the War department
S6,0O0O0O in the procurement of such material
during a u months period
investigations carried at the laboratory dur
ing the past year regarding the use of hull fiber
and second-cut cotton linters for pulp and paper
has made available 100000 tons for this purpose.
and has resulted in the establishment of large
plants with potential production of 300 tons per