Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-25

In the industrial preparedness program
there are three principal items-standardiza.
ton, simplifcation and elimination OF waste
On these the Department Of Commerce has
been concentrating since the World War, under
the Hoover plan. They promote thrift In times
OF peace and better and surer supplies in time
Of war. It is because Of this system worked
out on a Nationwide scale under Secretary
Hoover that the War Department Is going to
be able to make such complete plans for mill.
tary preparedness The War and Navy Depart
ments are both quite active in this campaign
by the Commerce Department, and both Gov.
eminent officials from many units OF Govern.
ment and representatives Of engineering socie.
ties and industries are on the advisory board
Of the Division Of Simplifed Practice
x X x X
The ordinary run Of citizen does not have
any conception Of the importance Of engineer
ing work carried on in the Department OF Agri.
culture. At the present time agriculture in the
United States is confronted with an unusually
large number Of pressing engineering problems,
demanding immediate attention il the farmers
of the country are to maintain their position
against the competition Of industry and OF the
agricultural world at large. So a division Of
agricultural engineering. has been set up in
the Department Of Agriculture. which Is now
in the Bureau Of Public Roads, but legislation
is promised to enlarge this work into distinct
bureau. Agricultural engineering, it should be
explained. includes such important elements
farm power. farm machinery. sanitation, farm
water supply, rural identification, farm light
ing and heating. farm buildings, prevention Of
soil erosion. drainage and irrigation. And 1t
should be borne in mind that such projects
for improving the economic condition Of the
farmers Is not only reflected in the quality and
price of the food products which come to city
consumers, but that it stabilizes general pros
perity and industrial activity on which the
masses of the people are dependent for their
livelihood.
Take one specific unit Of the Department Of
Agriculture-the Fixed Nitrogen Research
Laboratory on the American University
grounds. Toward the end Of the World War
the need OF ntrates became so great in this
country. for use in explosives and as fertilizer
to produce crops, that the famous Muscle
Shoals power station was built for the fxation
OF atmospheric nitrogen, one of the most cost
ly OF the war projects. That gigantic plant
drew its purpose from the humble Fixed Nitro.
gen Laboratory here. which, established as a
war necessity, has been continued as a control
against extortion in the price for Chilean
nitrates, and the work of which promises to
make this Nation independent for all time and
especially In war days. 1t Is devoting it's atten.
ton almost exclusively to the synthetic process.
1t is an educational as well as experimental
institution, having contributed more than 100
papers to the sum total of engineering and
scientific knowledge.
X X
Then, again, the Department of Agriculture.
in cooperation with the Department of Com.
merce and private industry, is helping out the
wood conservation program and working to
protect the United States from hold.up by
Canada on the matter of wood pulp for paper
making, which affects every newspaper reader
in the land The Forest Service protects our
timber supply and promotes reforestation. The
Forest Products Laboratory determines the
best uses for the various timber resources OF
the Nation. The Bureau Of Standards is con.
stantly experimenting for the best utilization
and for new utilization to which the forest
products are not now applied. The wood utiliza.
ton committee OF the Department of Commerce
has directed a wonderful piece of work in the
Standardization and smplfcation of lumber
In cooperation with these Government agencies
a great many scientific organizations have been
ti.i1ad IN. !,