Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-10
NEW INDUSTRIAL
METHODS SOUGHT
Millions Spent in Development
of Lower Manufacture
ing Costs.
BY J. C. ROYLE.

Equipment manufacturers are con-
fronting what is likely to be the most
prosperous years in their history. There
is scarcely business today which is not
likely to be re-equipped from top to
bottom, according to Commerce Depart
ment authorities. The game of "byprod-
ucts," the most popular business amuse-
ment of the present day, is bringing this
about In the development of by prod
ucts new methods and new machinery
have been evolved and made necessary
So fast are changes coming that the
term obsolescence as applied to equip
ment, itself is obsolete Industrial moves
are taking place to such an extent that
they have become revolutionary. Plants
are becoming out of date and useless be-
fore they have been put into commits
sion. Government authorities say there
are 100 synthetic nitrogen plants in the
world all of which were obsolete before
they were completed.
Mining Industry.
The mining industry Is rapidly be-
ingre-equipped. Coal is being cut, loaded
and hauled by new machinery which
This has made the older mines I'M
profitable and caused surplus of la
Dor in the industry, but the trend seems
bound to continue. The same tendency
toward new methods is noticeable in the
non-ferrous metal mines and accounts
to some extent for the excess production
of copper, lead, silver and zinc over
consumptive requirements.
The changes in the electrical field
nuF ~,
that it only takes to years for the
most modern central station to become
out of date.
Chemists are responsible for many
of the methods which have become
necessary through discovery and de-
velopment of by products.
The placing of synthetic products on
the market has furnished strong COM
petition for the natural commodities in
many lines. In some cases we'll organ
lied businesses have been almost dis
rupted Most of the synthetics are pro-
| duced from by-productS. For example
one large oil and chemical concern, in
making an anti-freeze mixture for radi-
ators from natural gas, was able to dav
velop ethyl alcohol and could probably
turn out 100000 gallons annually
bout 100000 gallons are now pro-
duced here from molasses.
Inc ayes now USED are most OF them
of synthetic origin Indigo, once the
great staple of the dye watts, now has
passed almost out of use, and many
medicines once taken from natural
sources now are produced synthetic
ally.
Sea Water Product.
Bromine, widely employed in pho
| Biography, medicine, motor fuel and in
gas bombs for use in war or riots, now
can be produced from sea water. The
du Pont Co. and the Ethyl Gasoline
Corporation bought a steamer which
was equipped as a chemical laboratory
and which cruiSed for months in the
Atlantic. 1t has just now become known
that the extraction of bromine from
sea water was the object of the cruise
and the consumption of bromine in
motor fuel is increasing rapidly. The
steamer was equipped to handle 1000
gallons OF water. containing four TO five
! pounds OF bromine. a minute.
| There are now 500 companies spend
ing 5000 100000 a year on industrial
research in this country. This work is
| undertaken not so much to discover new
substances as TO permit commodities
| now known to be produced more
/ cheaply,