Evening star., 1933-02-05
RESEARCH PREPARES WAY
FOR NATIONAL RECOVERY
Industrial Weaknesses and New Methods
Revealed by Science-Backward
Manufacturer Faces Ruin.

ents. These are expected to add to the
comfort Of passengers and improve the
reliability and prolong the useful life of
rolling stock. Some interesting ideas
also are being introduced in connection
with the fabrication of wheels and
tracks on curves to minimize costly
friction and accelerate transit.
Much has been done in connection
With the new temperature controls In
passenger trains, but the construction
engineers still seem far from content
with their results and are pressing on
toward still further improvements-all
of which will contribute to the COM
petitive strength of the roads as they
continue their active bid for the revival
of business
THESE devices, in many instances, evi-
IDENTIFY represent very substantial re-
search effort on the part of large or
CARNATIONS and close collaboration with
public and semi-public laboratories and
investigating groups.
Foresight Displayed.
In general, then, there is no lack of
evidence of the appreciation among in
dustrial leaders of the reconstructiye
values of research in alleviating the ef-
fects of the depression. The National
Research Council revealed in its recent
survey of some l 900 industrial research
laboratories that a truly impressive
number Of concerns had actually had
the foresight since 1929 to increase their
exploring efforts into the realms of ap-
piled and even of pure science. Over
half of these concerns actually in
creased their outlay for this purpose in
1881. and the significant thing is that
THESE increases were not scored simply
by the great corporations, but were
shared on proportionate basis by even
the smallest companies. There are liter
ally hundreds Of laboratory facilities
available to even the smallest industrial
establishments to expedite its recovery
today. More than 10 leading trade as
sociations are actively prosecuting their
research work, and the services of in
stitutionS of learning have not been
drastically impaired.
Now, in view Of these strides and
preparations, Is it not difficult to FORE
see the embarrassments of any manu-
facturer who clings stubbornly to anti
quated processes. AS the tide of busi-
ness recovery carries us on to better
times the competitive incapacity of
such backward concerns will deSper-
ately impair their headway at the very
time when competition is fiercest
1t has often been pointed out that
many new enterprises and products
have been launched at the very bottom
OF some of our depreSSionS. A recent
check-up by the Commerce Depart
ment revealed that some rs manufac-
turing and other corporations which
have successfully weathered this seri-
GUS storm were started during the dark
est period of the depression of the '7os
An additional 234 which today are
going strong in spite Of recent hard
ships were launched by their enterpris-
ing founders in the midst of the trials
of the '90s. In almost every case there
was more than courage, more than
Shrewd intuition and speculative daring
behind these pioneering ventures. Their
subsequent successes indicate plainly
that in most cases they were founded
upon exhaustive research and through
investigation.
The pressure of necessity has ever
been compelling urge for renewed ex-
ploration for hidden truths which
might point the way toward better
times. A good example of this is found
in the recent developments in the field
of building Materials group OF indus
tries which has felt the weight of hard
times for a longer period than almost
any other.
The forward-looking leaders of each
of these industries have since then
been carefully marshaling the best
available research outlets in order to
develop not simply new products, but
better and cheaper ways of handling
many old ones They have evolved
highly economical uses for waste woods
in various forms of fabricated building
supplies They have made notable
progress in the fireproofing of wood. in
making it unbelievably flexible and in
developing numerous nodded byproducts.
Ground Work Laid.
These developments are all Of special
interest in connection with the i'm
portant part which construction will
play and even now is playing in laying
the ground work for business recovery
Occasionally one hears some doubt
expressed as to the perils of a new
"technocracy' which might result in
the displacement of hand labor. The
ominous aspects of this particular
phase of the problem have been thor
oughlv ventilated and need not be re-
viewed here But it IS well to point
out that without technical stimulus
we can expect no new products. And
the records Of every single depression
III Ulle pdSG IldSc lCNCdlCO lAiC AiNo4u-
able aid rendered by such new products
If, for example. the amazing achieve
ments of our refrigeration engineers
result in the development of far
cheaper home cooling installation than
now is available. it is not difficult
to see what prodigious stimulus would
thus be afforded to convalescing indus
try and trade with a potential market
of good portion of nearly 100000
homes throughout the land. The low
prices resulting from new mechanical
and general chronological perfection
would Immediately create a most pow
erful mass demand. We should then
have, as in the automobile industry, the
creation Of an enormous number OF
new servicing and operating jobs to say
nothing of those involved in production.
Industrial research might seem at
first glance to be a luxury item for in
dustry to contemplate in these times
of greatly curtailed resources. but In
the long view there can be no question
of the value of the new energies which
are continually being generated by re-
search.