The Tungsten Products Co. also has had success in manufacturing WO, by chemical methods and ferrotungsten in electric furnaces, its contracts for the latter having expired only recently. Its plant, in addition to producing tungsten compounds, is busy on experimental work on other electric furnace products. Ferrotungsten is produced by this company in knock-down furnaces of about 100 k.v.a. capacity. A steel shell about 4 ft. in diameter by 4 ft. high, split in halves, is tamped with a refractory lining and placed over a carbon terminal block flush with the floor. A little charge is shoveled in (ore, coke and flux), the single electrode lowered and current turned on. As the charge is reduced more ore is continually added through the open top; the metal accumulates as a button in the bottom of the furnace, while the small amount of slag is tapped periodically through the slot between shell-segments. Metal is left

in the furnace, however, and it finally accumulates in the form of a short, thick cylinder, occupying perhaps half the furnace cavity. On cooling, the furnace is torn apart, the slag-free button broken under a skull cracker, further crushed by a steam hammer, and mixed by running through a screening bin and elevator system several times. Ferro is finally shipped to analysis in double canvas bags containing 80 lb. of the alloy.

Government Helium Plants

A recently issued pamphlet on the war work of the Bureau of Mines brings together the personnel and notices the main facts regarding their highly important work on helium. At our entrance into the war there was about 1 cu.ft. of the gas in bottles in possession of Dr. R. B. Moore of the Bureau, probably the available stock on this side. As a starter, however, the British Admiralty requested immediate delivery of 100,000,000 cu.ft., and a weekly supply of 1,000,000 cu.ft.!

Mr. G. A. Burrel, Prof. W. H. Walker and Dr. F. G. Cottrell successively directed the preliminary development of the plans for the so-called "argon" plants, and secured the co-operation of the Linde and the Air Reduction companies. Plants were constructed at Fort Worth, Texas, utilizing the well-known Linde and Claude processes, the former for p:oducing dai'y 5000 cu.ft. of 90 per cent, helium from 0.4 to 1 per cent natural gas, and the latter for producing 3000 cu ft. per day. Building operations were commenced in November, 1917, and gas was first produced in March, 1918. Both plants were able to make a gas of about 70 per cent purity, which was reprocessed in the Linde plant up to 92 per cent; this stage requiring some two months' experimental operation. Since that time about 200,000 cu.ft. of gas has been made, most of which was in drums at port ready for shipment at the end of the war. Plant 1 (Linde process) has since been dismantled, while the Air Reduction Co. operated a short time working out an improvement in the process, the Navy Department meanwhile taking physical possession of the plant.

Dr. R. B. Moore was given the direction of this work in June, 1918, and was actively in charge for about a year. The Bureau was especially interested in the process devised by F. E. Norton, which had been approved after careful investigation by the National Research Council. In this process triple-expansion engines are used, liquid is throttled and the heat interchanger and fractionating still are of new design. Multiple-expansion engines thus reduce the power for

gas compression to a minimum. However, the development of a new process from laboratory size into the largest refrigerating plant in the world was attended with many difficulties, and the Norton plant (located at Petrolia, Texas) produced helium early in April, 1919. Gas of 21 per cent purity has been made, and it is confidently expected that high-grade gas can soon be produced by this plant on a large scale. A fund of $100,000 has recently been made available by the Army and Navy for necessary alterations to the plant and its operation as a production unit.

The Navy Department is now engaged in the design. of the so-called "Production Plant No. 1" to be situated at Fort Worth. Its daily output will be 30,000 cu.ft., and a supply of 7,200,000 cu.ft. will be required for dirigible use. A modified Linde process will be used, the plant itself costing $1,700 000, besides $1,800,000 for a necessary pipe line. It is estimated that operating charges for the production required will total $750,000, and that the lease on the Petrolia gas field will cost $1,500,000.

Labor Troubles in Copper Camps

Rather interesting and unusual labor troubles are being endured in Nevada and Montana, but have been treated in radically different ways and with different resu'ts in the two instances.

During the last week in July, the shopmen and affiliated crafts of the Nevada Northern Railway, 125 in number, declared an unexpected strike for largely increased wages and certain unimportant changes in the conditions of employment. This railroad, as is perhaps well known, is owned by the Nevada Consolidated, and transports ore from its shovel pit to the mill at McGill, some 20 miles distant, as well as connecting the copper camps with Cobre or Shafter, stations in northwestern Nevada on the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific, respectively, 120 miles north. Although the trainmen were not striking, there was no one to keep the engines in repair or to coal the tenders, so that ore trains ceased to run almost immediately, and a shutdown of mill and smelter was in close prospect.

However, before the stock of ore was exhausted, other unionized employees, from steam shovel operators to converter punchers, united in an ultimatum demanding that a list of concessions and an increase of $1.25 per 8-hr. day be granted by a specific hour on July 20. The threat was carried out, but the management had anticipated the action, so that the simultaneous stoppage of work of 3000 men in every craft without exception caused no large property damage through frozen furnaces. The company offered an increase of 75c. per day, claiming that this brings the wages to within 25c. of pre-armistice levels, that it is all the present shaky copper market will warrant, and that it re-establishes a scale equal to or greater than the scale paid at any other camp. The men soon receded to a demand of about $1 per day increase, thus leaving but a margin of 3c. per hr. between work and idleness. Attempted mediation by Gov. Boyle of Nevada and Federal Mediator Davies failed to budge either party to the dispute.

General strike conditions did not become particularly oppressive until the inhabitants began to miss the train service connecting them to the outside world. By permission of the strike committee, trainmen were authorized to take out the passenger trains, but the master mechanic of the railway-the only one doing any engine hostling-was unable to get more than three

trains ready per week. Such conditions were admittedly temporary, however, and complete stoppage of service was in prospect.

A real idea of the gravity of the apparition confronting the citizens of Ely and McGill-300 miles by highway to the nearest considerable city-may be had from merchants' statements before the Railway Commissioners on Aug. 13, that they had supplies of staples for about a week, while dairy products and fresh meats were practically exhausted. One has but to pass through the region to realize that no supplies can be derived from the surrounding country. This condition at Ely but miniatures the state of the whole country in the event of a strike by the railway brotherhoods! Settlement of the strike on the company's proposals was overwhelmingly voted by the employees after about a month's idleness, however, mining being resumed Aug. 29, and the smelter blowing in on Sept. 8.

A strike of metal workers and stationary engineers against the Anaconda Company on the other hand has not caused material curtailment of production-rather otherwise, strangely enough. Fortunate'y, the hoisting engineers in Butte are not involved, while mill and smelter men are continuing at work by virtue of signed contracts and tacit disapproval of the walkout by the metal trades. This difference came about over the negotiation of new contracts between company and the disaffected unions, the men feeling that they should receive $7 per day, while the company offers but $6.50. Minor questions are also at issue, but the wage rate seems to be the principal bone of contention.

The management has again employed tactics similar to those used in an electricians' strike three years ago; that is, they have called for volunteers among their technical staffs-draftsmen, engineers, chemists and research men-temporarily to take places of the missing mechanics. Of course it is impossible to man the shops completely, and no attempt is made to do any work except that connected with "trouble shooting" and the operation of power houses and substations. From the first, however, all the departments operated with accustomed smoothness, and in fact have readily absorbed the increased volume of ore delivered recently.

Some rather curious things have been demonstrated by this experiment. One is that one electrical engineer can satisfactorily replace about three electricians. Another is that the mysterious comings and goings of the regulation smelter mechanic are more camouflage than the performance of any necessary duties incomprehensible to the ordinary man of ingenuity.

Meeting of Electric Furnace Association

An important reorganization meeting of the Electric Furnace Association will be held at the Congress Hotel, Chicago, at 11 a.m., Monday, Sept. 22. Officers will be elected, and an open session held for discussion of papers on the commercial future of the electric furnace.

Eighth Annual Safety Congress

The National Safety Council will hold its Eighth Annual Safety Congress at the Hotel Statler, Cleveland, Oct. 1 to 4, 1919. A time-table of meetings and programs of the Chemical and Metals Sections will be published in the next issue. During the week of the Congress, the people of Cleveland will endeavor to excel the record established by St. Louis in its "Safety Week" last year. The goal is no accident in the week.

Talc and Soapstone Producers' Association A meeting of all the talc producers of the United States, called by W. C. Boswell, president of the Harford Talc Co., Baltimore, Maryland, was held at the offices of the American Protective Tariff League, 339 Broadway, New York City, on Aug. 12, 1919, when the advisability of forming an association of the talc producers of the United States was decided upon. The protective tariff situation was also discussed.

The following representatives of the leading companies were present:

W. C. Boswell, Baltimore, Md., president Harford Talc Co H. B. Barling, Talc Products Co., 11 Pine St., New York, N. Y.

Dr. S. Westray Battle, Asheville, N. C., president Biltmore Talc Co.

Thomas P. Dean, Springfield, Mass., manager Vermont Talc Co.

Michael Doyle, 44 Park Row, New York, president International Pulp Co.

R. W. Glendinning, Los Angeles, Cal., general manage, Pacific Coast Talc Co.

Raymond Bardeen Ladoo, U. S. Bureau of Mines, Washington, D. C.

John S. Moore, Johnson, Vt., treasurer American Mineral Co.

R. L. Rutzler, Charlotte, N. C., Oliver Quartz Co., industrial minerals.

W. Edward Seybel, 280 Madison Ave., New York, N. Y.. Uniform Fibrous Tale Co.

Frederick Green, Easton, Pa., John O. Wagener & Co.. mineral pulp, talc and silicate.

C. J. Zimmermann, New York City, president St. Law. rence Talc Co., Inc.

T. S. S. Predmore, Kinsey, N. C., general manager Alba Mineral Co.

Anglo-American Talc Co., 82 Beaver St., New York City J. T. Smith, Waterbury, Vt., manager Magnesia Talc Co Seven other conpanies reported by telegram, letter or by proxy, so that probably 90 per cent of the talc production of the country was represented. After discussing the tariff question, the motion to form an association was carried, a committee on organization appointed to draw up a constitution, and the following permanent officers were elected: President, Freeland Jewett (president Eastern Talc); vice-president, W E. Seybel, and secretary-treasurer, R. B. Ladoo.

The Association of Talc and Soapstone Producers agreed upon at this meeting is the first and only one of its kind in this country. The objects of the association will be the betterment of processes and methods used in the mining or quarrying, and treatment for market of talc and soapstone; technical research into their physical and chemical properties looking toward the discovery of new uses and expansion of markets. and mutual exchange of technical, statistical and market information, expansion of markets through educational advertising, stabilization of markets and prices toward standardization of grades and tests, and the adoption of an efficient cost-keeping method. These objects have not been officially adopted by the producers, but probably many or most of them will eventually form a part of the constitution.

Metallography of Aluminum Ingot-Errata

In the article on the above subject in our issue for Sept. 1, pages 229-234, two unfortunate typographical errors were made which require correction. On page 229 paragraph 2, line 8, the text should read "relatively thick amorphous surface layer is highly undesirable." On page 232, the illustrations of Figs. 23, 24 and 25 should be inverted in order to conform to the description.

was introduced, as usual, by a meeting of the council of the Society. This took place at the Hotel BellevueStratford on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 2, with President W. H. NICHOLS in the chair. Ninety-seven councillors were present. The editors of the Society's various periodicals were all re-elected, as was also Secretary PARSONS. The name of the Division of Industrial Chemists and Chemical Engineers was changed to the Division of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. It was determined to hold the next Spring meeting at St. Louis and the annual meeting at Chicago.

Dr. B. C. HESSE was chosen to succeed himself as councillor at large. There are two such councillors at large who, with the president, the two last presidents and the secretary, constitute the advisory committee; a committee that has been in existence only two or three years, but which has been found of great help and convenience in the administration of the Society's affairs.

It was provided that sections of the Society may have associate members who shall have no voting privileges but shall pay not less than $2 annually. The main purpose of this is to provide for the organization of bodies of men interested in some special field of chemistry which may be more or less localized.

Professor WASHBURN reported on the interallied Chemical Conference, in Paris and London. It is planned to provide for a continuation of International Congresses of Applied Chemistry under the auspices of the interallied body, but no date has been fixed upon as yet. The next meeting is to be held in Italy in 1920.

chemical societies to co-operate. Both Englishmen and Americans will probably follow their national fancies in regard to old words, but there's no reason why they should not unite on new ones, more particularly in scientific nomenclature. It is very important that all English-speaking peoples should understand one another in this respect.

The leading feature discussed was in relation to the proposed bill (S. No. 2715) for the reorganization of the Army. A recommendation has been made by the Chief of Staff, General Peyton C. March, and the Secretary of War whereby it is provided that what is left of the Chemical Warfare Service shall be turned over to the Corps of Engineers. In effect it legislates chemically trained men out of control of the chemical work of the Army and it was held that the matter is too important even to respect West Point traditions. The . following telegram was sent to Senator Wadsworth, chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs:

The American Chemical Society, of a membership of over 13,500 American chemists, today by its authorized representatives unanimously adopted the following: Whereas the recent war has clearly demonstrated that the advancement of science, through competently directed research in military problems, is indispensable to the security of the nation, and

Whereas the bill recently introduced into Congress, Senate 2715, 66th Congress, by the General Staff of the Army, providing for universal military service and the reorganization of the Army, is of such scope and effect as to impede inevitably the development of all technical and scientific work of the Army by placing

it under the absolute control and direction of purely military officers who do not have the requisite scientific knowledge, and

Whereas an organization so constituted could not function efficiently, and in time of stress would prove to be an element of fatal weakness and could never hope to attract to itself other scientific and technical experts without whose aid modern warfare cannot be successfully conducted; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the American Chemical Society emphatically protests against this or any other bill which does not provide for commissioning staff officers in the corps and departments in which they are to serve, and which does not accord to the technical men the same recognition and opportunity throughout every grade and department of the Army as are accorded to the men trained for a military career only.

We have written so much in favor of this very attitude that we take pleasure in confirming it. It has nothing to do with urging gas warfare upon military authorities, but it does urge upon the Government the necessity of being prepared against it, and the only way to do this in regard to chemical problems is to have it done by chemists in a chemical division and under the supervision of chemists rather than of engineers. The Council was entertained at dinner by the Philadelphia and Delaware Sections.

THE GENERAL MEETING

The general meeting of the Society was called to order Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 10 o'clock by Chairman MINER, who after a few words of welcome introduced the Hon. JOSEPH S. MCLOUGHLIN, Director of Supplies of the City of Philadelphia, who spoke on behalf of the city. To this President NICHOLS responded in appreciation and introduced the Hon. NEWTON D. BAKER, Secretary of War.

Secretary BAKER said that of the 17,000 chemists of the United States one-third had been in uniform in the Government service and one-third had been engaged in war industries. He doubted if any profession had contributed more to military service or to our national success in the war than the chemists. He outlined the plans for the future of the Army. As an instance of the requirements of war he related the fact that to support a 3-in, gun with ten men at the front there

is needed a factory with 300 operatives. The proposed law was not dealt with in detail, in fact the question of disposal of the Chemical Corps was hardly touched upon except for the fact that it is evident in the mind of Secretary Baker that ample provision is to be made to maintain scientific standards. We understand, however, that the Chief of the Engineers does not want the Chemical Division and the former heads of the Chemical Divisions have expressed themselves against the proposed law in its original shape. It may be that the Honorable Secretary in time will see over the heads. of his staff officers and realize that a West Point man with all the responsibilities for canal and river and harbor improvements is no more peculiarly equipped to direct chemical research than he is to direct medical research. The new plan for the Army provides that there shall be a great educational institution, taking young men on to serve for a few years and sending them back to civil life well equipped with a craft. They plan to build a vast engineering school to include chemical as well as other branches of engineering and they expect to maintain a great research establishment to which the leading men of the country are to be invited to work and to exchange views with military men. The address was very appealing and masterful and contained many interesting facts. For instance, there are from 9 to 10 million men, young men, dead from the war, and its cost is 2 million million dollars, whereas all the property of the U. S. is valued at 186 thousand million dollars. There was a lower percentage of suicide, insanity or crime in the U. S. Army than in any other army or any known similar number of civilians.

The Secretary of War received the sincere applause and appreciation of all present, except in regard to that feature of his Army bill that seems defective in its provision for chemical research.

Admiral RALPH EARLE, Chief of Ordnance, U. S. N., followed the Secretary of War and gave a full account of the use of explosives by the Navy. What is now needed is a smokeless powder that is not accompanied by a blinding flash when heavy charges are delivered. Dr. H. J. WHEELER spoke on "Some Problems and

Methods in Agricultural Research." The address was in part historical in regard to agricultural chemistry in this country, but a number of present problems were outlined. He called, for instance, for research in regard to waste plants and waste plant products. There is promise in the utilization of milkweed, and, again, it is possible that values may be found for the Southern water hyacinth, which grows with extraordinary vigor. There is need for further research in regard to the chemical effect upon soils of lime, for instance, and in regard to the causes of acid conditions. Leadings are already provided for in these respects. Thus liming has been found to be detrimental under certain conditions and occasionally to incite plant diseases. In Hawaii the presence of an excess of manganese prevented the absorption of iron and the consequent production of chlorophyll, which was overcome by treating

the leaves with a solution of iron. Only this year it was discovered that potash from Searles Lake frequently had a toxic effect which was found to be due to the presence of borax. More research is needed as to the effect of boron and borax upon vegetable life. Occasionally it appears that well-drained upland soils become acid, and Hartwell and Temper of Rhode Island have shown that often the toxic effect is not due to acidity but rather to the formation of aluminum sulphate. Sometimes, too, aluminum nitrate is formed, and that also acts as a poison. Study is needed as to the effects upon all kinds of plants of aluminum compounds and the lower oxides of iron.

The Department of Agriculture has found a large number of organic compounds in the soil which are deleterious in their nature. For instance, leachings of soil in which grass grows have been found injurious to many kinds of trees. One of the difficulties in regard to agricultural research is that the salaries paid to men of wide learning and experience are less than those paid for common labor.

Professor EARLE B. PHELPS spoke of "Stream Pollution and Its Relation to Chemical Industries." He believed that the drafting of legislation in regard to stream pollution should be in the hands of an intelligent board such as the River Board of Great Britain, and recommended that the subject be placed under Federal control.

BUILDING OF ATOMS AND THE PERIODIC SYSTEM

Professor W. D. HARKINS of the University of Chicago delivered a very interesting address to a capacity audience on "The Building of Atoms and the Periodic System." His theory in regard to the constitution of atoms has been published from time to time chiefly in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, but a number of new and very interesting points were brought out. Professor Harkins postulates that the helium atom is the product of combination of hydrogen atoms and that other elements are either combinations of helium atoms -which are the even numbers-while those having odd numbers are combinations or rather amalgamations of helium atoms with those of hydrogen. Elements of even number are much more prevalent than those which are odd. Differences of the atomic weights of elements of even number of approximate multiples of 4 are offered in confirmation. Still another confirmation is the successful experiment of Sir Ernest Rutherford, lately achieved, whereby he shot alpha particles at great speed into a glass tube containing nitrogen. The walls of the tube were sufficient to bring the particles to a

standstill.. Nitrogen being an odd element (number 7) is held to be made up of three helium atoms and two of hydrogen. The impact of the alpha particles which, being positively charged, may serve as nuclei of atoms, disintegrated the nitrogen so that a quantity of hydrogen was found in the tube.

Mr. ROBERT R. FISHCELIS followed with a short paper on "The Chemical Laboratory as a Publicity Factor."

Social Features

The smoker was one of the best ever held by the Society and the entertainment provided was at once instructive and amusing. The singing was led by a song leader of the War Camp Community Service, and the songs, both originals and parodies, were unusually good. The reader can imagine, for instance, what an excellent parody on "Smiles" can be made by a chemist who is familiar with "smells."

One of the features of the smoker was a one-act play portraying an early chemists' meeting in the cellar laboratory of Robert Hare, Jr. at the time when Dr. Joseph Priestly came to Philadelphia. Not the least in

structive feature of the smoker was a series of animated mechanical films by the Bray Studios.

The banquet on Friday night was a brilliant affair. Dr. Harry F. Keller acted as toast-master and introduced Dr. Edgar F. Smith, Provost of the University of Pennsylvania, who responded with a few brief references to the life and work of Robert Hare, an early

Philadelphia chemist. Following Dr. Smith's remarks each one present was given a steel engraving of Robert Hare, a copy of which is reproduced with this report. Mr. Ellwood Hendrick, consulting editor of CHEMICAL & METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING, responded to the toast "The Chemist of the Future" and emphasized the need which the chemist has of someone in his profession to speak with the voice of authority. Following him the Hon. Edward E. Beidleman, Lieutenant-Governor of Pennsylvania, spoke on some phases of the present industrial conditions, saying that we must quit playing to the galleries on political issues, study civic problems