More Science in Industry On the one hand we arc
lamenting the labour-saving mechanization of industry ; on the other hand we are promoting it. But there can be no turning 'back on the road to which we arc committed ; that the speeding up is certain to be accelerated in the future is a safe deduction from the latest report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. What we learn from this is the almost infinite capacity for increasing production without increasing cost, or for lowering the cost of present production, so long as we are prepared to spend an adequate fraction of the money we shall save thereby on scientific research. £80,000 spent by the Electrical Research Association has led to annual savings of £1,000,000. Iron and steel research has led to a saving of coal worth £1,341,000 in the pro- duction of finished steel, and £892,000 worth of coke in the production of pig-iron. It is pointed out that the research associations are in their infancy and that their one great lack is sufficient income. Strange that pounds should be lacking to save hundreds of pounds. • * . .
Previous page
