NDIA is and has been an agricultural country. Whatever industries there might have been in the past, they have now become moribund if not extinct, through causes ch are well known to every one and which conlently need not be enumerated. Great Britain the reputation of being chiefly an industrial ntry. Agriculture is very much in the backund. The land does not produce enough to d even a portion of the population. Much of

food-stuff's including meat, eggs, butter and k has to be imported. In times of peace, instrial occupations took the foremost place, and people and the Government felt confident that atever food materials they required they could rchase from other countries. But the captains industry used to fight shy of anything which voured of science, especially pure science and search work. The highly educated Governent officials and capitalists were more or less norant of science. It was for many of them an nknown and mysterious region into which they referred not to penetrate. The satirist of the future will point out that it required a European war of unparalleled magnitude to bring about the official recognition of the bearing of science upon industry.

What do we find in Germany? There the Government and the people are fully alive to the value of developing both agriculture and industries on scientific lines. During the last 16 months of the war, the Germans have been able to feed themselves and their army though no foodstuff's reach them from outside. They have proved the world that they are capable of manufacturing all the munitions they want for the carrying on of this stupendous struggle. German industries have prospered and the manufacture of many important commercial substances has become the monopoly of the Germans. This is pre-eminently so in the case of chemical industries. The reason is that the Germans appreciate the value of research more than the English. In Germany research work is absolutely indispensable for the ordinary degree of any University. Every aspirant for a science degree is trained in general methods of research. In later life he is able to tackle the many problems that may present themselves for solutions with confidence of success.

* A paper submitted to the Indian Industrial Conference.

The British manufacturer develops his particular industry on so-called "practical" lines. He is satisfied with manufacturing articles which depend upon a market already existing. The Germans realised the folly of the view and their methods superseded those of the British. Scientific supervision and investigation are in the forefront of the German system. Industries were built up which could never have been started under the English regime. Many industrially useful articles were, in the scientific sense, created and then introduced to the public. The older methods of improving existing manufactures by imperial methods gave place to the new system. Thus the British manufacturer was confronted with the German scientific industrialist, who was working for a new era where profits would be large and developments world-wide. To give a single instance: The manufacture of large quantities of ammonium nitrate, and nitric acid from synthetic ammonia prepared from the nitrogen of the air, has made Germany not only independent of outside supplies of nitrates but has enabled it to command the world markets.

The English now realise the lagging behind in scientific development may mean a possible loss of supremacy in time of war and of dislocation of home industries in consequence of the lack of materials produced only in countries with which England is now engaged in war. The discovery of aniline dyes was the result of the researches of an English chemist. The scientists as well as the industrialists of Great Britain failed to realise the immense possibilities of the development of a discovery by one of themselves. The scientist in England has come to believe that the application of any scientific discovery to anything of commerci al value is beneath the dignity of science. He is apparently content with work having only an "academic value." The stolid English capitalist and manufacturer did not perceive that there was any money in the business which was moreover new to them. But the shrewd Germans at once took advantage of the idea and with lavish State aid built up an industry which has been able to supply the whole world with aniline dyes and which defied any competition. In consequence, England and other countries find themselves helpless and many industries are in danger of closing their works. One and a half million of workmen are more or less dependent in England

alone upon the continuance of the dyeing industry. The British Government have at last opened their eyes to the seriousness of the situation and realised, too late, the consequences of their apathy towards pure scientific research work. The Government, in addition to a loan of one million pounds towards the capital of a company formed for the manufacture of dyestuffs, has undertaken to make a grant to the company for a period of ten years of £100,000 for the specific purpose of experimental and laboratory work. Chemical research has thus been officially recognised and endowed as an essential factor in solving national industrial problems. The colour industry in England has been crippled during the last thirty years. This is due to the fact that the manufacturers did not realise the true value of employing research chemists in their works. The Farbwerke of Meister, Lucius and Brunung was organised in Germany in 1862 by 2 chemists and 2 merchants with a staff of 5 workmen, one clerk, one chemist, and an engine of 3 horse-power. In 1912, the same firm employed 7,680 workmen, 374 foremen, 307 chemists and 74 higher technical scientists. 13.8 million marcks were paid out as salaries, bonuses and wages. 11,000 different substances were manufactured, and the steam-engine had 30,000 horse-power. To take away the German dye-business built on such a colossal foundation must necessarily be an extremely difficult task. In 1912, the capital of dyeing industries came to £8,000,000 paying a dividend of 22 per cent. The German works have long ago written off the cost of their plant.

Some time ago the English newspapers were full of the glowing opportunities which were said to be at the very doors of British industrialists and manufacturers. These were given the gratuitous advice to take over the numerous industries in which Germany and Austria had a prominent part or a monopoly. To judge from the newspaper correspondence, not a few of the English public seem to think that all that will be required is to subscribe the capital, erect the necessary plant and go full steam ahead forthwith. Such people will have to learn that if they want new industries, they must get into touch with pure science; that if a nation says in effect: "What is the good of research," it will be answered in a most distasteful manner by some other nation which is more enlightened.

Even with the British Government at its back, he newly formed company cannot produce in and the innumerable aniline dyes at a

moment's notice. foresight to employ research chemists of eminence, paid them handsome salaries, did not ask them to work with the sole aim of producing any particular substance and did not constantly worry them with demands for tangible and paying results. The chemists were thus practically given a free hand to engage in any research that pleased them and that suited their talents. The consequence was that one substance after another was produced from the laboratories. When the directors were satisfied that any particular dye could be put on the market in paying quantities, they added it to their commercial products leaving the chemists free to engage in further research. This policy of trusting to scierce and its devotees has been amply justified by its results. Merck's chemicals have a word-wide reputation. Grubler's dyes have attained to a similar position. Kahlbaum's chemical reagents have been adopted as standards by all analytical chemists. Witte's peptone drove all others from the market and English bacteriologists are now trying to find a substitute for the same or profess to dispense with it altogether.

The German company had the

Chemically pure sulphuric acid has to come from Germany. All finer kinds of glass for preparation of lenses for microscopes, telescopes and other scientific apparatus were to be had only in Germany. How can England, notwithstanding all its wealth, scientific knowledge and enterprise, hope to produce at a moment's notice all these substances for which it was content to depend upon Germany till now? Germany has had a long start of over 50 years in the scientific race, and it is almost impossible for the other nations to overtake her in the immediate future. Only slow and painstaking research work carried out constantly and without any idea of immediate gain can enable England to come up to her rival in course of time. In spite of the immense economic loss which Germany is sustaining during the continuance of the war if peace were declared to-morrow, the German industrialist will immediately set about his work of production and flood the world's markets with all the substances, in the supply of which he practically holds a monopoly. How can England and the Allies hope to prevent this from happening? The cry now in England is, that the capital is fighting shy of enlarging the industrial works. Within the last 30 years, the British are said to have used their surplus capital in promoting various industries abroad. The idea is prevalent that the British cannot produce goods so cheaply, or sell them so profitably, as their

German rivals. This is believed to be due to the fact of the German having the combined advantages of protection and free trade; comparatively light taxes plus protection against foreign competition in his own country and a free market in Britain, while the British has had to submit to excessive taxation without protection in Great Britain, and his goods have had to carry the handicapping weight of foreign tariff. Without enlarging further on this possibly controversial question, the fact remains that the the British industrialist has had to contend against the disadvantage of not having enlisted science in his aid. He is satisfied with what is spoken of as "practical experience," and has little or no love for science.

To improve this lamentable state of affairs, the British Science Guild was formed a few years ago and has since its inception been pointing out that the Germans have brought all the products of science into the commercial contest they have waged against England. It has also been urging that similar methods should be adopted in British manufactures. The object of the Guild is not so much the acquisition of new knowledge as the appreciation of its value and the necessity of employing scientific methods in all departments of the national executive. Lord Haldane, the first President of the British Science Guild, said in 1905 :

"I believe that things will not be right until we have a scientific corps under a permanent commitee, just as the defence committee is under the Prime Minister to-day. I mean a body that will not consist mainly of officials of the ordinary kind but of the most eminent men of science who will be put upon the footing on which they deserve to be placed and are recognised as a body of men who will be at the elbow of the Department and can organise the scientific work of the State, I hope that if we get to this position, the example of a Government adopting science will be followed by the Municipalities, as I believe it is going to be followed by our manufacturers." The pleadings of the British Science Guild apparently fell on deaf ears and a European war nine years later wag necessary to galvanise into activity the auditory nerve of the British Nation. The British Government have come to recognise that the promotion of research is one of the duties of the State and have now established a permanent organisation for the promotion of industrial and scientific research There are plenty of scientific workers in England but their work has to be co-ordinated and applied to practical needs. Even the carrying of war to a successful issue depends upon scientific workers. Germany has put all the resources and inventions of her scientific men into the war irrespective of right or wrong. In England, the scientific man who had anything to do with war inventions was snubbed and discouraged. Even the merits of his discoveries for peaceful purpose were deprecated. As Sir Ronald Ross says: "Had we as

a nation done more to organise research we should probably have already been in a position to utilise this kind of genius to its utmost. But stupidity always punishes itself."

The British Government have appointed an Advisory Council as scientific advisers to all Government departments concerned with or interested in scientific research, the Advisory Council, with the co-operation of various scientific societies, will consider the applications of science to industry and will seek to enlist the interest of the manufacturers. The Council will also advise the Board of Education as to the steps to be taken for increasing the supply of workers competent to undertake scientific research. When obliged to seek scientfic advice the British manufacturer turns rather to those who have technical experience than to men of pure science engaged in research work. This is proposed to be obviated by the Advisory Council linking up the scientist with some specific industry as is the case in Germany.

Seeing that our chief industry is agriculture, the Government of India is doing the right thing in organising the Agricultural Department on scientific lines. Promotion of research has been recognised as one of the duties of the State. If anything more is to be said at all, it is that the number of workers is short of the real need of the country. We want more agricultural chemists, mycologists, entomologists, and more research institutes and experimental farms in various parts of India. The Imperial and Provincial Departments of Agriculture have done much and are doing more every year for the improvement of agriculture. But the people are so conservative that the effect is hardly perceptible as yet.

When we turn to industries proper, we find the outlook neither bright nor hopeful. A wave of industrialism is passing over India and there is much loose talk about starting new industries. Occasional whispers are heard about " capturing ' German trade, whatever that may mean. When a new industry is proposed to be started, the discussion centres round political or economic questions. The vital principle of scientific control has been subordinated or even left out of consideration altogether. The general idea seems to be that all that is necessary, is to subscribe a certain amount of capital, secure Government aid and appoint a board of business directors. The industry is expected to spring into existence at once and to be ready to cope with all emergencies. When the expected dividends do not come, a feeling of disappointment arises, all interest in the industry flags

and the whole business collapses. Many concerns do not even pass beyond the stage of the publication of the prospectus. All this is because the promoters of an industry are persons without any business or scientific training. No real experts are consulted, no scientific opinion is obtained and things are left to drift and settle themselves as best as they can. Can it be any wonder then that most of the companies floated for this or that industry fail, as they are bound to fail?

The weaving industry in India is suffering much for want of adequate amount of dyes which used to come from Germany. The declaration of war has put a stop to the supply, and the weavers are turring to the dyes which their forefathers were employing. India is rich in a number of vegetable dyes, which may be utilised during the period of the war. But with the fate of the indigo industry before our eyes, who can advise the Indian to go in for improving the manufacture of vegetable dyes? The moment the war is over, the German aniline dyes will drive all the competitors out of the arena, Even England has not been able to stand independent of German dyes, much less supply the needs of India. The question of improving vegetable dyes may therefore be laid aside as impracticable. Much was heard some time ago about the manufacture of oil from the large amount of cotton seed available in this country. Most of it is exported to other lands where the oil is extracted and the by-products are made use of in various ways. Would it not be well before promoting a local company to experiment on the following point? How many varieties of cotton seed are available? What percentage of oil does each variety yield? Whether any relation exists between the amount of oil and cotton fibre, and if so, what that relation is? What is the composition of the cake produced from pressing the various kinds of cotton seed? Whether it would be more advantageous to use the cake as food for cattle or as manure for land? In what proportions is the latter to be used? These and numerous other points require to be worked out before any company manufacturing oil from cotton seed can hope to pay dividends. It is not the principal product only of any industry that will pay, but the utilisation without waste of all bye-products that will help to swell the profits. During the distillation of coal for the manufacture of illuminating gas, coal tar is formed as one of the byeproducts. From this single substance are produced on fractional distillation the following:Benzol, toluo!, carbolic acid, cresols, naphthalein,

and anthracene. All these are valuable commercial substances, and numerous other chemicals can be prepared from them. For instance, benzel readily yields aniline from which many beautiful dyes can be manufactured.

There are numerous plants in India which have great reputation for possessing medicinal properties The Ayurvedic practitioners speak of a good number of medicinal plants, the pharmaceutical preparations from which are said to have specific curative powers in particular diseases. Many such plants cannot now be identified. The descriptions found in ancient Sanskrit works are so obscure that we cannot be certain to what particular plant they refer. Indian addendum to the British Pharmacopoeia contains a few Indian drugs but many more are awaiting identification and investigation. This offers a wide field for co-operation between science and industry. A company formed to exploit the Indian drugs must have the scientific cooperation of a chemist, a physiologist, a bacteriologist, and a physician The chemist would isolate the active principles of plants, studying their physical and chemical properties. The physiologist would conduct experiments on animals studying the action of drugs on the various organs and tissues of the animal body. The bacteriologist would test their action on various bacteria. When the mass of facts collected by the chemist, the bacteriologist, and the physiologist is sufficient to justify the administration of any drug to man, the physician comes in and administers the drug and its preparations in suitable cases. When all these conditions are satisfied, the drug will naturally secure a recognised position in the Pharmacopoeia, and those that manage the business side of the company will place the substance on the market to the best advantage. Large wholesale firms of chemists and druggists in Germany, and to a smaller extent in England, have their own chemical, physiological, bacteriological and pharmacological laboratories attached to their own works and employ whole time scientists to carry on investigations. To the "practical man," who has an eye on whether research is returning value for money spent upon it, all this will appear to be quite unnecessary. Unfortunately also, official criticism always likes to take its cue from the "practical man. Yet in the very nature of things, research work must remain not merely unappreciated by, but unintelligible to, the "practical man.

Another promising industry is the manufacture