EFFECT OF SCIENCE ON INDUSTRY

Hokitika Guardian, 7 March 1931, Page 3

EFFECT OF SCIENCE ON INDUSTRY

ALTERED DEMAND FOR RAW MATERIALS. ADVANCE OF CHEMISTRY. CHRISTCHURCH, March 5. “it is essential that we, as a primary producing country, should keep a watchful eye on the trend of scientific development in order to avoid concentrating on the production of materials for which the demand is diminishing, and nuiy even cease altogether,” said Mr R. 0. Page, president of the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, in his annual address to a full gathering of members last night. His address was entitled “Science as a Disturber oi Primary Industry. ’’ “lit is apparent that modern science has tremendously altered in recent yeans the relative demand for basic raw materials,” said Mr Page. “Great as has been the disturbance of the primary producer of long-established natural products, (there is always the possibility that it is cumulative, and t?iat in the near future there may he an even greater change.” The part played by scientfic discovery in the more spectacular developments of modern civilisation had blinded us to its important influences on the progress of primary industries. Not only had science revolutionised the nictihods of primary production, but also it had raised powerlul competitors to natural products. It had produced beet sugar, synthetic indigo, and artificial silk to compete with the growth of cane sugar natural dyestuffs, and wool; and consequently industries that had been essential to mans welfare for centuries were finding that, owing to the discoveries of science, they no longer occupied the position of monopolies; but, on the contrary, were having ',to light for existence against young and vigorous competitors.

Probably the first primary industry to be disturbed by a competitor produced by science was the growing of cane sugar. A process was found, and to-day the beet fields of France and Germany were powerful rivals of the cane-sugar plantation of the tropics. REFRIGERATION. Tile introduction of refrigeration had enabled perishable food products from the more sparsely settled countries to compete with similar food materials produced near the centres of population, thus adding greatly to the difficulties of the farmer throughout Europe, and especially ini England. New Zealand and the Argentine had been able to build up large export trades in lamb, mutton, pork, and beef. During the last few years the scientific study of special aspects of low-temperature food preservation had enabled the New Zealand apple-gro\ve r to market his apples in England, and it seen ed that it ..was by improved methods of preserving fruit, vegetables, and meat that the primary producer must find the cure of his present troubles. A new method, quick freezing, which took minutes instead of hours, had Tieen introduced in America. Another radical change in food preservation had been brought about in the last five years by .the introduction of so-called “dry-ice.” “Dry-ice” was the trade name for solid carbon-dioxide, and its production had grown from nothing in 1924 to over 30,060 tons last year. While these methods would he to the mutual benefit of the consumer and the average producer, it would he equally to the -disadvantage ot the producer in districts whose especially mild climate enabled him to produce early fruit and vegetables a.t, fancy prices.

SYNTHETIC SUBSTANCES. •‘As well as increasing the quantity and reducing the cost of production oi Well known natural products, and Widening their markets by improved means of transport and preservation, science has actually created the de- ■ maud for such raw materials as petroleum, rubber, and most of the me Lais,” said Mr Page. “But probably the most conspicuous effect of science on primary industry during the last thirty years has been the increasing number of synthetic substances produced in tire factory or the laboratory that arc replacing natural materials. Dyestuffs, perfumes, flavouring essences, and drugs have been effected by the chemist.” Another raw material that appeared likely always to enjoy an unassailable position was sodium nitrate. Cl “e held the only source of supply, and the Chilean Government had been able .to levy an export tax on it large enough to provide all its revenue. Just before the war, however, the arc and cyanide methods for the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen reached the commercial stage. The cheap sources of electricity in Norway turned the industry into that country. The Chilean nitrate producers had been bal'd bit. ARTIFICIAL SILK. “A synthetic competitor of natural products that interests us more directly is 1 artificial silk,” stated Mr Page. “Although this has been known for 40 years it is only recently that it has become a serious rival of natural fib l During the last five years the world’s production of synthetic fibres has trebled, and was last year equivalent to the wool from more than 100 million sheep, while the prices New Zealand wool has brought this season are j themselves a sufficient indication of the ssriousness of this competition. Al-,

though a few years ago artificial silk

dyed with difficulty, was lacking in strength, especially when wet, and was comparatively coarse-fibred and heavy, ,to-day many of these disadvantages have been overcome. Dyestuffs have, been developed that will dye in a full level shade, and types of synthetic fibre have been d.sco. -red that are very much stronger than the original type when wet. -Methods of spinning under tension, introduced within the last few years, have further greatly increased its strength, and have produced a fibre finer than natural silk. Although at present, artificial silk represents only about five per cent, of the fibre production of the worid there seems every probability that in the near future it may make further substantial gams on its old rival.

“A quite unexpected use of artificial * silk that affects New Zealand produe- ; ers very closely is an example of the ’> unusual results sometimes obtained from scientific research. After investigations extending over five or six years, .synthetic sausage skins have . been produced from artificial silk.” The use of varnishes was rapidly diminishing as the result of competition by nitrocellulose lacquers. Where it used to take ten to fifteen days to varnish a motor-ear, it now took three days, with a proportionate saving in store room and labour, and these finisunigs stood up heater to dirt, mud, oil, and abrasion than ordinary varnishes. As a result the export of kauri gum, one of the most valuable varnish gums, had dropped to less than half in three years, and the average value per pound had uruppeu from one shilling ,|,o eightpence. ECONOMIC MOTIVES A CAUSE. In general, except in those eases where it was considered to be ol national importance that a country should be independent of toivign sources of supply of some essential commodity, it, was economic considerations that started research for a suosiit.ute tor any natural product. Consequently the dearer a raw material was the more likely it was to meet competition from synthetic substances. Thus substitutes had been discovered for platinum in its many uses, it was not now necessary to employ the precious metal in sparking plugs, electric light bulbs, and in jewellery. The decrease in the. demand had brought the price down to a third of what it was live years ago. Probably the highest-priced material in the world to-day was radium, but, owing to its peculiar properties, properties not shared by any other available- material, the Belgian producers of radium had naturally felt themselves safe from competition, and had made no attempt to lower their prices, .lust recently a five million-volt tube had been made by the Carnegie Institute of Washington, which was dairnc.! to produce rays equivalent in penetrating power to those given off by £36,000,000 worth of radium. FOOD SUPPLY SAFE. “We have seen that all types of natural products are subject to the competition ol synthetic substitutes; but it. is still true flint so far there is no indication that our future loud supply will come from anything other than animals or plants,” said Mr Page. “Cereals certainly seem unlikely to meet serious competition ; hut there are at least indications that meat products may considerably diminish in popularity. Apart lrom any definite movement towards vegetarianism, meat-like proteins are being developed from vegetable sources at a price with which meat may find it difficult to compete. Even now one factory alone is producing 300,0001 b of yeast daily, containing the protein equivalent of some 600 head ol beef cattle. So many of our products have already felt the pressure of such alter;d denutnd due to scientific developments that it is essentia] for our welfare to avoid the late of the indigo grower who found his market gone almost in a single night.” ‘ A vote of thanks was moved by Dr 1 H. G. Denham, who said that we should take advantage of the improve- ; ments in science to improve the quality of our primary goods, which had uu- 1 doubtedly gone back. This was seconded by Dr R. R. D. Milligan, and was carried by acclamation.