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A book was published in Moscow last year (1956) by Goskhim‐izdat (State Chemical Publishing Centre) entitled ‘Corrosion and Methods of Protecting Equipment in the Sulphuric Acid Industry,’ by K. A. Polyakov and M. A. Gurfinkel, of which a copy is now available in the British Museum Reading Room (214 pp., with bibliography).

RUMOUR occupies so much of the human stage that the Editor of any library journal hesitates to do more than hope that the librarians he serves will be continuing their work uninterrupted by attack at the time his words reach them. This atmosphere is probably a part of the reason that actuates our correspondent Glaucon, whose Letter on Our Affairs this month is unusually virile in its attack upon those who would plan an after‐war world at a time when it is yet undecided whether or no there will be a world to plan. He represents a school of thought, if that name is not rather pedantic for these excellent critics, who believe that there should be no change while conflict continues and that to plan ahead of that is futile, because, as he argues, the men who will operate that world have not been called into consultation and cannot be at present. The experience of the past shows, too, that all such planning has been completely wasted effort; the coming generation would do what it thinks fit without reference to it. Finally he seems to think that when fighting ceases the men and women who survive will be so eager to get back to what they now believe to be their comfortable former state that that desire will overrule any schemes whatsoever.

A Special Correspondent discusses the new Scales

Judging by the amount of Press coverage and the fears of lost revenue emanating from the Treasury, leasing must be an expanding market. How fast is the rate, and what is the volume, is difficult to ascertain. The major organisations, the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (of which Interleasing are members) the Equipment Leasing Association and the Finance Houses Association between them cover the market. By a special correspondent from Interleasing (U.K.) Limited.

A special correspondent discusses the possible effects on technical teachers' salaries of the new scales agreed by the Burnham Committee

In view of the vital and essential part which the trade of this country must necessarily play in the winning of the war and in safeguarding the peace, it is comforting to know that at last it is beginning to be realised in official quarters that the only way to resuscitate trade and provide a substantial proportion of exports in payment of indispensable imports is to remove restrictions and barriers and to allow trade its natural freedom as far as possible. The lamentable lack of foresight and the inefficiency shown, immediately following the outbreak of war, in imposing pools and controls in all kinds of trades, has already been responsible for the loss of vast sums of money by the commercial interests of the country, and the time has come when experimental hindrances of this kind must be resisted. A special correspondent of The Times, in an excellent article referring to the pooling system, observes that the disappearance of a trade name from shops and hoardings may not strike the ordinary man as really important. But the manufacturer who produces and advertises branded goods guarantees in effect that consumers are supplied with goods of a recognised quality and at a fixed price. To the maker pooling means the loss of whatever goodwill is vested in his name or trade‐mark, to establish which in public favour may have cost him many years of effort and a large investment. The goodwill of British industry and trade is in large measure the sum of goodwill earned by hundreds of separate commodities. The absorption of branded goods in a common pool confronts business men with a problem which they should examine here and now in preparation for the day when trade reverts to its function of satisfying the needs of people living at peace. The problem is to maintain their goodwill in the interval. Much the same difficulties will have to be met by other firms—and possibly by whole industries—which, though their products are not pooled, have turned over from fulfilling peace‐time demands to direct participation in the national war effort. There are clothing manufacturers whose output is needed for the Services. Some businesses find their occupation gone because their raw material—it may be timber—is not now freely available. The production of electricity and gas is restricted by rationing. As the Government ould not look with favour on campaigns to increase sales of gas or electricity, the industries which supply them cannot very well advertise in the ordinary way. But what, then, is to become of “Mr. Therm,” who has been built up so skilfully and at some considerable cost as a model public servant? Publicity seems to be the answer to this problem of keeping goodwill alive. The managing director of a leading motor manufacturing company has made it known that that is the policy which his firm intend to follow while they are exclusively occupied in building aero engines. They will keep their name before the public by advertising, and they believe all makers of British cars should do the same, whether they are at present turning out private cars or not. Advertising is included among the legitimate and, indeed, essential activities classed as business development work, and is allowed as a trade expense before profits are calculated for taxation. It would be well for firms to think carefully before letting all their normal expenditure on business development lapse in war‐time. Ordinary trade has a vital part to play in the war, if only because it is out of profits alone that the revenues needed for fighting can be found. Though the times are difficult, new opportunities and markets will present themselves. Markets hitherto served by Germany are to‐day open to the British manufacturer, if the requisite arrangements for export can be made. At home, with the life of the people going on, new habits are forming, and with them new requirements. The trader who puts forth his best efforts during war‐time is helping his country, not hampering it. It is for the Government to ease his way by removing needless obstructions to normal trade; it is for business men themselves to face their problems with initiative and energy.

The other day, a special correspondent of The Times repeated what he said was a familiar and general criticism of the Third Programme: “The Third (as a recent talk on Professor R. H. Tawney reminded us) must stop mistaking an Oxford accent for broadcast brilliance … In this greatly reduced but highly important programme there is less room than ever for the lacklustre broadcast, no matter who delivers it.” In other words, broadcasting, like writing, is an art; and it must be addressed to listeners, as books are addressed to readers, who are known as the Public. If talk or book condescends, it will alienate those who come eagerly to it; if it is dry, nobody will attend; and if it is too agreeable the more priggish critics will suspect the talker or writer of a hideous sin.

The press coverage of further education is strangely patchy. Education is now taken more seriously by editors than in the past but technical education is considered pretty dull stuff. Most newspapers now employ specialist education correspondents and they all become quickly aware of the magnitude and significance of the FE sector. Inevitably teachers are disatisfied with some of the stories that find their way into print and there are complaints about the preference the papers have for scandal and sensation. But on the whole the correspondents succeed in publishing a lot of material sympathetic and favourable to the colleges, often with little encouragement from principals and local authorities. Some newspapers and their education correspondents can justifiably claim great credit for the improvement in public knowledge about the colleges.

The plant engineer anxious to protect equipment from corrosion can today choose from a variety of methods, one of which is to use elastomeric lining and coating materials designed to meet a given set of corrosive conditions. What must be known, however, in selecting the right materials and methods are not only the properties of the coatings but also their limitations. In the following, some properties and uses of linings based on elastomers are considered.

Last month, in Part 1 of this article, various elastomeric materials were described for use as anti‐corrosive linings for plant and equipment. Methods of application vary, of course, according to circumstances. In this second part, consideration is given to application methods and design problems