Imperial Institute

Abstract

THE extensive facilities available at the Imperial Institute, London, S.W.7, for the rapid supply of technical information relating to the trade, occurrence and utilization throughout the world of all kinds of raw materials, and the scope of the intelligence service are not so well known as they should be. The Institute's staff includes tropical agriculturists, chemists, chemical technologists, economic botanists, economic geologists, mining engineers, mineralogists and statisticians, and, when desirable, the Institute seeks the advice of members of its fifteen consultative committees. Further help is also afforded by numerous trade contacts. The Institute also has an extensive reference library and a technical index covering most of the relevant trade and scientific publications issued during the past thirty years. The Institute can deal with inquiries relating to sources of supply of, and other information relating to, raw materials and semi-manufactured products whether of animal, plant or mineral origin in all countries, cultivation of crops and the soil and conditions under which they have to be grown, methods employed in mining, smelting and dressing minerals for the market, and so on. Analysis and testing of samples of raw materials is undertaken in the laboratoriesof the Institute. Inquiries should be made in the first instance to the Intelligence Section of the Plant and Animal Products Department or of the Mineral Resources Department, according to the nature of the subject concerned. No charge will be made for services to Departments of the United Kingdom Government or other Governments of the Empire contributing to the general funds of the Institute unless a particular inquiry involves a volume of work so great that it cannot be undertaken by the existing staff.