| Show OIL SHALE technology controversy for several years and particularly during the past two or three years chemical engineers mechanical engineers and laymen interested in and identified with the problems of successfully and commercially working the oil shale deposits of utah and colorado have been ceaselessly and feverishly conducting their investigations much time money and energy have been expended and substantial progress has been made several processes have been evolved and more or less perfected by which it i is s possible to extract from shale and fractionate ij i into various oil products this work has developed a class of inventors and investigators whose nerves and brains have been taxed to a point that has evidently made them or some of them at least supersensitive and probably somewhat jealous of rivals or those who may not have been converted to their ideas it is not unnatural therefore that when the chief director of the federal bureau of mines dropped into denver a few weeks ago and in a reported interview made the statement that the bureau was working all the time experimenting and in time expects to perfect a process that will put the shale oil industry on the map and at the same time said nothing that would have a tendency to commend or encourage the efforts of those who were working as individuals divi duals or corporations that a shout of protest should go up whether justified or not it was evidently the tense state of mind of those affected by dr H foster bains remarks in denver was what prompted the article in the mining review by L G schwalenberg of debeque and published in the last issue this letter has called forth a response from mr letson balliet one of the real live wire en engineers inders of this western country he suggests and urges Q that a spirit of pull together tog ether should be cevelo developed ped and practiced between the bureau investigators and those who are working b individually on oil shale problems the mining review agrees with mr balliet in the position he takes read what he has to say technical men should not be working at cross purposes in the solution of oil shale problems |
