Though but recently instituted, the "Technology Plan," now being tried out for the first time in this country by the M.I.T., has already attained a considerable degree of success. That both at Technology and in the industrial world the scheme has been found highly satisfactory is proved by the fact that at the present time upwards of 120 industrial concerns of national prominence have retained the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a consulting capacity. On this list are represented such important corporations as the American Telephone and Telegraph Company.

The Technology Plan resembles a policy which has been in practice in Germany for some time. Many years prior to the war the technical schools and industries of Germany worked in close cooperation and to this is attributed in a very large measure the immense development of industrial Germany. Both were subsidized by the German Government and each assisted the other's development.

Manifold Advantages of Plan.

In commenting on the relative advantages to industries and to Technology of this plan, and authority at the Technology Office, whose name has been withheld by request, said to a CRIMSON reporter recently, "The advantages to industrial concerns entering into this plan are manifold. In the first place, they have the scientific advice of some of the greatest experts in this country. Scientific libraries second to none in the world are open to them. For example, there is the Vail Library, the most complete and the best library of books relative to the telephone and the telegraph which has ever been brought together. The industries have access to our files in which every one of M. I. T.'s 14,000 living graduates are indexed and cross-indexed, so that whenever a company may need a man especially trained in any scientific department it can immediately locate him by means of these files These files offer information to the companies as to where men of specialized training and experience are available, either for permanent employment or for consultation.

Whenever an industry has special problems requiring investigations, tests, or research work, the consulting division of the Institute will advise it where this service may be obtained, and if this service can best be rendered by the staff and in the laboratories of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, these are available for the company's use.

M. I. T. Also Profits by Scheme.

"The main advantages to the Institute are two-fold. First, the Technology Plan brings science and the technical schools together. It shows the scientific world the great benefit of the schools and hence helps us. Secondly, it benefits the school financially. Already contracts totalling over $7,000,000 have been signed and as the number is fast growing, the financial benefit is an appreciably great one."

When asked whether other American technical schools or colleges have undertaken this plan, he replied, "at present the only other school in the country, which I know of that has actively begun work corresponding to ours, is Cornell which has thrown its scientific facilities open to the use of industrial concerns, under almost exactly the same system which we employ here. An interesting feature of Cornell's work and one which goes to show that we were the first in America to start such a policy is that Cornell calls their work the Technology Plan. Although I do not think that other institutions have offered their facilities to industries under any such a system as ours, I have no doubt but that many are contemplating doing so."

Consulting Division Established.

The plans concerning the conduct and administration of the Technology Plan are virtually completed. A director will be announced very soon and the personnel of the consulting division will be determined. Many service bureaus have been established in the larger cities of the country to handle the business which has been created.

The special consulting division which has been formed has among its functions the following: To arrange conferences between companies and the staff; to advise where technical problems can best be investigated; to arrange for tests and to advise where trained men may best be obtained.

Governor Calvin Coolidge has expressed his approval of the new work which Technology is attempting and has spoken of the great need of strengthening this institution as an aid in protecting industry. Many others have spoken in favor of the work in which the institute is now engaging, among them being W. Cameron Forbes '92, former Governor of the Philippine Islands; Samuel M. Felton, President of the Great Western Railway; Howard Elliott '81, President of the Union Pacific Railroad; Matthew C. Brush, President of the American International Shipbuilding Corporation, and Theodore N. Vail, President of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company.