BUSINESS
BEHIND THE
MAitiiETS
H A R R Y STENERSON, Associate Editor
Chemical Row still part of N e w York, but its face is changing . . . Agriculture is getting more concentrated superphosphate and minor fertilizer elements A NNOUNCEMENT tliat Union C a r b i d e a n d **- Carbon Corp. is a c q u i r i n g 2 8 0 acres in New York's Westchester C o u n t y u p o n which it may erect a b u i l d i n g t o house some of its activities now conducted in New York City h a s aroused a good deal of speculation as to t h e future of t h e metropolis as a chemical center. 18%
Superphosphate
'houtonds of Short Tons .500 NORMAL - ! 8 % A. P. A.
cals, which moved from 4 2 n d Street, in midtown Manhattan, down to 120 Broadway in the Wall Street area. This'resulted from its acquisition b y National Distillers, of which it is now a division. Air R e d u c tion, which formerly o w n e d 2 5 % of U.S.I, stock, remains in t h e Lincoln Building with many other chemical concerns. It is o d d t o find chemical companies moving into d o w n t o w n N e w York, which this industry h a d deserted m a n y years ago for t h e G r a n d Central section. In the early days which preceded development of chemicals in this country, d o w n t o w n New York w a s the chemical a n d d r u g trading center. The offices w e r e on lower Broadway, on Pearl, Fulton, W a t e r , and Front Streets. Close by w e r e docks for receiving imports of natural indigo, bleaching powder, potash, sulfur, w h i t e lead, borax, and drugs, unloaded from picturesque packet sailing ships.
T h e T r a d e r of Old T h e old-time chemical importer and dealer was a shrewd bargainer w h o gamI I I ! I 1 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 1 I 1 I I I I I bled on t h e timely arrival of a cargo and 1950 I 1951 I 1952 on his own information of supplies in conB U R E A U OF T H E CENSUS sumers' and competitors' h a n d s . John C a r b i d e would not b e t h e first chemical Jacob Astor, w h o b e c a m e o n e of Amermanufacturer finding it necessary t o locate ica's wealthiest m e n , was a dealer in outside of N e w York. Mathieson Chemi- mercury. T h e present-day chemical manufacturer cals a few years ago shifted its executive departments t o Baltimore, b u t left its dis- with his highly organized sales departtrict sales office a n d its export d e p a r t m e n t m e n t and regional offices is t h e successor in N e w York. Burroughs, Wellcome, large to t h e 19th century trader. Expansion of the industry forced him into modern pharmaceutical house, c o m b i n e d its former buildings of midtown N e w York and offices in the big city w i t h its plant in closer to transportation facilities and Tuckahoe, Westchester County, about five years ago, a n d auxiliary offices h a v e b e e n hotels. And n o w continued expansion of set up in Westchester in t h e past b y business a n d greatly increased staffs to conduct it a r e forcing chemical firms to Reilly T a r a n d Chemical, Nestles, a n d find additional quarters or relocate enothers. But practically all large chemical m a n u - tirely. Chemical Row may not disappear like Newspaper Row, which once faced facturers continue to b e represented in City Hall, b u t its face is changing. New York, either by their sales or execuConstantly increased personnel m a y be tive offices, or b o t h . T h e indications are the reason Union Carbide is looking at, that t h e y will stay, too, b e c a u s e of bank, financial, shipping, a n d insurance facili- with the intent to purchase, t h e James Butler estate near Elmsford, Westchester. ties. It is n o t a chemical manufacturing T h e contract has been m a d e to b u y the center, a n d p r o b a b l y never will b e , even site, but Morse Dial, president of the though it leads in retail merchandising. company, says the purchase is contingent upon changes that will h a v e to b e m a d e Offices Are Shifting in zoning regulations. Not all, b u t p r o b T h e r e is a trend, h o w e v e r , toward t h e ably a good part, of Union Carbide's acdecentralization of N e w York's famous tivities which have overflowed its own Chemical Row, on 4 2 n d Street and the large building at 30 East 4 2 n d Street Grand Central district. Chemical com- would b e transferred to Westchester. panies w h i c h h a v e h a d offices in this secUnion Carbide is reported to h a v e 65,tion for many years h a v e b e e n seeking 000 employees in 230 plants a n d offices quarters elsewhere for various reasons. throughout the nation, over 2500 in New T h e most recent shift in this connection York. It outgrew its own b u i l d i n g on was effected by U. S. Industrial Chemi- 42nd Street long ago, and auxiliary of2746
C H E M I C A L
fices h a v e been taken on 41st Street, Madison Avenue, and elsewhere. According to a n e w s p a p e r report, die n e w "office c o m m u n i t y " in Westchester would cost b e t w e e n $12.5 a n d $17 million. Better P h o s p h a t e Situation Insufficient stocks of superphosphate* have b e e n the particular concern of t h e fertilizer industry for some time. Most agricultural sections h a v e been undersupplied, a n d in this the sulfuric acid shortage p l a y e d no small part, especially in t h e early m o n t h s of 1952. The latest report from t h e Bureau of t h e Census now reveals s o m e improvement, not a very large one, in t h e production of normal a n d concentrated grades of superphosphate. T h e o u t p u t of t h e normal ( 1 8 % avail able phosphoric acid) was 939,652 short tons in April against 894,013 tons in April last year. T h e figures for concentrated (45% A P A ) were 77,795 tons against 62,626 tons a year ago. For the active season, January t h r o u g h April, the increases a r e not m u c h to speak of. O u t put of t h e normal superphosphate for t h e period gained only 2 % , while that of t h e concentrated improved 7 % . D e s p i t e all of the efforts expended to induce t h e manufacture and use of concentrated types of fertilizer phosphate, t h e tonnages are still small as compared with t h e 1 8 % material. The output of normal for the four months this year was 3,477,536 tons. That of the concentrated only 250,584 tons. It can be noted, h o w ever, t h a t t h e p e r c e n t a g e gains for the concentrated product this year were greater t h a n for t h e older type, and t h e same is t r u e for shipments. W h i l e output of t h e 4 5 % material gained 7 % , shipments increased 1 3 % . 45 % CONCENTRATED
Superphosphate Thousands of Short Tons 100
- 4 5 % A. P. A.
kVN f\^A /
111 I 1 1 1 1 1 1 iI Ii 1950
I l I 1 1 I I I I l 1 1 1 1 1 1 l 1 1 t 1952
1951
B U R E A U OF T H E CENSUS
T h e r e is still a considerable use of p h o s phates i n agriculture t h a t are derived from sources other t h a n superphosphate. A special D e p a r t m e n t of Agriculture report covering die fertilizer year ended J u n e 30, 1 9 5 1 , shows t h a t t h e item of largest distribution was superphosphate ( 2 0 % basis) a t 1,135,000 tons. Second was p h o s p h a t e rock, almost 1 million tons; and b a s i c slag w a s t h i r d at 407,000 tons. This w a s followed b y 1 8 % superphosphate, 364,000 tons; a n d ammonium phosphate, 198,492 tons. AND
ENGINEERING
NEWS
