Mar., 1920
T I l E JOURA’A L O F ILVDL-STRIAL A N D E N G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y CALENDAR OF MEETINGS
American Electrochemical Society-Spring Meeting, Boston, Mass., April 8 to IO, 1920. American Chemical Society-Fifty-ninth Meeting, Hotel Statler, St. Louis, Mo., April I O to 17, 1920. American Drug Manufacturers’ Association-Annual Meeting, Hotel Biltmore, New York, N. Y., April 1 2 to 15, 1920.
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Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry-Spring Meeting, Hotel Waldorf and Hotel Astor, New York, N. Y., April I 2 to 16,rgzo. National Fertilizer Association-z7th Annual Convention, White Sulphur Springs, w. Va., week of June I, Igzo. American Institute of Chemical Engineers-Semi-Annual Meeting, Montreal, June 2 I and 2 2 ; Ottawa, June 23; Shawinigan, June 24 and 2 5 ; La Tuque, June 26, 1920.
WASHINGTON LETTER ~~
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B y J. B. MCDOSNELL. Union Trust Building, Washington, D. C.
The Senate Finance Committee has favorably reported to the Senate the Longworth dye bill and the measure providing for the protection of chemical and laboratory glassware and scientific instruments. The Senate Military Affairs Committee has finished its work on the army reorganization measure, and in the bill it rgported to the Senate provided for a separate Chemical Warfare Service of the Army. Although there is some opposition to the establishment of the Chemical Warfare Service as a separate department of the Army among members of the House military committee, which still is a t work on its draft of the Army reorganization bill, supporters of the Chemical Warfare Service are confident that they will succeed in establishing it as a separate department. Thus briefly might be summarized events of importance to the chemical world which have taken place in Washington recently. Each step has been won against determined opposiiion from one quarter or another. Victory for the chemical industry has been the result each time so far, and indications are that victory will continue to perch upon the banners of the industry. Chemistry and the chemical industry have come into their own in Washington and both executive and legislative branches of the Government admit their importance to the nation. It is planned t o call the dye bill up on the floor of the Senate as soon as possible. With Republican and Democratic members of the Finance Committee endorsing the completed measure, little opposition is expected and it will be passed with little delay once it is called up on the floor. If present plans do not miscarry, the end of February will see the bill finished and signed by the President. As finally drawn up by the committee the bill differs in many respects from the form in which it was passed by the House. The original licensing system was eliminated entirely. After considerable discussion on various substitutes proposed for this section the committee rewrote the entire section. The bill provides that no dyestuffs shall be admitted to import which are obtainable in this country on satisfactory terms as regards quality, price, and delivery. The life of the law is fixed a t three years. The bill defines what is meant by reasonable terms as to price, quality, and delivery. Much is left to the discretion of the United States Tariff Commission, which is charged with administering it. This was done purposely so as to permit of an elasticity in enforcing the provisions and to permit such changes in its rules and regulations governing importation of dyestuffs and coal-tar chemicals as the Commission might find necessary from time to time to meet changed conditions or unexpected contingencies which might arise. The bill differs from the so-called Choate substitute, in that it does not provide that the Commission shall prepare any lists of what are and what are not importable dyestuffs, leaving it to the discretion of the Commission itself to frame such rules and regulations as it deems best to carry out the provision that no dyes obtainable in this country on reasonable terms as t o price, quality, and delivery shall be imported. It provides also against excessive imports. The committee decided that a reasonable price shall be that which in the judgment of the Tariff Commission is the lowest which will insure the maintenance of the dye industry in this country. Briefly the bill gives large authority to the Commission to decide practically all questions as they arise, setting forth general principles for the guidance of the administering body. The bill was amended but slightly by the full committee, the work of the sub-committee meeting with general approval. Probably the most important change made was the reduction of the tariff rates in the bill as it passed the House to the same rates which now are in effect; these were enacted in 1916 in the so-called Hill bill. At hearings before both House and Senate committees strong emphasis was laid upon the importance ofdprotecting the industry with a strong “secondary defense.”
The House accepted the rates as did the Senate dyes sub-committee. The change in the full committee, it is understood, was made as a bid for Democratic support of the measure. Reduction of the duties in the bill to those now in effect enabled the committee to obtain a unanimous favorable report. An effort to increase the rates probably will be made on the Senate floor. After passage by the Senate the bill will go back to the House for agreement on the Senate amendments. Representative Longworth, author of the original bill, already has been consulted by Senate members and has expressed approval of the bill and little difficulty is expected in the conference committee which will be appointed by the two bodies to iron out the differences. The President already has put himself squarely on record as in favor of protection of the American dye industry and is expected promptly to sign the measure when it reaches him. Section 38 of the army reorganization bill reported by the Senate Military Affairs Committee provides for the Chemical Warfare Service. The permanent personnel of t h e Chemical Warfare Service shall hereafter consist of one Chief of Chemical Warfare, with t h e rank of brigadiergeneral, and one hundred and twenty-five officers, in grades from second lieutenant t o colonel, inclusive, and one thousand two hundred enlisted men, in their approptiate grades, all of whom shall be detailed or assigned from the permanent personnel under the provisions of this Act. T h e reserve personnel of the Chemical Warfare Service shall consist o! all reserve officers and reservists assigned thereto as provided for in this Act.
The Chief of the Service would be selected by the President for a period of four years, unless sooner removed, under the bill. Senator Wadsworth, chairman of the Military Affairs Committee, is confident that the measure will go through the Senate with the Chemical Service a separate department and not as advocated by Chief of Staff March, a subordinate branch of the Ordnance Department. Beyond question the war with Germany has strongly stamped upon the minds of members of Congress the vital importance to the national safety and welfare of chemistry in practically all its branches and they are not willing to permit a branch of the war-making machine of the country, which is certainly destined to play so important a part in whatever wars come in the future, to be made simply a branch of another department of the War Department. Following conclusion of its consideration of the dyestuffs bill the Senate Finance Committee immediately took up the subcommittee report on the bill providing for the protection of the chemical glassware, porcelain ware, scientific and surgical instruments. This bill introduced in the House by Representative Bacharach was passed by that body several months ago and has been before the Senate committee since that time. Action on this and other tariff bills which had been p&ssed by the House was delayed, however, pending the disposition of the dye bill which was properly deemed the most important of the tariff measures. Favorable report on the Bacharach glassware bill has now been ordered by the Finance Committee and it will be taken up on the Senate floor in the near future. Passage of this measure also is assured, there having developed no real opposition to it. The committee reported the bill without amendment. The Federal Trade Commission has been active during the last month and has cited several chemical and dyestuff concerns on charges of commercial bribery. Practically all of these firms are located in New York City. The list of the firms cited does not include the names of the largest companies, but is confined for the most part to the dealers in dyestuffs Hearings on several of the cases have been held before the Commission but as yet there have been no orders issued in the cases. Hearings before the Commission are not made public, only the result being given. Orders to cease and desist practices now indulged in by these firms are expected to be issued within a comparatively short time. Representatives of the firm of Kuttroff and Pickhardt, dye
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T H E J O U R N A L OF I N D U S T R I A L A N D ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
importers, who have been mentioned many times in connection with the efforts of the German chemical cartel to reestablish its hold on the American market, appeared before the War Trade Board recently to answer charges of interfering with the efforts of this country to obtain needed German vat colors. The hearings occupied two full days. What action will be taken by the War Trade Board is not known. Officials are emphatic in their refusaI to discuss the case, decIaring they can see no reason why they should depart from the custom held t o throughout the war and make any public announcement regarding this case. It will be recalled that Francis P. Garvan charged before the Senate dyes committee that the activities of the firm were largely responsible for the delay in getting German dyes into this
Vol.
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No. 3
country in spite of government efforts. Mr. Garvan’s charge, together with cables which he produced before the committee, have already been published. Accompanied by their attorney, members of the firm attempted to justify the actions which brought about the charge and consequent hearings on them. The hearings were held strictly confidential. The War Trade Board can refuse to permit the firm t o import any enemy dyestuffs so long as its authority continues. Cabled advices received recently state that German dyes obtained under the reparations commission now are in large part in Rotterdam and should be in this country within a short time. February 14, 1920
INDUSTRIAL NOTES
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The Foreign Commerce Corporation of America has been organized by interests identified with J. P. Morgan & Co. The corporation is designed to enter trade in Europe on a large scale and under plans that may lead to the extension of long credit to manufacturers and merchants in the war zone. E. R. Stettinius will be chairman of the executive committee. A recent fire in the vegetable oil refinery of Swift & Co., Memphis, Tenn., dgtroyed the refinery, machinery and contents and 400,000 pounds of vegetable oil, with a loss of approximately $150,000. The United States Rubber Company has purchased the entire plant and business of the Dolgeville Felt Shoe Co., Dolgeville, N. Y., manufacturers of felt shoes and slippers. The annual dinner of the officers of the Chemical Warfare Service was held a t the New Ebbitt Hotel, Washington, on the evening of January 2, 1920. Major-General William Sibert, director of Chemical Warfare Service, presided. Classification of the drug industry by branches, for purposes of the 1919 census of manufactures, has just been completed by the Census Bureau. More than 350 classifications have been provided for convenience in separating industries. As a general rule, the classification of an industry will be determined in accordance with the product of chief value. The Monsanto Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo., has issued an order stating that none but Americans will be employed in its plant, and requiring any alien employee to be naturalized or accept thirty days’ notice of discharge. The notice reads: “It is the desire of this company to have associated with it only American-born or naturalized American citizens. The Monsanto is an American institution and is firm in its desire to be American in all its work and operations. The employees’ department will assist any employee in perfecting his or her American citizenship . ’ I The California Prune and Apricot Growers’ Association is to erect a t Hemet, Cal., a factory for using apricot pits in the chemical and dye industries. Hemet is the largest apricot growing center of Southern California. The American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers has announced that the symposium on the subject of Pyrometry held in cooperation with the National Research Council and the National Bureau of Standards a t the Chicago Meeting of the Institute in September 1919, will be published as a special volume, comprising about 750 pages. Subscription price, previous to publication, is $5 per volume. The National Organization for Public Health Nursing has announced that an Industrial Nursing Section is to be formed a t the meeting in Atlanta, April 12 to 17, 1920,with the object of making known to nurses throughout the country the opportunities for education as industrial nurses. Uniform standards of service and better preparation are needed in this field. The Burrell Technical Supply Company has been organized with offices in Pittsburgh, Pa., to conduct a general laboratory and technical supply business. The officers of the company are Col. G. A. Burrell, President; J. T. Ryan, Vice President; G. H. Deike, Treasurer; and G. C. Nelms, Secretary. Catalogs will be issued shortly, one of the first being devoted to gas analysis apparatus. Bids will be opened March I O for supplying the government departments in Washington with drugs, medicines, and chemicals. The quantities to be purchased are indefinite, but are estimated on the basis of purchases during the fiscal year 1919. E. I du Pont de Nemours & Company has purchased a $140,000 warehouse in the central manufacturing district of Chicago for use as a general war-house.
The United States is the world’s largest consumer of crude cocoa, the consumption for 1918 being 386,000,000 lbs., or 50 per cent of the total world production. For the fiscal year ending in June 1919, 313,037,419 lbs. of crude cocoa were imported, 32,709,845 !bs. of which were reexported, making the apparent consumption of crude cocoa for 1919 approximately 280,000,000 lbs. In spite of the decreased amount of crude cocoa available, the value of exports of prepared cocoa rose from $6,000,000 in 1918 to $II,OOO,OOO in 1919. The General Chemical Company has just issued its annual report to the stockholders. The report shows a general decline in profits.due to rising cost of production without corresponding rise in prices. The Company has recently declared a quarterly dividend of 2 per cent on common stock, payable March I , 1920.
A large Oriental copra corporation has begun construction of a large plant on Richmond Harbor. Cal., for the handling of copra. Two large copra plants are already established a t Richmond, one of them belonging t o Procter & Gamble. A scarcity of olive oil in Sydney, Australia, has been reported, the market relying largely on importations from Italy and Spain in the failure of the South Australian product. According to a report by the president of the Board of Agriculture to the New Zealand House of Representatives, the phosphate reserves of the Island of Nauru in the Pacific are sufficient to meet the demands of the world for 200 years. 80,000 to IOO,OOO tons or more are available, and the quality is said t o be of the highest grade. The average yearly production is now in the neighborhood of 150,000 tons. The Pacific Chemical Co., of Los Angeles, Cal., has recently been organized with a capital of $50,000. The Federal Trade Commission has entered charges of unfair methods of competition against the following companies United Chemical and Color Company, New York City Andreykoviez and Dunk, Inc., Philadelphia Arkansas Distributing Company New York City F. Bredt and Company, New York City New York Color and Chemical Company, New York City H. Behlen & Bros., Inc.,New York City Franklin I m p o r t and Export Company, I n c , New York City Heller & Merz Co., New York City Shibakawa and Company, I n c , New York City Taiyo Trading Co , I n c , New York City
The companies have forty days in which to file answers, after which time the cases will be set down for trial. The Plomo Specialty Manufacturing Co. and the Riverside Refining Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, have been ordered to cease from unfair methods of competition in the manufacture and sale of turpentine and oils. C. Bischoff & Co., of New York City, manufacturers of dyestuffs and chemicals, have been ordered to refrain from unfair competition in interstate commerce. The National Research Council has announced an exhibit of the wireless telephone a t 1201-16th St., N. W., Washington, D . C., beginning February 6, 1920. The exhibit includes special apparatus reproducing fundamental electrical discoveries in the development of the wireless telephone, moving line-dra wing illustrating wireless telephone action, portraits of scientists who have contributed t o its development, and Yyireless telephones which visitors may use. The exhibit was installed by the American Telephone & Telegraph Co. and the Western Electric C o . with the cooperation of the Signal Corps and the Air Service of the U. S. Army. Damage estimated a t $50,000 was caused by a fire which followed an explosion of tanks of acid a t the Naugatuck Chemical Company, Naugatuck, Conn., recently.
