Nov.. 1914
T H E JOCRLVAL O F 1 , V D C S T R T A L A N D E ; V G I N E E R I N G C H E M I S T R Y
to carry i t through. And further, to make such a project successful, the cooperation of the textile trade, in fact, of all users of dyes, must be given. Not even a feeble indication of such cooperation was displayed before the conditions arose which showed this country's dependence on German dyestuffs. Whether our industries shall have American-made dyestuffs from American coal-tar products depends largely on the consumers of dyestuffs. Their action or inaction will probably determine the answer. BARRETT MANUPACTURING COMPAXY FRAXKPORD. PHILADELPHIA
RELIEV~NGTHE DYESTUFF CRISIS' By B E R N H A RC. D HESSE
In the two and a half months t h a t have elapsed since the outbreak of the European war there has been much agitation in the press, both lay and technical, for an increased production of coal-tar dyes in the United States. All users of coal-tar dyestuffs have known.ior as long as 40 years that the principal source of supply is Germany and they have also known of the various attempts made in this country t o produce dyes in the United States. Just as the users of dyestuffs will invariably buy in the cheapest market and will not be swayed by motives of patriotism into paying a higher price for a domestic article than they would have to pay for a n imported article so do American manufacturers and capitalists invest their money in American ventures which will pay them a profit, and they do not take hold of such enterprises through motives of patriotism only or of philanthropic benevolence toward their fellow man. Business is conducted for financial profit. I t required no imagination whatever to foresee that if for any reason our coal-tar dyestuff supply was shut off from Germany t h a t coal-tar dyes in the United States would become scarce. A'evertheless, American users of dyestuffs have continued to use the imported article. The result is that even a few weeks after the outbreak of European hostilities the users in the United States became clamorous and hysterical and called out loudly for the American chemists to go in and make dyestuffs regard; less of whether the American chemists were going to make money or not. The user has suggested to the maker that he increase his facilities, that he go to Congress and get a higher tariff and that he go to Congress for a change in the patent laws; however, the user has, on his part, not made any substantial offer of any effective help throughout these last two months. The chances are that, as in the past, the greatest opponents of increased tariff on dyes would be these self-same users. The users have confined themselves largely to fault-finding with American chemical manufacturers. The users say that their position is acutely distressing and they are facing serious hardships for want of dyestuffs and they want steps taken by others t o see that they are never again placed in such position of hardship-no matter what the others may stand to lose. To date, the suggestions from the users have been merely words and so far as the public is concerned there has been no effective action. The users themselves decline to participate actively and financially in any dyestuff venture and they further decline to contract with prospective dyestuff manufacturers for even a portion of their requirements. I n other words, their position is one of passive criticism-dead weight.
The domestic dyestuff makers are increasing their production as rapidly as circumstances will permit. At or about the end of 1 9 1 2 , j G different chemical dyes were made in this country; today IOO such are made-in two years a 33 per cent increase; the lJnited States market probably has no fewer than 900 different chemical dyes, each of them in active use, some of them to a very small extent, others to a very large extent and, no doubt, many of each of these could be eliminated and their places taken by others now on the market. If the dyestuff users wish to encourage the domestic dyestuff makers they can a t least disclose to the makers the extent of the market in the United States. The exact chemical dyes on the United States market and their individual consumption and prices paid are known collectively to two different classes. The importers collectively know it and the users collectively know it. I t can hardly be expected that the importers are going to hand t h a t information over to prospective makers, that is, to competitors. If the users want increased competition among the makers or want a more assured source of supply, then the least they can do is t o place before the dyestuff makers of this country a list of all such dyes as are used in this country and the amount of each that is used annually, together with t h e price paid therefor. With such information before them those who make dyestuffs in this country can make intelligent provision for expansion of their business. To be sure, the makers could go t o each and every user and ask him for the above information, but it is quite sure that that information would be refused. The users would decline to disclose to anyone their consumption of dyestuffs and the amount of their dyestuff account. If the users are really sincere and honest in their statement t h a t they are in a plight and that they really do want. increased production of dyes in this country, then the very least t h a t they can do is to make a full and frank disclosure of what the possibilities and probabilities in the United States market are. As said before, there are over 900 different finished dyes that have to be made and before these 900 dyes are made something like 300 substances, themselves not dyes, have to be made; to ask the domestic chemical manufacturers to go down into their pockets for the capital to make each of these 900 dyes and each of these 300 things, themselves not dyes, and then to await the pleasure of the domestic dyestuff user as to whether he will take the goods or not is asking altogether too much from the makers on the part of the users. If the users are afraid to disclose each to the other how much dye they use and what they pay for i t they are certainly in a position to select some bank or trust company as a central confidential depository for such statements and let the bank or trust company make up from these separate statements a combined statement of the market and place that before the manufacturing public. If the dyestuff users will cooperate to t h a t extent it is morally certain t h a t an increase in production of dyes will take place with considerable rapidity. If the users decline to cooperate to this extent it is quite likely that the number of dyes manufactured will increase even in spite of the users, b u t the rate will be much slower. If the users want the rate of increase speeded up they mu$ contribute their share, and probably a plan like that outlined above is as good as can be devised. 90 WILLIAM Sr., NEWYORE
CURRENT INDUSTRIAL NEWS
I
B y M. I,.
THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS BEFORE THE CHEMICAL SECTI9N OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE The address made by Professor William J. Pope, President 1
h l s o printed in t h e T e x t i l e Colorisl, v01.36,
KO,
430 (Oct., 19141.
953
I
HAMLIN
of the Chemical Section of the B. A. A. S.,is reported in the Jour. Gas Lighting and IVuter Sup,, 127 (1g14), 506. The speaker pointed out that the investigator, continually occupied with his own problems, and faced with an ever-increasing mass of technical literature, ordinarily finds little time for reflection
