Arizona republican., 1901-08-09
BRITAIN'S CHEMICAL TRADE.


 While less is said about it in public
 .han of the iron and other trades. there
 is no important branch of industry in
 Great Britain which has suffered so
 much from foreign competition as the
 chemical manufacture. Not very many
 ars ago Great Britain held an un-
 questioned superiority in the manufac-
 ture oc alkalies and what are generally
 known as heavy chemicals. In those
 days the industry was a profitable one,
 and number of manufacturers en- gagged in it with much profit to tho m- selves. The latter consultations, which brought the trade under the con trol of a few large companies, were made on a basis of high profits which proved deceiving in sev,ral cases. While some concerns, which are work ing on the latest processes, are paying good dividends, other present balance she5ts which are rather dismal reading
 for the stockholders. One of the com panies, it may -be mentioned, in it's hurry to control the trade loaded itself
 at high prices with pants now obsolete or nearly so-in the usual combination
 style.
 I'm chief cause of the decline of the
 chemical trade is that several of Great
 Britain's old customers, especially Ger
 many, the United States and Russia. are now largely supplying their own wants, while Germany also exports argcly, and tke United States. will shortly be in position to do SD. The worlds consumption of alkalics and other chemicals is increasing largely, | but the British exports are decreasing. A natural consequence is heavy fall | in prices. sD that large profits ar5 no longer to b expected. Moreover, costs | of manufacture have increased, chiefly owing to the high price of fuel. This | is especially th- case in the electrolyti2 proc sses. in whi h the production of electric power is the chief element or cost. In this resp ct the German makers have very little advantage over
 the British; but tn y have attained a large part of their progress by very close attention to G'stais and constant Improvement of processes. In the United States We have the great adVan- tage of cheap power, whether water or
 st, am; and are likely to have cheap coal for long time to come. The British manufacturers, with good req | son. look upon the Americans as their most dangerous rivals for the future. Some temporary exp dient are being | tried to help the British trade, though they are not likely to be of permanent benefit. Chief among tn Sc is a fur | ther. consolidation. Thus one authority on the trad says: The rumors of great chemical combine which were
 current some time ago have not yet taken any q dsfnite form. though it | must be confessed that the large cor pcrations have Lzen exceptionally ener-. getic of late in making it difficult for outsiders to interfere with their inter- ests The small a,ka4 manufacturers are being absorbed and the middleman, who is in a small way of business, buy | ing his alkali eithlr to use himself or | to sell again, is being subjected to all sorts of inquisitive questions as to the | destination oa his purchases. The signs and po!tents of the times are cer- | tainly all against the middleman con | tinuing in a state of prosperity.
 No consolidation or combination ot manufacturers can maintain prices, how Yer. in the face of rapidly increas- | ing foreign production. It is quite possible that in a few years American and German makers may rot only sup | ply their own markets but export to Great Britain itself. It is only by con- stant improvements and by lowering | the cost of production-if that is pos sible-that British manufacturers can hold thsir own.
 There is one point in chemical manu- facture to which attention was calledby | the chairman at the last meeting of the United Alkali cu1rrany. He spoke ot the continual alertneSs watch vas ne