The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-19
THE CHENIC ~ INDt STRI or
THE UNITED STATES.

NNsHiNGroS. July IS-Evsn under the
narro"rst system 10 grouping, chemicals
and their allied products aro among the
m'~t extensive 1T our industries Under
broader hut entirely legitimate system
q" classification they repre- sent value
far greater than that of any other single
'in, of industrial activity To NEST 81 us
chemicals and their allied products
suggest unfamiliar materials. mysterious
prue>ss'S IT transformation and transmit
tatinn acids. alkalis. crIcihle-. distilll-
tinnS. gt-s- and retnrts. Arranged in
general conformity with this common
notion IN" indl.sry now has a product
valI" ~ about s3nO. ODD.UDO ye1r
The latest census of tho industry. re-
ported in 1876. was prepared under tho
direction of Professor Charles =. Munroe
1t Washington. Ia tho opinion of this
expert authority a proper ClaSsificatio ION
would includ" in the chemical group
many industries now report e,i under other
titles. For instance. the production of
papernnd wood pulpis a chemical process
~ IL the conversion " hides into leather.
The sam" may hc said IT the mtnufac-
tur" of glass and It soap. of the pruduc-
tI"n of vinnus, NAL, and distilled liquors
tn" conversion oG Cr,Id" oil into illumi-
mating and mbricating oils IL u chemical
process IN tho course of which a great
nunh"r nf other useful and necessary
article, are obtained The smelling and
refining of copper and the manufacture Il
si",'l are chemical Processes Under a
hruad classification. including these sub
stances, the value Of commodities pro-
duced exceeds s. I'M GO. OOO year.
Because of the different systems of
grcAping employed 10y those having
charge of the census returns for different
years Their" is no entirely reliable basis
for a comparison by which the growth II
the chemical industry might be fairly in
diCated. For statistical purposes most
of the lines of industry included in the
broad classification are treated separately.
tr'a'aSi as distinct enterprises. Pro
lessor Munro" avs that -siIlphuric acid.
which has h..'n manufactured on "a com
merUial scale IN the tnited states SinCe
1873, - ~ extensively used IN the manu-
iaCturr ~ other chemical products that
the statistics for it, production have been
regarded A. q sal" criterion nv which To-
gauge the activity oT the country. in chem
ical manufactures TN that basis bust
ness ~ the hmIt.d group of chemical in
dustrin- IN this country has considerably
more than doubled IN the last twenty years
Much has hrcn done hut much still re-
mains ~ ~ done III ia" way of utilizing
materials formerly wasted. IA" rejected
hyprnducts - numerous mechanical
procr-Sss. An indefinite tut enormous
uumh.r uf millions nf dollars goes into
the air every year through chimncyS and
-mokcSt1Ck- RsCovern hls values in great
amounts go 10 the dump heap every year
"" import many millions II dollars
worth of chemical substances and prod
uCts that might and should ~ produced
IN this country. just ~ We export many
millions ~ dollars worth ~ raw MATERIAL
that We ought 10 convert into finished
products m domestic mills and factories
our imports NJ chemicals. drugs and dyes
under the limited classification. are now
valued At moro than s3O Gpo.'sO annually.
an increase of more than ~ Ter cent IN
ten ycars and of more than i,H per cent
in twenty years. \ considerable part II
this could 10 supplied from domestic
sources Germany leads the world in
chemical industries. and to tho studies
and Investigations of German chemists
and chemical engineers that country
owes n large part Of it, notable economic
progress in III" last twenty five years