El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-02-02

he tWenty-SeveHth annual con-
vention Of the International
Association of Master Painters
and Interior Decorators, which is now
in session in st. Louis, has under con-
sheraton several subjects vitality af-
fecting the interest of their trades.
One of these is the increase in the
cost of ltnseed oil, caused by the de-
crease of its production in the United
States and the deterioration in its
quality. During the last year the yield
IN linseed oil was less than in any one
of the ten preceding years, although
the acreage planted with flax was
greater. Some means Of encourag-
ing the farmer to cultivate more
fax and TO raise the standard of the
crop, is a problem which the paint
manufacturers are preparing to sub
NIT TO the department Of agriculture.
Owing TO the fact that the farmers
carelessly permit rape, millet, mustard
and other weeds to become mixed with
the fax the linseed oil is of much
poorer quality than il used TO be- AS
a result the permanent gloss desired
in paint is harder to obtain. During
the past year a large quantity of the
oil manufactured for American paints
has been extracted from flax seed i'm
ported from Argentine.
New Problem for Painters.
The increased use Of concrete and
cement for building purposes presents
TO both the painter and decorator the
need of special materials for treating
these surfaces. Both concrete and ce-
ment need to be waterproofed even
when it is not necessary to change
their color. The paint suitable for
wood and brick work does not salts
factorily finish these materials.
Never has the trade of painting pre-
sented SO many perplexities as now. A
quarter of q century ago there were
perhaps half a dozen shades to choose
from. The house painter mixed his
own paint from familiar formulas and
was assured of the result. Now he IS
dependent to a large degree upon paint
that is partially prepared AMI the in
gradients he desires do not always
possess the qualities they should. The
outside coloring Of a house was COM
paratively unimportant to the last gen.
Grafton, but the interest in village and
municipal improvement has had
greater effect upon the industry of
house painting than any other trade.
Women with would-be artistic notions
Of coIoring are frequently responsible
for the horrors the painter would avoid
If he could.
Paints That Resist Rains.
The action of gas upon the atmos-
pheric conditions Is bad for paint, and
q new oil composed of some imported
ingredients has lately been compound
ed It is being used with good re-
suits around railroad shops and large
factories, where the smoke and gases
from the works have altered the con-
dition of the atmosphere. The use
of water paints for outside work is
growing in favor proportionally to the
rapid improvement in the quality OF
these materials. The old water paints
were washed off by the first rain. The
new compositions are not only rain
resisting and durable in color, but they
serve as a foundation for oil paints In
some instances even better than the oils
themselves. They do not blister when
exposed to heat, and upon walls that
have been enthusiastically treated with
oil paints a coat of water paint has
frequently been used with good result
The cement wall presents problems
to both outside painter and the IN
terror decorator. Interior decorating
formerly applied largely to paper
hanging, but as wall paper does not
adhere properly to cement wall, vari-
Gus decorative effects in the way OF
stenciling are finding favor and are
becoming more elaborate in their per-
lection. While first class paper hang
ers have for years been familiar with
the use of the stencil IN combination
with wall paper to produce certain
effects, it is in the decoration of the
concrete wall that its utility is most
essential
Is Almost a Fine Art.
The trade of the paper hanger has
almost been raised TO a fine art He
no longer merely cuts strips of paper
to a proper length, daubs them. with
paste and sticks them on the wall He
studies the room, considers its light
and shade effects, and perhaps divides
it into panels OF various sizes and
shapes These are outlined upon the
wall before the paper is applied The
paper OF the background is then cut
out in proper shape and placed in posi-
ton A border OF some kind may sur
round these panels and the decoration
will consist Of applied or cut-out de-
signs, many of them giving the effect
of elaborate mural or frescoe painting
The most artistic walls are produced
in this way and the paper hanger Is
able to provide an interior scheme OF
decoration suitable for any period in
history For fine houses 1t is pos
sible to secure materials for upholster-
ing and draperies exactly matching the
wall papers.
Often papers are made in imitation
of old tapestries. When they are ap-
1