Evening star., 1914-10-04

Coal Tar Products. siess + a m p'sc, sy
American trusts, and that startling
revelation of the methods of the high
ly organized coal tar products combine
of Germany is one of the blessings
which will come out Of the present
European war, is the belief of chemical
experts of the federal government who
have just completed a quiet investiRa-
tion of the situation faced by textile
manufacturers. drug companies and
other American users of coal tar
chemicals in their various forms.
Up to the present time the German
coal tar products trust has succeeded
in crushing Independent manufacturers
of most of the coal tar dyes and coal
tar medicinal products used in the
United States. Manufacturers of this
country have need for 921 of the
1900 coal tar dyes manufactured in
Europe. Germany controls two-thirds
of the 921 dyes used in the United
States. and whenever an attempt has
been made to manufacture one or
group of these dyes now imported to
this country the German coal tar COM
bine has crushed competition by Dump
ing the same dyes on the American
markets for much less than the cost
of production.
Contrary to general belief, patent re-
strictions, low tariff and low labor
costs in Germany have not been all
important influences to discourage the
building up of a coal tar products in
dustry in the United States, say the
men who have studied the situation.
Although it is not generally KNOWN
American factories now supply ap-
proximately one-third of the dyestuns
used in the United States. 1t Is posi-
60 rNrn
spite of foreign competition. owing to
peculiar favorable conditions. Practf-
cal chemists say that the fact that the
United States already manufactures
one-third of the dyes 1t needs seems
to puncture the arguments that con
ditions are against the building up OF a
large coal tar products industry In this
country.
industry into three branches, accord
ing to the character of products. The
first is the manufacture OF coal tar,
the second is the manufacture OF the
intermediate products. like anime OILS
and aniline salts and the hne,ch ehira q ahe the
manufacture of coal tar colors and me-
dicinal products. This country. at the
present time, already produces large
quantities of coal tar. and exports 70
year. Instead of producing anime
oil, however the intermediate product
for the manufacture of dyes. TINS mate
rial is imported from Germany Tor
most of the dyes which are made IN IN
this country. The value Of the Oil
which is imported amounts to less than
$4,000 a year. whereas the coal tar
dyes which Germany sends to Amer1-
can manufacturers are valued at more
than 100000 a year.
1t is believed by government chem
lists that the coal tar products indus
try. which has been developing in this
country quietly and slowly in recent
years, will surely profit because of the
manufacture will be extended is be-
lieved to be matter Of doubt until
the possibility Of placing penalty
upon foreign corporations which fight
American manufacturers through meth
DDS Of unfair competition is thorough
ly considered.
In the various discussions Of the coal
tar situation heretofore most attention
in giving reasons why the anfline dyes
industry has not grown in this country.
Unfair competition, it has been de-
veloped in recent days. and not foreign
patents has been the cause OF Ameri-
cans keeping out OF the market for the
manufacture of the large part OF the
dyes which are used in this country. In
thorough investigation it has been
learned that of the 921 German dyes
which the United States uses at the
present time. 467, or more than so per
cent, were never patented in the United
States, and the United States patents
have now expired on 239 more Of these
dyes, making 706 in all, or more than
not protected at all by American
patents.
One chemical which is controlled by
foreign manufacturers is cited by gov
methods Of the German coal tar prod
ucts trust. Hydroquinone. the chemical
largely used in Photographic work. a
short time ago sold in this country for
aniline was available. Americans found
that they could make it for about 80
cents a pound. German producers then
dropped the price below the cost Of
production. and. just before the be-
ginning of the present war, hydro
quinone was selling around SO cents a
pound, a price much less than the cost
Of production. and which made impos-
sible its manufacture in America. Since
the war hydroquinone has sold as high
as S. a pound.
What the German combine loses in
money on one product it makes up in
large profits on the others, investiga-
ton shows. and it Is believed that a
can never be developed in this country
unless by acquiring vast capital an in
dustry can be built up which will be
able to manufacture practically all Of
try. This is said by chemists to be the
only solution Of the coal tar products
problem, because then it will be i'm
possible for the German manufacturers
to indulge IN the so-called unfair meth
DDS of competition. While it is pos
sible to sell a few products at figures
much below the cost OF production, it
would be impossible for foreign manu-
facturers to sell all the products used
in the United States at such prices.
Should bakers be compelled to wrap
their bread before it is offered for
sale?" This question is a
Wrapped subject which in recent
pra.d months has come up for
eau' frequent discussion before
bakers organizations women's clubs
and housewives leagues in all parts Of
the country. Both the United States
government and the National Associa-
ton of Master Bakers have conducted
Investigations to determine the advan-
tages or disadvantages of wrapped
bread. and while all of the. experiments
have not been completed, preliminary
reports indicate that wrapped bread is
finding favor both with the sanitarians
and men of the baking trade. General
adoption of the practice of wrapping
bread in many parts Of the country.
however, has been slow because of the
frrr - In Ixtn ~inv1 q RI