The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-31
CHEMICAL EDISON"
Is U.S.. GREAT NEED
DR.. Norton Arrives to Aid Dye
stuff Trade and Hopes
to Find One.
NATION RICH IN SUPPLY

DR.. Thomas II. Norton. agent OF the
Department OF Commerce. arrived III
this city yesterday TO begin his WORK
OF acceleratlng the development OF the
country's dyestufYs industry. He sara
there IL no doubt in his mind that with
the proper cooperation between the vari-
Gus branches Of the industry and win
the assistance OF a few men or teen
meal and commercial ability the United
States should find itself before the end
OF the war on a competitive footing with
Germany.
Somewhere there may be a
chemical Edison floating around, he
said, "and the finding OF this man n
what the Industry needs. We have
the raw materials, we have the brains.
we have the capital and we have the
market. All we need Is organization
Dr. Norton was enthusiastic over the
prospect that he sees before this coun-
try II 1t goes quickly and earnestly
to work to produce the chemicals II
needs from it's abundant sources Of
supply. Immense quantities of raw prod
ucts from which chemicals aud dyes
~ Nlep' ~ NhA " 'H'N' ~ '-N 80
the refuse Of cox the sawdust
piles OF the Northwest woods and the
kelp that grows In almost limitless guam
titles on the ocean bed within the
three mile limit.
Dr. Norton and his assistants took
possession OF a room yesterday in the
Custom House which they will use as a
headquarters while visiting leading
chemical and dye producing houses In
New York and near by.
I'VE are taklng up every phase Of the
chemical industry" he said. especially
as 1t is affected by the lack OF supplies
from the other side OF the ocean. We
are anxious to see bow we can utilize
the coal industry. iatShich We are now
wasting products Worth 800. 900. 900.
The potash problem is large. We
import annually from Germany $4,000
600 worth OF potash. while on the coast
there are supplies OF kelp which are
believed to have a value of $4,000 900,
now going to waste. We have at our
door enough potash to meet the demands
OF the world. and to supply the needs
OF u crops, tobacco. grain and other
produce. In the way Of fertilizer. We
have always been dependent on Germany
for potash.
Photographs chemicals are vanish
ing. Every photographer in the country
IN facing the problem of getting de-
veloper, but all the necessary chemi-
Gals are in this country in the form of
coal tar products. and most Of them can
be obtained from napthaline. which Is
not used In explosives.
I'VE don't want TO get caught in such
a plight again. and the Department Of
Commerce wants to stimulate American
development so We can supply our own
demands and then branch out into the
worlds trade in chemicals.
ut can be done. ! know. Look at
switzerland. for an example. There is
not a pound Of coal in Switzerland and
yet in proportion to her population she
makes more dyestuffs than Germany.
She has no tariff. either. while we are
under "A tariff Of 30 per cent. SwitZer-
land accomplished this by buying the
intermediate coal tar products from Ger
many and then bringing them to their
required state of chemical development"
Or. Norton said that steps should be
taken by congress to protect the infant
industry from the competition that will
inevitably follow peace. He said that
II great stocks of dyeStuffs are dropped
on the American market by Germany
there SHOULD he a way To punish manu-
facturers who consptre to injure Ameri-
can competitive trade.