The Washington times., 1915-09-06
NATURAL RED DYE
DISCOVERED HERE
Department Of Commerce AGENT
Says It viii Aid Paper Max
ers-To Provide Potash.

NEW YORK. Sept s.-Dr. M. ..
Langdon, assisting DR.. Thomas H.
Norton Of the Department Of Com
merce. has informed his chief Of tho
discovery of what seems to be an en-
tirely new natural red dye. This red
dye, DR.. Norton explained. will prob.
ably be OF especial value to manufao-
turers Of tissue, blotting and cover "a.
pers and to makers Of certain kinds Of
boards.
The Department Of Commerce's rep.
resentative talked with great enthusi-
asm OF the prospect of getting manu-
facturers here to enter upon the work
OF making all kinds OF chemicals e.
sential to dyestuffs and medicine for
american supplies Of which this coun-
portations. Many Of these ) chemicals.
DR.. Norton said. are used in such small
quantities that a single plant with q
dozen men could furnish all that the
industries of the United States might
need; ne nevertheless. the supply required.
Norton's idea that the country has
simply overlooked these small matters.
Potash to Front.
Potash is coming more and moro 70
ical men, DR.. Norton said. 1T Is real
lied that we need an assured supply Of
IT to fertilize our crops. 1t Is especially
important for the tobacco and cotton
crops. and the failure to possess It
means a decrease in the yield per acre
which amounts to a great sum lost In
the total crop. A plentiful supply can
be got from kelp on the Pacific Coast"
Dr. Norton seid he would probably ba
~ af n
for several weeks. He will resume his
conference with chemists and others
Tuesday.
, Discussing the problem of a domestic
seed oil situation and the wars eject
on drug prices, the Oil. Paint. and Drug
Reporter viii say tomorrow:
he zoo of tSe Sevg,opns oo of
colcrs and dyes considered merely from
its physical aspect is beyond dispute.
AS hituminoIs coal is the primary ma
tcrial from which the coal tar products
country is independent on that score
"A home industry would be prntec-
ton against eNigcnCies such as have
arisen durinS the. past Twelve Wing months ms
that the industry: when viewed from
the standpoint Of dollars and cents.
never could he developed so as to
class with our really large enter
Experience gained through years Of
effort has convinced some OF the leaC-
Ing manufacturers in this line that
home industry can be established on q
basis only through the me
dium Of protective tariff. In other
wotds 1t is admitted on excellent tesu-
rnony that home industry would mean
higher prices.
Under normal conditions we can
obtain foreign made dyes and colors
cheaper than we can produce them.
IF rresert market prices for dyes
were to hold good there Is no dount
be achieved. but to establish per
manent industry it is necessary to
figure on FORMAL prices and normal
NO year in the modern history OF
the cottonseed oil trade has been so
fraurht with untoword incidents. 1t
is assumed that there was (on Septem-
Der j in TIE neiIhborhood of 100000
barrels OF oil in various positions
held in this country. Many specula-
tors have refused to take their losses
holdings from July. August and Sep
into the new crop months.
January and March. 1915.
so. at present. there is an enor-
owned almost entirely by speculators.
while probably IS per cent of the
shorts are rcfners.
Extensive buying OF narcotics:
and disinfectants by Italy and the
other bclliger-nt nations of Europe
has once more compensated for the
purchasing Of these and
other commodities by domestic con-
sumers in the drug market within the
week. with the result that a moder-
ate volume Of business has been
at generally advancing
prices.
!. There has been no material relief
from the shortage of all of the coal
tar derivatives. including medicinal.
faVoring extract and aromatic synthe.
tics mad" froEt phenoI anu peuzoaLe
bases. and the scarcity OF Austro-
botaniCals and many other
crude drugs has become even moro
pronounced of late"