New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-01-26
DYESTUFF PRICES
CAUSE OF PROTEST
Attorney General Asked
to Investigate Advances
and Trade Conditions.
SELLING TO EUROPE
ALLEGED HERE
Baseless War Scare Said To Be
Used as Reason for Squeez-
ing Textile Manufacturers.

Dexter ". Hewitt. OF 40 Fourth av-.
publisher Of "The Dry Goods Guide"
has addressed a communication 70 At
torney General Gregory at Washing
ton, asking him TO investigate charges
made By several textile manufacturers
that few men control the dyestufs
situation in this country.
IL has been freely asserted among
textile men for the last two weeks that
many OF them had been led 70 believe
there was shortage o. dyestufs IN
this country at the outset OF the Eu-
ropean conflict, and that as . result
they laid in large quantities OF this
commodity At a stiff advance in price.
That il has later developed that at the
beginning of the war there was enough
raw material and finished dyestuhs In
this country TO supply the demand for
more than a year, and that domestic
manufacturers and importers used the
war scare 10 force prices up from 10
TO 80 per cent higher than ever before
In the history Of the trade. II Is fur
Their claimed that instead OF shiplosds
OF dyestuffs coming in, relieving the
situation, so far every cargo OF dye
stuffs has been a signal for another
boost I'm price.
Mr.. Hewitt's letter TO the Attorney
General is in part as follows:
Several manufacturers OF textiles
have called our attention 20 the steady
advance in the price OF dyestufs. The
advance Is uniform; that Is. tho feu
factories in this country and many i'm
porters are not undertaking each
- r. T.. ~ lak
RIGS claim that the dyestuffs producers
circulated the reports az the outset OF
the European war that there was
scarcity of dyestuffs In this country,
when the fact is now and was then
that they had enough dyestufs In
storage to supply the trade Of the
United States for more than year.
II there is any price fixing, We believe
that the legal department OF the gov
eminent should investigate
Textile men say that agents OF Eng
| lish manufacturers are buying dye
stuffs in this country, and that much
of the colorings shipped here recently
are already on their way 10 the British
Isles. They also assert that many OF
them took the shortage scare" seri-
ously enough to lay in large supplies.
but when there was no break in the
market following several shipments
that arrived here from Europe, and
when. instead of prices getting better.
they stearily advanced, they knew that
something was wrong.
One manufacturer, who also wrote
letter TO the Attorney General yester-
day, said:
81 am not man that cries over split
milk. but !, like many others, feel that
/ have had one put over on me-espe-
cially when | satisfied myself that our
own manufacturers as well as import
ers were selling medium grade color
| ings 20 Europe.
There has been talk Of organizing q
company" this man went on, composed
| of textile manufacturers, for the inn
| portation OF dyestuff. ] informed the
| promoters Of the plan that I was in
| hearty accord with the movement. as H.
| has been made evident that we will
find no relief from the men engaged in
furnishing US with dyes. So long as
the war continues, just so long will
they continue TO boost the price OF the
very kind of coloring we need most"
Information was received at the
Offices of "The Guide" yesterday that
another cargo of dyestuffs had left Rot
terdam for New York. When a Trib-
une reporter tried TO learn the name
of the ship carrying the cargo he was
told that this shiplosd would not re
ceive as much publicity as the million
dollars worth OF coloring that arrived
st this port last week.