New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-28


think they were-that is, not the lack
of calfskins, or of German dyes, but
of transportation and credit; and
these difficulties have been already so
largely overcome that the shoe plants
are running full time and sending
their products everywhere.
The Will & Banner Company
made candles for American con-
sumption and imported the wicks
from Germany. The war cut off the
wicks, also the supply of crude
plycerine. stearic acid and other ma
terials. But what happened? Can
dies had to have wicks, so now wicks
of the very best quality are made
in this country, stearic acid is pro-
duced at home, as it ought to be, so
that "as a result of the war South
America, and particularly the Ar
gentine Republic, is looking to SYRIA
cuse as a source Of supply for church
and other candles" That is not the
end of candles. They are very i'm
portant commodity in this electric
lighted world still. On account OF
the war "the Standard Oil Com
pany," says the writer, has extend
ed its candle industry to China by
establishing a plant there, and tho
Will e. Banner Company has been
called upon to supply large part
of the stearic acid used at that
plant"
The Merrell-Soule Company's sup
ply of Greek currants was cut Off.
Now it uses American currants, and
probably regrets ever having use1
any other. That is a small matter.
Thirteen years ago the Semet-Solvay
Company erected a plant for the
manufacture of synthetic carbolic
acid. The process was successful,
but foreign carbolic acid was
dumped" into this country at prices
so low that nobody could compete
with it, and the synthetic plant stood
as a monument to a beautiful idea.
Now look The plant, remodelled at
a cost of 100000, is running TWEEN
ty-four hours a day and pays "un-
usual wages" The same company
has spent more than three-quarters
Of a million dollars on other plants
to produce picric and nitric acids.
To take long leap, there is the
typewriter industry. Who could
have dreamed that anything short
of ruin would happen to it? But
such is the demand for typewriters
in Europe, from Russia, from Eng
land. from France and from news
paper correspondents on the fields
of battle, that the typewriter plants
are swamped with business, except
where they have been turned into
gear factories, as at least one was.
Gears are very profitable merchan-
disc evidently. The Lefever Arms
Company stopped making arms and
went to making gears. That was
strange. Bat these are strange
times. Who would have thought of
war boom in pottery? That hap
pened. Syracuse pottery" says the
writer, "excels that manufactured
in any other section of the country
because of its highly individual
type" 1t had never been properly
appreciated. A great many people
for snobbish or other reasons, pre-
ferred the imported stuff, but now
that is no longer in competition with
the Syracuse product, which should
make this country independent of
Europe for its supply of high grade
china" The Globe Malleable Iron
Company has expanded its floor
space $50 per cent, las a result OF
being unable to fill the avalanche
of orders thrust upon it," 1t has
had to take in its statesmen. They
were selling too much. This COM
pany makes forged motor truck
parts, malleable castings and an
healing pots. Companies making
motor parts, differentials, fly wheels.
cylinders, gears, etc, and motor
trucks have simply been worked off
their feet. They cannot build new
concrete buildings fast enough tn
keep up with their business. One
motor truck company tried TO ignore
foreign orders. No use. Its bust
ness has been swept along" and has
increased 21S per cent, perforce.
The tale could go on and on. 1t cam
not stop without the war boom in
sanitary clothes pressing machinery.
The only explanation of this is
Large foreign business" In any
case, it is real, because new $780,
600 concrete building is going up.
That is evidence enough.
There comes at the end a moral.
You do with it what you like. in