Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-02-15
The Dye Problem
BY FREDERICK J. HAsK1N


men, would benefit the dye industry at
the expense Of their own. The present
state of affairs shows the desirability
of being independent in the matter,
even if independence has to be paid
for. The dye supply is minor but i'll.
dispensable factor in industries a hun
dred times bigger. AS one of the ad'
vocates of the dye tariff puts 1t, we
will be paying five or six million dol.
lars a year which is what he esti-
mates the increased cost of dyes un-
der the new tariff will come to AS a
sort of insurance against finding our.
selves again suddenly dyeless.
1t is known fact that capital is
ready and available to multiply our
dye production capacity as soon as 1t
is assured that the industry will be
adequately protected against post bel
lum competition from Germany With
in six months domestic plants would
be able to meet domestic demands. in
the meantime. there is a good supply
of dyestuffs in the country which
spectators are holding for rise.
With production assured in the near
future these dyes would be thrown on
the market and tide over the interim.
The dyestuffs have taken some of
the most amazing jumps in price that
these war times have seen. One man.
ufacturer tells OF paying $4,000 for
dyes that he could buy normally under
$4,000. Sulphur blacks, formerly
eighteen cents pound, are quoted
around three dollars, and the supply
is limited at that. Statistics furnish
ed by four big manufacturers Of col
ored cotton goods give an average
price of thirty-seven cents pound be-
fore the war for dyes that are worth
$3.50 now. Colored cotton will be high
this season. and you can look for
white as a popular color in spite of
laundry bills.
A point in favor of multiplying do
nestle dye works is the ease with
which they can do a quick change act
and emerge as full fledged munition
works The head of one Of the big
gest dye plants in the country says
that his works could be transformed
into a powder plant on ten days no.
tjce, and turned back into dye works
in another ten days when the need for
powder was past. He says also that a
capital of fifteen million dollars is
waiting to multiply the capacity Of his
plant by ten, il the new tariff bill
passes The same facts, both as to
munition making potentialities and
prospective engagements, are true Of
other plants.
England has acted on this close re.
lation between powder and dye making
by backing the British Dye Works.
Ltd" to the extent of fifteen million
dollars since the war began. This
plant will supply the dye needs OF the
government, and can turn to making
powder at any time.
In Germany the announcement and
protection that the government gives
the dye industry is reciprocated by a
tacit agreement that the resources OF
the factories will be ready to hand in
a national emergency. Exact figures
are not available, but 1t Is estimated
that sixty per cent of the German dye
works are making munitions now.
There is no industrial reason why
the United States should not manufac.
ture her own dyes. Modern colors are
derivatives of coal tar, and coal tar is
by-product of the coke ovens. We
have coke ovens in sufficient numbers
to supply the raw material for all the
dyes we need. Germany won her near
monopoly of the business by combin-
alton of high chemical skill and indus
trial cooperation, not through any
favor Of natural resource.