The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-09
High Market Cost Of Materials
and Scarcity of Dyes Force
es- ing Increased Prices.

ana Scarcity OF Dyes ForCe
es- ing Increased Prices.
Since the outbreak of hostilities
across the Atlantic. the Sunnyside has
from month to month. pointed out the
difiicultiesr encountered by manufac-
turers Of caskets and funeral furnish
ings In procuring materials. despite
the steady advances in the cost OF
practically every item used in the in
dustry. 81, s,.s.a.
While manufacturers in other lines
advanced their prices to retailers. SIM
ultaneously with the advances In raw
materials. the manufacturers in the
casket industry. as has already been
reported in the Sunnyside, were re-
luctant In raising prices, although Jus
titled, as In all other lines, and the
! undertakers OF the country have prof
4 tied to a large degree because casket
manufacturers have deferred advances
in the hope that the situation might
be relieved. a1 Hs, 81
| : The causes OF the shortage OF raw
material--metals. lumber. woolens,
silks, dyes and ,chemicals-and the
reasons for the resulting increases in
prices, have been repeatedly shown
In the Sunnyside since the publica-
ton OF the first article. dealing with
effects Of the European war on the
American undertaken in our issue Of
September, 1914. so that o detailed re-
statement OF these facts Is hardly
\ necessary.
No sooner had the shortage Of ma
terial became apparent than the Sun
nyside advisedfi Its readers to take ad-
vantage OF the delay OF casket man
ufacturers in increasing the cost Of
funeral supplies commensurate with
the increased cost OF production. and
those who acted upon the suggestions
are reaping the benefit.
4 In October, 1914. we reported the
beginning Of a shortage Of. silks; in
our issue Of April. 1916. the possible
effects OF the, shortage OF dyes, most OF
which were imported from Germany.
was shown: in June we called the at
tention, Of, the profession to the short
age OF zinc. copper and anthony, and
pointed out that "the thoughtful I'M
dertaker" will take a careful inyen-
tory Of stock on hand and promptly
I'LL In on necessities; in August the
drastic conditions faced by manufac-
turers- of fabrics used by the casket
trade at that time were reported: the
third advance in the prices Of casket
hardware. -totaling forty per cent. over
the prices OF the previous year was
reported in our September issue.
Western manufacturers were the
first to give notice to the undertakers
Nof the advances in caskets, dry goods
and funeral furnishings. and the trade
cessful effort to maintain former
prices. Those manufacturers who have
been vainly fighting the situation and
striving to hold down rising costs now
/, ind themselves operating at a loss
and general increase in the cost Of
funeral furnishings Of every descrip-
ton may be expected.
Even at the present advanced prices
stocking. up Is advisable, particularly
on dry goods and cloth covered cas-
kets.
Since the beginning of the war there
have been six advances In domestic
hroadcloths, which are now selling
at 1888 10 per cent above the normal
! quotation. Imported broadcloths are
unobtainable. Silk and cot
ton goods! have advanced from thirty
five to fifty per cent, and still going
( up.
The scarcity of dyes adds to the DIFF
ficulty In. procuring fabrics on the
open market, some mills being unable
to get a supply of even fifty per cent
Of the quantity necessary TO I'LL orders.
According to a well known authority
ion textiles used in the manufacture
of cloth caskets. II the present short
age Of dyes is not relieved within six
months colored broadcloths will be
unobtainable at any price.
Purple, lavender and gray goods in
silks, broadcloths and pushes ptir-
chased six months ago cannot be dtl-
plicated. in color, and casket and dry
: goods manufacturers are forced to
slight variances in shades Of these
!. colors because Of the inability Of
mills to obtain uniform dye stuffs.
An idea Of the present scarcity OF
dyes, despite efforts OF American dye
. works to produce substitutes for the
| iOACiBn plOuuCto niiu tuCh Pal 1oA DuS-
cess, Is given In the following state
ment published recently in the Gin
] cinnati (o.) Enquirer.
Dyestuff manufacturers and repre-
sentative textile interests who were
asked as to the relief afforded by
growing domestic. production were
) pessimistic as to the immediate out
! look. asserting that the shortage is
j Increasing rather than diminishing, as
4 the small stocks coming from various
sources have been exhausted. The
British embargo on the expectation OF
logwood from Jamaica, which is, to all
interests and purposes, as effective
today as during the weeks following
the announcement, they said, has re-
moved d supply which was proving
OF material assistance in tiding over
the formative stage Of the domestic in.
dustry. The total importations from
Jamaica. while inconsiderable in COM
, parison with the requirements OF do
nestle manufacturers, were OF valu-
able assistance to many trades in
, enabling them to maintain their plants
i In operation on a restricted basis.
For \ time. after the shipment Of
, aniiine dyes from Germany were cut
: OF, the stocks Of importers here were
| adequate to meet all demands. al
{ though prices advanced at an early