Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-10-22
wmdasiom Stone of American Coal Tar industry.

sumed of each primary dye and how
much of each modification is employed.
Without such data he is at a loss to
calculate the size and number Of the
duction Of any given dye. and ne is
at an equal loss as to the equipment
necessary to manufacture 1t in the
different notifications of current use.
Again. the. industry is one of great
complexity. involving a high degree
of coordination and careful plan
ming to avoid material loss in the way
Of by-products. In the various steps
intervening between a coal-tar crude
and a finished dyestuff each chemical
reaction in the sequence is apt to pro-
duce certain percentages of closely
allied compounds-isomeric substances,
as a rule.
These latter may possess the same
general composition as the product
more directly sought. The arrange
ment of the atoms in the molecule
Is. however. quite different. AS a re-
are totally unlike those characterizing
the main substances. Such by-products
possess. as a rule. distinct technical
and commercial value. One may servo
to make an entirely different dyestuff.
another may be the raw material for
manufacturing a valued medicinal, q
third may be employed in the produce
ton Of Photographic developer. etc.
TT il evident, therefore. that the es-
tablishment of a synthetic color indus
multitude of interrelated operations,
allied Furthermore with numerous
products in group of closely con-
nected industries. based likewise upon
the use Of coal-tar crudes.
'It Is now generally recognized that
any intelligent effort to build up .
comprehensive, se1f-contained Ameri-
can coal tar chemical industry must
rest upon the solid foundation of accu-
rate statistical data concerning the
American market for artificial
colors. In no other way can the
creators of such an industry avoid
publication, overlapping, waste and
laundering, tentative struggles to adj
Indefinite demand Without such funda-
mental data the future industry would
be heavily Handicapped by permanent
overhead charges, accumulated as the
result Of being forced to feel its way
in the dark. chemically. mechanically
and commercially"
The manufacture Of coal tar colors
in the United States has been In ex-
istence for some thirty-seven years,
but prior to 1915 It had never been a
factor Of Importance in supplying the
American market The American
manufacture was confined almost en-
tirely to the Assembling" into finished
dyes of the coal tar intermediates i'm
ported from Europe, chiefly from Ger
many. In its entirety 1t represented
less than one-tenth Of the activity to
be encountered in any one OF thelarger
companies producing synthetic colors
in Germany and Switzerland.
The status of the domestic production
In 1914 revealed six establishments
with 528 persons engaged in the manu-
facture of dyes. In the cases Of nearly
all these companies the character Of
the manufacture has been greatly at
fected by the conditions prevailing
colors has been diminished, while the
output has been vastly augmented, and
the number Of employees has been
notably increased. In general. 1t has
been Quintupled; in one case the force
IL fifty times greater than in 1914.
Early in 1915 the embargo came into
force shutting of the German dyes
from this country. Long before, the
relatively small supply OF colors from
had practically ceased. and the some
what more important source in Swift
zerland was threatened with paralysis.
The bureau Of domestic commerce in
Washington was following with the
keenest interest. and even with anx-
iety. the initial steps taken bravely
and rssolutely by a small band Of far
faeturers. others captta!ists-convtnced
that finally the opportunity had ar
rived 70 butld Up . esnufnesy national
q De easnest dssiss = seesna thssr
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