Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-03-09
ONE MILLION PER DAY
LOSSES IN DYESTUFFS
Chief of Bureau Gives This In
formation in Discussion
of Dyes.

New York-That the textile manu-
f%acturers and allied industries in the
united States are losing 81, 900, 900 a
Gay as a result of the dyestuffs famine
que TO the european war. and the total
loss since the war began approximates
upward Of $4,000, 900. 900. was the state
ment made by DR.. Edward Ewing
Pratt, chief Of the bureau of foreign
and domestic commence, at a meeting
OF the New York section Of the Society
of Chemical Industry.
AS a result of the meeting, recon-
mendations will be made to
Tor legislation which will protect the
dyestuffE industry in this country from
any unfair tactics which Germany may
call into play, after the declaration Of
peace, to preserve her supremacy in
What is said to be the most profitable
or any of her Industrial activities.
Much new. light was thrown on the
dyestuff situation in the United States
at he meeting. One of the most con-
Vincing Illustrations of the difficulties
experienced by users of dyes since the
war began was given by DR.. Thomas
w. Norton. commercial agent of the
bureau of foreign and domestic COM
merce. he said:
Hosiery Mill Almost Idle.
"The largest hosiery mill in the
United States, and in the world, en-
ploys $500 operatives. Ordinarily it
requires 500 pounds of dyestuffs daily
to v the needs of it's dyehouse.
-Four weeks g it's stock of colors had
dwindled TO half a barrel. About 160,-
oUo dozen pairs of hose We're stacked up
awaiting dyes and more than 1000 OPP
e%ratives We're taking an unwelcome va
cation"
He said that despite the efforts of
the United States government to Sc
cure the free passage of European
c &c tn- Hat ,,,,t ,,y = boo 49,
succeeded in releasing more than so
tons of dyestuffs of German origin
since the middle of March, 1915. DR..
Norton outlined a plan for a bureau Of
standards for dyestuffs, the establish
ment of which, he declared, would be
of great Importance in creating a self
contained American color industry. He
added:
Such an industry we are bound to
have. Our textile and other allied in
~terests demand they shall never again
be exposed to the disasters that came
with the dyestuff famine. The power
ful association of hosiery manufac-
turers has agreed it will bear the
burden of increased tariff duties on
dyes Of foreign origin, if that is neces-
sary. to secure the establishment on
American soil of an Independent in
dustry."
He said that while in 1918 American
color works produced only 5000 tons
Of color. made chiefly from German
Intermediates. and imported $4,000
IONS Of these colors from Germany,
January. 1917. would see an American
production Of at least 10000 tons. He
was confidently looking forward to
the year 1920 as a time when the great
bulk of artificial dyes consumed in
the United States would be made in
this country.
Will Strana'e Our Industry.
DR.. Pratt said that the one serious
obstacle in the way of the develop
ment Of the coal tar dyestuff industry
in America was the certainty that
upon the resumption of normal inter-
national conditions European manu-
facturers will try by boycott, under
selling and other methods of conpeti-.
tion. to win back this profitable mar
ket and put out of business our new
and struggling dyestuff industry.
Although the United States has the
raw materials. the markets. the tech
nical skill and the capital to develop
the dyestuff industry to the desired
point. DR.. Pratt said, past attempts
have been throttled by the European
convention of color manufacturers,
which promptly cut the regular deliv-
cry market price of their exports to
this country one cent a pound and made
secret contracts for sales in large
quantities at far lower prices.
AS showing the advance in the color
industry in this country since the war.
DR.. Pratt stated that five domestic
concerns have doubled their output.
and another factory. a branch Of a
large German firm, has greatly in
other aniline factory has quadrupled
{fS p1,tr,.f H.