The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-11
SHORTAGE FEARED
IN PRINTING INKS
Freight Congestion Threatens
rry Fonts. Say Manufacture
cr>. who Seek Relief.
C,y'T GET CARBON BLACK

serious shortage Of printing ink
-, Nv, arec; Sew York newspapers
- ,..u riu~cd by freight congestion.
w.. manufacture of newspaper ink Ii
hsre,l.r. upon the supply of carbon
s,,.. mos %. which ome into New
~ from West Virginia over the BAL
,.,,,ra and OHIO Railroad. on which
.sc-, has te.r q general freight embargo
since February II.
t,t makers 81 fear the possibility of
,,yi,r TO shut down some of their plants
"a. they have written to the Interstate
,.orrercc commission suggesting that
.arbnr black ~. lort! use be put in the
ciass Of pcrishahlc freight. privileged
lass 81 that there will he no chance
y, me newspapers being affected. Rail-
,a,d men scout his suggestion. = aging
~, there could he no such discrim-
nation
letter setting forth the above con
a,tIons has been sent TO THE Sun and
Nae A. ~s.gneiS. Godfrey l.. Cabot. G. J.
Osborn Company. Frederick II. Ievey
company. W. u. Wilson Printing Ink
company. Ltd. American Ink Co, Philip
buxton. Inc, Sigmund Cllman Company,
S,ncAir 4 Valentine Company. Charles
ue,,nnr.h. J. NJ Huber, the Auit 4
W,borr company and II. n. Roosen
Company.
situation Called serious.
The situation Is extremely serious"
sa,d Frederick II. Levey yesterday. The
,rsers Of expensive inks will probably not
he Affected. but 1t will hi, the news
raper and cheaper magazines IL some
way Is not found 20 get carbon black
through the embargo. The freight ron
ves;ion has extended such a long period
hat the ink makers have been Unable
% build up any great reserves.
zone Of our customers phoncd to-day
that he had only enough carbon black
~ keep his factory running this after
noon. and that 4. he could not get more
be,ore night We would have TO shut down.
"The trouble is because of congestion
altose;her. We have found that there
are 0.0oo cars tied up around New
Yors. a, least half of which are loaded
vii war supplies. The Baltimore and
c.,-g.s Crn-so-d ara ,-"~--on. y. j.,
and - far south Is Maryland
We ro,nt.y brougIt IN Il carload
u carbon black by express 80 great is
our need for IL. The load was worth
itou, $1,000 and We had to pay $500
n express charges. our contract rate
: 5 cents a pound. but II I went into
he market fo- IL | couldn't get II for
less h II cents n pound"
T. Il Walker. secretary for Philip
Ruxion, Inc. said that his concern mad
lad three cars tied up somewhere IN
ne road since January. There is seii-
ols danger Of a failure OF the supply
~ carbon black and then the manu-
'~acturers will be unable TO turn gu:
newspaper INK
Different View Advanced.
An entirely different view ~ the stu.
alton l. taken by II. Il. Roosen, who
says that neither the war. freight con-
,es,ioH or the growing use OF carbon
hack in rubber automobile tires is the
cause Of the present shortage.
"lts a holdup. that's ALL" he said
With a laugh. These producers OF car
hon black. the men who control :hs
output, have at last stopped nght!n-
zach other and got together 10 boost
ne prices and hold on to their prod
uc, Thu price has jumped from a few
erts 20 twenty-five cents a pound FOL
70 sound economic reason that ar
see There is "A shortage, Of course hi
on'y because these men won't sell. They
are storing II and holding on for prices
making the war n congestion their eX.
cuse.
why. the annual lmportations Of a
tor black before the war. according tc
letter I have from Secretary Red
field, were only $4,000. That Is AZ
infritesinai amount compared wiz
sha, II used in this country. and SO
ire war can't have anything to do wit.
raising the price.
y don't blame ON II they ran ga
away with Il. I wish I were in on .hs
nool Eu, wish they would fell m,
ruth about II and not blame 4, on tht
-silroads and the war and the rubber
tire companies. It's a holdup. that.
all.