New Britain herald., 1918-06-21
SWEDEN AND JAPAN
 INCREASE EXPORTS
World War Has Proven Boon t
 Their Match Industries

The United States Tariff Commits
 sion has just completed an investiga
 ton of the match industry Somt
 of the facts ascertained are:
 The war has cut off imports oi
 muriate of potash, an essential in
 grcdient in match composition. Be
 fore the war the American match in
 dustry was dependent upon German,
 for potash but the domestic supply i.
 now sufficient for this use.
 The domestic production o
 matches in 1914 was 20,305. 900 gros
 valued at S12.566,0O0. 1t is esti
 mated that the output in 1911
 amounted to 2S.S05,O0O gross r The most serious foreign competi
 ton has been from Sweden and Ja pan. Japan increased her exports t,
 the United States from $22.797 il 1914 to $890,S74 in 1917. The valul
 of Sweden's exports to us increase| from $473,62S to $S20,S27 during tl same time.
 SWeden's proximity to German gives her an ample supply of potas 4 and her nearness to Russia gives heI advantages in the acquisition of suil able wood for the match-stick. JsI pan is both a producer and an e,l porter of potash, and has an aburI dant supply of match-stick wood anI cheap skilled labor. The import Of matches from Japal was restricted by the war trade boar on April 15, 1918 for the purpose q ! making additional shipping avai1a . for direct military uses. Until it b < comes possible to relax these restritI tions imports will practically cease. Labor is cheaper in foreign couro tries than in the United States . | the machinery and equipment en| ploycd in this couGtry for match prd dUction is generally superior to tha in operation abroad.
 According to official Japanese pu lications, there were 21 ,35Z parso{ engaged in the Japanese match i GustIy ir 1915. Of this numbcr, per cent were females. The clnplo ment of women in the United Stat is limited to the occupation of pac CT, wrapper and slider Tn 1914 won en constituted 30 per cent of t total persons engaged in the AmeiM can industry.
 Tn Japan most of the worl. in production of matches is done in t homes of the workers. the child- and both parents contributing to output.
 Recent tests made by the bureau standards and the National Board
 Fire Underwriters resulted in tt> finding that the Japanese match N
 inferior in quality 10 either the Sea dinaVian or American match and tr in respect to fire hazard tho Jar ncse product IS the more dangerou
 Prices for the best grade of dou mlprcgnated matches from Jap
 have increased from SIP to $13 case of 50 gross Of boxes. f. O. kobo, before the war to as high $23.50 in March. 1917. Tncreas cost of production in Japan is q 10 the advanced cost of potash a other ingredients.
 Since July l, 1913, no white ph phOrus or poisonous matches hs been made in the United States. this date congress placed an inter revenue tax on matches contain white phosphorus which was D poselv made so high as to be prohi tory and force the use of q sub tllte. This was done on account thc poisonous character of WI phosphorus. The tax placed nj
 them was SO high that white yellow phosphorus soon fell into usc as an ingredient of the rnatclI Of the various substitutes white phosphorus. used of late ye
 in Strike anywhere" matches, best is sesquisulphide of phosphol It is poisonous, yields no mi ious vapors in the factory is , sonable in price and is sufficier
 sensitive.