The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1918-05-16
American Needs For English
Clay.

Most of us think clay is something as
common and abundant as sand or eraVel.
Consequently it comes as surprise 10 DC
told by the Shipping Board Committee on
Mineral Imports and Exports IN WASH
inpton. that even in this day OF great
shortage of ocean going ships we have TO
import from England every year 1oo'ooo
to $50, 900 long tons of clay. Last year
we imported more than ESQ, 900 tons
Furthermore, great part of this clay
comes over in steamers loaded full ana
the rest in big steamers loaded with clay
ND to so per cent and more of their max
imum carrying capacity. These ships
nut into Fowey, England, for their freight.
To get this clay on and off the boats
requires ten days on each cargo. An IN
significant percentage OF the clay is
shipped as ballast. This represents small
lots loaded into big liners at Liverpool.
But it will be seen that the Importation
of English clay consumes an important
amount of ship tonnage measured IN days
time lost because of natural delays INCL
dent to the transport of this freight.
Why do our manufacturers pay the
high freight rates now necessary IN oroer
to obtain an article like clay from Eng
land? There is, as we all know, an abun-
dance of clay in this country great
deal of high grade clay is produced here,
and of character suitable for pottery:
norcelains and other articles which re-
ouire claws of special excellence In their
manufacture. But not much over half
of clay of this grade that our Industries
require is domestic. When war broke
out in 1914 only third of it was domes-
tic. We have not been able to develop
and equip our deposits fast enough to
make these English clay imports I'M
necessary. In fact it is doubtful whether
we will produce as much high grade clay
in 1918 as we did in 1917. Our manu-
fscturers want the clay but they can not
get anywhere near as much as they want
The reduced output is due to railroad and
Operating COiIolllOiio oAiN AZ INV -
the character or size of the deposits which
are capable of large production.
Domestic producers do not mine their
clay quite as clearly as their English
competitors. Nor is the domestic clay as
uniform in character 1t will not bring
the high prices paid for English clay But
more could be sold if it could be produced
and carried to it's market. Still more
could be marketed if cleaner more uni
form clay were produced, for IN that
event the consumers would use greater
percentage of domestic and correspond
ingly less English clay in their mixtures
However, our complete dependence
upon English clay continues We must
RELY on English clay as chief ingredient
of the dishes we eat from, the paper in
our books and magazines, the porcelain in
our electric light sockets and half dozen
other articles of less general use.
Fortunately it is a fact that far less
English clay is necessary to proper manu-
facture of paper that is now used, Be-
sides domestic clay there are many other
substances of domestic origin that could
be used in the body, not the finish, of this
paper Also over half of the English
CLAW we use is consumed in making paper.
So that if shortage of English clay
should develop it would not be highly
serious until the shortage became very
great until there was only half of the
normal supply OF less available.