Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-05-14
American Needs for Eugllsh Clay

Most of rs think clay 10 something as
common and abundant as sand or gravel.
Consequently It comes ss . surprise to
be told by the Shipping Board Com
mittee on Mineral Imports and Exports
In Washington, that even In this day OF
great shortage Of ocean going ships We
have to import from Eogland every year
200, 900 to $50. 900 long tons Of clay. Last
year We imported more than 250, 1000
tons over the ocean.
Furthermore, . great part OF this clay
comes over 10 steamers loaded full and
the rest In big steamers loaded with clay
up to 30 per cent and more Of their max
imum carrying capacity. These ships
put into Fowey, England, for their
freight. To get this clay on and of the
boats requires ten days on each cargo.
An Insignificant percentage of the clay
is shipped ~ ballast. This represents
small lots loaded into big liners ct Liver.
pool. But 1t will be seen that the i'm
portation of English clay consumes an
important amount Of ship tonnage meas
.ured in days time lost because of natu.
raj delays incident to the transport OF
this freight.
Why do our manufacturers pay the
high freight rates now necessary In order
to obtain an article like clay from Eng
land? There is, 40 We all know, an
abundance Of clay in this country. A
great deal of high grade clay 10 produced
here, and OF character suitable for pot
terry, porcelains and other articles which
require clays of special excellence In
their manufacture. But not much over
half of clay of this grade that our indus
tries require is domestic. When war
broke out In 1914 only third of 1t was
domestic. We have not been able to
develop and equip our deposits fast
enough to make these English clay i'm
ports unnecessary. In fact 1t 10 doubt.
ful whether We will produce a. much
high grade clay 10 1918 a. We did In 1911.
Our manufacturers want the clay but
they can not get anywhere near as much
as they want. The reduced output is
due to railroad and operating conditions
and IL not related to the character or
size of the deposits which are capable
of large production.
Domestic producers do not mine their
clay quite a. olesnly a. their English
competitors. Nor 10 the domestic clay
a. uniform In character. It will not
bring the high prices paid for English
clay. But more could be sold II 1t could
be produced and carried to its market.
Still more could be marketed II cleaner,
moro uniform clay were produced, for
| In that event the consumers would use
Q greater percentage Of domestic and
correspondingly less English clay in
their mixtures.
However, our complete dependence
upon English clay continues. We must
rely on English clay % chief ingredient
OF The dishes We eat from, the paper In
our books and magazines, tho porcelain
in our electric light sockets and half q
dozen other articles Of less general use.
fortunately It 10 fact that far less
English clay IL necessary to proper
manufacture OF paper than 10 now used.
Besides domestic clay there are many
other substances of domestic origin that
could bs used In the body, not the finish,
OF this paper. Also over half Of The
English clay We use 10 consumed In max.
ing paper. 30 that II . shortage oi
Engllsh clay should develop IL would
mot be highly serious until the shortage
became very great, until there was only
| . half Of tho normal supply or less avail
ahla