The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-06-27
Head of American Dye In
stitute Tells House Com
mittee About Industry
NEEDS AN IMPORT
WILSAS HSNIDU
Great Progress Made in It's Develop
ment but Continued Protection Is
Necessary-Some of the Difficulties
During the War Period Told.

NEW YORK, June 27-That before the
the textile and other industries of the
United States line of dyestuffs products
sufficient to give full range of colors
of fastness equal to anything Germany
was able to send to this country before
the war, is the belief of Dr. j. Merritt
Matthews of the American Dye Institute.
DR. Matthews, in plea for recognition
and protection for the American indus
try, told the house committee on ways
| and means in Washington that the con
tlnuance of the American dye industry,
which came into being through the OPP
| portunity offered by the war, would be
menaced if an uncontrolled importation
| of foreign dyes We're suddenly permitted
The future of the American dye indus
| try said DR.. Matthews, rs no longer
| IN the hands of the manufacturers. Con
gress alone can preserve it by applying
an adequate tariff, but above all by con-
trolling the situation over the next few
years by the application of an import
| license system"
DR. Matthews said that when the in
dustry began in 1915 it had to construct
all its own basic foundations and to over
come interminable obstacles in the way
of its development, brought about by
| American participation in the war. The
plants were used largely for making war
material, and the governments need for
crudes and chemicals had to be met, some
| times to the total exclusion of their use
for dye-making. Government priority of
ten made it impossible to obtain proper
| equipment, and large part of the ma
! tons chemical talent and technical men
went into the government service
! If you have to make your bricks" Dr.
| Matthews illustrated, and not only make
| them, but at the same time learn how
to make them, and the same way with
all other materials, the building of a
house is rather difficult and time-con-
Stunning operation
One feature illustrating the progress
| Of the industry, DR. Matthews pointed
out, was the figures showing showing that
| production costs were decreasing toward
q reasonably normal figure, thus showing
an increase in manufacturing efficiency
As an example, the books of one of the
larger makers started since the war be
gan, showed an average price per pound
for anilinc which decreased from 6Sg
vents in January, 1916, to p cents in Jan
nary, 1919
When the United States entered the
war and the German dye patents became
4 available to American manufacturers
many people presumed the making OF
American dyes would henceforth be an
easy matter. This, Dr. Matthews showed
was erroneous. Great as has been the
accomplishment of the chemical founda
ton IN acquiring these patents, the ac
qusltion merely gave the right to use
I them; the ability to make the dyes had
TO be developed by long research and in
vestigation
All the time the American manufacture
er was developing the industry he was
under constant and tremendous pressure
to keep the trade supplied with necessary
dyes. DR.. Matthews did not believe there
was any instance Of an industry having
to close down during the past four wear,
because of lack of dyestuffs. The indus
try also supplied the colors for dveine
uniforms and textile equipment for the
army, navy and marine corps. The col
ors for cottons were entirely different
from those for woocns, and vet tho
American dye industry, handicapped b,
lack of raw materials managed to sup
ply every pound of color needed.
DIR, Matthews submitted that the Amer
lean dye industry had so far met its re
sponsibility to the public. He urged thai
proper protection by tariff and license sys
TEN now be provided in order that tn,
industry might hold its own against wha
everybody knows to be the plans of Ger
many to work back into the American
dye field.