Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-12-22
BRITAIN PROTECTS
DYE INDUSTRY
Much Interest Centres in the
Lonsworth Bill, Now Pending
Before Congress.

New York. Dec 22.-The House of
Commons of England has passed a license
bill protecting the dyestuiis industry
OF Great Britain from German agrees
sion. according TO cable advlccs just
received by the American Chemical
Society.
This action. which is regarded rs like
" to have an important influence on
similar legislation now before Congress
was taken IN view of the critical situation
confronting the chemical and dye IN
terests Of Great Britain. DIR. Nj. Q. For
ster, treasurer of the London Chemical
Society, recently announced that German
DIVES valued Mt 4 500, 600 pounds tS22,-
000000l equivalent roughly to one years
supply at prc-wsr rates. had been I'M
ported into Great Britain since the arm
istice and were now stored in Liverpool.
The dye industry. said he, was at
a standstlll Last week tho British Dye
stufs Corporation had TO dismiss ak
hundred men. and the National Dyes
Co had closed down its three factories.
This condition in England was brought
about bv a decision Of Justice Sankey
which removed the ban against lmpor-
tations of dycstuils into Great Britain
more than n year ago. The government
had not tried to obtain the repeal OF tins
decision, although many authorities re-
garded IL as not IN accordance with the
law and the facts.
The few manufacturers of dycstufIs
over here advises the London cores
pondcnt Of the Journal If Industrial and
Engineering Chemistry, were occupied
during the war IN the manufacture of
poison gas and explosives. Since the
war. some progress has been made, but
the present rate of excl angc between
England and Germany enables Germany
to endorsed the British manufacturers
bv a very considerable margin. The gov
crnemt proposes 20 permit the German
dvcstutts 10 be imported only by special
llceuse, and such license would be refused
when the British manufacturers can make
the dvCstutfs OF good quality and sell them
at reasonable p'lce. THIS Will give the
81 itish manufaCtu g the time necessary
for the gradual development Of their
industry"
The seriousness Of the situation which
has been met IS shown bv the fact That
tho bill was passed when Parliament was
engrossed by the Home Rule discussion
and bv other matters Of national and IN
ternational Importance. Although not
al the details are given In the dispatch
received here from s Whetmore. an official
uf British DIVES. Limited, the current
British periodicals and newspapers just
received by mail, in commenting upon the
hlll when under discussion, indicate that
the British dye industry teels confident of
now being able 70 cope successfully with
tho color plants along the Rhine From
these sources 1t IS understood that the
hill specifies the details are TO hc worked
ont by the Board of Trade which is to
have the benefit of the advice of n special
committee in passing upon import licenses.
This committee Is to CONSIST of FIVE users
IT dvestuffs, three makers of dyestuffs
and three men not connected IN any way
with the industry. The bill Is intended to |
safeguard the interests both of manu- |
facturers and also of the consumers. es-
pecIallv the textile industry. and places |
the responsibility for the future Of the |
dive manufacturing industry IN Great /
britain upon the dye makers themselves.
Manufacturing chemists who have had |
to face the same crisis asthat which threat
ened the British dye industry, are looking |
forward to the speedy enactment Of the /
Longworth bill, which is In essentially the |
same position before Congress as was the |
British dvestuff measure. The American |
bill. as introduced by represent atlve |
Nicholas Longworth of Ohio, provides |
that importation of dyes shall be |
confined to such as are not made in |
this country in adequate guam |
titv, of good quality and at reasonable |
prices Il 1t was at first proposed to adj /
minister the law through JOINT com I
mission of producers and consumers. and /
the measure was subsequently modified |
bv placing that task upon the Tariff /
Commission. In September 1919 it 1
passed the House Of Representatives in /
this form. After conferences with the 4
Tariff Commission II was deemed best /
bv the Senate Committee on Finance to /
merely publish list Of dyes which might /
be imported and thereby avoid incon- |
Venience TO the consumer. In order to 1
gain full non-partlsan support of the /
measure, the Senate committee reduced /
the higher tariff rates of the Longworth /
hill to those now In effect. As amended /
therefore, the Longworth bill is partial /
embargo In this form it was favorablv |
recommended to the Senate When, how /
ever il was brought before the Senate last /
spring a persistent flibuster by Senator /
Thomas, Democrat, and Senator Moses, /
q Republican, prevented vote.
According to a bulletin of the American /
Chemical Society issued today, the pas
sage Of the Longworth bill would be OF /
great aid to the American dye industry, /
the development of which has been crippled 1
by the uncertainty of legislation, as large /
quantities Of German dyes are now coming /
on the American markets. The situation |
also i 5 becoming more serious becaus of |
/ ne unIhcation of the German dive in |
terests, and the formation of a special I
organization IN Germany for the ex-