The Washington herald., 1921-08-06
FEDERAL CONTROL
OF DYE INDUSTRY
URGED BY OWNER
Manufacturer Outlines
Plan Of Licensing
Trade in U. s.
BOARD OF THREE
Would Operate Along Lines
OF General Appraiser to
Protect Business.
BOARD OF THREE

NEW YORK. Aug. 5.-Probably
the most persistent objection to the
licensing system Of protection for
the dyestuff industry comes from
the consumers of colors. While
practically all of them are agreed
that the industry Is necessary to
tho country and that it would be
desirable from the standpoint OF
the textile and leather trades TO
be absolutely Independent Of all for
eien dyes, they feel that the ficens-
ing system as Eow proposed would
injure them by preventing quick
purchases of such colors as are not
made here upon reasonable terms
In other words, II Is the delay to
which they particularly object ana
against which most of their protests
are directed at present. They con-
tend that this delay is inevitable
in any embargo or licensing plan,
and point to the experience which
they have had with that system as
controlled by the War Trade Board
A prominent man In the dyestun
industry outlined a plan yesterday
which he contended would do away
with delays in the administration of
the embargo, and at the same time
would serve both to protect the
American manufacturer and put the
consumer in direct touch with the
source of supply either in this
country or abroad of the particular
product which he needed for his
process. The plar would eliminate
the tariff commission or any similar
government body from the admins
tration OF licenses. and would place
the matter in the hands of an in
dependent board with powers TO
handle the situation.
Indepe.dent Board.
As outlined by its proponent. this
board would be a government body
under control of the Treasury De-
partment and would consist of three
persons. Any consumer who ce-
sired to bring any color or other
product now covered by the emer-
Gency tariff acts dye control Sec
tion would make application to the
board for permission to bring in
N"oN pAoVutk. IL "Outu IueH DC I0G
duty of the board to announce by
bulletin that hearings on this ap-
plication would be held before the
board. In order to prevent delay,
these hearings would be held within
a week of the fling OF the applica-
ton TO import
Should any manufacturer OF dyes
be maktpg that color in satisfactory
quantity and upon reasonable terms,
he would. have the right to appear
and oppose the granting of a license
to import. The importer would
also appear, and the case would
be argued in manner similar to that
now in use before the general ap-
praisers. 1t would not be a diff
hcult matter for the board to decide
whether the dye should be import
&c or not when both sides appeared
before 1t at a public hearing. At
the same time, the importer, in case
his application were denied would
be placed directly in touch with the
manufacturer who was making the
color in this country, and would
thus be enabled to secure the dyc
which he wanted without difficulty
or delay.
In order that the plan should
work successfully. its proponent
proposed that the board consist of
| a chemist, a lawyer and a business
man. He contended that each of
the three would be necessary in the
matter. and that the board would
he well balanced by their inclusion.
A strict tir1e limit on the hearings
was also stated to be an essential
requisite in order that no delay
would ensue between application
and the granting or refusing of the
license to import.
Expenses Covered.
1t would, of course, be necessary
to secure competent and efficient
men in each line as members of the
board, and this would entail some
expense. In order to cover this
expense small fee would be
charged upon each application to i'm
Port. This would be payable part
| upon application and part upon
granting or denying the license. 1t
was contended that such a fee could
be easily adjusted between buyer
and seller in case the license were
denied or that II would be borne en-
| tirely by the importer IL the license
should be granted. In any case 1t
would be a small item Of expense
which could be more than covered
by the advantage of securing sup
plies as quickly as possible.
The contention of the proponent
OF the plan was that the prospect
of securing the inclusion OF the dye
license system in the tariff bill is
exceedingly remote. This will
doubtless mean that its advocates
VIII be forced to secure the intro
duction and passage OF a separate
measure to take care of the indus
try. lnasmuch as delay seems TO
be the principal reason for oppos-
ing the present plan, some plan
should be evolved which would
shorten the time necessary for the
granting Of licenses to import. The