Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-04-12

WASHINGTON, d. c., April Ia
The fapper is keeping the drugstore
and the chemical preparation indus
try busy. according to the latest Of
fetal statistics on the Census Bureau,
while the American people are turn
ing away from the time-honored
patent medicines aud druggists
preparations.
The Census Bureau has just COM
pleted the compilation of its figures
on the census OF manufactures in
1921. 1t has three general elassifi-
cations covering the basic business
of drug stores; druggists prepara-
tions. patent medicines and perfum-
cry and cosmetics. OF the three. the
last classification, perfumery and
cosmetics, called the weapons of the
fapper-is the only n which shows
an increase.
The value of the perfumery and
cosmetics produced in 1921 amount
ed to s72, 500, 900, according TO the
official figures, compared with $780,
SOC, 900 in 1919, the last census per-
iod for manufacturing statistics. This
is an increase of % per cent. In
1914 perfumery and cosmetics out
put was only 5000, 900. Thus.
from 1914 TO 1921 the percentage
increase in this decorative business
reached the astounding figure of
329. These figures relate only to
the American made products. If the
imported perfumes were added,
many more millions would be &C.
counted for. Out of our hundred
million population, there are about
twenty-five million women of an
age likely to employ the beautify-
ing or rejuvenating agencies Of per-
fumes and cosmetics. This means
that each one of these women spends
about SO a year on such products.
This Is probably an inaccurate me-
thod of figuring as it assumes that
practically all women between the
ages of 16 or IS and 35 years use
cosmetics. In all probability. de-
auctions of those who do not employ
these productions would bring the
number of users down to around
ten or fifteen millions. making a
proportienately greater per capita
expenditure on this sort of decora-
tive adQrnment-say Sc or 81.
The rapid increase in the bust
ness is attributed largely to the age
of the fiapper, the youthful miss
who very early in life the
manners and foibles of the woman
| of society. The Census figures prove
that the lipstick and the powder puff
are very decidedly in the ascendant.
Many New Factories
In 1914 there were only 276 fac
tories making perfumes and cosme-
tics; in 1921 1t took 422 such estab-
llshments to fill the requirements. In
1914 the industry employed only s.
42l while in 1921 there were o.
367 persons engaged. Apparently
milady, needs more powder for her
nose, more rouge for her lips and
more perfume for her kerchiefs in
the winter, the season of theatre
going and indoor parties than In the
warmer months. for November is
shown to be the month of maxi
mum employment in the industry.
In that. month extra employees make
the powder fly in preparation for the
winter trade.
In 1914 the industry paid only 49,
700, 900 in salaries and wages; in
1921 this figure had risen to $11,-
10000.
The old fashioned apothecary who
filled prescriptions is finding bust
ness declining. according to the CEN
sus figures and must make up
through sales of cosmetics and per-
fumes what he used to earn at the
drug counter. The business is bet
ter than it was in 1914 but has fallen
off heavily since 1919.
The figures show that the value
of druggists preparations in 1914
was $4S, 900, 900; in 1919, $114,000,-
900, while in 1921 it was down to
$81, 900, 900. This might be explain
ed by a statement that the people
we're buying patent medicines more
generally but apparently this expla-
nation does not hold. for patent me-
dicines show a seventeen per cent
drop from 1919 to 1891.
In 1914 patent medicines and CON-
pounds were valued at 5000 00,'
600. BY 1914 they had reached the
high point of 3212, 100000. but In
1921 they were down to $175,00O,-
900. In 1914 there were 1884 estab-
llshments engaged in their manufac-
lture. BY 1919 these had increased
to 1926 but in 1921 had dropped
TO 14S7, The persons engaged il
the industry numbered 25,9e7 ir
1914; 1870 in 1919 and were re
duced to 22.634 In 1921.
In this the industry presents quite
an extraordinary situation in tina