Evening star., 1924-07-19
NATIONS SOAP BILL
NOW S312,oll,oDO.
Consumption Shows Amazing
GroWth-Over 100000
Bathtubs Made in Year.
By J. &. ROlLE.
Special Dispatch TO The star

Special Dispatch TO The star
NEW YORK, July 19.-Saturday
night may be only the end of the
week for some Americans, but to
fair majority ii still marks the arrival
of national institution-the Saturday
night bath. Americans are the most
bathed people in the world according
to accurate statistics, and more of
them do their bathing Saturday night
than at any other time.
More than 700, 900 new bathtubs were
made last year, and over million are
expected to be manufactured before
next January. Since, for the average
bath in a tub between 40 and 60 gal
Ions Of water are used, the tide of
SoapSuds rises high. And il is at its
flood on Saturday nights. This is proven
ty accurate measure Of the water
drawn from city mains and the addi-
tional amount of gas consumed in the
cities to heat the water to between 146
to 150 degrees. II requires from , to 3
cubic feet Of gas 10 raise gallon OF
water 100 degrees.
soap Consumption Enormous.
The per capita consumption of water
in American cities is 200 to 800 per cent
greater than in European cities, and
on Saturday nights this prcentage is
householder in this country uses about
1900 gallons Cf water a month.
Representatives of the largest soap
producers in this country assert that
every family averaging A persons)
III the United States consumes at least
eighty pounds of soaps during the
year, and the consumption on Satur-
day night is even higher than on
wash days. Over 1000. 900 600 pounds
of soap were used in this country in
fln la hE Fl
present prices means bill for clean
illness of $230.0O0.000 annually. This
estimate, according to r. K. Deupree,
sales manager Of the Proctor & Cam
BILE Company. does not include soap
used for manufacturing purposes.
Nations Soap Bill S3i2.O0O,O 600.
I'm addition to home consumption"
he said. the soap used in industrial
and textile fields and that consumed
in hotels. Office buildings. laundrieS,
public institutions and on tranSporta-
tion lines. adds another 500.000.00U
pounds tp consumption, and raises the
SOAP bill of the nation to S312.0OO,OQ0
The advance in habits of personal
cleanliness is indicated by the demand
for large sized cakes Of toilet soap.
which usually are used for bathing
purposes. Consumption of soap in
rural territory is now nearly as high
as in the cities, whereas it formerly
was % per cent smaller. This was
farmers We're formerly accustomed to
make their own soap.
apparently the farmer has been
quick to realize that it was not eco
nomical to make his own soap" said
H. s. Brutton of the Proctor & Gam
BILE Company today Now. due to
improved manufacturing conditions,
resulting in greater economies and
better quality, it is uncommon to fnd
a rural dwelIer who makes soap at
home"
Soap Making an Ancient Art.
The art of soap making is an old
one, the first authentic mention of
which is made in the writings of the
elder Pliny, who died 79 AID. Pliny
said, however, that the product made
from goats tallow and wood ashes,
was used by the GaulS and Germans
only to give red color to their hair.
The first mention of its use for re-
moving dirt from the body and cloth
ing was in the second century. 1t did
not attain general use. however, until
about 1900. when the soap industry
grew rapidly in CASTLE and Marseille,
where soap was made of olive oil and
lye.
The introduction of showers in the
homes which has been d marked fea
ture of new building construction.
has tended to conserve the amount of
water used for bathing, as a shower
bath consumes less water than one
taken in tub.
Bathing Grows in Popularity.
1t has also incr eased the demand
for large cakes OF soap, since they
are easier to hold and cover the sur
face with lather more quickly.
Hotel baths are used twice as often
by transient guests as by permanent
guests. according to hotel managers.
This would indicate that the daily
bath is not yet by any means uni
versal in this country investigation
shows that Office employees wash their
hands regularly at lunch time, but
not so regularly al the end OF the
DAVIS work.