Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-08
NAVAL STORES MEN
I PLANORGAN|z|NG
Turpentine and Rosin Prices
Drop and Makers Seek to
Stabilize Trade.
BY j. C. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star,
NEW YORK, September S.-Pro-
ducers of naval stores are organic
ing. The drop in the prices of tur-
pentine and rosin has convinced them
that the industry cannot go on with
out some effort on their part to stabil'
lie conditions.
More than 800 distilIing plants,
large and small, scattered over eight
States, are engaged in this industry.
Production of turpentine and rosin
has been heavy, but consumption has
not kept pace with the rapid develop
ments of the industries in which naval
stores are used. These include the
making of paints and varniShes, limo
leum, paper, soap, inks, greases and
other products.
The turpentine season ends official
ly March 81. In the last season this
country produced more than 60,000,-
900 worth. If the same amount is
produced in the coming season and the
buying of cups indicates that pro-
duction will not fall off, the return
to the producers will be much less.
Turpentine today is around 60 cents
a gallon. A year ago it was approx
mately 9S cents a gallon. The period
ending March 81 last, was a banner
period for the industry. But the drop
in turpentine prices are shown above,
and the price of rosin has fallen fully
80 per cent.
Production Heavier.
There are a half dozen explanations
advanced for the conditions outlined.
It is true that production for the last
season was 10 per cent above that
o.
1925. 1t is said that the introduction
of the Butanol enamels and the lac
uuer products with an alcohol base
has had its effect on consumption in
the paint industry. The demand from
abroad has not been at all brisk.
The growth of the wood resin, tur-
pentine and pine oil industry. the
products of which are produced by
the steam and solvent process from
pine stumps, sawdust and residue of
large pine mills, has been factor in
preventing the advance in prices.
For years the depletion Of the
Southern pine reserves as a source
of naval stores has been predicted,
but this has not come about. Not
only are the stumps of cut-over lands
being used, but reforestation is bring.
ing in a crop of gum-bearing trees
y
The distillation of the hard woods,
such as beech, birch, maple or oak. is
threatened by the drop in price of
industrial alcohol, which with char
coal land acetate of lime form the
main products of this process. Char.
coal consumption has been cut by the
fact that foreign-born residents who
used it for cooking are turning to gas.
The iother two products are being
Threatened by synthetic production.
Ash result. production from wood
diEtillation has been cut 20 per cent
s1pce' January l.
IL Alcohol Overproduced.
81 The wood alcohols still have an adj
vantage over the synthetic product
ter denaturing grain alcohol and
rendering alcoholic products unfit for
human consumption. About 1900, 900
gallons are used annually for this
purpose, but even this is threatened
since the synthetic products may be
placed on par with the natural prod
uct for this purpose, or a ruling may
make 1t obligatory to use something
less toxic for denaturing formulas.
New processes, however, have shown
economies in costs of production as
well as in the production of a purer
ncetic acid which will meet the ad-
Eantages Of the synthetic acid.
alcohol companies, no matter from
what source they produce their sup
My, are the least satisfactorily stu.
ated or the concerns in the chemical
trade. Their earnings seem likely to
fhM sharply below those Of 1925 or
1928. The country was overproduced
last year. and the usual demand did
not materialize for anti.freeze mix.
tHFes owing to mild Winter.