SYNTHETIC DYE INDUSTRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19015, 10 November 1923, Page 13

SYNTHETIC DYE INDUSTRY.

SUPPLIES FOR BRITAIN. “ There has been no incident In modem commercial history more humiliating: to ua than that we should have been sending to Germany for years shiploads of raw coal-tar products from the gasworks and coke ovena of this country at absurdly low prices, to ba sent back to us in a few weeks’ time in the form of fine dyes and pharmeceutical products at thousands per cent, increase in value. What could be more dangerous to us as a nation than a return to such a condition? That is exactly what will happen if the bare formula of Freetrade is allowed ta guide our policy.” This presentation of the case in regard to the future manufacture and development in Great Britain of dyestuffs from the distillate of coal-tar is made by Mr J. Morton, chairman of Scottish Dyes (Limited), an erstwhile apostle or Freetrade. If is addressed to those who advocate the repeal of the Dyestuffs Regulation Act as the one thing necessary to bring actively to life again Britain's spindles and shuttles. Synthetic dyes are indispensable in the textile and subsidiary trades. The normal annual value of goods in which they are an essential and important part is approximately _ £200,000,000. Before the war British industries used annually dyes to the value of nearly £2,250,000, of which about £1,750,000 was paid to Germany, about £150,000 to Switzerland, and £200,000 to British manufacturers. Germany is now making desperate efforts to recapture this trade.