328 
NATURE 
[| August 5, 1886 
colour industry now offers. The case considered at any rate 
presents the advantage of not being too hackneyed, and this will 
be sufficient excuse for having made use of it. 
It was stated at the commencement of this paper that there is 
reason to believe that our supremacy in the coal-tar colour 
industry has, for some years, been declining, and I have further 
expressed my belief that the chief cause of this falling off is the 
subordinate position given to chemical science in this country as 
compared with the status of this science abroad. Whether this 
explanation be accepted or not, the fact of the decadence of the 
manufacture remains, and I am in a position to bring this un- 
pleasant truth home to our countrymen by a strong body of 
evidence. It must be borne in mind that the decline of any 
industry cannot be measured by the absolute weight of the pro- 
ducts turned out annually, because the demand for the products 
in question may be on the increase, and we may be actually 
producing a greater weight of colours now than we were during 
our most successful period. The whole question is a relative 
one—it is simply how much material are we now turing out as 
compared with the amount produced by our competitors—what 
proportion of coal-tar products do we supply for our own and 
foreign consumption ? In order to answer this question with some 
approach to numerical exactness, it occurred to me that the most 
trustworthy information could be obtained from the consumers 
themselves ; and through the kindness of Mr. Robert Pullar, of 
Perth, and Mr. Ernest Hickson, of Bradford, I have been 
enabled to put myself into communication with several of the 
representative dyeing an | printing establishments of this country. 
The facts obtained, as showing the actual state of the industry 
at the present time, appear to me of sufficient interest to be 
given here in some detail. I may take the present opportunity 
of stating that my application for statistical information has been 
most courteously responded to by the various firms, to whom I 
have great pleasure in returning my thanks. 
Edward Ripley and Son, of Bradford, perhaps the largest 
dyers of piece-goods in the kingdom, inform me that during the 
year 1885 they used 864 per cent. of foreign coal-tar colours, 
and 13% per cent. of English make. 
Walter Walker and Son, of Dewsbury, dyers of wool for rugs, 
mats, carpet yarn, and blanket stripes, estimate that during 1885 
they used 80 per cent. of German dyes. They state that the 
exact proportion is difficult to estimate, so that the figure given 
is only approximative. Referring to their larger consumption 
of foreign colour they state :—‘‘It is very discouraging to have 
to do this and send the trade out of our country, but to our own 
interest and advantage we have to do it.” 
John Newton, silk dyer, Macclesfield. Mr. Walter Newton, 
F.C.S., informs me that during 1885 they used 80 per cent. of 
foreign colour. He adds :—‘‘The rapid advancement in the 
improved manufacture of some of these dyes by the Germans is 
the only cause of our desertion from the English colour-manu- 
facturer.” 
G, W. Oldham, silk dyer, of Netherton, near Huddersfield, 
informs me that during 1885 he used 2000 lbs. of German dyes, 
1100 lbs. of English dyes, and 800 lbs. of doubtful origin. 
James Templeton and Co., of Glasgow, state that they dye as 
much as 30,000 lbs. of yarn (chiefly worsted) weekly, but they 
use only a small proportion of coal-tar dyes, all of which are of 
German manufacture. 
Messrs. Leckie and MacGregor, of Paisley, inform me that in 
the west of Scotland, including Glasgow and Paisley, they are 
certain that at least 90 per cent. of the dyes used come from the 
Continent. Their own consumption of English colour only 
reached 6°8 per cent. 
Alexander Harvey and Son, of Glasgow, yarn dyers, state 
that during 1885 they used 60 per cent. of German and 40 per 
cent. of English dyes. These figures do not include alizarin, of 
which they state that they used about equal quantities of German 
and English make. The English supply is chiefly made up of 
one article, ‘‘ aniline salt.’’ They add :—‘‘ We find the German 
makes in general of better value than the British, as our rule is, 
ceteris paribus, to give the home-make the preference.” 
Messrs. Manson and Henry, Glasgow, yarn dyers, state that 
they use only German dyes, adding that they find it to their 
advantage ‘‘ for both cheapness and quality.” 
Among the largest consumers of coal-tar colours in this 
country are the jute dyers.. As representing this department of 
the tinctorial industry, Messrs. James Stevenson, of Dundee, 
inform me that during 1885 they used only 7°7 per cent. of 
English colour. They have been good enough to supply the 
fo'lowing analysis of their consumption :— 
Scarlet «+» 37 per cent., of which nothing is English. 
Grimson. 2.) se.) 16) AA 64 ” 
Blues So soe LO 1Ay ” nothing ,, 
Oxangesics- serene ene ” “05 ” 
Greens; 2a nome: 7 as nothing ,, 
Magenta (residues) 6°5 > ” ” 
Maroon ... 55 ” ” ” 
Pink 2°75 ” ” ” 
Srown 1°25 a5 1°25 ” 
Violet I 0 nothing ,, 
Various ... o5 ” > ” 
100°0 Tid, 
Messrs. Cox Bros., of the Camperdown Jute Works, Lochee, 
state that practically the whole of the ‘‘ aniline” colours used 
by them are of Continental manufacture. 
With reference to the calico printers, the following facts have 
been collected :— 
Messrs. Z. Heys and Sons, of Barrhead, state that during 
1885 they used over 10,000 lbs. weight of colours (exclusive of 
alizarin), of which 700 Ibs. only were of English make. 
Messrs. James Black and Co., of Bonhill, Dumbartonshire, 
state that in their belief more than one-half of the colour used by 
calico printers is of foreign manufacture. 
In the course of the present inquiry, it seemed desirable to 
obtain information concerning the consumption of alizarin, with 
reference to which the following statements have been 
received :— 
Messrs. Walter Crum and Co., of Thornliebank, Glasgow, 
are of opinion that ‘‘the great bulk of what is used in this 
country is manufactured in Germany.’’ They do not profess to 
be able to give actual figures having any approach to accuracy. 
Mr. John Christie, of the Alexandria Turkey-Red Works, 
Dumbartonshire (John Orr, Ewing, and Co., states that they 
use only artificial alizarin in their establishment, their consump- 
tion being considerably over 2,000,000 Ibs. weight of ro per 
cent. paste annually. Their consumption was, in— 
1880 ... 98 percent. German ... 2 per cent. English 
TSSTa es. 99 39 ” pao) ” ” 
1882 . I00 » 9 cast 0) ” ” 
1883 The phe 9 ”? oa 23 ” 9) 
1884... 56° 5, Op son A ap fe 
LOSS eset 47, 99 9 --» 53 ” ” 
Messrs. William Stirling and Sons, of Glasgow, state that 
their relative consumption of English and German alizarin 
for Turkey-red dyeing varies so much from year to year that 
they have no means of directly supplying useful data. This firm 
has, however, been good enough to make inquiries for me from 
a competent authority, who has furnished the following report :— 
“In 1883 and 1884 I-estimate that the sales in the United 
Kingdom amounted to a monthly average of about 530 tons, 10 
per cent. (say 6360 tons, IO per cent. per annum). Of this 
quantity I estimate about 30-33 per cent. was manufactured in 
this country. Taking 1884 alone, the figures are estimated at 
566 tons, Io per cent. per month (say 6800 tons, 10 per cent. 
per annum). Proportion manufactured in Great Britain, say 
about 30-35 per cent. In 1886 the consumption may be esti- 
mated at 550-600 tons, 10 per cent. per month (say 6900 tons, 
IO per cent. per annum). Proportion manufactured in this 
country probably now very considerably more than 35 per cent.” 
This estimate of the total consumption (550-600 tons, IO per 
cent. per month) is confirmed by my friend Mr. Thomas Royle, 
F.C.S., of the British Alizarin Company’s works at Silvertown, 
but he is of opinion that 50: per cent. of this is of English 
manufacture. 
By way of further confirmation, it appeared to me to be de- 
sirable to get the opinion of manufacturers themselves, and 
aithough this has been a matter of considerable difficulty, I am 
able to give some kind of an estimate. Mr. Ivan Levinstein, of 
Manchester, estimates that Germany produces :— 
Colours derived from benzene and toluene, six times more than 
England. 
Colours derived from naphthalene, seven times more than 
England. 
Colours derived from anthracene, five times more than 
England. ‘ 
The average production of Germany is thus about six times 
that of this country. Mr. W. A. Mitchell, of the firm of W. 
C. Barnes and Co., Phoenix Works, Hackney Wick, informs 
To 
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