Notes

Abstract

THE political correspondent of the Daily Mail announces that the Government has sanctioned a scheme, which will involve several millions of pounds, to provide capital to develop the dye industries in this country. It has been realised for some time that the provision made in 1915, when British Dyes, Ltd., was established, is altogether inadequate to place the industry in a position comparable with that of the great German syndicate of dye manufacturers. The capital of these firms is more than 50,000,000l., whereas that of British Dyes, Ltd., is only about 2,000,000l., and the whole of our dye manufacturing firms have much less than one-tenth the capital of the German syndicate. It is obvious, therefore, that even if a co-operative, scheme is arranged between these separate enterprises, much more will have to be done to increase the total capital available for the industry, build the necessary plant, and secure a sufficient number of research chemists and chemical engineers to enable our dye manufacturers to face the severe competition, to which they will be subjected at the end of the war. The industry is of prime importance to our national development, for it is bound up with many other manufactures, directly or indirectly, and its ramifications enter into most arts of peace as well as those of war. We are glad to learn, therefore, that the Government is taking the necessary steps to make our position strong enough to withstand the severe assaults which it will have to bear when commercial competition is not restricted by conditions of war.