Lead oxides (red lead, orange mineral, and litharge)—Production in United States.

1 Total production.

2 Marketed production. Does not include products consumed at plant where made.

Red lead-Production in United States.

OFFICIAL SOURCE.

Figures for 1899, 1904, 1909, and 1914 are included under "Lead Oxides."

Figures for 1899, 1904, 1909, and 1914 are included under "Lead Oxides."

Orange mineral-Production in United States.

Figures for 1899, 1904, 1909, and 1914 are included under "Lead Oxides."

Lead—Litharge—Imports for consumption-Revenue.

[Changed Oct. 4, 1913, to: Lead pigments, dry or in pulp, or ground, or mixed with oil or water, n. s. p. f.

Lead-Orange mineral—Imports for consumption-Revenue.

[Changed Oct. 4, 1913, to: Lead pigments, dry or in pulp, or ground, or mixed with oil or water, n. s. p. f.Orange mineral.]

[Changed Oct. 4, 1913, to: Lead pigments, dry or in pulp, or ground, or mixed with oil or water, n. s. p. f.—

WHITE LEAD.

(Par. 56, Act of 1913, 25 per cent ad valorem.)
SUMMARY.

Basic carbonate white lead is an artificial white pigment consisting of a mixture of carbonate and hydroxide of lead. Sublimed white lead is a basic sulphate of lead and is an entirely different article. The former is almost invariably made from metallic lead by a chemical process; the latter is made direct from lead ore by furnace treatment. One or the other of these pigments is a constituent of nearly all mixed paints. Straight white lead-basic carbonate lead in oil with no other pigment was formerly considered the only pure white paint. But in recent years it has been proved that a mixture of pigments results in a more durable and generally satisfactory paint. Zinc white and barium sulphate, which were at one time thought to be adulterants, are now added for their beneficial effect. In spite of these substitutes, however, the growth in the consumption of white lead has kept pace with the growth in population in the United States during the 10 or 15 years prior to the outbreak of the war. The chief consumption is for exterior painting, and the enormous quantities now used are in large measure an index of the greater attention given to the better appearance and protection afforded by painting dwelling houses and outbuildings.

The domestic production of white lead in 1914 was 279,417,563 pounds, valued at $14,410,324 (census data), and was produced in 20 establishments. The larger part of the output comes from plants located in or near New York City.

Most of the white lead is made by the so-called Dutch process, which involves a considerable plant area. It is very slow and there is generally a lapse of six months between the time the lead metal is bought and the time the product is sold. Shorter processes have been developed, but these either require special machinery or make an inferior product and are not expected to completely displace the older method. Special precautions are necessary to prevent the poisoning of employees and rigid regulations have been enforced in many European countries, and since 1915 the manufacture of white lead has been prohibited in France. Factory inspection and dust control in the United States are such that the manufacture in this country is not attended by any injury to the health of the workers. There has been a great deal of consolidation in the industry and this has resulted in the development of several very large paint companies. These companies are apparently wholly independent. The largest producer is the National Lead Co., which is a highly integrated corporation specializing in all kinds of lead products, but with diverse minor interests. The other concerns are mostly general paint companies. Only the smaller paint manufacturers buy dry white lead and nearly three-fourths of the output is consumed in the establishments in which it is produced and marketed in the form of paste or in mixed paint.

Except for a small quantity of English white lead in oil, foreign white lead has not been a factor in the domestic market for many years. The imports of this special quality increased from about 500,000 pounds in 1900 and in 1901 to around 650,000 annually just prior to the outbreak of the war in Europe. Due to the diffi

culty of ocean shipment and the shortage of lead across the Atlantic the imports dropped off during the war period. Only 787 pounds were imported in 1918.

Prior to the war the average exports of white lead of American manufacture had increased to about 8,000 tons annually. Nearly two-thirds of this was shipped to Great Britain. Since 1914 the exports have increased very largely and in 1916 were 50 per cent higher than the prewar level. The increase has come chiefly from the development of trade with Latin American countries that had formerly been supplied by England and Germany. The American product is accepted on the same parity as the European in foreign markets, and there is every reason to believe that the American pigment can be delivered as cheaply in South American and Cuban markets as the white lead produced in any country. Spanishspeaking countries are using much greater quantities of paint and domestic manufacturers of white lead are directing more attention to South America.

The advantage that the American manufacturer has in the near-by foreign markets does not apply to his home market except as the latter is protected by tariff duties. The chief item in the cost of white lead is the cost of the lead metal used in its manufacture. The normal yield of white lead is in the neighborhood of 125 pounds for each 100 pounds of lead and the selling price of white lead (dry) is normally a trifle less than 1 cent more than the price of metallic lead. With the exception of a brief interval in 1913-14, metallic lead had been more expensive in the United States than in Europe until some time after the outbreak of the war. Mexican lead, which now promises to be the cheapest lead in the world, is largely refined (in bond) in this country. It can therefore be obtained more cheaply in the United States than anywhere else in the world provided it does not have to pay duty. The strength of the American export trade rests upon the availability of this cheap supply of raw material, which can be corroded in bond or exported with benefit of drawback.

The tariff problem in connection with white lead is largely that of adjusting a duty compensatory for the duty on lead metal. The quantity of other raw materials is small and they are practically as cheap in this country as anywhere and labor charges are a relatively small item.