pigments upon which organic coloring matters are precipitated from solution. There is a wide use of sienna as a stain and colored filler for wood that is to be varnished. In mixed paints, siennas are used largely for their tinting quality, the resulting shade being a yellowish maroon or salmon color. Umber has similar uses in paints but has greater covering power. It yields very durable varnish paints that dry very quickly and hard. Umber is an essential ingredient of weather-proof paints and gives an unusual variety of colors for house painting. A considerable quantity of umber is consumed in the wall-paper industry to produce the ground shade. SUBSTITUTES. Siennas are the most expensive of the common brown pigments, but the range in quality is such that the lower grades are cheaper than many of the substitutes. Of these Cassel brown or Vandyke brown-a natural earth containing a variable amount of organic matter is probably the most important. The various iron oxides (metallic paints) are also used largely. Brown lakes except those having sienna, umber, or ocher as a base-are not used to any considerable extent as substitutes for these important pigments. DOMESTIC PRODUCTION. Neither umber nor sienna has been produced in any large amount in the United States. Production statistics were gathered by the Geological Survey for several years but were discontinued in 1914. On account of the small amount of production, both products were combined. As shown by these data, the maximum output was in 1909, when 1,276 short tons, valued at $33,472, was produced. Since 1910, the total production has not exceeded 1,000 tons for any one year. Localities. Practically the only production of umber and sienna comes from Pennsylvania. Deposits have been reported in other States, but have never supplied any appreciable quantity of the pigments. Methods of production. The mining and preparation of umber and sienna are quite similar to the methods used for ochre. Labor is the most important item in the cost of production of the lower grades; but on special grades, control of a deposit of a much desired quality and color, is an important factor in determining the price that can be obtained for the product. Domestic production and consumption. While the United States is independent as regards a sufficient supply of both umber and sienna, so far as available quantities are concerned, it must import certain qualities and shades of color. In 1914, the last year for which complete data are available, the combined imports of umber and sienna were 7,581 short tons, valued at $109,238, as compared with a domestic output (as reported to the Geological Survey) of only 790 short tons, valued at $21,070. Assuming that the consumption was the sum of the two quantities 1 A popular lake of this kind is mahogany ("Cashew") lake used for lithographic and letter-press printing. (i. e., neglecting stocks), it is evident that the domestic mines produced only a little more than 9 per cent of the quantity and 16 per cent of the value of the United States consumption in that year. Some slight improvement from these figures is to be expected during the war period because of the difficulty of ocean shipment and the enhanced prices that obtained for these pigments. But it is apparent that this country is still largely dependent on foreign supplies of many of the more popular shades of umber and sienna. Domestic exports. So far as can be determined, there are no exports of either umber or sienna from the United States except in mixed paints; in many of which they are important constituents. FOREIGN PRODUCTION. Umber is found in practically all countries, but specially fine qualities are produced in Cyprus, Sicily, Asia Minor, and the Netherlands. German deposits also have yielded considerable quantities. Turkish umber, produced chiefly in Cyprus, is the world standard on this pigment and dominates the markets of all countries, although the production in Sicily is almost as large and of good quality. Italian sienna, produced in Tuscany, enjoys the same preeminence in its field as does Turkish umber in the world market. The Harz Mountains are the only other important source of supply, although small amounts are produced in many parts of the world.1 The Italian production of sienna and umber is highly centralized. According to a statement in Tariff Schedules 2 one firm in Leghorn was shipping practically 90 per cent of the material exported to the United States in 1911 and 1912. IMPORTS. Prior to October 3, 1913, the Department of Commerce, following the tariff classifications, divided the imports of umber and of sienna into three classes, viz: (1) Crude, not washed, powdered or pulverized; (2) powdered, washed or pulverized; and (3) ground in oil or water. After that date, however, no such division has been observed. Statistics of all three classes of each product have been grouped together. The imports of umber and of sienna ground in oil have never been large, and, as far as the statistics extend, were decreasing. Only once (1910) in 25 years has the value of imports of umber in oil exceeded $500 in any one year. Imports of sienna in oil have fluctuated more or less, but in this period have never exceeded $1,000 in value for any one year, and as a rule were less than $500. Both pigments have been imported largely in the crude form, although, prior to 1905, the imports of powdered sienna exceeded those of crude sienna. While there has been a little fluctuation from year to year the imports have shown a fairly steady increase. Imports of powdered sienna and umber also register a pronounced increase, though much less rapid than in the case of the crude (at least prior to the adoption of the 1913 tariff schedule). 1 Spanish brown-an important pigment mined in Spain-is sometimes classed as umber, but is rather a metallic paint (iron oxide). 2 U. S. Senate, 62d Congress, 1913, p. 156. 35284-21-A-15—6 The countries of origin of the imports of pigments are not published by the Department of Commerce. A compilation of the imports in 1914, made by Dr. Pickrell of that department, however, shows that 47.3 per cent of the sienna imported in that year came from France, 31.8 per cent from Italy, and 20.9 per cent from Germany. Italy furnished 45.8 per cent of the umber imported, Malta 34.8 per cent, Great Britain 16 per cent, Germany 1.4 per cent, and only 0.9 per cent direct from Cyprus. These figures indicate a considerable amount of reexporting. In the case of crude, this reexporting may be explained partly by indirect trade routes because of the comparatively small tonnages involved. In the case of "powdered,” much of the material has been shipped to northern Europe in the crude state and there prepared for market by washing and grinding. The increased importations of umber and umber earths, together with the effects of the tariff change of 1913, are brought out in the table presented on page 84. As soon as the new rates went into effect the imports of umber increased very rapidly. Imports of sienna also increased, but somewhat more slowly. Even the difficulty of ocean shipment failed to check the rapid rise until the restrictions of the Shipping Board practically prevented further movement of these commodities after the United States entered the war. The revenue collected by the Government, however, was reduced under the operation of the new schedule. Comparing the figures for the fiscal year 1913 (the last year under the old rates) with the maximum imports in later years, we find that, in 1915 the revenue collected on sienna, amounting in 1913 to $9,696.55, was cut to onethird of its former amount in spite of a small increase in the amount and an increase of 50 per cent in the value, due partly to higher prices but especially to increased receipts of powdered as compared with crude. Similarly in the case of umber the revenue collected in 1917 was less than one-half that received in 1913 although the amount imported in the later year was almost two and a half times as great. PRICES. Spot prices of the various grades of umber and sienna in the New York market, during the war period, will be found on page 86. These quotations show surprisingly slight advances as compared with the extraordinary rise of general pigment prices since the outbreak of the war. In very few instances has the advance exceeded 50 per cent and only in the case of the highest grade of imported product has there been an increase of 100 per cent. As compared with the large advances in ocher recorded during the same period, the domestic product especially remained practically steady, whereas the price of imported grades did not rise anything like as much as might be expected by reason of the difficulties of Mediterranean shipment. TARIFF HISTORY. The tariff history of sienna and umber is identical with that of ocher. Nearly all of the statements in tariff hearings with reference to umber and sienna apply with equal force to ocher. For these reasons, it does not seem advisable to duplicate this material and reference is made to the survey on ocher for tariff history and digest of tariff questions. COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS. The competitive status of the domestic umber and sienna industries presents features quite similar to those of the ocher industry. Broadly speaking, it may be said that the domestic production of umber and sienna is even more handicapped by the preference for the foreign shades than is the case with ocher. The domestic producer is handicapped by the larger wages he has to pay, since fully 75 per cent of the cost of production of the powdered pigments is expended for labor. He does have a slight advantage, as compared with the shippers from Mediterranean ports, in the cost of transportation. Nearly all the earth pigments are consumed in factories located in the eastern States so the advantage as regards transportation applies only to the present producers in the State of Pennsylvania. The development of deposits known to exist in localities more distant from the points of consumption is hindered by the cost of railroad freight. The factor of cost, however, is subordinate. Turkey umber and Italian sienna would be imported almost regardless of price because of their more desirable color. The prices of the imported grades invariably rule higher than those of the domestic grades. On the other hand, assuming the necessity of importing more or less of the material, there arises the question as to whether this is to be imported in the crude state or whether it is to be imported in powdered form ready for mixing with oil. (Competition, at least in the home market, is not to be expected for pigments in oil.) Prior to the tariff act of 1913, there was a differential of $5 per ton (one-fourth cent per pound) given the washing and pulverizing treatment. (Since the duty on crude was one-eighth cent, while that on "powdered" was three-eighths cent.) The placing of all grades on an ad valorem basis cut this differential to about $1 per ton, in the case of either raw or burnt umber, and from 55 cents to $1.50 ($2 for the highest grades) on siennas. Umber and sienna-Production in United States. Various statements in tariff hearings and elsewhere. 2 Exceptional output (1,452 tons) of umber. |