Document Qko8KgqmdEd8L33vag3QwLKXo

---"larr , ... .. V. ~ T, - , ... JW.ai.Ut, ,-UW. LIA16414 :., . -,-t --f~~* ;nr ' LEAD INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION *0 UDPNOTOM AVCNUg Hew vows it . M. v. 0 9 j FI3Q1T3 AMD CKOCCUSo Mil** Hi Zoiler, flo* Prewidaet Th# Eagle-Piohar Co. At last /oar1* wasting, pigwent* and chemicals were covered by four dif ferent speaker*. This jttr, doc* I tlco* hav* that ocnwiealon, tha oovarsga will naoeeearily hara to be fast, and probably potty. Tha preliminary ftjuraa on laad pi^aanta for 1952 lndleat* a reduction la eonjusption la all classification* when coapared to 1951. Litharge shipment* foil fra* 151,753 torn to an Indicated 11*2,855 too*, a rodu.-tloo of 8Jj lad Load from 35,352 toes to 31,565 tons, or 111) and Whit* Uad, di7, la tha fora of l*od la ell. and also including tha whit* load content of leaded tine oxide*, fro* 1*8,990 tono to 36,567 tons, a reduction of 251. Combining th* foregoing, (total lead plyMtsto ahlpped In 1952 amounted te 210,967 tons, ea cohered to 239,095 tana la 1951* a loaa of 121.) However, everyjn* 1* mrar* that 1952 waa a hactlc year of Inventory adjumtaenta and price gyration*, and it la not surprising that there waa an overall do* clin* in th* tonnage of pigBtnt*. It would *>*n that 1953 ahould produce a morasent of tonru^ea lasa subject to sharp up* and dovna than in 1952, but It la jwt too early to predict th* level that will be established. The storage battery lado*try requirements, and particularly for rvplaoement batteries, continue* to bo tha major datarolslnf factor. (During th* past several year* th* stcrags bcttazy Industry has ecnsiaad approximately 60% of tha total litharge and red lead shipped and *o continue* to be th* `bell weather" of our business. Aa th* battery business toes, so generally goes tha lead ootid* business,) Since Mr. Sr--frill * has so ably 0ore red tha present and future outlook for the etorege battery buslnees, fur ther ccceMRta would be totally suparfluoua, Variations In th* other cocjmlng Industrie* are such less iwport-vrt and in aost ease* follow the general bustnee* curve. It appears thrt storng* battery sanufacturers do not hare excessive stools cf either rww Bate rials or finished products, so Increasing tteand* frea consumers should b* felt rather quickly both by lead oxide and pig lead producers. Should the anticipated let-down in general business occur in th* last half of this year, th* replacement storage battery manufacturer will probably be lass affected thaa almost any other type of lead conetmcr. In general It would be wy guess that tbs demands for lead odd#* in th* storage battery business la 1953 *113. b# equal or grvatar than in 1952, and at a auch sore uniform rat*. The present tad future outlook for whit* lead 1* net good. Proa being ooa of th* largest eonsuasrs of pig lead a few decades ago, It has become ooa ef tha ssaller on** today. I hare no daalrw to rehash all that has bean eald about tha technical superiorities of white lead la paint aa opposed to other pdgpaent*. X belirv* thaa, and I think you do also. But we must be r nil*tie ana evaluate th* situation as it exist*. Whit* load has lost ground, principally to titanium di-- oxlda, and inert plgaent*. Cost and hiding power factors are th* cost that have set white lead back, and Z sea no chocs* ef anything transpiring to change tha situation. Tha L.X JL. has decided to disuontisu* its whit* land promotion program Presented at th* 25th Annual Meeting of tha lead Industries Association, April 9-10, 1953* Whit* Sulphur Springs, at tha Panel Oisousaloa of Lead Conetssere. RSfl t; ' 1 : t rnmmmKmm WWWPPP -Mm. L IA 16 41 5 aaiwuiMkaiui Plgsent* and ChesdOftls l - KUm X. tolls* 0 9 8 and I ballsv* wisely s o . Thar* Just isn't enough money available to gst th* result# do aired, and all tb* promotion la th world can't chan( the economic facts that oonccm consumer*. Vs have {iron tha white lead program a good try end sad* praotioally no hacdwty, ao It s s o m aahaibl* not to thrra good money after bed* Don't adsunds rstrnd as, tha battle la net over, and tha fight "111 coctlnam and w* balirre just as effectively through tha effort* of individual meebere, bat without tha added coat of Association expenditures, Frsasurs on leading paint mem* facturars to increase or resume tha uso of white lead In houae point will, of course, be continued by all of us In the white load business. Maybe suae incraaaa in its usi't can bo effected, but it seems to as that tha present tonnage curve will prob ably continue close to horlicctal In tbs year* to ooec, barring unforaaean develop ment*. In other words, (tho use of whits lead in bous* paint ehould moot likely eoatlnoa at its present rote, without ouch growth or raoaaslon.) Tho position of lead products In tha oenade industry remains fairly cooatant. In othor words, lead his raeithor gained nor lost materially during tho past two yvr.ra la percent used, or In compounds omployed. There Is still a slim pos sibility th.it lend aight regria part of tha position it his loot to barium com pound* la tolcvlfloB and other glasses, availability, pries end qualities Imported, being favorable factor*. It would aacm thr.t tha volume of lord products consumed by tbs oermadc Industry will vary dlroctly with tbs volvae and health of that In dustry. Far several yuars the L.I.A. has given consldsrmtion to establishing a joint research program on lend in ceramics, along tha lines of tha c m that has been ao successful with respect to the use of rvd lead in mstnl protective pelntm. Tb* problem of finding the right person to taka ohargs of such a project has been difficult and unsuccessful. Farther, tho challenge is nuoh more complicated than tha red lead one, and has o much leaser chenoe of success. Therefore, at the pre sent tine, tha matter la entirely dormant. It la ay opinion that any improved position of lead products in tha commie Industry will bava to b* through tha development of specialised products for that industry, which can beat b* carried on by individual mmbars of L.I.A. Tho uaa of lead oxides In the manufacture of Inorganic colors (mostly yeliras and greens) continues to improve gndually as tho populace of our country bacraem more color conscious. Consumption in tho oil rofiring and insecticide Industrie# ha* levelled off to a point where further curtailment sscwma unlikely. Probably aubatltut* proeossos or competing product* have mad* all tb* inroads they will, far tha lamodlate present, and thero It, or court*, always tha possibility that the pendulum will awing back to land oaddoa a* new development* take plane. Th* Association'* Rod L.ad Technical C emitto# continue# to operate along tha lines It has In tho post, with incranting efficiency sod favorable resuite. Tha trend away from rad lead In natal protective pcirrti hna boan stopped in ltd tracks, partlculr.rly in govausaunt specification*, Th* tonnage of rad lead la paints has bean Increasing, thereby helping all sagments of our Association member hip, Tb* battle, however, la a continuous ora and can only bo won momentarily. Any lassitude or shrinkage In our program will put us back on th* skids, where w* were. Vs era making heatkroy, but hare a running fight on our hands. If anything, the program should be expended If it Is possibls to do so intelligently. The vinyl plastic lrviistry continue* to grew and our market for lead rtatl-- liter* along with It. Tough competition from non-lssd stabiliser* la ever present, which keep# tha laad product produoer on his to**. This la a relatively new market ^ysmrnmmmmss RHHas mm. m LI) .,, j \ LIA 16416 ia..aJM||jfa:-nftfr ^yia^nr UW. >v.I*wgST iy>l K.gmmt* and Cbaad-oal* -)* KUaa X. toiler for lead nnd thar* la no reason to believe that we eac't maintain tad tsfroy owr position la this business la the future. Vlrjl plastics ere bar* to ate/ aad laoraaaa la tom*fe, nnd ao ahculd tha roliaaa of load cocpounda, I Boat ortAinly do not went to leave anyone here with tba lapreealon that Z balirre tha lead plgaant tosiraea la a rtitio On*, devoid of potentialities* be cause of ton* of tha ruacrfcs that I har* cade, in an effort to b* realistic. Quito to tha contrary, I believe our future hold* real po -aibllltlea for frowth* depending upon our ssrarunaea to ehar^a, and our ability to capitallaa tbereor, If there are bo new damlopaante In the ueo of our products, or loaaaa, the roluse of our pro ducts *111 Increase on tha baaio of our oaMtryte noned jrowth alone. Add to thla oat fains froa new daaelopewnta la tba uee of our products, ehicb, from part parfanaeno* *e ham retry rlfht to expect, end I eould ay that we barn a solid* baric busIn* a with which Z aa proud to be associated* t f iMSUBiii im i a-- ,i**s damns Hf W lWWMP^ WWWHWWWWMMftll l * I' J.H 8a