THE BRIAR PIPE TRADE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2298, 31 October 1914, Page 4

THE BRIAR PIPE TRADE

SERIOUS POSITION. The following account of the briar pipe trade as affected by the war has been sent to the English journal "Tobacco" by a well-known firm of briar pipe manufacturers: — The only nows in respect of our trade is that all the factories at St. Claudo are closed as every able-bodied man. owners, managers, and workmen, have gone to the front. Even were tho factories able to find a few non-combatants to carry on they could not do so, because tho chief sup-* . ply of vulcanised rubber comes from Germany, whero the factories are all closed down. Even were it otherwise all trade intercourse between the two nations is forbidden. Tho only other factory is in St. Claude, and that also is closed indefinitely. What stock of bowls there may,bo ill England.is governed by the stock of cheap mouthpieces, and those stocks aro so small as not to count. . . A' little sheet of vulcanite is still in stock here, but not well assorted, and, of course, far too expensive for cheap goods. Also, it would not pay anyone to make fine bowls here now, as the maker would have no mouthpieces with which to fit up his lower grades. The proportion of fine root suitable for fitting to hand-cut sheet vulcanite is no more than about 6 per cent. He would have to sell the few fine bowls with the cost of the whole' as a basis of cost which would mako the prico onormous, possibly quite prohibitive. Clay pipes with _ vulcanite mouthpiecos aro affested in the same way. Cherry pipes are entirely cut off., There are no vulcanite mouthpieces made in this country. It is a difficult and highly technical industry, and no rubber maker here has. ever made it pay or thought it worth while to take up seriously. The probable deficiency of ordinary briar pipes and bowlß, apart from Vienna case goods and imitation pipes, amberoid tubes, etc., is certainly not less than £30,000 a month at import prices.