Show J j r THE MA MATCH TeN INDUSTRY I B Bl J. J HASKIN I N InvestIgatIon has haR b been en made by tho the AN A department of oC commerce and labor with reference to the tho prevalence In Inthe Inthe I 1 the match factories s 0 of the tho United Stat States 5 of oC a 0 disease known as Jaw This Investigation In shows ehO that eight cares ws 8 existed d In two of or tho the factories visited and eighty eighty- two eighty two i-two two cases case were ere found In the th homes of oC persons persona employed ed In Its three factories This disease dIe dis ease easo Is IB Known to the medical profession as necrosis of or the tho Jaw and R Is s brought about h by the fumes of or white phosphorus More than 65 63 per percent percent cent of or the men T L-T women and nd children employed In the match Industry In tho the United States are aro expOsed d fd to the dangers of or the dis die ease euse It Is la probable ble that as 08 a n result of or Frederic HaskIn t 1 the h e 0 Inv Investigation congress will follow tollow the example of or the principal countries of ot Europe antI and will prohibit the thc further use or of white while phosphorus In the tho making of or matches At Al the International conference on labor r regulation h held 1 at nt B rne In 1906 Germany Germany Ger Ger- many Denmark Franco France Ital Italy Luxembourg Luxem Luxem- bourg tho the Netherlands and Switzerland agreed to prohibit the tho manufacture Im Importation Importation importation Im- Im or sale Bale of or matches In tho the mak mak- ing mit of or which white phosphorus was used Later England took up the matter and agreed to t In Investigate the English match factories Tho The committee which made mad the Investigation atlon reported that while It was plain that many laborers In match factories did suffer Burrer by reason of the tho presence of or white phosphorus there was only one substitute chemical which could bo be used wiled In fn tho the manufacture of of ma matches 8 designed d to strIke anywhere and that this substance was protected by a n British patent The Tho report was therefore unfavorable unfavorable to the tho abolition of or the tho U- U use of or white phosphorus When hen the tho matter came to be consider In parliament the report of the committee was overturned and a law was waR passed embodying the principles laid down clown In th the Berne con con- terence ference This law also provided pro that the existing patent should be her modified to such an extent as aR would prevent a n monopoli monopoly mo mo- mo- mo nopo on tho the other process of or match matchmaking matchmaking making It set Bet forth that the patent holder should share sharo with other manufacturers turere upon tho the payment o of a reasonable rel royalty or stipulated sum gum It Is la doubtful If It there thre over o has haq been a n case In the United States where a patentee has been com compelled b by le legislation to surrender an any part 0 of his hla rights The fumes rUmeR of or white whit phosphorus are arc In InJurious InjurIous Injurious In- In jurious particularly particular to persons with de decayed decayed de- de teeth through h which the chemical finds its itA WI way Into the Jawbone and there runs a course that thal often results result In death The medical profession has not met with great success In treating necrosis arising from this cause Tho The existence of ot Improved Improved Im Im- lm- lm proved match making machinery has tended to reduce the dangers Incident to the use 1150 of or white phosphorus but most authorities agree that tho the on only I way to eliminate these dangers completely complete willbe will wll willbe be to follow the course of European na nations nations nations na- na and abolish the manufacture Importation Importation importation Im Im- im- im and sale of or matches made with It It Is said Mid that there are arc at least two harmless substitute substitutes for or white phosphorus phosphorus phosphorus in the makIng of or matches Red fled phosphorus lisa has lon long been used in makIn making ranking mak rank In ing safety matches such fluch n aa as will strike only on a prepared surface This substance substance sub sub- stance was first used In 1845 and has In Ina a largo large measure chan changed ed the nature of or orthe the match Industry The only excuse excuse- for tor forthe forthe the continuation of or the use of white phosphorus Is 18 that thai the tho hustling American likes a a. match that will strike on en anything anything any any- thing There are more than two hundred match factories In the tho States and Canada It has hAft been computed that the ra aV average lI In Individual In the civilized d world uses eight matches a day Three millions mil ml- lions of or them are aro struck every ver minute of or orthe the tho year Half of or the whole hole worlds world's consumption consumption consumption con con- of matches Is in the United States and Canada Not more marc than n half hat of or the population of or the tho world uses matches Even In the remoter districts of ot Europe the old fashioned method of or borrowing fire tire from the neighbors is continued It Is 18 said ald that thal in man many cases fires are lighted when a a. bride and her husband go to housekeeping and are aro kept kepl all alive continuously until their children children children chil chil- dren are grown and have havo to establish new homes homs and now new flics fim The major portion of or the safety mat matches u upeO cd In the United States are made In fn Swe Sweden en France and Norway Noray l' l In France match making making- Is conducted as 11 a government monopoly There Thore aro are seven large largo factories They are made by machInes machines machines ma ma- chines whose capacity Is boxes of or matches an hour each box containing fifty matches In tho the use HIe of or these machines machines ma mil- chines no human hand touches the match from th the time It is cut lt from the thelo lo log until It Is in hands hand of or tho the con con- sumer er E Every process 9 Is automatic The Th process s of or making matches matcheR under modern conditions Is full of or Interest st. Many Ian p persons think that th the match splints are arc tho the by product of sash and anci door factories but as a matter of or fact the best eT extant f Is IR required for tor match sticks Tho The IO logs A which arc are to b bt work worked d up Into matches are c first soaked or steamed to make mak them less Iss brittle The They are an then run through a veneer peeling peeling peel peel- ing machine The Tho result is a long strip of or wood as wide as a match is lon lone and ind andas andas indas as thin as the tho match Is thick These Ion long strips aro are piled up fifty to eighty Ina Ina in ina a pile and are arp thrust through h a machine not a a. French guillotine After Arter the strips are cut up imp th the millions of or little tittle splints are carried d Into a drying room where the they are dried b by hot air After Arter this process the tho splints arc gathered gath th- th ered tred b by a machine and placed In thousands thousands thou thou- sands of or pIgeon algeon holes each on end When hen the tho pigeon hole case caso is full the frame Is lock locked d BO so as an to bind each match In Its own place It then l IB is carried car car- tied ried to another part of or the machine where the free ends of th the tho matches are dipped first In sulphur and then In The boxes also aIM are mad by machinery ma mil chinery and arrive In lime to have the matches placed In thorn thom One of or these machines fI will dip from ten to twelve million million mil raIl lion matches jl a n day The Tho sulphur used In inthe the tho making of matches ml i is provided ii III h hor order or or- der that the tho combustion started b by the phosphorus shall continue lon long enough to set the wood on fire There are many forms of or matches Some Sonic p peculiar Ideas ar arc worked out In one ono case th they are produced In the tho shape of or a n reel of or tape At each place where I the matches are Bre severed there thero Is la a I KliPP supply of phosphorus and a n striking sub suh- stance Another match mutch maker ue a bOttie bottle bot tie tle filled with combustible pellets pellet By Inverting the bottle he I Is able ablo to get et one ono of or these pellets out at a time and a n striking apparatus gives 15 1 him the lIre ho hn desires Another peculiar match Is put up lip In little packages resembling accordIon accordion accor accor- dion pleated goods good The package fI Is held together by the use US of a 11 rubber band on one strip being torn off oft at a time The accordion pleating pIN prevents tho the striking surface from dang danger r of ot exposure Still another novel nO Idea consists of a round roll of sand paper Into Inlo which a 8 match Is placed Yh When n a R man ne needs a Il light he hol holds th the roll rOil between two fingers and presses on the match ml with hl his thumb This serves IH to 10 strike thO match which is III of oC the safet safety arl variety ty Tho making makinI of or matches m Is b a comparatively comparatively ly new MW Industry In tho the springtime o of hl history ton m men n produced fire by bv rubbing sticks to together r. r which was U followed ollo ed h by bythe the use ue of or the the- flint steel and tinder tInder- In isso 1680 Godfrey Godfre of or London learning learning learn team ing of tho discovery discovers of phosphorus and of or orIts Its nature wrapped some or of It In a A. little roll roU of brown napes caper and rubbed It until It took tire Then ho held it tt to a stick covered ord with sUlphur This was the worlds world's first match Later sticks were dipped In sulphur and then In a n composition tion of or chlorate of potash sulphur colophony colo cob phony gum of or sugar Bugar and cinnabar Th These e sticks stick were tro put up in a Il little tittle box and were sont sent out with a small bottle of sulphuric sul sub sub- When the th UR user tiser r desired alIght a rt alight lI light ht he ho dipped ono one of the sticks Into the acid Reid was was Immediately Ignited These were wro called chemical 1 match matches s. s The consumer had to pay 3 35 75 a box for tor them From that time on matches gradually were Improved until the lucifer match made marJe its appearance Before economical methods of making boxes boxe were discovered ered credo It ft was W the tho custom to have matches made from small mall blocks of or wood The lower bower end of or the tho block was not cu cut apart and thus th the whole bunch o ot of matches was Wits held together For many years yearn this form of or match wa was old sold all al allover allover over the tho United States Even E to this da day daj finds the block match In wide use along the Pacific coast et The cheapness s of or matches matchel Is Ie due no noless riot not less to the tho perfection of ot box making machinery than to Introduction o or of great reat machines for the production o or of matches themselves es These TheM boxes ar are usually mado mads from the tho same wood that tha enters Into the making of tho the match and boxes a day dav are turned out by a single machine Their cost is but the merest fraction of or a no cent ent each fach Some enterprising cigarette makers have havo placed placer the match on the end of or the cl cigarette arette It Itself It- It sl self White While this n new w cigarette clarette Is la enjoyed as aR a nO novelty nOlty In many man places R It has never neve become popular with smokers The lit littie littie lit lit- tie pocket lighters carried by some smokers smokers kers do dl not meet with a very lar large o sale Since tho the the slot machine ha has served to place ma matches on sale almost almos everywhere there Is II but little demand for other kinds of oC lighting agents than the match Tomorrow Tomorrow The The Mothers' Mothers Congress |