Paper .read before a joint meeting o f the Birmingham Section and the Plastics Group on lanuory 14, 1935) l'hc Iditstics iiidiistry, using t,lic t criii in tlic 11roricl sciisc, cnii bc clnssificd into t.liosc coiiccriis wliicli iirc : (a) 011 tlic v e r g ~ of tlic intlustry iis rii\v ~i t i i t ~~i i t l suppliers, (6) ciitircly dcpcii(lciit upoii tlic iiitliist,ry for t.licir csisteiice, (c) partly tlcpcntlciit upon tlic iiidustry :is pro(1uccrs iiiid users of its prodiictvioii. A iiiorc dctiiiletl rlnssificntioii is ns follows :
(1) Rnw iiintcriul suppliers to t,lic industry, vie., the clicmiciil, iiinchiiicry, iiiitl iiict,:il iiidustrics i i i i d , indirectly, thc piij~cr, liinibcr, or pulp cotton iiiilust.rics.
(2) l'liistic iiiiitcrinl iiiiiiiiifiicturers. They iirc ;I I)riiiicli of tlic clicniic:il industry.
(3) I~nbricntion of pliistic nrticlcs, vie., tlic iiioultliiig iiiid iiincliining indiistrics, ix., coiiccriis wliicli iirc oiigugctl in tuniiiig niitl iiiiicliiiiiiig prcs~cd plast<ic iiinterinl in slicct, rod, ;uid tulle form into firbricutctl :rrt.icles. This is cssciiti:illy uii ciigiiiceriiig industry.
(4) Users of fiil)riciitcd plitstic products, vix., users of finished plnstic nrticlcs such :is iiioultlings, Inininatcd parts, pnnclliiig, cciiiciit, iii iiiiiiiy intlustrics, but tlie cssciitiiil oiics it rc : clcctricnl, niccliiiiiiciil, l~i~ilcli~~g, plywood, fiiiislicd tloiiiestic iipp1i:iiice industries. 'l!hcy iirc usiinlly considcrcd to be ciigiigcd i i i the pliist,ics industry iis users when tliey prodiicc tlicir owii liiiislic!tl plnstic products.
RAW MATERIAL SUPPLIERS
Thc! rnw iiintcrinl position is pcrhiips oiic of the most iiiiportniit froiii the econoiiiic nspcct. 'l'ukiiig first the two oldor iiidiistries : ciisciii nnd cclli~loid.
Cnsciii is todiiy produced froiti inilk, niid 11s fiir 11;s I kiiow, thcrc is no otlicr soiircc. It is produced in soiiic qiiniitity i i i this country but is chicfly iiiiportcd from Prance, Dcninnrk, I-Iollniitl, U.S.A., Ncw Zcnlniitl. This subject liiis IICCII wcll covcrcd in prcvioue Iccturcs, pnrticiilnrly oiic by Rlr. Posbcr Sproston piiblislicd in tlic Socicty's Journnl of May l!), 1933. Wic fipiiru thcii givcii for tlic world O u t l J l i t of ciisciii plastic \KIS nboiit 10,000 toiis pcr tiiiiiuiit. Apart froiii tlic snirill rriiiouiit produced in this coiiiitry, wc tire tlcpcii(lciit oii HiiIipliCS froiii otlier coiiiit.rics, so thnt price will be siibjcct t,o \vorltl contlitioiis of supply iiiitl tlctiiiiiid, i t i i d will be iili'cctctl Iiy sltippi~ig riit,cs, cscliiiiigo quotiis, iintl d l tlic Ilnziirtls of iiit,eriintioiiitl triidc. Oiily wlicii tlic tlomniid is iiict froiii Iioinc! soiirws, or t,lic frcc iiitcrchnngc of goods sets i i i iigiiiii, will this positioii iiltcr, Ncst i n iIiiportiiiicc is the supl)ly of cottoii liiilcrs for the cclluloirl iiiitl cclliilosc! pliist,ia t,i-iidc, for wliicli \Y(I nrc cnt.ircly tlcliciitlciit; itlioii iiiiportd siippli(!s of cotton. 'l'licrc is 110 c o t h i growl i i i t,liis coiiiit,ry, iitrtl IEgypt niitl A tiitrricri tire tlic cliicf soiirccs of supply.