MATCHES. The progress from rubbing sticks together to produce fire up to the flint and steel and tinder which appeared to be always damp, on to the first match, which was merely tipped with sulphur and used in the tinder, thence to the "light-box," in whieh sulphuric acid served to ignite a prepared match, and thence past the first clumsy " lucifers," which were drawn through a piece of bent sandpaper, up to the modern or "Congreve " match, marks the progress of civilization and the growth of comfort and conve nience with its development. The chemist Faraday introduced the first lucifer matches.
The wood used in making matches is the best, straight-grained, soft pine, which is cut into blocks and then shaved into strips by knives which act transversely. These strips are the length of two matches, and are passed through a hopper which drops them at regular intervals into a revolving tape or belt which binds them into a circular bundle like a double brush. This bundle is then flattened down with a heavy planer of the same size and put in a kiln to dry. One end is then dipped into melted sulphur or par affins wax, and when it is dry, the other end is dipped also. Then follows the dipping into the phosphorus preparation, after which the belt is unrolled and the matches are made, except that they are of double length and tipped at both ends. They are then cut in two by machinery and packed in boxes.
Safety matches are those which will not ignite unless they are rubbed on a specially prepared surface ; but being found inconve nient, they are not generally used.
Parlor matches are generally perfumed and are dipped in par affine instead of sulphur. Card matches are made in the form of a comb, and are generally used in New England. As they are very convenient for the pocket, and are not as liable to be dropped, they are well suited to the use of railway and warehousemen and farmers.
Matches are a most troublesome article in stock. Dangerous at all times, difficult to ship with other goods, and refused by most railroads except on special days and under strict terms, they are a necessary evil and should be made to pay a good profit.
The manufacture of matches in the United States has been re duced to one giant stock company, known as the United States Match Association, into which all the factories are merged. The existing tax is a virtual protection to this company, as small makers could not compete under the present provisions of the law which provides for a large discount on sales of revenue stamps in quantities over $5,000, etc., and although the public and the grocer alike are ardently desirous that the tax shall be abolished, the match company urges its continuance. To maintain this monopoly the country pays a stamp tax of $3,000,000 per year. Its repeal, through opening the manufacture of matches to compe tition, would reduce their cost to the consumer more than one-half.
This is the only country in which matches are taxed for internal revenue purposes. The percentage of tax is greater than that on any other article. If this tax was abolished dealers could buy a case of matches for $1.35 instead of $4.20, the present price, the tax being $2.88.
The retention of the present match-box laws virtually lends government aid to the United States Match Association to enforce its monopoly of the match business by barring the small beginner, thereby closing competition. The repeal of the match tax cannot injure the legitimate profits of the match industry, nor will it seri ously affect the revenue of the government, but it will benefit the entire population.