Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 111, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 May 1916 — METOL KEPT IN BANK VAULT [ARTICLE]

METOL KEPT IN BANK VAULT

Chemical Used by Photographers Has Become So Scarce That It Is Now Almost Priceless. Beloit, Wis. —Metol, one of the most needed ingredients in the developing of photographs, has become so scarce on the American market that a Beloit photographer has taken his supply to a safety deposit vault in a local bank. C. E. Wright, a local photographer, says that a short time ago he removed from its hiding place in his studio a package containing four pounds of the precious metol and took it to a bank. According to Mr. Wright, photographic supply companies gave their last quotation on metol more than two months ago and since then it has been practically impossible to obtain it. Before the European war metol was quoted at about $4 a pound. Its last quotation was $54 for the same quantity, and it is now estimated that the value of the stuff is increased to nearly SIOO. Other Beloit photographers are guarding their supplies of metol also. Those who had foresight laid in a stock of chemicals while the “laying up” was good. Advices to the photographic supply trade are to the effect that the prices of photographic paper and other materials essential to the business have advanced so that soon photographers will be forced to increase Jheir rates 100 per cent. Hydrochinon, a chemical which in time may have to be relied on entirely for developing has advanced from 62 cents to $7.90 per pound and potassium bromide is now quoted at $6.75 per pound, as against 39 cents before the war.