Word: hosing
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Dates: during 1940-1940
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Measures. British defense measures multiplied as necessity mothered invention. Someone discovered that, whereas a strong stream of water from a hose only spreads a fire ignited by incendiary bombs (thermite"), a gentle sprinkle from a stirrup pump with finely perforated nozzle, like a garden watering can, douses the incandescent particles instead of scattering them. All stores were soon sold out of stirrup pumps...
...described one of his experiments producing acetylene rubber. A Du Pont chemist heard him, started his company on the trail. With Nieuwland's collaboration Du Pont workers made a good rubbery material first called DuPrene, now neoprene, which is highly resistant to oil. Its dozens of uses include hose linings, gaskets, conveyor belts, rubber gloves, printing plates, refrigerator seals, hospital sheeting, sink scrapers...
Nationally advertised brands of nylon hose stuck to their opening prices of $1.15, $1.25 & $1.35 a pair. But nylon's Manhattan appearance touched off a price war on unbranded lines. It was started by Manhattan's big Macy's department store, which quoted the hose at $1.08 and $1.27. Bloomingdale's cut to $1.04 & $1.23. By mid-afternoon Macy's was down to 98∧ & $1.17, but Bloomingdale's stayed one cent under its competitor. For buyers, packed five deep at some hosiery counters, it was wonderful. Limited to two pairs apiece, they almost...
What helped the price war along was the action of Nylonmaker E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. in canceling minimum wholesale prices on the hose. Warned by recent U. S. Supreme Court rulings against Ethyl Gasoline Corp. and against twelve oil companies for fixing prices, Du Pont went further. The company waived all labeling requirements and announced that from now on any stocking maker could buy nylon yarn without a license...
...their chances of getting much of the synthetic yarn were slim. For the big Du Pont plant at Seaford, Del. can turn out in the next twelve months only enough yarn for about 5,000,000 dozen pairs of nylon stockings-10% of the annual women's silk hose demand. A second plant, now building, will not swing into full production for a year. Discouraging, too, to hosiery makers was the possibility of nylon's becoming a war material. Last week the U. S. Army was testing the yarn for use in making parachutes, powder bags...