Technikatörténeti szemle 22. (1996)

Papers from the Second International Conference on the History of Chemistry and Chemical Industry (Eger, Hungary, 16–19 August, 1995) - Vámos, Éva Katalin: Contributions to the History of the Association of Hungarian Chemical Industrials

pendent customs area. The Association made a detailed investigation into the opinions of the companies belonging to its sphere, which it forwarded in a bulky memorandum to Käroly Hieronymi, then minister of commerce. From this it became evident that even the interests of the branches of the chemical industry widely differed from each other. The fertilizer industry, the chemical manufacturing industry, the soda and bone processing industry, the rubber, vegetable oil, starch, wood-distillation and tanning materials industries took a stand on maintaining the union of customs areas. Creating an independent customs area was urged by the petroleum refining industry, the tar-board, the paint and varnish industries. At that epoch establishing of a Germano-Hungaro-Austrian economic union of customs areas was considered nationwide, and the Association took its share in the work of the Hungarian Centre of Customs Policy, which prepared this union. Within their own competence they discussed these questions also with the members of the Zentralverband der Chemischen und Metallurgischen Industrie Österreichs.

11 After World War I the independent customs law had to be created, in fact, out of necessity. In the wording of a contemporary: "The elaboration, wording and numerical foundation of the about 350-400 customs tariff rates of chemical character required two years of strenuous work the products not produced in the country and destined for further processing were made duty-free, on the other hand, efficient customs protection was assured to the competitive and duly developed branches of the chemical industry represented in the country." The customs system thus established came into force on January 1, 1925.

12 The Association often dealt with tax and transport questions. In the field of taxes they fought, in the first place, for assuring "exemption from taxes to the recently developed industrial branches and companies, respectively". Turnover and luxury taxes were introduced after World War I. As far as the luxury tax was concerned, the Association had to intervene mainly in the interests of the toilet soap as well as the cosmetics and perfume industries. From 1929 on a so-called tax-community system came into force and its administrative tasks were performed by the Association. Also during the 1930 economic crisis they intervened against the high taxes and high postal tariffs afflicting the industry and commercial life, respectively, to an increasing extent. The yearly report 1930 of the Association formulates as follows: "After the ever deepening crisis of agriculture also the crisis of the Hungarian industry spread extensively in the last year. Since the gradual recovery of the country's economic life following the war, our industry has not been in a similarly serious condition...". "...The troubles of industrial pro-