Fings Ain't Wot They Used To Be.

The article focuses on the U.S. chemicals industry as of 1969. It looks at the evolution of the industry from a high technology industry to a commodity industry, from a growth industry to a mature industry just as paper and aluminum industries have developed. According to the author, the industry and its executives still have to adapt themselves to the changes. It discusses problems of price instability and overcapacity in the industry that have weighed in on stocks of chemical companies. A chart is presented showing chemical sales as percent of Gross National Product (GNP) and return on equity of the industry from 1949 to 1968.