>cT .A/fL .tit Buyers' Directory of The Rubber Trade PAGE XLIII. The BEST BUCKLES for ARCTICS „ ARE HADE BY THE WELD MFO. CO., 41 Lincoln Street, • • Boston. 1? RAIN COATS Must have this Circular Trade Mark stamped In inside of coat., kCRAVENETTE CQim-fti^ Edited by HENRY C. PEARSON— Offices. No. 150 Nassau Street, NEW YORK Yol. XXIX. No. 1. ^ " OCTOBER 1, 1903. 85 Cents a Copy. $8.00 Per Tear. THE ALDEN RUBBER CO., BflRBERTOfl RUBBER WORKS, t t HANUFACTURERS OF The MASTER KEY Rubber Tiling. Noiseless, Non Conducting. Non Slipping. The ideal floor for Offices, Banks, Vesti- bules, Elevators and especially for places where electrical cur- rents abound. Beautiful Color Effects. Designs Furnished. BICYCLE, AUTOMOBILE AND VEHICLE TIRES, HOSE, PACKING, VALVES. MOLDED Q00DS, FRUIT JAR RINGS. WHITE TUBING. THIS TRADE MARK GUARANTEES FULL VALUE t AKRON, OHIO and BARBERTON, OHIO, U.S.A. Akron Office, Arcade Block — Main Office and Works at Barberton LONG DISTANCE TEL.. AKRON EXCHANGE NO. 999. CABLE ADDRESS "ARCO AKRON." c H L O R I D E OP S U L P H u R AND BI- SUL- PHIDE OP CAR- BON. ! GEO. W. S P E A I a H T, 106 Fultoi St. N. Y, Mention the India iiubOer World when von write LAMPBLACKS especially for RUBBER MANUFACTURE. SAMUEL CABOT, BOSTON, MASS II THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦^♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦t HESE powerful and efficient machines are especially designed for the strong stitching, in long lengths, » of several plies of rubber, canvas or leather, and are extensively employed for the manufacture of ♦ BELTING used for power transmission; they can be used for sewing any kind of fabric, capable of ♦ needle- puncture, up to three-quarters of an inch in thickness. Several varieties are made, » but all are provided with Adjust- ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ I ! ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ n able Driven Feed-rolls which draw the material through Ad- justable Guides and under a flat or a roller-presser as may be desired. The Feed-rolls may be driven by either a clutch or a ratchet, the latter method being employed in the machine illus- trated. The extreme length of bed is thirty-two inches, the clear space on the bed from 'to 1— 1 -■ ■ ftr -^- ._jt n. needle to base of arm is nineteen _u',;;',;;',',:',',',,;',:^| :i'... .'...'.'. : ~^^matJffpss^^^^^^^S^imSSm Bk^^BBtL if inches. The machines will stitch to the centre of a belt 38 inches in width. Two forms of guide are made and the machines may be fitted with either as de- sired ; one form is arranged to slide on a round rod, the other is operated by means of a screw, as illustrated above. The Shuttle is of the oscillating-cylinder type provided with very large bobbin, having great capacity for coarse thread. Four varieties are made for making two parallel rows of stitching at once ; each carries two needles These machines are shown in practical operation at — SIHGER MACHDYE Ho. S-3 OPERATED BY MECHAKICAL POWER in one needle bar and is provided with two shuttles. NEW YORK. BROADWAY i PRINCE ST. TOLEDO. OHIO, 329 HURON ST BALTIMORE, II NO. CHARLES ST. CLEVELAND, 52 WATER ST. ST. LOUIS, 1124 OLIVE ST. KANSAS CITY. MO ., 1209 GRAND AVE. THE SINGER MANUFACTURING BOSTON, 128-132 ESSEX ST. CHICAGO, 260-262 FIFTH AVE. SALESROOMS IN EVERY CITY. TROY, N. Y., 251 RIVER ST. MILWAUKEE, WIS., 236 WATER ST. CO. INDIANAPOLIS, IND., 33 S. PENNSYLVANIA ST. ST. PAUL, 402 JACKSON ST. LOUISVILLE, KY . 706 JEFFERSON ST. ATLANTA, GA., 79 WHITEHALL ST. PHILADELPHIA, 1210 CHESTNUT ST. CINCINNATI, 115 WEST THIRD ST. b 444A44AA 4 r ▼▼▼▼▼▼▼▼ 1 ►♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ »♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ GOJJTIflEJlTALi TYRES, GOjNTIJIEjNTAIi JJECfilfllGMi RUBBER GOODS. CONTINENTAL CAOUTCHOUC & GUTTAPERCHA CO., Mention The India Rubber World when you write. Hanover, Germany. For General Compounding 'M.R." makes a perfect union with rubber. Prevents blistering, and the harsher action of free Sulphur. Absolutely acid proof. Has been used regularly by Rubber Hanufacturers for the past three years. t GEO. A. ALDEN & CO., Boston, Mass. v-v^-w^ -%^%^^%^%^%. v^/v^v* -a/%/^%/%/%. %^%/v%.'%'%.^%/%'%'%'%%'%'%/%/%'% -%.-%. v %-%.'%-'* ■«.'».^%.'%^%-%/% %-\ October i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD MR. COOKS REPORT ON RUBBER. Published on the 1st of each Month by THE INDIA RUBBER PUBLISHING CO. No. 150 NASSAU ST.. NEW YOBK. HENRY C. PEARSON, EDITOR. HAWTHORNE ASSOCIATE HI LL, Vol. 29. OCTOBER 1, 1903. No . 1. 8UB8OKIPTIONS : $3.00 per year, $1.76 for six months, postpaid, for the United States and Canada. Foreign countries, same price. Special Kates for Clubs of five, ten or more subscribers. Advertising: Kates will be made known on application. Remittances: Should always be made by bank draft, Post Office Order' or Express Money orders on New York, payable to The India Kubbek Publishing Company. Remittances for foreign subscriptions should be sent by International Post order, payable as above. Discontinuances : Yearly orders for subscriptions and advertising are regarded as permanent, and after the first twelve months they will be discontinued only at the request of the subscriber or advertiser. Bills are rendered promptly at the beginning of each period, and thereby our patrons have due notice of continuance. COPYRIGHT, 1903, B Y THE INDIA RUBBER PUBLISHING CO. Entered at New York Post Office as mail matter of the second-class. TABLE OF CONTENTS. p Editorial: Mr. Cook's Report on Rubber Foreign Enterprise In Brazil Some Conclusions Regarding Rubber Culture ... Orator F. 1 The Economy of Rubber Colors The Rubber Supply and Demand Rubber Prospects in the Amazon Country Uudolph Y.ulz A Comparison of Rubber Prices [ With Chart] Rubber Planting Interests [With Illustration of a' New Rubber Tapping Tool ] Rubber Hose and Compressed Air Work 9 [With Six Illustrations.] " Nomenclature of Rubber" Carl Otto Weber, rh.D. 11 The India-Rubber Trade in Great Britain Our Regular Correspondint 13 [Fires in Rubber Factories. Dr. Lewkowitsch. Rubber Balloons. India-rubber Solution. Waste Rubber. India-rubber Bellows. Mac- intosh Trade. Lawn Tennis Balls ] " Field Day " of the Apsley Rubber Co 15 [With Four Illustrations.] Recent Rubber Patents [American, British, German] ... 17 How "The Para Rubber Plantation Co." Works 19 The Inaccessible Casiquiare Luonel Gamier 20 [With Map.] New Goods and Specialties in Rubber (iilus'rafed) 22 Rubber Factory Appliances (Illustrated) 23 The Obituary Record 24 [With Portrait of Christopher Roberts.] Miscellaneous : A Rubber Factory Hospital (Illustrated) 4 Rubber Notes from Europe 4 Root Rubber from Nigeria It "Rubber from Corn Oil" ,,.. 12 So-called "Maujak" from Trinidad [ 12 Rubber Cement In Sboemaklng .....'. 12 India-Rubber Goods in Commerce !..".. 16 Some Facts Regarding Litnopone ....!...".!!. 32 News of the American Rubber Trade 25 The Trade in Akron Our Correspondent 28 Tires at the Boston Carriage Show Our Correspondent 30 The Textile Goods Market 31 Review of the Crude Rubber Market 32 A S the result of a preliminary study of rubber culture **■ in Guatemala and southern Mexico, Mr. O. F. Cook, of the botanical staff of the department of agriculture at Washington, has written a report* that merits careful study by all who are interested in the cultural production of rubber. These studies, which are not yet concluded — for Mr. Cook is already on a second visit to the southern country — are directed primarily to the question whether rubber planting is advisable for Porto Rico and the Philip- pines, in the economic development of which islands the Washington authorities now have a concern. It is recog- nized, however, in the preparation of this report, that it will have a more immediate and popular interest in con- nection with the subject of investments in rubber culture in nearer regions, by citizens of the United States, in re- gard to which the agricultural office has been in receipt of many inquiries. While the author does not presume to offer final conclu- sions, as a rule, his report does not thereby lack in interest and value, by reason of the many questions to which he gives consideration — problems of a practical nature that require solution before rubber culture can be regarded as having a fixed basis. Briefly, the report can be summa- rized as asserting that the practicability of the agricultural production of rubber has been demonstrated, but that it bids fair to become very profitable only under favorable natural conditions, and these conditions are as yet imper- fectly understood. The report is consistently conservative throughout, the author avowing that it is not his intention to discourage the rubber planter, or investors in planting companies, but merely to set forth the difficulties and uncertainties that beset rubber culture, from the desire that unnecessary mistakes be avoided. But from the remark that " many cultural mistakes are still made with plants that have been in domestication for thousands of years," it may be in- ferred that the starting of rubber plantations need not necessarily be deferred until the definite solution of all the problems bearing upon this subject which may occur to the scientific investigator. Indeed, the truth is to be ar- rived at only by persistent experimenting on a broader scale than has been afforded in botanical gardens, where the results obtained, according to Mr. Cook, " have at most but a local value and cannot be accepted as final." Rubber culture is not a new proposition, since its be- ginnings date back thirty years or more. With an an- nual plant, thirty years of experience should teach us much, but for dealing with long lived trees that period is short, and it need not be a matter of surprise that rubber cul- ture, in many respects, is still in an experimental stage. Most of the earlier attempts resulted in failure, which might have been predicted simply on the grounds of prob- ability, and many people concluded that the production *The Culture of the Central American Rubber Tree. By O. F. Cook, botan- ist in charge of investigation in tropical agriculture. (United States Department of Agricultnre Bureau of Plant Industry— Bulletin No, 49). Washington: Gov- ernment Printing Office. 1903. [8vo. Pp. 86 + iS plates.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. of rubber by planting trees was impracticable. On the other hand, when some success began to be achieved, the fact was too often taken for granted as a verifica- tion of the original estimates of yield and profits, in spite of some of these having been disavowed by their authors. The practicability of rubber culture having been established, non resident investors have been in- duced to take an interest in plantations, sometimes by too liberal promises of returns, and Mr. Cook's warning is that success and large profits are not assumed without the caution and discrimination required for other branches of agriculture and other lines of investment. To take up the more scientific features of this report, it is pointed that the essential requirements of Castilloa— the rubber tree specifically dealt with— yet require to be more fully known. Mr. Cook inclines to the view that it is not essentially a forest tree, but even if it were, it does not fol- low that it should be planted under the same conditions as in the wild state. Our cultivated plants generally have much better conditions than their wild relatives. Planting Cas- tilloa in the undisturbed forests he regards as clearly inad- visable ; but as to the proper degree of shade or its ab- sence, " each planter will need to use his best judgment in determining what local conditions require — - No gen- eral principles will determine what is best, because no one method is applicable everywhere." It has been found possible with many plants to increase the average percentage of starch, sugar, or oil through the planting of selected seed or cuttings, and Mr. Cook sug- gests the probability that a like result is possible in the case of rubber. There is, in the natural state, no uniform- ity in the yield of the rubber tree of any given species, nor is such uniformity to be looked for in planted rubber. There are conditions under which rubber trees may not yield any latex, whether wild or cultivated. These and other considerations suggest the importance of great care in planning a plantation of rubber, which at best re- quires years to become productive. Moreover, there is more than one species of Castilloa, and all are not of equal value as rubber producers. Clearly there is a wide field for scientific investigation, to demonstrate not only the proper location and other conditions for planting rubber trees, but also the best method of extraction of latex and preparation of the com- mercial product. Then the rubber planter may order his work with the same confidence of results that the farmer now feels in the case of the crops that long have been staple. But we venture to say that long before this state of things arrives, very much rubber will have been obtained from plantations. We might suggest that many of these problems relate equally to the extraction of' rubber in the forests, the total of which has now become enor- mous, without any assistance thus far from science. This is not by way of disparagement of such work as Mr. Cook is doing, however, which we welcome as promising results of great importance to the rubber planting interest. The rubber planting world, indeed, is to be congratulated upon a manifestation of interest in this subject by an in- stitution of the standing of our agricultural department. FOREIGN ENTERPRISE IN BRAZIL. ' I 'HE alien who, in seeking to supply the demand in his A own country for what is called " Para rubber," settles on the Amazon river to-day, places himself almost beyond the pale of civilization. If he acquires a so called rubber "concession" and the natives steal all his rubber, render- ing his investment fruitless, the laws of the Amazon states leave him without redress. In case of any legal dispute, such as may arise under the laws of any civilized country, the outsider, under the legal codes in force on the Amazon, may as well consider himself non suited in advance. Now it is not intimated here that the common law of England — the basis of the jurisprudence of largely by far the greater part of the rubber consuming world of to day — should be recognized on the Amazon. But the states in that region must recognize the potency of some European code of law antedating their existence as states, guarantee- ing the rights of individuals and the sanctity of contracts. If they do not, the necessity remains for nations based upon principles of modern civilization to regard the com- munities on the Amazon as not yet having attained to an equal status with them. Within a few decades past, capital from other than Bra- zilian sources has been invested — and on a large scale — in rubber estates under Brazilian control. The failure to realize a large production of rubber must be ascribed either (1) to deception on the part of the Brazilian ven- dors ; (2) to the robbery of the purchased estates, without protection from Brazilian laws ; or (3) to a lack of business acumen on the part of the foreign investors. It happens, by the way, that, regardless of the small shipments by the foreign investors, the total exports from the districts re- ferred to have amounted to the normal figure ; besides, it would be somewhat singular if Anglo-American invest- ments should prove unsuccessful only on the Amazon and its tributaries. What should be regarded as a higher aim for statesman- ship in Grao Pari and Amazonas than the utmost devel- opment of the trade in rubber in those regions ? How many holders of the suffrage in the two states named are prepared to contribute capital for the exploitation of rub- ber therein ? What does the Brazilian, properly so called, to develop what is thus far the most important eco- nomic interest along the Amazon ? Nothing. Hence the desirability of encouraging the investment of capital there by outsiders. So long as North America and Europe are prepared to pay liberally for the chief product of the Ama- zon states it is most unreasonable that their citizens should continue to be treated as brigands while attempting to do business on that river. The most palpably dishonest advertising we remem- ber to have seen has been carried on for several months past, on a vast scale, purporting to solicit subscriptions to the capital stock of a company formed to trade in rubber in Vene- zuela. We have assumed that not all of the persons advertised as officials of this company have been aware of how the public was being deceived in their name, and now that the advertising has ceased, we may say that in exposing the swindle this Journal October i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD has not intended any attack upon any individual who may have been connected with the business. But the incident should serve as a warning to honest men generally to be more careful about lending their names to the promotion of stock selling schemes. SOME CONCLUSIONS REGARDING RUBBER CUL- TURE. BY ORATOR F. COOK.* THE culture of the Central American rubber tree has passed the experimental stage in the sense that the prac- ticability of the agricultural production of rubber has been demonstrated, but on the other hand it has been ascertained that the tree may thrive where it will yield little or no rubber. Under favorable natural conditions the culture of Caslilja elastica bids fair to become very profitable, but the experi- mental determination of the factors which influence the pro- duction of rubber has scarcely begun. [The spelling Costilla, instead of Castilloa, has been adopted at Washington, on ac- count of its being the original form.] In southern Mexico and Central America the regions well adapted to the culture of Castilla are much more limited than has been supposed. The presence of wild Castilla trees is not a sufficient evidence that a locality is suited to commercial rubber culture. Differences in the yield of rubber are not due merely to the existence of different species and varieties of Castilla, but are also controlled by external conditions. The functions of the rubber milk in the economy of the plant are not well understood or agreed upon by botanists, but there are numerous reasons for holding that in Castilla and many other plants it aids in resisting drought. A continuously humid climate is not necessary to the growth and productiveness of Castilla ; the indications are rather that the quantity of milk and the percentage of rubber are both in- creased by an alternation of wet and dry seasons. In its wild state Castilla does not flourish in the denser for- ests, but requires more open situations. It is confined to forest regions only by the perishability of its seeds. Castilla thrives better when planted in the open than in the dense forests ; even young seedlings are not injured by full ex- posure to the sun, providing that the ground does not become too dry. The planting of Castilla under shade or in partially cleared forests is to be advised only on account of special conditions or as a means of saving labor and expense. The loss of the leaves in the dry season may be explained as a protection against drought, and does not indicate conditions unfavorable to the tree or to the production of rubber. The falling of the leaves of Castilla elastica in the dry season renders it unsuitable as a shade tree for coffee or cacao. In continuously humid localities where the leaves are retained shade trees are superfluous and the yield of rubber declines. The desirable features of shade culture, the shading of the soil, and the encouragement of tall upright trunks, are to be se- cured by planting the rubber trees closer together rather than by the use of special shade trees. Planting closer than 10 feet, however, is of very doubtful expediency. The percentage of rubber increases during the dry season and diminishes during the wet. The flow of milk is lessened in dry situations by inadequate water supply, but at the beginning of the rains such trees yield milk much more freely than those of continuously humid localities. The claim that more rubber is produced in the forest or by shaded trees seems to rest on tapping experiments made in the dry season. Continuous humidity being unnecessary, the culture of Cas- tilla may be undertaken in more salubrious regions than those to which rubber production has been thought to be confined ; the experimental planting of Castilla in Porto Rico and the Philippines becomes advisable, but extensive planting in untried conditions is hazardous. No satisfactory implement for the lapping of Castilla trees has come into use. Boring and suction devices are excluded by the fact that the milk is contained in fine vertical tubes in the bark, which must be cut to permit the milk to escape. In British India it has been ascertained that the Pari rubber tree may be repeatedly tapped on several successive or alter- nate days by renewing the wounds at the edges. The yield of milk increases for several tappings and the total is unexpect- edly large. It is not yet known whether multiple tapping is practicable with Castilla, or whether this new plan may not give the Para rubber tree a distinct cultural advantage over Castilla. The gathering of rubber from trees less than eight years old is not likely to be advantageous; the expense of collecting will be relatively large, and the quality of such rubber is inferior, owing to the large percentage of resin. The rubber of Castilla is scarcely inferior to that of Hevea. The supposed inferiority is due to substances which can be removed from the milk by heat and by dilution with water. THE ECONOMY OF RUBBER COLORS. ♦These paragraphs form the concluding chapter of a late publication by the United States department of agricuhure, of whch a review appears on another page of this Journal. — The Editor. EVERY one familiar with the use of dry pigments in rub- ber compounding has noted the remarkable differences, at any given price per pound, in the coloring effect obtainable from colors of the same designation. The variations in this regard are often so great that a serious question of economy is involved in making a selection. Most of the dry colors used in rubber work are not chemi- cally inert, like the ordinary fillers, barytes, silica, whiting, and asbestine, and therefore should not be used beyond the amounts necessary to produce the desired color. The strongest pig- ment — that is, the one capable of yielding the greatest coloring effect, at a given price per pound — is invariably the one to use. The various grades of color of the same maker are graded in coloring quality to correspond with the prices asked, but be- tween two makers of ostensibly the same goods there is not in- frequently a variation in coloring value of several hundred per cent., when compared by " money equivalent weight." By this term is meant the amount of each color purchasable for a given sum. The strength of a pigment, or its ability to impart its color when mixed in a rubber compound, depends principally on its degree of fineness. Each particle of pigment, however finely divided, has the same color quality as every other particle in the same pigment, and consequently the greater number of par- ticles in a given bulk the larger the amount of material to which the pigment can impart its color. In other words, the more finely ground the pigment, the more adulteration or dilu- tion it can stand. Every color should thus be reduced to im- palpable fineness. Whetherthis has been done or not with any sample is easily determined by rubbing a pinch of the material between the thumb nails. The slightest amount of grit can quickly be detected in this manner. The "relative economy of two pigments is simply ascertained THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. by a color comparison based on money equivalent weight. This weight is determined for any lot of samples under consid- eration by calculating how much of each is obtainable at some given price, generally the lowest quotation being selected as this price. The calculated amounts are carefully weighed on a sensitive scale. One weighing to grains is sufficiently accu- rate. Uniform amounts of white lead paste ground in oil are next weighed, one for each color sample, and placed at conve- nient distances apart on a sheet of glass. With an ordinary spatula or palette knife each money equivalent weight of color is thoroughly mixed with one of the portions of white lead. In this way a series of tinted leads will be obtained with color suf- ficiently diluted to show plainly the variations in strength of the original pigments. To express the differences quantita- tively all the samples must be brought to the same tint by the addition of weighed amounts of lead to the stronger samples, and the percentage variation determined with reference to one sample as standard. The following example will serve to illustrate the method of figuring an actual test : Two oxides of iron, A and B, are to be compared ; A costs 6 cents per pound and B 8 cents. The money equivalent weights will therefore be for A 4 parts and for B 3 parts for the same money. Weigh out samplesof A and B in these proportions — say 20 grains of A and 15 grains of B— and thoroughly mix each of these samples with one ounce of white lead paste. Supposing that sample B when so mixed is still strongly enough colored to require one ounce more of lead to match mixture A, it follows that B is 100 per cent, stronger on the basis of money equivalent weight. In other words, a pound of B at 8 cents will do as much coloring as two pounds of A cost- ing I2cents — oranactual saving in favor of the higher priced color by reducing the amount re- quired. This illustra- tion is a very moderate instance of the actual differences in value observable in practice. In the case of blacks the variations are frequently enormous. It should be noted that by preparing a color card from each sample tested, a permanent record of the colors may be ob- tained. Such cards, carefully marked, with date and notes of the test, will prove a valuable help in maintaining the grade of goods desired. Every reputable color dealer will welcome comparisons of his goods based on " money equivalent weights" as explained above. The ease, accuracy, and profit with which these tests can be made should bring them to the favorable consideration of every factory superintendent. is now a permanent part of the works of the Hood Rubber Co., at Watertown, Massachusetts. The hospital is equipped with everything in the way of instruments, bandages, lint, and anti- septics that the treatment of sprains, bruises, cuts, or fractures may demand. In addition, there is a good stock of the reme- dies usual to dispensary practice. The room, besides the usual electric lights, has two large arc lights, an electric water heater, a surgeon's operating table, and various minor applian- ces. A careful record of all cases treated is kept, the number for the first eight months of 1903 being 1778. Not only is the hospital useful in accident cases, but it has been found most valuable in determining and stamping out contagious diseases. For example, within a twelvemonth both diphtheria and Ger- man measles were detected. The cases were at once isolated and the diseases eradicated before having a chance to become epidemic. A competent physician is in charge of the hospital and the work he has done is much appreciated by both the company and their 2300 employes. RUBBER NOTES FROM EUROPE. A RUBBER FACTORY HOSPITAL. A RUBBER FACTORY HOSPITAL. ALTHOUGH few very serious accidents occur in rubber factories, there are a great many minor ones, particu- larly where a large force is employed. The prompt treatment of such accidents not only obviates much suffering, but is a definite time and money saver. The illustration shows a cor- ner of the emergency hospital that, started as an experiment, THE TIRE SITUATION IN GERMANY. A WRITER in the Gummi Zeiiung on the tire situation mentions that orders for bicycle tires generally are placed with the factories during the autumn months. Last autumn no one could have foreseen the ad- vance which has taken place in the cost of^crude rubber — amounting to 33 X 3 per cent, at the time the article was written — and manufacturers in consequence have not found their business re- munerative. Already the tire business yielded only small profits, since the decline in the prices of bicycles, due in part to overproduction, had imparted a certain de- pression to tire prices. In accepting orders for 1904 the rubber manu- facturers will be forced to ask higher prices, not only because of the increased cost of rubber, but because of the advance in cotton fabrics as well. The Gummi-Zeiiung writer counsels tire manufacturers not to permit the higher cost of materials to tempt them to lower their standards of quality. It would be desirable, he says, if manufacturers of bicycles should demand higher prices for their output, to correspond with the higher cost of rubber products, though he fails to point out what influ- ence the rubber trade can have in this direction. But it is in- teresting to hear from bicycle manufacturers and dealers that their experience with cheap tires has been very unsatisfactory, which fact may be helpful to the tire manufacturers in their in- sistence upon maintaining the quality of tires. GREAT BRITAIN. George R. Brown & Co., 3. Jewry street, Aldgate, E. C, London, have arranged to represent the Northern Rubber Co., of Retford, Notts, England, in the sale of their mechanical rub- ber goods in the London trade. Mr. Brown began his connec- tion with the trade at an early age, in the employ of the North British Rubber Co., Limited. October i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD THE RUBBER SUPPLY AND DEMAND. ANY material decline in crude rubber prices must result from a wider margin than now exists between supply and demand. In other words, there must be (1) a check to the rubber industry, or (2) an increased pro- duction of the raw material. The first condition, of course, no one wishes to see, besides which no reason is apparent for pre- dicting its occurrence in the near future. Then what is the outlook for more rubber? An encouraging fact is that the production of Para rubber has been steadily progressive from the beginning. The total exports from the Amazon river amounted in 1864 to only 7,840,000 pounds, and in the 38 years since only in eight cases has it happened that the output in any one year failed to show an increase over the preceding crop. In 1902 the figure was 62,809,500 pounds, and the trade in general looks for as much rubber this year. To take the last ten crop seasons (July to June) the rate of increase or decrease in the yearly arrivals at Para has been as follows : 1893-94 +3 9 '•' 1894 95 —13 * 1895-96 +7-8 % 1896 97 +6.4 % 1897-98 — 0.03 Ji 1898 99 +14. 1899 00 + 5-3 190001 +3-5 1901-02 +85 1902-03 — 0.35 No study of statistics or conditions has yet revealed any law of increase or decline in production in this field, or a basis for prediction in any year. Two years ago an important Liverpool firm staked their reputation on a prediction that the next Para crop would show a shortage of 20 per cent., and that the price would go to \s. 6d. The crop actually showed a gain of 8^ per cent., and at the end of the season Para rubber was selling at about 3.T. The general attitude of merchants and traders on the Amazon is that of never expecting short crops, the reasons for which are well set forth on another page of this Journal by a Para merchant of long experience. Some criticism has been elicited by the article by Mr. Paul Cibot, reprinted in the last India Rubber World from a French source, relative to the extinction of wild Hevea rubber, which he regards as an ultimate, though not imminent, cer- tainty. Mr. Cibot has been a careful observer, for the last seven years, of rubber conditions on the rio B6ni, and his views are entitled to respect, though the experience of the state of Para would suggest that in Bolivia, as in the lower Amazon region, the collection of rubber will continue even after the period of the richest yield of the trees is past. Long as the rubber fields of Grao Pard have been worked, they now yield more rubber than ever before. The annual increase was rapid until, in 1893, the crop reached 8000 and some hundred tons, at which figure it remained for six years, the upriver out- put, from virgin fields, meanwhile increasing 25 per cent. Lat- terly the exports from Para state have increased to over 10,000 tons, due probably to some extension of the area worked, as well as more judicious treatment of the trees. The Para out- put is now being increased some by the discovery in that state of Caucho, the receipts of which last season were 310 tons, against 85 tons the year before, and almost nothing pre- viously. A correspondent at Para writes, bearing upon the continu- ous yield of old rubber estates : " Only a comparatively small percentage of the rubber trees on any estate are worked. There are always plenty of fresh trees near the estradas, and if the manager of the sen'ngal'is a man of enterprise (which is by no means likely to be the case) he will search out and tap new trees as fast as the old ones die out, and this will keep up his quantity for an unlimited time. The life of a rubber tree which is tapped every season will not be more than 40 years, and when the work is not carefully or judiciously done, the tree will die out in less than half that time. For this reason it is plain to be seen that new rubber fields must be opened from time to time." The Amazon exports include of course, the grades of rub- ber known as Caucho, obtained from other trees than the Hevea species. From all accounts it appears that the collection of Caucho involves the destruction of the tree, so that new fields must constantly be sought by the caucheros, for which reason a falling off in the supply has long been looked for. The India Rubber World (October 1, 1901) has published an exhaustive study of the rubber production of Colombia, which, after reach- ing a very large figure, has declined to almost nothing. That rubber is of the class marketed as Caucho. The caucheros moved from Colombia to Ecuador and thence to Peru, every- where exhausting the sources of supply. The trade in this rub- ber in Iquitos for awhile was very large, but it has now declined until business generally at that port is in a depressed condition. And yet Caucho continues to come to market, because of new areas being opened to exploitation. The decline so long ex- pected has not yet begun, unless it is to be seen in the fact that the export through Pari last year was smaller than in the pre- ceding year; the totals for several years having been : Years. United Stales. Europe. Total. 1888 kilos 643,992 423,200 1,067,192 1892 .... 930,225 735,067 1,665,292 1897 858.839 1,214.173 2,073,012 1901 1.325,290 2.638,599 3,963,889 1902 I>I33.I55 2,057,222 3,190,377 Certainly the limit of this large production must be reached in time, for the whole of the Caucho producing district, just as has occurred already in Colombia, Ecuador, and an important portion of Peru, after which the reliance for uncultivated rubber in America must be the Hevea trees of the Amazon region — the only rubber species that, in the wild state, is not destroyed in the extraction of its product. The falling off of the rubber output of every important field thus far worked in Africa has been referred to often in The India Rubber World, and though new fields are opened from time to time, the total output is smaller now than it was a few years ago. The statistical summaries supplied by Hecht, Levis & Kahn (Liverpool) indicate that the yearly receipts of rubber at the leading markets of the world have been distribut- ed as follows : Season. Pari sorts. Other sorts. Total. 1898-99 tons 23,329 26,818 50,147 1899-OO 24,422 26,655 51,077 1900-OI 25,255 25,224 50,479 1901-02 27,171 22,888 50,059 1902-03 27,446 25,713 53,159 It would thus seem that the yearly receipts of Para sorts have increased at a steady, though not regular rate, the figure being larger by 17.6 per cent, last year than for 1898-99. On the other hand, the highest figure for all other sorts combined was reached five years ago, since which time the yearly aver- age of such receipts has been about 1700 tons less than for the season 1898-99. There was a time when the world's consumption of rubber 6 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD- [October i, 1903. was supplied almost wholly from Para. Then the Indian and African sources were developed, until their production ex- ceeded that of the Amazon regions. During five years past, however, according to the figures in the preceding table, the percentage of other than Pard grades in the combined receipts in the markets, has been as follows : 1898-99. 1899-00. 1900-01. 1901-02. 1902-03. 53.4 £ 52.1 £ 50 # 45-7 £ 48.3 £ To sum up: Para grades again form the larger half of the world's supply. The rate of increase in the Para output seems likely to be less rapid in future, especially as that output com- prises Caucho — a grade destined to practical extinction. Madagascar and Assam sorts are practically gone, as are sev- eral West African sorts, and even the Congo output grows less rather than larger. It is possible that some of the unworked districts may be opened more speed ily than now seems likely, but it now appears entirely safe to regard the limit of the world's rubber production, as a whole, as more nearly reached than at any time in the past. This condition does not inspire any hope of lower prices, to say the least. RUBBER PROSPECTS IN THE AMAZON COUNTRY. BEING asked to favor The India Rubber World with his views on the future of the supply of Para rubber, Mr. Rudolph A. Zietz, of Para, who is at present in New York, expressed himself as follows : " I do not believe, as far as human judgment can foresee, that the output of rubber of all species, from the territory drained by the Amazon river and its tributaries, will ever be permanently ' short.' On the contrary, I believe more in esti- mating an average yearly increase, though not at the same ratio as in the last 25 years, during which it has risen from about 7000 to 30,000 tons. It is likely that in some years the crop may show a small shortage, but it will be counterbalanced by a larger crop in the following years. This gradual and steady — but from now on slower — increase will be the natural conse- quence of the constant opening up of new regions, the exten- sion of facilities for transportation, and improving sanitary conditions along the Amazon. The quicker and better means of communication are enabling people to protect themselves more against the climatic conditions, and to hurry away in case of sickness. "In a good many of the rubber districts permanent settle- ments of rubber collectors have developed, and they are be- coming acclimated and learning to brave the peculiar hard- ships of life there. The work of collecting rubber can be done with comparatively fewer people to-day than formerly. I do not believe that the supply of new rubber hunters by immigra- tion will be larger than heretofore. It is claimed that the ma- terial available from the north Brazilian states, willing or able to endure the privations of life in rubber gathering, cannot be materially increased, and as to the Indians, the principal reli- ance in the remote districts, I do not think that additional forces worth speaking of can be obtained. However, this ques- tion of labor, in view of the sanitary and other improvements stated above, will not to any extent interfere with the natural increase of the annual output. " I do not doubt that in the course of time enthusiastic prophets will arise, predicting all sorts of things about very large or small crops, to further their own speculative ideas and interests, and by doing so disturb the course of the consuming markets. I may for instance cite the prophecies for the crop year of 1901-02. Some people predicted a very small crop — as much as 20 per cent, shortage. These prophecies were plausi- bly based on the presumption that the severe financial crisis at that time existing in Pard and Mandos (a natural reac- tion following senseless overtrading and other commercial er- rors) would interfere with supplying the necessities of life to the rubber gatherers, to the extent that work in some districts would have to be abandoned. Well, it turned out that the 1901-02 crop surpassed the previous crop by about 8 per cent. Those prophets had not taken into consideration that a great portion of none too honest rubber gatherers, who had been working under masters, apparently abandoned their territory without delivering to its owners the rubber they had gathered, but in some way the rubber found its way to market. " The proper control of the labor at some interior points is an impossibility. Many of the poor ignorant gatherers cannot withstand the temptation of making what they consider a for- tune in a short time, without paying any attention to the wrong they do to their masters, who advanced the necessaries of life to them in good faith. Many aviadores (merchants who do the trading in the interior) who were largely indebted to the Pard and Mandos merchants were, in consequence of not get- ting the expected rubber, unable to meet their obligations, and thus assisted in causing the financial crisis. I feel convinced that all available rubber trees, worth tapping, were tapped, and will always be tapped. "After the time, many years ago, when rubber ceased to be exported in the shape of shoes, the state of Pard was the first to inaugurate the collecting of rubber on a large scale and ex- porting it in its present shape. In the course of time Pard has been far surpassed in the quantity of output by the state of Amazonas and other upriver districts. Almost the whole state of Par has now been explored, and consequently the output of rubber from this quarter will remain more or less stationary, though it may yet show a slight increase, independent of the fact that the year 1902 showed an exceptionally large output for Pard state. But the upriver districts will be the great factor in the gradual general increase of the output of rubber from the Amazons. In a good many districts in Pard the rubber trees have become exhaused and abandoned, but as the Almighty is the best friend of Brazil, I suppose that new trees will ap- pear in time, and that the now abandoned districts may be reopened. " When the whole rubber area of the upriver regions, un- doubtedly containing many virgin districts, has been fully de- veloped and explored, many trees will be abandoned or ex- hausted, just as is the case in the state of Pard. One hopeful feature is that people are endeavoring to take better care of the trees and give them a ' rest' now and then, and introduce better systems of rubber gathering. Whether rubber planta- tions will ever be successfully established or whether the Bra- zil's paternal government will try, in its own interest, through wise and practical advice, to stimulate the slumbering energy and good common sense of its obedient and docile, but intimi- dated subjects, is hard to say. The good people on the Ama- zon are too much accustomed to shutting their eyes and trust- ing in Providence. " You might quote the opinion of a clever and patriotic Bra- zilian politician, expressed at Rio de Janeiro many years ago, of the character of his own countrymen : October i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD Comquanto nos estejamosaccordados o paiz atraze 2 passos, no nosso somno Deus, mesmo contra a nossa vontade, nos puxa para deante 3. [meaning in English : Whilst we are wide awake during the day, our country goes back two steps, but when asleep God pushes it against our own will three steps ahead.] " Thus nature will push the rubber output of the gigantic, beautiful, and marvelously favored Amazonas, and if it fails in one corner it will be made up in another, and with it the whole rubber business will go ahead in Brazil, giving to everybody concerned a chance to make money, or lose it. In any event, I am convinced that for many years to come Brazil will be able to furnish large quantities of rubber, unsurpassed in qual- ity by the product of any other country and perhaps not ap- proached by any." A COMPARISON OF RUBBER PRICES. THE diagram on this page, indicating the fluctuations in the price of Para rubber for the past eighteen years, is based upon a record of the highest New York price- month by month. It may possess a historical interest, showing as it does at a glance the course of the market during a longer period than most persons who will see this page have been concerned about the price of rubber. But any attempt to analyze the causes of the fluctuations here outlined, particu- larly with a view to propounding some law governing the mar- ket, is met by some very inconvenient obstacles. The size of stocks regulates prices less directly than might be supposed. Stocks of Para rubber in the United States and Europe — not counting supplies at ParA and afloat — on Decem- ber 31 of each year have averaged about 3,000,000 pounds. The smallest stocks for the end of any year were reported in 1S95 (1,765,000 pounds), at which date the highest quotation for Para sorts was only 78 cents. The largest stocks (5.000,000 pounds, at the end of 1901) were coincident with prices about 6 cents higher. The highest prices shown in the chart were reached at a time when stocks were considerably above the average. The lowest price, however (in 1889), belongs to a period of low stocks. The rate of consumption — something not always easily esti- mated at the time — must also be taken into account. For the years of industrial depression in the United States, in the early '90S, the chart shows a low average of prices. The more recent decline was aided by the failure of a New York importing house, which exposed an unsuspected surplus of rubber, and was coincident with depression in the industry in some European countries. No condition of stocks will lead to high prices when the buying demand is light. Yet, on the whole, the law of supply and demand does operate in regard to rubber the same as every other commodity, and the most recent advance is not sur- prising in view of the admitted short supplies in every market in the world. The high prices of 1890-91 were attributed at the time to, speculative manipulation, managed during the latter part of the period by Vianna, of Para, though his activity really was mani- fested too late for him to realize any profits. Every consider- able advance, by the way, is charged by consumers to specula- tion, though evidence generally has been lacking that the world's supplies have been largely held by any one interest. Just now an English firm are widely reputed (in this country) to be pursuing a policy in raising rubber prices which their competitors have not strongly attempted to oppose. But English authorities, on the other hand, insist that the prevail- ing prices are not speculative, but due to the unusually small supplies, coupled with a heavy consuming demand and uncer- tainty as to the future. The highest prices ever reached, however — $1.20 in 1882 — were due wholly to the first speculative movement engineered by Vianna at Para. He did have a virtual monopoly for awhile and controlled the market as has never been done since, but the pSiod of extreme prices was very brief. CENTS 1886 1887 1838 1889 1890 1891 1893 1893 1891 1895 189G 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 110 10s 106 101 102 100 OS 96 91 92 00 88 86 81 82 80 78 76 71 72 70 68 66 64 62 fl / k K iV A / A V Ml f / / v / / A f / r' A \ { 1 A \ A A \ M A M \ n / V \ \ n l\ \ \,i / 1 I / \ 1 r / / \ n \ \ / 1 \ /\ J \ A / ' \ /\ t\ n \ \ A / \ A r l\ / \J \) V \ / \f \n \ t / V / \J V \t J V \ / / U i V V \ / v\ / \ PARA RUBBER PRICES FOR EIGHTEEN YEARS (BASED ON HIGHEST NEW YORK PRICE IN EACH MONTH.) 8 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. RUBBER PLANTING INTERESTS. PLANTING "PARA RUBBER" IN MEXICO. TO the Editor of The India Rubber World: You will find from the enclosure that we are executing an order of 100.000 Hevea Brasiliensis seeds for Mexico. Our seeds are guaranteed 75 percent, to germinate. Besides this, we are executing a large number of orders from Sumatra, Guatemala, Cuba, Java, Fiji, and other parts of the world for both seeds and plants of Hevea. The highest award was given to Para rubber prepared by a native from our Kola estate last week, at the Agri- Horticultural show held at the government tropical garden at Heneratgoda. Out of many va- rieties of rubber yielding trees and creepers cultivated in Cey- lon up to the present time Para rubber turned out as the most profitable and the best adapted variety in all respects, answer- ing to soil, climate, etc., from the sea level up to elevations of 3000 feet and over and cultivation extending yearly. Yours faithfully, J. p. william & brothers. Heneratgoda, Ceylon, July 13, 1903. [Enclosed in the above communication is a copy of a letter signed W. P. Pinkham, manager of the Plantacion Ubero, in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, stating that this company had de- cided to plant 100 acres in Hevea Brasiliensis during this year. The letter mentioned that from planting 52 seeds of this spe- cies, somewhat old, six weeks prior to writing, the writer had fifteen good seedlings about 6 inches high. The letter was fol- lowed by a telegram to Messrs. William, dated July 8, ordering 100,000 seeds.] * * • The Singapore Agricultural Bulletin (July, 1903) contains the following : " As Para rubber seeds have the reputation of very quickly losing their vitality, the following extracts from a letter from Mr. J. C. Harvey of Vera Cruz, Mexico, will, no doubt, be read with interest : You will perhaps be interested to know, that of the twenty seeds of Hevea Brasiliensis you so kindly sent me, I have now fourteen thrifty plants a foot high. I feel very proud of them. The matter is worthy of record, as undoubtedly they are the first plants ever raised in Mexico. " These seeds were from the Para rubber trees growing in the economic section of the botanic gardens. They left Singapore on February 12, 1903, and arrived in Mexico on May 3." EXPORTS OF CULTIVATED RUBBER FROM CEYLON. Our record has now been brought up to August 17 last, to which date, since the beginning of the year, the official state- ment of exports of the product of Ceylon rubber plantations amounted to 26,413 pounds. The total output in 1902 was 21,- 168 pounds, and in 1901 only 7392 pounds. At the London auction on September 4, several packages of " Para rubber" from Ceylon sold at 4s. 6%d. to 4s. %%d., being equal to $1.10 and %\.\y/i respectively. On the same date fine upriver Para two years old sold only at 41. 47°3 45 Total $62,561.90 Total, United States currency 27,703.83 A dividend was declared, payable September 1, equal to 14% per cent, on the outstanding stock of the company. The num- ber of $100 shares sold had been 3392, amounting to $339,200, but only so much of the capital ranks for dividend as has been paid in. R. P. Probasco retired as director, E. J. Hahn being elected instead. Milo D. Campbell, mayor of Coldwater, Mich- igan, was elected by the stockholders to inspect the plantation as their representative. A NEW RUBBER TAPPING TOOL. The machete, or cutlass, unless in the hands of one very skil- ful in its use, is not an ideal tool with which to tap a rubber tree. All of the planters appreciate this, and many attempts have been made to invent something that shall be cheap, strong, simple, and practical. The illustration shows a tool of English make that is now being tested on the rubber plantations in Mexico and in the East. The knife, which has its socket with- in the handle, can by a screw arrangement be quickly set to project beyond the guard any distance up to an inch and a half. The blade is of a good quality of steel, and the handle of gray cast iron strongly riveted. [Thomas Christy & Co., 25 Lime street, London.] MEXICAN PLANTATION NOTES. The Vera Cruz Development Co. (Canton, Ohio), develop- ing " La Esmeralda " plantation, in Vera Cruz, report the pay- ment of a 4 per cent, dividend for the first six months of this year, in addition to 7 per cent, paid December 1, 1902, which was from the first year's production of " short crops." = H. M. Moritz, administrador of the " Obispo " rubber plan- tation at Tuxtepec, under Maxwell Riddle, treasurer of the Obispo company, is a Scotchman by birth and ancestry, who, after an experience with fruit growing and cattle ranching in California, settled in Mexico, where he acquired a practical knowledge of Spanish and much facility in handling native la- bor before joining the " Obispo " forces. = Mr. E. H. Switzer, secretary of the United Tropical Plant- ers' Association of Mexico, is in the United States for a brief visit. = The Tehuantepec Rubber Culture Co. have planted this season 630 acres to rubber seed, at stake, in addition to their large planting last year. October i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 9 RUBBER HOSE AND COMPRESSED AIR WORK. IT is said that the largest single contract ever let in the world for construction was the subway railroad system now near- ing completion in New York city. It comprised the most comprehensive system of rapid transit ever devised. For present purposes it is unnecessary to refer to the details and mag- that under old methods required a gang of men. It can be taken up a smokestack or inside a boiler; for work on ship- board or upon tanks it is incomparable. The rubber hose will allow it to be placed anywhere that it is needed. Even more important than the punch, however, is the rivet- nitudeof this work, but it is amatterof interest to knowthata ing hammer. Its convenience and speed, and the superiority of vast portionof the work hasbeen achieved bytheuse of pneuma- its work, make one marvel how iron woik was ever accom- tic machinery and that the contractor, Mr. John B. McDonald, plished without it. It works with equal facility upon the top has referred to compressed air as " an indispensable adjunct to framework of a twenty story skyscraper and in the tunnel being the construction of the subway." It was found early in the ex- driven under a river. The use of the substantial rubber hose perience of the contractors, that steam was unsatisfactory as a makes it safe and reliable anywhere. The power can be gen- motive power from the fact that the many steam boilers each erated at some point convenient to fuel and water but the work involved an expensive licensed engi- neer and further, that the losses by condensation greatly reduced the pres- sure and interfered with efficiency. Compressed air has however been made easily applicable by a few first class compressing plants and the liberal use of superior rubber hose. No work ever undertaken has more thoroughly dem- onstrated the advantages of pneumatic machinery and its ready application over extended areas. The work upon the New York sub- way is merely cited as an illustration. Except for the use of pneumatic ma- chinery the cost of that construction would have been vastly greater and the time necessary for its completion much longer. It is only one instance, however, of the application of such machinery. It is a recognized feature now of all construction where iron is the material handled. The clatter of the pneumatic riveting hammer is heard continuously upon every modern build- ing during the construction of the steel frame and upon every steel bridge. In the shipyard and in the machine shop the pneumatic tool likewise has be- come indispensable. The pneumatic punch which is now in general use. prepares the plates at beams for the rivets and hammer. This implement, in itself, is a revelation in air iron working. The old method in use, where high power hy- draulic or steam punches were utilized, required heavy ma- chinery for conveying iron along underneath the punch. Ac- cording to the weight of the beam or plate this was heavy labor, required considerable power and the services of a number of workmen. The pneumatic punch is a small implement, weigh- ing sometimes not more than 28 pounds. It is easily swung from a crane, can be placed anywhere in any position and one man or boy can manipulate it. It works rapidly, and more accurately than a power punch because it can be exactly placed. One workman can accomplish many times the amount of work in a given time is done just the same no matter how inconvenient the spot. For binding the plates of ships, for boilers, and for all work requiring closeness of joint it is incomparably superior. The secret of good workmanship in this character of employment is to head the rivet before it has time to cool. The contraction of the cooling process itself then binds tighter than any power has been able to do. Under the old system of the hand hammer the most expert workmen could not head the rivet in less than from twenty to thirty seconds and the rivet had cooled when the work was done. With the pneumatic hammer less than five seconds are sufficient and cooling process comes after the head is on, holding the surfaces together like a hydraulic press. One man does bet- ter work in five seconds than two for- merly performed in thirty. In heavy shipbuilding this conven- ience and celerity is of particular ad- vantage. The increase in size of ships has rendered the plating so heavy that to draw it up in a satisfactory manner requires the use of a rivet too large to be properly driven by hand. By use of the pneumatic implement the opera- tion is done quickly, before the rivet cools, resulting in drawing everything together firmly. The economy of the ' LU work is also a question of vital import- ance. The statement is made that in building an ordinary lake steamship of 4000 tons, the saving in the riveting alone over hand work amounts to between $4000 and $5000. Other pneu- matic tools secure equally beneficial results in shipyards. In all of the larger American establishments they are now in use for chipping, calking, beading, and drilling, and similar appli- ances are being introduced into shipyards abroad. The pneu- matic hammer has found a field for it- self wherever the service of a blow is necessary to labor — from the long stroke heavy implement that will in a few seconds head a ij+ inch rivet, to the light hammer for delicate carving neumatic han and engraving that weighs no more 10 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. AIR DRILL WORK IN MINING. [Showing ils great adaptability to positions not easy of access.] than a pocket pistol. The pneumatic tool has revolutionized construction work from the digging for the foundation to the carving on the capstones of the finishod structure. It has decreased the time necessary, greatly cheapened the cost, and immeasurably added to the efficiency of the work. Besides these merits must always be considered the incomparable merits of adaptability and convenience. The pneumatic tool can be placed anywhere, in any angle, at any height, at any depth. It must be apparent that this development, that this advancement in the art of construction is entirely dependent upon the use of rubber hose. It is the flexibility, the placibil- ity, of the tool that is its most meritorious feature. The rubber hose attachment is indispensable to its value. A pneumatic hammer, or punch, or chipper, or drill with only a fixed and rigid attachment would be of little service. The expense in time and labor of moving and changing connections, or in con- veying material to the tool would rob it of the greater part of its present superiority over hand work. The secret of its suc- cess is its hose attachment. As its uses spread, as new contriv- ances are devised to further utilize the power of com- pressed air the develop- ment of the rubber indus- try that is its indispensable adjunct must correspond- ingly expand. The volume of business for this purpose is increasing every year, and the use of pneumatic implements is perhaps as yet only in its infancy. The character of rubber hose needed for use in pneumatic machinery is of the very best. It requires vastly more strength and the use of more rubber and a better quality than ordin- ary hose. The inner tube of the hose must be thick and perfect, the four ply of heavy duck well frictioned, and the cover strong and the whole well vulcanized. In addition, the cover is PNEUMATIC TOOLS IN SHIPBUILDING. [Riveter at work on Side Framing. — Courtesy of the Scientific American.] generally protected by wire or other material to save wear and tear when being dragged about over rough surfaces. Among the most satisfactory hose in this service is that covered with woven marline or woven cotton protection. This is considerably more expensive than plain hose, but is more dur- able and therefore more economical in the end. Cheaper hose is in use which has a plain canvas covering and there are nu- merous grades of wire protected hose, including the loosely wire wound, the flat wire wound and a recent patent embrac- ing a woven wire armor which entirely covers the exterior rubber. It is very rare that this character of hose bursts from pressure within, but unless it is adequately protected it not VARIOUS APPLICATIONS OF PNEUMATIC TOOL WORK OCTOHER I, I903-] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 11 infrequently breaks through from exterior causes. The main cause of destruction however is from within. The pulsations of the air as the pressure is on and off the imple- ment has an effect upon the vulcanized bond be- tween the inner tube and the duck layers. The inner tube sooner or later — according to the quality of the manu- facture — gradually loos- ens from the duck and when it once becomes loose is apt to fold upon itself and choke the hose. Such a condition is practically beyond a good type of pneumatic punch. remedy. This action of compressed air upon hose is more destructive than the action of water, even when the latter is at a higher pressure. The manufacture of pneumatic tools has attained very large proportions, being carried on, in the United States particu- larly, in a number of extensive plants. Recently the more im- portant of these have been brought under the control of one large corporation— The Chicago Pneumatic Tool Co. — organ- ized under the laws of New Jersey with $7,500,000 capital. The president of this company is J. W. Duntley, who is one of three members of an executive committee, the other two being Charles M. Schwab, late president of the United States Steel Corporation, and C. H. Matthiesson, the president of the Corn Products Co., some further reference to which, by the way, ap- pears on another page of this issue. Close relations exist be- tween this combination and the Consolidated Pneumatic Tool Co., Limited, of London, on the board of which Mr. Duntley has a seat. These two important organizations control the greater part of the business of supplying pneumatic tools to the world. Great mining enterprises call for large outfits of pneumatic tools, and most of the shipyards now in operation have pneumatic equipment. In addition to these large enter- prises, opportunities are offered in almost every form of indus- try, except those devoted to the production of goods by ma- chinery, for the use of pneumatic tools in some form or other, all of which tends to maintain a very important demand for rubber hose which, a few years ago, did not exist. "NOMENCLATURE OF RUBBER." TO the Editor of The India Rubber World : In the September issue of your Journal your British corre- spondent refers to an address I delivered at the recent Con- gress for Applied Chemistry at Berlin. According to your correspondent I, in the above mentioned address, " indulged in a tirade " against the terms India-rubber, Gum, and Caout- chouc, describing them respectively as childish, ignorant, or barbarous, and he represents me as having proposed the term polyprene in their place generally. Your correspondent's no- tions regarding the meaning of the term " tirade " must con- siderably differ from the accepted meaning of this term, as my " tirade " was delivered in the form of an appeal to the workers in the chemical domain of the India-rubber field to agree upon a term for India-rubber lending itself to the purpose of rational chemical nomenclature. The words actually used by me, in as near as possible literal translation, are as follows : Turning now to the chemical problems of India-rubber, I desire to appeal to all coworkers on the question of nomenclature. We cannot seriously propose to introduce into chemical nomenclature the barbar- ous term of Caoutchouc. The childish English designation of India- rubber, or the ignorant German term of Gummi (gum) are not even thinkable in this relation. I myself have proposed and used the term of Polyprene which for the purpose in question appears permanently ac- ceptable, all members of the India-rubber group being interpretable as polymers of isoprene, the constitution of which is known with absolute certainty, but I should be pleased to accept any better designation which might be proposed. From this it will be seen that the term polyprene was pro- posed " for the purpose in question " — i.e., the purpose of chem- ical nomenclature. The hare-brained idea of this term having been suggested for every day use in manufacture and com- merce is purely the product of your correspondent's imagina- tion, and his facetious remarks anent this proposal can refer to himself only. That the word Caoutchouc is " barbarous " is for everybody sufficiently demonstrated by its origin, and the childishness of the term India-rubber must strike everyone on considering the industry it is applied to. There is. however, no doubt that the term Gummi (gum) is the most objectionable of the three, as it classes the material in question together with the gums, or gum resins. If such enoneous classification, which is im- plied in that term, is not " ignorant " I should like to know what it is. The attempt of using any of the above terms as part of our chemical nomenclature simply leads to grotesque results. Your correspondent, in his own way, is quite right that the want of a rational designation for India-rubber will not bar in the least the progress of the chemical investigation of this sub- stance, but it will in time lead to a great deal of inconvenience and confusion in the matter of terminology. If your corre- spondent were aware of the herculean labor encountered, now some time ago, by the " Geneva Convention " in the attempt to purge and systematize chemical nomenclature, or if he could remember the confusing changes which became necessary with the expansion and development in recent years of the chem- istry of the sugars, and of the so-called heterocyclical com- pounds — two very large and important classes — he might well come to the conclusion that he would with advantage have tempered his somewhat misplaced irony with a little wisdom. I remain, Yours very truly. CARL OTTO weber. Manchester. England, September 14, 1903. ROOT RUBBER FROM NIGERIA." MR. JOHN HOLT, of John Holt & Co. (Liverpool), Lim- ited, writes to The India Rubber World : " I enclose a bit of bark taken from a root that has been sent me from the Niger. It is a vine growing about 8 feet high. The vine pro- duces no latex, but as you will observe, there is plenty of rub- ber in the bark of the root. I have not yet been able to ascer- tain what scientific name this plant bears." This note reminds us of the fact that the forestry regulations of Southern Nigeria prohibit the extraction of rubber from the roots of plants, but this step doubtless was taken in ignorance of the existence there of plants containing rubber only in the roots. There is no evidence, however, that any of the Niger rubber yet evported is the product of the plant mentioned by Mr. Holt. The government plans extensive rubber planting in Southern Nigeria. The colonial report for 1901 (lately printed) mentions the creation of extensive rubber nurseries and the collection of 3,000,000 rubber seeds to take the place of the existing seed- lings when transplanted. 12 THE INDIA RUBBER 'WORLD [October i, 1903. "RUBBER FROM CORN OIL." IT will be remembered by those who follow the newspapers, that some years ago the daily press chronicled the mar- velous discovery that rubber could be manufactured from corn oil, and jumped to the conclusion that in a very short time the patient rubber tree would be put out of business. Rubber manufacturers, and indeed those who manufacture corn prod- ucts, had not such visions, but understood that the new product was simply a rubber substitute. That this substitute would be produced in larger quantities than any other and be shipped in carload lots all over the world was not, however, forecasted by rubber manufacturers. Such now, however, is the case, the popularity of the material being due to its usefulness as a filler and insulator and its absolute harmlessness when widely used, besides which it has the advantage of low cost. There is perhaps another reason for the remarkable success that this substitute has enjoyed, and that is the manner in which it has been made and marketed, and that leads up to a brief description of the company — the Corn Products Co. — one of whose minor products it is. This company is a huge cor- poration, which would perhaps by many be called a trust, with a capital of $80,000,000 and operating a dozen plants, all of which are located in the corn belt of the United States. These plants manufacture glucose, sugar, starch, dextrine, syrup, glycerine, cattle feed, corn oil, and so on. One of their new products, which is now being widely introduced, is " Karo " syrup, which is likely soon to be known in every household. The company is under the personal management of Mr. C. H. Matthiessen, who is the president, and who was in reality the creator of it. He is notable for having up to date plans, and a great staff of capable assistants and chemists. As was mentioned above, the Rubber Substitute is a by-pro- duct, but has been developed as if it were a single manufacture in the Corn Products Co., and it is all made at the Chicago plant ; one grade only being supplied and the price to consumer being based on the market price of corn oil. When one re- members that but a few years ago a five barrel order for corn oil substitute was a large one, and learns that as developed by the company above named it is now sold in carload lots, the story of a very interesting development is told. SO-CALLED "MANJAK" FROM TRINIDAD. THE reference to " Manjak as a Substitute for Rubber " in the July issue of The India Rubber World was based upon a report by the commercial agent for Canada at Port of Spain, to the effect that large quantities of this material had been discovered in Trinidad, and that it was being shipped to the United States, where a use for it had been found in connec- tion with India-rubber. Later this official made a further re-, port in the same vein, besides which the British colonial report on Trinidad for 1901-02 mentions the discovery of " manjak in paying quantities " on that island. Inquiry has disclosed the fact that considerable of the ma- terial referred to had been brought to New York by Messrs. Arkell & Douglass, shipping and commission merchants, at No. 11 Broadway, who informed The India Rubber World that good deliveries had been made to a certain local firm of dealers in shellac, varnishes, and the like, and that their under- standing was that it was been sold for insulatiou work and also for a floor covering. The India Rubber World was denied any information by the latter firm, but there is reason to doubt that any important amount of the material has gone into use in connection with rubber or as a substitute for rubber. It now appears that the Trinidad product is not even true manjak, the nature of which was referred to in our July issue. The follow- ing letter has been received from an expert in asphalt products : To the Editor of the The India Rubber World : In reply to your letter of September 16, asking me in regard to the discovery of Manjak in the Island of Trinidad, I would say that, although I am familiar with the bituminous deposits of the island and generally have new materials brought to my attention when discovered, I have never seen anything that approaches Manjak in quality or characteristics which was found in Trinidad. Smill veins of glance pitch have been discovered from time to time, but have not furnished a commercial supply. Of late a vein of Grahamite has been discovered near San Fernando, Trinidad, but this miterial is very far removed in its character from good Manjak, as can be seen from the data on an accompanying sheet. This Gra- hamite is inferior to Manjak for varnish purposes. It will certainly not yield a rubber substitute which has any value commensurate with its cost. The San Fernando material is that which is sold on the market as " Trinidad manjak." Very truly yours, . CLIFFORD RICHARDSON, Director New York Testing Laboratory. Long Island City, N. Y., September 17, 1903 RUBBER CEMENT IN SHOEMAKING. THERE is an interesting history connected with the rubber cement industry which I collected from a young man who is now in the third generation of cement manufacturers. The first cement ever made for the shoe industry was manufac- tured by the late W. W. Hadley in 1850. The rubber at that time was prepared with ether and chloroform and turpentine. It was used for making " Compo " shoes by William Harris of Marblehead, Massachusetts. For a long time after McKay shoes were made it was considered too expensive an article to use, and shoemakers used what was called a channel wax. This was used until the middle of the '6o's, although the first cement made with naphtha was made by Jacob Hadley, of the firm of Hadley & Pierce, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, who by the way, were the first to produce naphtha from kerosene oil. The first cement put upon the market cost $6 a gallon. The materials at that time were very expensive and the pro- cesses of making were crude and very slow ; but Yankee in- genuity began to assert itself in this as in everything else. New and improved methods were brought out, which brought the price down to $4 a gallon. There it remained for some time, until competition has brought it down to a very low price, although there are many different varieties of rubber. Para rubber is used mostly for making high grades of channel cement. - - - It is an easy matter to detect poor rubber cement. Cheap rubber is chemically composed of 87.5 parts carbon, 12.5 parts hydrogen. Place a bottle of this cement in the window exposed to the sun and in a few days it will go back to naphtha. Para rubber acts differently. The naphtha will evaporate, leaving only pure Pard rubber. — Shoe and Leather Reporter. French Talc and Rubber. — As far as the rubber business is concerned, the use of talc commonly and inaccurately known as soapstone as a support during vulcanization, is an old story. With the advent of dipped goods such as finger cots, gloves, etc., a new use has been born ; the talc becomes a dry lubricant and a package of it goes with every pair of gloves accompanied by the request that it be liberally used. As a matter of fact the glove is most intractable without it. The Connecticut Asbestos and Mining Co. have been incor- porated under the laws of Maine, with $300,000 capital, to con- trol what is said to be the only asbestos mine in Connecticut. October i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 13 THE INDIA-RUBBER TRADE IN GREAT BRITAIN. By Our Regular Correspondent. IN the August number of The India Rubber World ap- pears a communication entitled " Obscure Causes of Fac- tory Fires " which invites a word of comment, because the author seems to have cast his net of suspicion rather too widely, and to have caught in it substances which are out of place therein. He says litharge, whiting, and lamp- rubber black are all used in practically all rubber factories, factory j 11 Q j tnem are subject under wrong conditions FIRES- ' . . to spontaneous combustion. Now it seems to me that this statement is calculated to cause unnecessary alarm in the factory, as far as litharge and whiting are concerned, be- cause not only have I never heard of these bodies evincing a tendency to spontaneous combustion, but also because it is dif- ficult on chemical grounds to understand how they could act in this way. It would have aided to completeness if the author had stated the particular wrong conditions under which these bodies become dangerous, but information on this interesting point is withheld. With regard to lampblack, the case is differ- ent, and the hand of warning is rightly extended. Lamp- black as used in rubber factories is of various origins and densi- ties, and although it is difficult if not impossible for any one ob- server to speak precisely, I may say that in my own experience it is only the heavy variety prepared by the carbonization of cellulose in retorts that needs to be looked upon with suspicion. This variety unless carefully prepared with the view of pre- venting spontaneous combustion may easily give rise to this phenomenon, and it is always advisable to buy it in small casks and to store these in a place where an accident would not be likely to lead to a general conflagration. However, if care- fully prepared it is safe enough, and it is a long time since I heard of any trouble in a rubber works from this source. The gas blacks so largely produced in America do not seem at all liable to spontaneous combustion to judge by British experience of them. The reference to the possibility of a bubble or flaw in a window pane acting as a burning glass is not at all super- fluous, and I have every reason to suppose that a case in my ex- perience where a cold curing machine was fired was brought about by this agency. With regard to insurance, the British firms make a strong distinction between the different portions of our large factories, those few rooms where bisulphide of car- bon or naphtha is used being either not insured at all or only at a prohibitive rate, while the rest of the factory comes under lenient treatment. With regard to spontaneous combus- tion of coal used as fuel, it does not seem at all necessary to con- sider the question, it being very rare for stocks to be accumu- lated weekly as daily delivery being the rule. In an important paper on "Problems in the Fat Industry" (Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry, June, 1903) Dr. Lewkowitsch makes a brief reference to dr. lewkowitsch'S the rubber substitute industry. He says : REMARKS. "Oils vulcanized with sulphur have al- ready acquired commercial application, on account of their cheapness, as witness the sad state in which we find our India- rubber tubing after very short use." This statement no doubt applies correctly to a good deal of the elastic black rubber tubing which used to be made of pure rubber, but as regards a good deal of the red and grey tubing used in chemical labora- tories I think the defects are due to over compounding with mineral rather than to the use of substitutes. Another remark of his, although not particularly original, is of sufficient import- ance to be reproduced verbatim: " Vulcanized fish oils have also been brought somewhat prominently into the market, and it must be a matter for regret that the working out of the pro- cesses for the preparation of such products as Volenite, Mapo- nite, etc., have not been completed on a small scale before they were placed before the public, as non-success only serves to discredit further technical efforts." With regard to this para- graph, with which I cordially agree, it recurs to my mind that Dr. Lewkowitsch's name appeared on the prospectus of Vole- nite, though only in connection with a certificate as to the cost of treating the oil. I don't think he ever pronounced upon the capabilities of Volenite, a fact which no doubt contributes to his peace of mind at the present time, as no expert cares to be associated with vain prophecies. The recent patent of The Rubber Balloon Co. of America (Brooklyn, New York) for a seamless balloon is of interest. As stated in the specification, the ordinary method of rubber manufacture as carried out in England by welding BALLOONS. , - , , . the seams together by hammers leads to a consid- erable loss during the inflation process. From a hygienic point of view the seamless process seems to me desirable, be- cause of the deafening noise the workers — generally girls— are subjected to by the rapid work of the machine hammers. Pos- sibly, as applied to balloons, the process is patentable, though the idea of the manufacture of seamless articles from rubber solution by applying the latter to a mold of the required shape is not at all new, it having been carried out in England at least fifteen years ago. Some firms were more successful than oth- ers, a quick-drying naphtha being an important desideratum. Of course it is one thing to patent a process and another to ensure its satisfactory competition with existing processes ; those who still use the jointed sheet rubber process will there- fore look with interest for the practical results of the Brooklyn firm. Whether it is because the business does not offer suf- ficient attractions financially or because the rationale is not well understood I am unable to say, but the manufacture of balloons is, I believe, still limited in Great Britain to two firms, and one of these does not manufacture the raw material itself. The home of this class of business is to be found in France, the rub- ber having for many years, at any rate, been supplied by the two large Manchester firms of Charles Macintosh & Co. and David Moseley's Sons. A considerable change has come over this business in the last few years. Formerly it was all made in the rubber works and sent out in tins, but now owing to the larger retail demand among cyclists and elec- tricians, and also to the increased cost of rail- way freight, the larger number of dealers make their own, buy- ing the masticated rubber from the rubber works. This has brought about a change in the quality of the rubber used, though I am not prepared to say that the change is altogether for the worse. Competition has led practically to the exclusion of soft fine Pard, and a mixture of fine and Congo, and, indeed, in some cases, Congo alone, is used. For cyclists' use a solu- tion containing 11 per cent, of rubber is usual and this can be made by dealers at about 6 pence per pound, and this put up in tubes is retailed at about 2 shillings per pound. The profit here is not so large as it might seem, because of the india-rubber solution- 14 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. labor involved in filling the collapsible tubes. For other pur- poses the solution is still supplied by the rubber works direct ; for instance, in the case of the carriage department at Wool- wich, where the solution has to stand severe tests and must contain not less than 18 per cent, of rubber. The fact that cyclists' solution is now so largely made from African rubber instead of from fine Pari has proved rather a blow to those who commenced making solution from certain kinds of unvul- canized waste of first quality. The solution from this source could compete all right with the Para product, but not with Congo, considering the attendant expenses. With regard to the freight question, though now somewhat a matter of ancient history, it may be mentioned that the efforts of India-Rubber Manufacturers' Association to obtain ameliorations in the conditions of railway transit with respect to large and small quantities of solution were attended with success. The altera- tions have now been in force six months, and as far as I am aware nothing has happened to cause the railway companies to regret their action. It certainly seems as if there has been too pronounced a tendency with both railway companies and mu- nicipal authorities to look upon rubber solution with the same eye as they regard dynamite. No doubt the absence in recent times of any catastrophe has done a good deal to allay appre- hension in the official mind, and we may expect a lessening rather than an increase of vexatious restrictions. Desimte the large scale on which the operations of the North Western Rubber Co., Limited (Liverpool) are carried, I do not find that any of the previously existing firms in waste tnat jj ne j n i? n gi anf j have closed their doors. In RUBBER. , ° . fact from reports made to me I understand that their position has not been at all affected. One reason for this is no doubt that the amount of recovered rubber used at the present time is larger than it was and shows a tendency to in- crease. Another reason may perhaps be found in the fact of the rather high prices asked by the American firm, though in saying this I do not wish to insinuate that the prices do not closely approximate to the quality. The New York quotations for rubber scrap as given in The India Rubber World are interesting to dealers on this side, as in several instances they show a difference from what obtains here. With regard to the demand for rubber scrap the rubber works are buying more and more of it from their customers, these now expecting it as a matter of course. For some time now the demand for drab waste has been greater than the supply, while the conditions are reversed in the case of the black. It is somewhat unfortu- nate that there is a good deal of very good quality too, in the market, which though not black, does not quite pass muster for drab owing to a small amount of litharge having been used in the mixing. Considering the very poor quality of the ma- terial, it is somewhat surprising that old tennis balls obtain such good value as waste, but probably the limited supply of drab available accounts for this. THE instrument known as Fletcher's flexible bellows comes up for criticism in the last report of the Inspector under the Alkali acts, and a word or two with regard to it india-rubber m not be super fl uous _ The invention of Mr. BELLOWS A. E. Fletcher, late chief Inspector under the acts referred to, it has for many years served a useful purpose in enabling the various inspectors to take samples of chimney gases for test in a much shorter time than by any box aspirator. The form is accurately described as that of a concertina; into the details of its use I need not enter except to say that the absorbent chemical is introduced into the bellows and is shaken up with the aspirated gas. The standard capacity is H of a cu- bic foot, and it is made by the Silvertown company, a royalty THE MACINTOSH TRADE. being paid to Mr. Fletcher. At first the outside was protected by a coating of canvas attached to the rubber, but rubber alone of the best quality is now used. It is not surprising that, ow- ing to the use of these bellows in chemical works, they some- times show premature decay, which is not always easy to ex- plain, but the users of them have found that they last longer when in regular use than if put away for some months. I do not propose to go deeply into the scientific matter which Mr. Linder discusses in the alkali report. The main result, and what does not cause me any surprise, is that he finds the inner surface of the rubber to be covered with a resinous body which acts like an acid. This is of course the ordinary product of the oxidation of rubber and it is easy to understand that its pres- ence might interfere with test made for acidity in gases where alkaline absorbents are used. Some of the inspectors use aque- ous hydrogen per oxide, which I understand does not damage the rubber, though an ethereal solution does so energetically. It may be contended that this subject, to which I have devoted some considerable space, is hardly of sufficient general interest, but at any rate it deals with an application of rubber, and one which is unfamiliar to more than one or two members of the trade. Although only last month I referred to this topic in a pes- simistic strain, it would appear from information derived from one of our most important firms that a demand has set in for good quality material, the increased amount of rubber now being used in this branch being assigned as one of the causes of the pres- ent high price of rubber, or rather as a reason why the price should not be expected to decline at the moment. That a re- vival has come about is further evident from what is to be seen in the streets and in the windows of the leading outfitters who a twelvemonth ago had ceased to exhibit the rubber coat. No doubt the very wet summer we have had has caused a re- turn of allegiance to an old friend. For the future this company will be known under the ex- tended title of the Irwell and Eastern Rubber Co., Limited. The latter concern was founded some years ago the irwell b the Messrs. Colsall in East London and has RUBBER CO. ' . ,. an important metropolitan connection. I have previously referred to the extensions in progress at the works of the Irwell company, and am informed by the directorate that these are almost completed and that the past delays in executing orders consequent on insufficient premises will now be obviated. If it is permissible to comment on the extensions taking place at this and one or two other works, one is forced to the conclusion that the personality of the guiding spirit is a more valuable asset than what usually figures under this head- ing in an accountant's certificate. The practical monopoly so long held by Messrs. Ayres in the supply of balls for tournaments and clubs has been seri- ously assailed this season and last by Messrs. lawn tennis si azen ger, whose balls have been adopted by balls. , & . . . , .. p ' the committees of the leading tournaments. Neither of these firms make the ball themselves, merely doing the covering. As far as ordinary club use goes, Slazengef's are in favor because they clean well, whereas Ayres' are reported as not cleaning at all well. This is an important point in the case of town clubs, where the balls get dirty very rapidly. At the same time those who favor Slazenger's because of this at- tribute, admit that Ayres' ball has rather more life about it than the other, which appears to be of a heavier build. As far as the washing is concerned, the difference in behavior can only be attributed to the quality of the material used in the textile covering. October i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 15 FIELD DAY" OF THE APSLEY RUBBER CO. THOSE who have followed the career of the Hon. Lewis D. Apsley will recollect that while a member of the Fifty-third Congress and a prominent member of the House committee on labor, he was one of those who were active in making the first Monday in September in each year a national holiday. It was, therefore, very fitting that, on September 8 last, when the Apsley Rubber Co. were congratulating themselves on the completion of another large addition to their rubber shoe plant, at Hudson, Massachusetts, the day should be specially observed at that place. It was done by planning what was very happily called Field Day, followed in the evening by a banquet and ball. No man in the rubber trade knows better how to plan such an affair than Mr. Apsley, and in this instance his decided faculty for organ- ization was apparent. Com- mittees were chosen from the foremen and leading employs of the factory, so that the long and interesting program of sports and entertainment was carried out perfectly, without delay or friction. The sports began at 10 o'clock in the morning, with a bowling contest open for both ladies and gentlemen. This was followed by a very hotly contested polo game in the Hudson armory, and that in turn by two basket ball games the first between the em- procession of employes throuqh wood square ployes of the cutting room and the making room, and the second between the junior arctic makers and the junior stock carriers. At 1 o'clock the officers of the company, the em- ployes, and the invited guests assembled in the public square, and, led by the Concord brass band, marched to Riverside Park. A few of the guests rode, but the officers of the com- pany, headed by Mr. Apsley, marched with the procession, each carrying a special flag furnished by the committee on dec- oration. The entertainment at the park consisted primarily of a base ball game between teams from the clothing and last and the boot and shoe departments. The former elected to call themselves the " Has Beens " and the latter the " Cranks." The score was 11 to 9 in favor of the Has Beens. Other sports which were enthusiastically applaud- seemed to have wholly devoted itself with enthusiasm. Not forgetting the very normal hunger and thirst that such a gathering engenders, Mr. Apsley had purchased all of the ba- nanas, peanuts, and popcorn that the town afforded, and, arranging a temporary bar under the grand stand at the park, had a half dozen active young chaps dispensing pink lemonade to all who were athirst. At 6.30 in the evening the company gathered in the new rub- ber factory building, which had been handsomely decorated and arranged for the convenience of all. On the first floor was a gentlemen's reception room and on the second floor a reception room for ladies. The third floor was [reserved as a ball room, and the fourth for a variety of indoor games. The fifth was filled with tables for the ban- quet, seats being arranged for some 600 guests, while the sixth floor was utilized as a smoking and card room. The banquet, as might have been expected, was first class in every detail. At its close Mr. Apsley arose and said : Employes, Ladies, and Gen- tlemen : Let me extend to you the best wishes of the Apsley Rub- ber Co. and assure you it is a very great pleasure to have you here under these environments. We are thankful for the beautiful day, as it has made it possible for a lot of fun and pleasure. The friendly games we have engaged in have been fully ed were the hundred-yard dash, the fat men's race, one mile bicycle race, the ladies' bicycle race, two mile bi- cycle race, ladies' foot race (50 yards), broad jump, and hop, step and jump. For all of these suitable prizes were awarded. Not only were all of the employes of the Apsley Rubber Co. present at the park, but a host of townsmen and invited guests joined in cele- brating Apsley Field Day, to which the usually quiet town of Hudson enjoyed by one and all, and they have brought to our notice some ath- letic wonders, but I fear, as president of the company, I made a slight mistake in affording so great an opportunity to Miss Lynch, Mrs. Black- ler, Mrs. Murphy, Messrs. Perkins, Walsh, Wascott, Peters, Green- ache, Riley, Hickey, Enos, Galvin, Kuhlthau, and Mahoney to show their skill and ability as athletes. They are wizards; but let us hope that neither the reputation they have made nor the prizes they have received will cause them to desert their old occupation and say " Good- bye " to us. I will not detain you from the other pleasures that have been provided for you with any lengthy speech. I certainly hope that the evening's pleasures will be equally enjoyed by one and all. I must, however, con- gratulate you, employes, also the town of Hudson, on the completion of this second large addition to the rubber boot and shoe plant within two years, which now gives us the capacity to make from 12,000 to 15,000 pairs of shoes per day. This increase ranks our plant as one of the large manufacturing establish- ments of the country. The phenomenal success and growth in so short a time is marvelous. I can only attribute this success and development to two things, namely : First, the management of this company, as you employes know, has had the lib- erality and courage to use the best rub- ber and plenty of it in the manufacture 16 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. of their boots and shoes, and you know they have not cheapened their compounds as the price of rubber advanced. Secondly, but by no means second in importance, is the fact that you, our employes, have put the work into the making of the shoes. Your faithfulness and intelligence have gone into the work, and as a result of these two all important factors, our goods have given splendid service, which accounts for our ability to increase the business and thus give you the steady employment you have had. So, let us resolve to continue in the same wise course, the Company on their part keeping up the qual- ity, and You keeping up your interest, and if pos- sible put an extra roll in when making the goods, knowing that it means success to this business and permanent work for you, and in a short time we will outgrow this ad- dition and will be want- ing more room. As stated in the be- ginning, you, one and all, have our best wishes. After the applause that followed his re- PRESENTATION BANNER. (With Portrait of Mr. Apsley ] marks, Mr. Milton T. Bailey arose and, on behalf of the employes, addressed Presi- dent Apsley, recalling the unusually kind consideration which the Apsley Rubber Co. had always shown to its employes, and saying how much the latter had appreciated the same. He re- called that, fourteen years ago, when the completion of the mackintosh factory building was celebrated by a banquet and ball, he had the pleasure of expressing to Mr. Apsley on behalf of the employes their sentiments of respect and regard for their employer, at which time they placed a clock in the office, the faithful ticking of which might be a constant reminder of the pleasant relations then existing. He had now, on behalf of a larger force, the honor to ask Mr. Apsley 's acceptance of a banner now to be unfurled. At the close of the speech, at a signal, a magnificent banner was unveiled, upon which appeared a portrait of the founder of the company. Although taken completely by surprise, and much touched, Mr. Apsley accepted it, responding in a few well chosen words. At the close of the banquet those who desired *2"" J 2\ U ■ TV i***"""^ to dance did so, while others took part in the great variety of games that had been provided for. The festivities of the evening were kept up until a late hour — to allow for which the factory was not to open until a late hour the next morn- ing — and all present were enthusiastic in their apprecia- tion of the day's unalloyed pleasure. Mr. Apsley remained until the end of the program, but Mrs. Apsley, who had been present at the banquet and the dancing, with a party of friends, left a little earlier. In handling all the details of the exercises day and evening, there were some twenty committees employed, the moving and active head being Mr. Apsley, his efforts being most intelligen- tly seconded by Messrs. William B. Laighton, H. C. Wagner, and Milton T. Bailey. All of the local newspapers were repre- sented among the guests as well as Boston papers. There were also present : E. S. Giles, of the Chicago Shoe Trade Journal ; George E. B. Putnam, Boot and Shoe Recorder, Boston ; Wen- dell Gammons, Shoe Retailer ; and the Editor of The India Rubber World. INDIA-RUBBER GOODS IN COMMERCE. EXPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES. OFFICIAL statement of values of exports of manufactures of India-rubber and Gutta-percha, for the month of July, 1903, and for the first seven months of the calendar year, for four years : Months. Belting. Packing, and Hose. Boots and Shoes. All other RubDer. Total. July, 1903 January-June % 66,821 407,863 $474,684 386,105 351.649 3t7,726 $ 78.329 263,463 #341,792 355,092 291,356 251,525 $ 213.591 1,246,363 * 35S.74I 1,917,689 $1,459,954 1,116,558 1,073,822 861,627 $2,276,430 1,857,755 1,716,827 1,430,878 SEVEN MONTHS FOR LAST TWO YEARS COMPARED. Gain in belting, packing, and hose $ 88,579 Gain in " All other rubber" 343,396 $431,975 13.300 Loss in boots and shoes. Net gain in 1903 $418,675 CANADA. Official statement of values of dutiable imports of manu- factures of India-rubber and Gutta-percha for three fiscal years [July 1 to June 30] : From— 1900-01. 1901-02. 1902-03. Great Britain §155.384 $217,477 $393, 32t United States 432,649 521.963 571,687 Other countries 21,858 3198b 25.054 Total $609,891 $771,426 $990,062 The value of imports of crude India-rubber and Gutta-percha reclaimed rubber, and rubber substitutes, is given at $[,986,913 for 1900 01 ; at $1,656,275 for 1901-02; and $1,824,705 for 1902 03. Imports of Waterproof Clothing for the last fiscal year amounted in value: From Great Britain, $357,130; from the United States, $54,386; from other countries, $86; total, $411,- 602. Imports of Mackintosh Cloth amounted to 465.380 yards, of the value of $92,285. THE APSLEY RUBBER SHOE FACTORY. [The new six story addition in the foreground. So much has been said regarding the heavy cost of automo- bile tires, said to be equal to 4 or 5 cents per mile, that it is most satisfactory to hear from Charles J. Glidden, the first au- tomobilist to cross the Arctic circle, who in writing lately from Kommis, Sweden, gives his total mileage as 3596, with one puncture only, and no expense for repairs at all. October i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 17 RECENT RUBBER PATENTS. THE UNITED STATES PATENT RECORD. Issued August 4, 1903. NO. 735,065. Exercising machine I with elastic tension members]. W. H. Chellis and F. W. McAnanny, Racine, Wisconsin. 735.255. Detachable tire. H. E. Irwin, Galesburg, assignor to Irwin Rubber Co., Chicago, Illinois. 735.322. Horseshoe. H. Walker, P. S. Walker, and J. Hamer, Charlton, England. 735. 3 2 9- Vehicle wheel [with resilient tire]. R. O. Wilcox, Wichita, Kansas. 735.373- Vehicle tire. C. L. Henderson, Berlin, Canada. 735,401. Hose coupling. J. R. McFall St. Louis, Missouri. 735,404. Nozzle and nozzle device for fire hose. E. S. Osborne, as- signor to said Osborne and J. N. Martin, trustees, Chicago, Illi- nois. 735,622. Cushion tire J. HJToole, Chicago, Illinois. Trade Mark. 4,880. Fountain bath brushes. The Allen Manufacturing Co., Toledo, Ohio. Used since November, 1902. Issued August ii, 1903. 735.799- Hose handler and clamp. T. McGill, Paterson, New Jersey. 735.876. Hot water bottle [having side walls united at intervals by eyelets, consisting of short lengths of tube made of the same mater- ial as the body of the bag]. J. Holland, assignor to Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., both of Akron, Ohio. 735>883. Cushioned base for receptacle [as bottle holders], F. Keil, New York, and II. F. Keil, Bronxville, N. Y. 735,9 I 3- Weather strip. W. A. Scott, Evansville, Indiana. 735.989. Hose clamp. F. T. Lippincott, Newark, Ohio. 735,993. Sectional cushion tire. C. Miller, Binghamton, New York. 73°.°57- Hose and pipe coupling. A. Beatty, Pittsburgh. Pennsyl- vania. 736,072. Arm rest for crutches [with cushion formed of an inflatable tube]. H. S. Cole, Newtonsville, Ohio. 736,082. Attachment for rubber shoes fa flexible rib on the sole]. W. Foreman and G. R. Conger, Taylorstown, Pennsylvania. 736,089. Portable bathing apparatus. Lida V. Gray, Tarboro, North Carolina. 736,108. Hose coupling. G. P. Jones, Penticton, Canada, assignor of one half to M. K. Rodgers, Seattle, Washington. 736,111. Inhaling apparatus. T. Kautz, Bad Reichenhall, Germany. 736,184. Hose coupling. J. Whiteford, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 736.229. Method of making hollow balls. Cleland Davis, u.s.N., as- signor to Cambridge Manufacturing Co., a corporation of Delaware. 736.230. Golf ball. Same. 736.231. Golf ball. Same. 736.323. Golf ball. Same. 736,233. Golf ball. Same. 736,239. Device for smoothing rubber tires. A. E. Ellinwood, as- signor to Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., both of Akron, Ohio. Issued August 18, 1903. 736,394. Rubber heel. F. M. Hilton, J. S. Hilton, and W. W. Hil- ton, assignors of one half to C. R. Grant, all of Akron, Ohio. 736,414. Pneumalic tire. W. P. Litchfield, Akron, Ohio. 736,584. Pneumatic tire. W. Corliss, Providence, Rhode Island. 736,638. Tire [for bicycles]. W. P. Scofield, assignor of one half to R. R. Livingston, both of Gainesville, Florida. 736,67;. Resistance tube [lined with insulating material]. C. Bloom, Brooklyn, New York. 736,683. Anti-skidding device for vehicle wheels. S. Butler, West- bury on-Trym, England. 736,710. Fountain pen. W. I. Ferris, Stamford, Connecticut, assignor to L. E. Waterman Co., New York city. 736,908. Hose coupling. C. Wright, assignor of one half to J. J. O'Shea both of Everson, Pennsylvania. Issued August 25, 1903. 737,021. Submarine cable laying device. B. Roberts, Mobile, Ala- bama. 37,031. Golf ball. W. M. Short, Beckenham, England. 737,070. Eraser tip for lead pencils. W. H. Brownell, Battle Creek, Michigan. 737,205. Tire [solid, for vehicles]. E. B. Cadwell. New York city. 737.257- Hose coupling. H. Crump and L. Metz, Frank. Pennsyl- vania. 737,3 4. Dress shield holder. T. Davis, New York city, assignor to Canfield Rubber Co. 737. 5°9- Bicycle tire cleaner. F. J. Smith, Springfield, Missouri. 737.559- Tire. C. Miller, Binghamton, New York. [Note.— Printed copies of specifications of United States patents may be or- dered from The India Rubber World offices at 10 cents each, postpaid.] THE BRITISH PATENT RECORD. [* Denotes Applications from the United States.} Applications — 1903. 14,914. A. E. Terry, Birmingham. Repair device for pneumatic tires. July 6. '14,947. II. J. Doughty, London. Vulcanizing, molding, and finish- ing of rubber boots and shoes. July 6. *!4.g48. H. J. Doughty, London. Apparatus for vulcanizing, mold- ing, and finishing rubber boots and shoes. July 6. 15,052. R. Taaffe, Liverpool. Pneumatic tire. July 7. 15,172. L. Frankenstein and C. Lyst, Manchester. Golf ball. July g. 15,202 A. G. Grossmann and G. K. Wollaston, London. Prevention of side slipping of pneumatic tired vehicles. July 9. 15,225. R. A. Harris, London. Pneumatic tire. July 9. 15,242. R. Wallwork and C. H. Wallwoik, Manchester. Vulcaniza- tion of tire covers. July 10. !5>353. C. Grayson, Liverpool. Slip preventing cover for pneumatic tires. July 11. 15,371. P. Frankenstein & Sons, Limited, and I. Sugar, Manchester. Waterproof garments. July 11. '5.374- R. Wallwork and C. H. Wallwork, Manchester. Apparatus for vulcanizing tires. July II. 15.427. J. Hamblet, Birmingham. Pneumatic tire. July 13, 15.428. J. E. Layton, London. Golf ball. July 13. *i 5,474. A. J. Boult, London. Golosh or overshoe (N. P. Bowler, United States). July 13. 15,522. M. Stanley, Birmingham. Rims and tires for motor car wheels. July 14. 15,641. H. L. Galloway, Glasgow. Golf ball. July 15. 15,804. F. F. Warbutton, Manchester. Pneumatic tire. July 17. io.Slg. W. J. Barnes, Reading. -Chain and link insertion foi pneu- matic tire covers. July 17. '5.832. John Hancock Nunn, London. Improvement in the manu- facture of golf balls. July 17. 15,913. T. T. Vernon, Liverpool. Pneumatic tire. July 18. 15,965. A. Dales, Manchester. Horseshoe pad. July 20. 16.015. B. Higgs, London. Inner tube for tires. July 20. 16,104. L Clifford, London. Protected pneumatic tire. July 21. 16,110. T. C. Crawford, London. Golf ball. July 21. *I6,I28. W. P. Thompson, Liverpool. Golf ball. (J. B. Marston, United States.) July 21. 16,143. J- B- Scammell and E. A. Muskett, London. Gutta-percha substitute. July 22. 16,160. J. Butler, Manchester. Pneumatic tire [and wheel rim for motor vehicles. July 22. 16,234. J. McLelland, Glasgow. Pneumatic tire. July 23. 16,289. A. Niven, London. Protection for pneumatic and cushion tire. July 23. 16,338. W. M. Short, Beckenham. Golf ball. July 24. 16,417. E. F. Maitland, Rye, Sussex. Golf ball. July 25. •16,567. Raymond B. Price, London. Vehicle tire. July 28. *'5,576. Raymond B. Price. London. Apparatus for mounting rub- ber vehicle tires. July 2S. 16,630. W. Barratt, Manchester. Pneumatic tire. July 29. 16,800. C. A. F. Gregson, Birmingham. Golf ball. July 31. l6,S6i. J. A. Davies, Taffs Well, near Cardiff. Inflated rubber sole for boots and shoes. Aug. 1. 16,903. G. C. Marks, London. Self sealing composition for pneu- matic tire. (R. Gayet, France.) Aug. 1. 16,958. J. Anderson, Dundee. Apparatus for testing elasticity of golf balls, Aug. 4. 18 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. i6,q82. P. M. Jastice, London. Golf ball. Aug. 4. 17,042. B. McGarry, London. Non-skidding appliance for pneumatic tires. Aug. 5. 17,080. A. H. Bancroft, Church, near Accrington. Band fastener for pneumatic tires. Aug. 6. 17,098. L. Azulay, Southwick. Inflated tire. Aug. 6. 17,156. I. Frankenburg, Limited, R. J. Frankenburg. Jr., and F. H. Betterridge, Manchester. Rubber solution or compound. Aug. 7. 17,160. E. D. Killen, Belfast. Pneumatic tire. Aug. 7. 17,176. J. A. Mays, London. Device for the protection of elastic tires. Aug. 7. 17,187. S. S. Bromhead, London. Leak-stopping hose clip 01 band- age. Aug. 7. 17,274. J. H. Patterson, London. Puncture-preventing device for pneumatic tires. Aug. 8. 17,293. G. Pearson, Nottingham. Surgical syringe. Aug. 10. *i7,3i8. S. E. Page, London. Playing ball. (The I. B. Kleinert Rubber Co., New York.) Aug. 10. 17.461. G. Schumacher, London. Pneumatic tire for vehicles. Aug. 12. 17,465. H. E. Irwin, Kingstcn-on-Thames. Pneumatic tire. Aug. 12. 17,590. H. Hawthorne and the Imperial Tire and Rubber Co., Lim- ited, London. Repair patch for tire covers. Aug. 19. 17,604. A. Lebert, DUsseldorf, Germany. Pneumatic tire. Aug. 14. 17. 73°. C. Lee, Birmingham, Pneumatic tire. Aug. 17. •7. 735- C. W. Formby, Weybridge. Pneumatic tire. Aug. 17. 17,813. B. G. MeszarosandG. Weber, London. Toyballoon. Aug. 17. 17,830. P. M. Matthew, Victoria India Rubber Mills, Edinburgh. Heel pad. Aug. 18. 17,878. C. A. Houfe, London. Resilient wheel. Aug. 18. 17,887. J. Russell, London. Pneumatic tire for vehicles. Aug. 18. 17,945. H. J. Dixon and E. B. Brewer, London. Rubber tire. Aug. 19. 18,009. J- A. Mays, London. Improvements in elastic tires and tire fabrics. Aug. 20. 18.019. G. Dexter and G. H. Dexter, London. Pneumatic tire for vehicles. Aug. 20. •18,024. G. Barker, Birmingham. Improvements relating to pneu- matic tires. (Lincoln C. Cummings, United States.) Aug. 20. 18,028. A. E. Moore and A. Darch, London. Waterproof garment. Aug. 20. 18,073. W. H. Freeman, London. Hose reel. Aug. 21. Patents Granted. [Abstracted in the Official Journal, July 15, 1903.] *6,933 (1902). Pneumatic mechanical toy. G. T. Hyde, London. (E. S. Savage, No. 30 West Eighteenth street, New York.) 7,061(1902). Pneumatic tire. Self Sealing Air Chamber Co. , Limited, and A. Franklin, Birmingham. *7, 178 (1902). Vaginal syringe. A. R. Borden, Toledo, Ohio. •7,286 (1902). Wheel with protected elastic tire. W. F. Masters, Brooklyn, New York. *7,604 (1902). Bicycle pump [formed in part by some number of the bicycle frame]. J. P. Browning, R. H. Reville, and W. F. Pater- son, Brantford, Ontario. [ABSTRACTED IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL, JULY 22, I9O3.I 7,641 (1902). Pneumatic tire. L. A. Squire, Colchester. •7,746(1902). Vehicle tire. C. Stein, Meadville, Pennsylvania. [Be- ing the Stein double cushion tire, manufactured at Akron, Ohio.] 7,798 (1902). Pneumatic tire. J. Butler, Altrincham ; W. Bell, Knuts- ford ; W. A. Jones, and J- Bate, Manchester. "7,935 (1902). Playing ball. E. Kempshall, Boston, United States. ] Abstracted in the Official Journal, July 29, 1903.] 8,205 (1902). Pneumatic tire [provided with a chrome leather protector between the air tube and cover], T. Houben, Liege, Belgium. 8,018 (1902). Hose [comprising layers of rubber and asbestos impreg- nated with rubber, for railway and other like use], Alfred Calmon, Hamburg, Germany. 8 ,084 (1902). Utilization|of India-rubber and Gutta-percha waste [by dis- solving in phenol and later distilling the phenol from the mixture]. P. H. J. Chautard and H. Kessler, Paris, France. •8,161 (1902). Horseshoe. J. Riley, New York, United States. 8,262 (1902). Means of closing leaks in hose. II. Fischer, Harburg a/d Elbe, Germany. 8,224(1902). Machine for proofing fabrics. J. Ingleby, Headingley, Leeds. [Abstracted in the Official Journal, August 6, 1903.] •8,406(1902). Golf bill. E. Kempshall, Boston, Massachusetts. •8,407(1902). Playing ball. F. H. Richards, Hartford, Connecticut. •8,408(1902). Playing ball. Same. •8,409(1902). Playing ball. E. Kempshall, Boston, Massachusetts. •8,410(1902). Golf ball. F. H. Richards, Hartford, Connecticut. 8,506(1902). Cellular rubber tire for vehicles. A. Ducasble, As- nisres (Seine) France. •8,579 (1902). Fountain pen. F. C. Brown, New York. 8,612 (1902). Pneumatic tire with non slipping tread. C. H. Wilkin- son, Huddersfield. 8,707 (1602). Pneumatic tire with metal protected tread. C. D. Cas- sidy, Dublin. 8,722 (1902). Apparatus for supplying fresh air for respiration. I. Etrich, Oberaltstadt, Bohemia. *°, 739 ('902). Method of vulcanizing pneumatic tires [in a machine which can be quickly opened and closed]. A. J. Boult, London. (A. H. Marks, Akron, Ohio.) * 8,802 (1902). Golf ball. F. H. Richards, Hartford, Connecticut. * 8,803 (1902). Golf ball. E. Kempshall, Boston, Massachusetts. •8,804(1902). Golf ball. Same. THE GERMAN PATENT RECORD. Patents Granted. 144,772 (Class 30/). Bed bathtub of waterproof texture or rubber. R. Cramer, Gr. Tabarz. July 2g. 144,981 (CI. 30 »"' 1m.u1 olirvtio* THE second semi-annual dividend of 6 per cent, of the Para Rubber Plantation Co., earned on its rubber trading operations in Venezuela, was due on Sep- tember 20, according to an announcement made by the company on August 11. An unusual feature of the announcement was that the promised dividend was to apply to any treasury stock that might still be sold, prior to Sep- tember 16, as well as to the shares already disposed of. A company that can earn dividends on unsold shares of stock lying in its treasury must be admitted to have achieved success in financial management in an exceptional degree. In a num- ber of newspapers, early in the past month, an advertisement appeared simi- lar to that re- produced \nfac simile in the margin, the one here shown ap- pearing in the New York Sun of September 6. An inquirer in- to the merits of the investment who, a little later than that date, being at- tracted by the advertisement, called at the office of the Para Rubber Plantation Co., was d i r ected into the adjoin- ing office— that of the Standard Securities Co.— where he met a gentleman answering to the name of Jack Merrill, whose office is understood to be that of secretary of the Standard Securities Co. Mr. Merrill commended the rubber proposition very highly, and talked frankly and freely in regard to the man- agement of the Para Rubber Plantation Co., giving out some details not hitherto published, and which may be of interest to some of our readers. NARRATIVE OF MR. JACK MERRILL. "It is just this way," explained Mr. Merrill; "the Standard Securities Co., which I represent, is purely a selling concern, and has no interest in the Para Rubber Plantation Co. further than in disposing of its stock. The Rubber company was or- ganized last year with $5,000,000 capital, divided into $10 shares. Of this stock $1,000,000 was held in reserve and will not be issued. The incorporators, including Mr. John Cudahy of Chicago and several other well known men, took $1,250,000 of the stock, leaving $2,750,000 as treasury stock to be placed with the public. The company placed a portion of this stock, and last spring the Standard Securities Co. took an option on all the remaining treasury stock of the Rubber company. We did not buy the stock, and we do not own a share of it now, but we took an option on placing it. We have sold a consider- able amount and will continue to sell until September 16, when we surrender our option and go out of the business." NOTICE. On account of negotiations consum- mated in Europe for the sale of the en- tire balance of the Treasury stock of the Para Rubber Plantation Company, it has been decided to withdraw the stock from the market on September 18th, 1903, at 5 P M. Intending purchasers should at ones indicate size of block desired, as prefer- ence will be given to subscriptions in the order of their receipt. Price of shares $10.00 each, par value. PARA RUBBER PLANTATION CO, 62 Broadway, N, Y. Ciiy. " What happens then ? " " Mr. F. M. Crawford, of the Para Rubber Plantation Co., who has just returned from Europe, has made a deal with cer- tain rubber men of Antwerp and Paris, who agree to take all the stock that may be left in the treasury on that date. They agree to develop and gather the rubber on our holdings on the Casiquiare river, and to pay a royalty on the rubber gath- ered. A representative of the European syndicate has sailed from Antwerp, to conclude the transaction, and is due in New York next Friday [September 1 1]. After September 16, there will be no stock for sale to the American public." " Will you tell me something of the history and holdings of the Para Rubber Plantation Co."? " After Dr. Lucien Morisse made his report to the French government* on the vast possibilities and enormous profits in the rubber gathering industry, a number of capitalists in this country were interested and this syndicate was formed. The Para company was organized and at once set about securing the valuable territory on which Dr. Morisse reported. The re- sult was that the company purchased all the land bordering on the Casiquiare, between the Negro and the Orinoco rivers — a distance of 175 miles. A strip three miles wide on one side of the river and five miles on the other was purchased — in round numbers 1,000,000 acres. On this property various reports were made as to the number of bearing rubber trees, some estimat- ing as many as 20 to the acre. We feel that we are very con- servative when we estimate that the property will average 6 trees to the acre, or 6,000,000 trees all told. The idea is to es- tablish trading stations or posts all along the river, and to send the natives out from these points to gather rubber. In fact, a portion of this work was already accomplished when we took hold. An Italian syndicate, the head of which has since died in New York, had been gathering rubber in this territory and had a number of posts in operation. The first thing the Para Rubber Plantation Co. did was to buy this entire outfit, thus providing itself with a number of well equipped stations. The company is now gathering rubber there and as rapidly as posts can be developed and forces organized the output will be in- creased. The gathering is done by the native Indians and half breeds, somewhat on the grub stake principle of the min- ers, the company providing the sustenance for the workers when they go into the woods and taking their rubber in pay- ment when they come out." " How much rubber has been actually gathered so far ? " " The company's output this year has been 300,000 pounds. That rubber is all ready to come out now — in fact, should have gone down the river before this time. This we feel is but a drop in the bucket, for a full grown rubber tree should yield 5 pounds per year, and, as I told you, we have at least 6,000,000 trees on our original purchase, and as we have just purchased 1,250,000 acres more on the Orinoco, adjoining the property on the Casiquiare, we will more than double our holdings. This new purchase is as rich in rubber forests as our present prop- erty, and will yield untold wealth when developed." " What about the stock as an investment ? " " It seems to me, and I am in the stock selling business, not in the rubber business, that nothing offers more promise. The * An official copy of Dr. Morisse's report, in The India Rubber World office, was printed in Paris in 1891. It relates to observations made by him in 1S88-S9. The Para company was not incorporated until August, 1902. — The Editor. 20 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. riches of this property are something immense. The company was organized by level headed men of means and its stock is fully paid and now assessable. It paid last March its first semi- annual dividend of 6 per cent." " How did it pay it a dividend if it has never yet gathered and sold any rubber ? " " It paid it out of the profits that accrued on the rubber it took over with the holdings of the Italian syndicate. A con- siderable amount was then secured and on this the profit was made. It has now declared its second 6 per cent, dividend, which will be paid on September 20, to stockholders of record on September 16. The money for this dividend was advanced by three of the directors, one of them being Mr. Cudahy, and came about in this way. We have the 300,000 pounds of rub- ber ready for sale, but we failed to get it down the river in time. At a meeting of the directors in Chicago four weeks ago the question of passing our dividend until our product got out was discussed. Mr. Cudahy was very emphatic in his opposi- tion to such a course, saying that many of his employes and friends had invested on the belief that they would receive a dividend this fall, and they ought to get it. He then proposed with two other directors to advance the necessary cash, taking the rubber of the company on consignment as payment for the loan. The checks for the second dividend will therefore be sent out on the date mentioned." "If an investor buys stock now will he receive his dividend at once? " " Certainly ; any purchaser before September 16, will par- ticipate in the dividend. A man who buys on the 15th and has the stock transferred that day will receive a check for his divi- dend on the 20th." " Do you mean that Mr. Cudahy and the other two directors advanced $240,000 on 300,000 pounds of rubber, or enough to pay a 6 per cent, dividend on the $4,000,000 worth of stock upon which the company operates ? " "Oh no! The dividends are only paid on the stock held by the public, something like $700,000 worth. The $2,000,000 of treasury stock draws no dividends of course, and the organ- izers, who hold $1,250,000 worth of stock received no dividends in March nor will they be paid dividends now. The dividend paid in March amounted to only about $12,000, the public holdings of stock not then being large." THE SILENCE OF MR. JOHN CUDAHY. On September 12 The India Rubber World addressed a letter to Mr. John Cudahy, in Chicago, advertised as the presi- dent of the Para Rubber Plantation Co., advising him of the statements made at the New York office of his company, and asking for their confirmation. No reply being received, our Chicago correspondent was asked to interview Mr. Cudahy, and on September 23 a telegram was received from Chicago stating: " Cudahy left to-day for New York on Para matter. Refused to talk. May when returns." Mr. Cudahy's presence in New York on September 25 was ascertained, when an at- tempt was made to see him. The only result was an interview with Mr. Cudahy's counsel, Mr. Samuel N. Gardenhire — in which it was explicitly denied that Mr. Cudahy had advanced any funds for dividends — and the following letter: LAW OFFICES OF GARDENHIRE & JETMORE. Samuel M. Gardenhire. Aaron R. Jetmore. Atlantic Building, 49 Wall Street. New York, September 29, 1903. To the Editor of The India Rubber World : American Tract Society Building, New York City. Dear Sir : With reference to the article which appeared in your Sep- tember issue relating to the Para Rubber Plantation Company, and the conference had with your Mr. Hill by our Mr. Gardenhire, we have to say as follows : We must reiterate the statement that the article is misleading in its essential details and in consequence, calculated to do the company great damage. Any further publication by you along similar lines must necessarily tend to enhance this injury. We feel that it is due to you to say that the standing of Mr. Cudahy, its President, is such that it should be a personal guaranty to every stockholder of this Company, as well as to yourself, that it will carry out every obligation that it lias made, or shall make. It is in possession of a large and valuable tract of rubber land comprising about one million acres, and has made ar- rangements to purchase an additional tract of one million, two hundred and fifty thousand acres more. It has three agents, two upon the prop- erty and one at Caracus, prosecuting the work of the Company, owes no debts, is preparing to broaden its character and enlarge its facilities tor useful labor. It has withdrawn its stock from the market because of negotiations with foreign capitalists who have become interested in the enterprise, and Mr. Cudahy has assured them and us that he will give the manage- ment of this company his personal attention. This assures it the direct benefit of his wide experience and great executive ability. He has in- structed us to take such necessary legal steps as are necessary, looking to the accomplishment of this result and we trust you will see your way clear to refrain from any further comments that can do no one any good and our clients an incalculable business injury. Very truly yours, GARDENHIRE & JETMORE. THE INACCESSIBLE CASIQUIARE. By Lyonel Gamier {Maitdos.) THE Casiquiare is a narrow (for South America), swift flowing, and little known river which, rising near Mount Lesseps, receives from the north the Cunuahii, an affluent of the Orinoco, and joins the rio Negro a little above the Venezuelan town of San Carlos. The Cunuahii rises somewhere in the Surra dt San Carlos and divides, one Note— Our correspondent's reference to the means whereby the Casiquiare connects the Orinoco and Negro rivers involves the mention of a river (the Cunu- ahii) not shown on any map in The India Rudder World office. But the whole region of the upper Orinoco has been imperfectly mapped as yet. The specially made map shown in connection with this article is based upon several accepted authorities, but is not offered as an absolutely correct delineation of the couise of the Casiquiare. What is very much more to the point is whether the Casiquiare region can be reached readily from the outside— ia the manner, for in- stance, claimed by the Para Rubber Plantation Co.— and in regard to this all au- thorities are agreed that the rivers leading to that region are not now commer- cially navigable.— The Editor. branch flowing into the Casiquiare and the other into the Ori- noco. Thanks to this, the Casiquiare serves as a natural canal, joining the two great rivers, Orinoco and Negro. Only one fall and three rapids exist on the Casiquiare; the fall, a few hours' journey above the confluence with the rio Negro, and the rapids all three close to the mouth of the Cunuahu. The falls are passable at high water, and have been traversed by a steam launch the Leas, belonging to an Italo- Venezuelan expedition which ascended this river and the Ori- noco as far as San Fernando de Atabapa. The great difficulty which any one attempting to do business on the Casiquiare would encounter is the navigation of the rio Negro, only feasible with stern wheelers or other very light draft boats as far as Trinidad, and from thence only to be done in native craft, paddled and carried or poled up the fifteen or October i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 21 sixteen rapids which divide the place from Cucuhy. From Cucuhy the river is navigable in launches as far as the mouth of the Casiquiare in all seasons. The Casiquiare could be nav- igated with very powerful light draft steamers at high water — March to June— and during the rest of the year in canoes. Little is known of the natural products of the Casiquiare, but it may safely be asserted that up to the present not a single kilogram of rubber— fine, scrap, or slab — has been shipped from this river. The late Chevalier Teresio Piasco, chief of the Italo-Venezuelan expedition to the upper Orinoco, in- formed the writer that Caucho and Balata were abundant ; he was silent, however, as to the presence of Hei'ea rubber, al- though, as it is found at the mouths of the river, both on the Orinoco and the Negro, it is probable that a careful search would reveal its presence on the banks of the numerous af- fluents of this river. The climate is said to be healthful. Don Andre Level Gutierez, actual governor of the province, has for some years sent men to this river in search of piassava, and has never encountered a mortality above the average. The tem- perature varies little, 35' to 36° Centigrade being the average ; no data is at hand as to rain- fall, but thunderstorms are said to be frequent. Like all other parts of this region, the valley of the Casiquiare is un- inhabited. Nomadic Indians of the Vare tribe visit it occa- sionally on hunting expedi- tions, but that is all. Fish should be abundant, but fresh water turtle are absent. The Venezuelan government are known to have given vari- ous grants of land on the up- per Orinoco, and to have offer- ed special inducements to set- tlers, but hitherto without avail, owing to the enormous difficulties of transport. The only way to work the Casi- quiare satisfactorily would be by the construction of three the casiquiare roads — one from Trinidad to Camanaos, in Brazil : one round the falls at the mouth of the Casiquiare; and another further upstream to avoid the rapids. The first would be about 80 miles long over rocky and very uneven ground, the forest being chiefly small trees and beechwood, about five bridges would be required. As to the others nothing certain can be said, owing to lack of information, but the first would be about one mile and the second about 10 miles long. In parenthesis it may be mentioned that up to May, 1903, when the last news was received from San Carlos, nothing was known there officially as to any grant of lands on the Casiqui- are, the writer's informant being the governor himself. The Venezuelan provinces of Alto Orinoco and Amazonas do all their business with Mandos, the falls and rapids of the Orinoco being even worse than those of the rio Negro. They come down from July to November in big canoes and return in steamers to Trinidad, where they reembark in their canoes. From four to five months are spent in the round trip. Whether the falls are passable or not at other seasons of the year is hard to say, but the Venezuelans, and those Brazilians who live on the upper Negro, never do pass them at other times. During the past year Venezuela exported via Mandos: Rubber, fine 48,354 kilograms Rubber, scrap 20,240 " Piassava 25,211 Nearly the whole of the above is shipped to New York. It will be seen, therefore, that the trade of this region is very small, the rubber output being less than that of many seringales on the Acre or upper Jurud. Seeing that foreigners located in the best parts of the Ama- zon valley have hitherto failed to succeed, it is to be feared that on the Casiquiare they would inevitably meet the same fate. The difficulty in obtaining men to work there, the enormous expense of transport, and the unsettled condition of the country (the Venezuelan pro- vince of Amazonas is notorious as a hotbed of pronunciamien- tos and revolutions, three gov- ernors having been disposed by force of arms in as many years) would form insuperable objections to such an enter- prise. If the manager be a foreigner he will ignore the most essen- tial details of the rubber busi- ness. If he has the necessary experience, he can get a better berth on the lower Amazon, or find houses willing to set him up for himself. Should he be a Venezuelan he will meddle with politics, with disastrous results for the company. Bra- zilians won't go; there are plenty of good rubber lands awaiting exploration here yet, and they naturally prefer to stay at home. The greatest difficulty after transport would be the person- nel. The days when one could get hundreds of Cearenses for and its outlets. the asking are gone. Not only does Ceara impose a heavy tax on every person leaving that state, but the men themselves have had their eyes opened and know that rubber collecting is one of the most sickly trades in existence, and about the worst paid. It requires a certain skill, too, not to be found in every raw hand as many owners of land on the Purus and Jurua know to their cost. In Peru the supply of rubber workers is inadequate to the demand. Venezuela, as mentioned, is even worse off in this respect, and Europeans cannot stand the climate. West Indian blacks are no good ; they have been tried here and found want- ing. Chinese might serve, but there is a very considerable prejudice against them which may any day culminate in a law expelling them. In short, as long as there is rubber here, be- low the falls, it is utter folly to go for it to places like the Cas- iquiare, where the product hardly compensates the expense of the transportation. Manaos, Brazil, August 20. 1903. 22 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. NEW GOODS AND SPECIALTIES IN RUBBER. T NEW TYPES OF ICE AND WATER BAGS. HE water bag and the ice bag made of rubber for local applications have been in use for many years and almost any civilized being the world over recognizes the ordi- nary type at sight. Some very valuable and ingenious applications of the principle have how- ever lately appeared. For example, the Goodrich Eye Pad, which is illustrated herewith, is new, in- genious, simple, and easily understood. It is designed for the continuous flow of either hot or iced water, through a pair of thin rubber rings which lie against the eye-lids, conforming to the shape of the ball and yet without pressure. The flow of the water can eas- ily be regulated so that it be a continu- The application can \ GOODRICH EYE PAD. ous stream or simply a drop at a time, be made to one eye or to both. These goods are made of a very high grade of stock, with a soft finish, and show throughout the best/ workmanship. ——J Along the same line of invention is the Goodrich Mastoid Ice Bag and the con- tinuous flow hot or cold water mastoid The former of the two QOODRICH.MASTOID ICE BAG. fine Para rubber bag, very light and easily secured in its place, covering the mastoid process only, but fully. For the same purpose is the continuous flow Mas- toid Bag, which is ar- ranged so that the up- per tube may be readily attached to a fountain bag or reservoir and a continuous flow of iced or hot water passed over the mastoid process. ^Another Goodrich appliance that is exceptionally useful for carrying off aural discharges or fluids used in irrigat- ing is the Goodrich Funnel Drain. This can be readily ad- justed under the ear as shown in the illustration, but is equally applicable for treatment of the mouth or nose. These goods belong to a varied and very complete line produced in the special surgical department of The B. F. Goodrich Co., Akron, Ohio. THE PERFECTION BATH TUB MAT. The ordinary porcelain bath tub is a very necessary but a somewhat treacherous article of household economy. Owing to its high polish it is slippery, and many a iall has resulted from an incautious movement when getting in and out. The rubber mat shown in an accompanying illustration obviates every bit of this trouble. It fits snugly in the bottom of the GOODRICH FUNNEL DRAIN. tub, to which it adheres firmly. The stock of which the mat is made is an excellent white compound, as soft as velvet, its surface being slightly corrugated. After use it is easily rinsed off and dries in a very few minutes. It is made in two sizes — 12 X 30 and 12 X 26 inches. [Perfection Rubber Co. — John J. Cook, No. 923 South Clinton aveuue, Trenton, New Jersey.] PNEUMATIC PEW CUSHIONS. Iowa newspapers chronicle the invention, by one Hans Nei- mend, of Ida Grove, of a device whereby occupants of church pews, by dropping a nickel in the slot, can be automatically provided with a pneumatic cushion made of India-rubber. Just what denomination will be first to adopt this improvement, it is hard to say ; but those who go to church to rest will at once hail Mr. Neimend as a sane, practical benefactor of the human race. THE "FAULTLESS" ONE-PIECE SYRINGE. A most beautiful piece of rubber work is the " Faultless " one-piece bulb syringe. The surface of both tube and bulb is actually as smooth as glass, and of a dark crimson color, with a very curious and attractive mottling. The goods are steam cured and are certainly fully as beautiful and more novel in fin- ish as any foreign or domestic products in the same line that have yet appeared. [The Faultless Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio.] THE GRAY RUBBER GLOVE. When the rubber glove first saw the light it was black, heavy, cumbrous, and fitted with seams, stays, and patches. Later came the tan glove, much lighter and a pretty piece of work. Then in the process of evolution came the " dipped " glove, seamless, the color of pure rubber, and a genuinely artis- tic bit of workmanship. The use of these gloves by surgeons was wonderfully increased by the thin dipped glove that preserved the sense of touch so perfectly while affording perfect protec- tion to both patient and operator. A curious phase of the rub- ber glove habit is that surgeons soon get accustomed to their use and call for heavier gloves. To cater to this demand a new seamless gray glove is now on the market, that has found a warm welcome and is meeting with a gratifying sale. [The Miller Rubber Manufacturing Co., Akron, Ohio.] October i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 23 RUBBER FACTORY APPLIANCES. THE PIERCE UPPER CALENDER. THE superintendent of the rubber factory of L. Candee & Co. (New Haven, Conn.), Mr. John H. Pearce, is already well known to the rubber manufacturers of the world through his inventions, particularly in the line of calenders for shoe work. His latest production, a five roll machine, designed to save waste in sheet goods, that are, after coating, cut into shapes that do not utilize all of the surface spread, is shown in the accompanying outline drawings. In this instance the cal- ender is adapted to the production of shoe uppers. The plan pursued is to spread the plain sheet to the thick- ness desired, and then run it through two sup- plementary rolls, together with the fabric. These rolls are fitted with male and female dies, which set the sheet of rubber upon the fabric in certain pat- terns only. The waste rubber between the dies either follows the roll, or if it adheres to the fabric is easily stripped off. The process should result in quite a saving and would appear to be perfectly practical. Mr. Pearce has taken out a United States patent on the calender (No. 720,28i)and assigned it to Henry Stuart Hotch- kiss, of New Haven. THE PROBERT "SPIDER PRESS." For ordinary everyday Spider Press " is about as The illustration is taken from a photograph of one 20X 20 inches in size. It is light— weighing but 1480 pounds — and strong, the tie rods being of hammered steel, and as rapid as is consistent with the power, the pitch of the steel screw being two threads to the inch. The lower end of the screw is fitted with an anti-friction stop in the oil well in the top of the upper platen. [Excelsior Machine Works, Akron, Ohio.] AUTOMATIC CUTTER FOR INSULATING TAPE. A machine for cutting tape — either pure, gummed, cloth surfaced, or non-gummed cloth — which operates automatically, is shown in the accompanying illustration. As is usual, the material to be cut is first wound tightly on a gummed wooden or steel mandrel, and may be put into the roll 1 meter [ = 39.37 THE PROBERT PRESS. mold work in a small factory the useful a mechanism as can be found. SIDE VIEW. ARRANGEMENT OF THE ROLLS. THE PIERCE UPPER CALENDER. CUTTER FOR INSULATING TAPE. inches] in length to about 200 millimeters [=about 7.9 inchesj in width. The extreme ends of the roll are gummed, so that it is impossible for the roll to unwind during the cutting. The roll after being placed in the machine comes in contact with a knife to which is attached a lever, the roll turning to the left hand — that is, in the opposite direction to that of the usual lathes. In action the lever and the knife moves forward by means of an eccentric and is released and set back by means of a spring. The feed is accomplished through an accurately spaced link chain which can be regulated to ^j of a millimeter [r millimeter=.0394 inch]. The machine is capable of a great range of work, strips as small as s 5 5 of a millimeter being accu- rately cut. When the knife has made the last cut on the roll the machine automatically dis- connects itself leaving the rolls of tape ready for removal and wrap- ping. By means of this machine, one workman can at- tend to five or six of them at the same time, which insures a large product. [Max Miiller, Hannover- Hainholz, Ger- many.] eLAN VIEW OF SURFACE OF PATTERN ROLL. 24 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. THE OBITUARY RECORD. CHRISTOPHER ROBERTS. CHRISTOPHER ROBERTS, president of the C. Roberts Rubber Co., of Newark, New Jersey, died at his home in that city on September 20, in his seventy-seventh year. Mr. Roberts was born in 1827 in Manchester, England, where, after remaining in school as long as his parents, who were in moder- ate circumstances, could afford, he found employment in an India-rubber factory. He speedily became an efficient work- man, particularly in the making of stationers' rubber goods. In 1849 he came to the United States to install some machinery for a relative who was interested in the rubber industry, and, after looking the field over, he de cided to remain here and invest the small capital he had saved in a factory of his own. Beginning in a small way at Prov- idence, he suc- ceeded, and about 1858 he removed his business to Newark, shortly afterward making a contract with a large pencil man- ufacturer for rub- ber tips, which ar- rangement was the beginning of what developed into an important business. The pencil manufacturer was Eberhard Faber (New York), who became a partner in the business, conducted for a number of years as Christopher Rob- erts & Co. Early in 1899 the company became a corporation under the laws of New Jersey, with Mr. Roberts president and Mr. Faber vice president. The capital stock was $150,000, the majority being held by Mr. Roberts. The factory employed about 100 people, and was in constant operation, making only erasers and elastic bands, the total output being taken by the firm of Faber. For two years past Mr. Roberts was prevented by failing health from giving active attention to business. Mr. Roberts at no time had any labor trouble in his factory, and there are men who have worked in the factory since they were boys. Mr. Roberts was unostentatious in his life, and is known to have disbursed in a quiet way a great deal of money in charity, as also did Mrs. Roberts, who died fifteen years ago. The only surviving member of the family is a daughter, Mrs. George S. Coxe, whose husband is connected with the factory. The two sons both died several years ago. Mr. Roberts was a member of the Newark Board of Trade, and until three years ago was a direc- tor in the Essex County Bank. He was a regular attendant at Trinity Church (Episcopal). Aside from his interest in the rub- ber works, Mr. Roberts is understood to have left considerable estate. It is stated that there will be no change in the method of carrying on the business of the Roberts company. * * * Martin V. Beiger, president of the Mishawaka Woolen Manufacturing Co. (Mishawaka, Indiana) died at South Bend, on September 26, following an operation for appendicitis on September 21. Mr. Beiger was about 58 years of age. He served in the civil war in the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Indiana regiment. At the time of his death he was president of the board of trustees of De Pauw University and a trustee of the Chautauqua Assembly, Chautauqua, New York. Mr. Beiger established, about fourteen years ago, in connection with cap- italists of South Bend and Mishawaka, a woolen manufacturing business, an important product of which was supplies for " combination boots." The company next began buying rubber overs, in order to sell the boots complete. In November, 1896, The India Rubber World stated : " The Mishawaka Woolen Manufacturing Co., it is estimated, will use 75 carloads of rub- ber overs this season, in combination with their knit boots and lumbermen's socks." Two years later a rubber department was added, and placed in charge of Emmett A. Saunders, who had been general superintendent of factories of the United States Rubber Co., the capital of the company being increased for this purpose from $500,000 to $700,000. The company's sales in 1889 were $65,000; in 1902 they amounted to $4,048,000, * * * John Frederick Seiberling died on September 6, at his home in Akron, Ohio, in his seventieth year. He was a native of Ohio, belonging to an extensive family whose history in that state runs back to 1828. Mr. Seiberling was born on a farm, where the work of harvesting suggested labor saving ideas which he applied to mowing and reaping machines, in the manufacture of which he acquired a fortune. The factory of the J. F. Seiberling Co. became one of Akron's largest and most profitable industries. He became active in many other business enterprises, and was the founder of The India Rubber Co., of Akron, in 1896, employing a factory he had used for- merly for making reapers. Mr. Seiberling was the father of Frank A. Seiberling, general manager of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (Akron) ; Charles W. Seiberling, secretary of the same company ; and Mrs. S. S. Miller, whose husband is connected with the Buckeye Rubber Co. (Akron). Two broth- ers of the deceased, James H. Seiberling and Monroe Seiber- ling, are interested in the Indiana Insulated Wire and Rubber Co. (Jonesbore, Indiana), the former being president. The Seiberling interests also controlled the late Peoria Rubber and Manufacturing Co. (Peoria, Illinois), the factory of which was closed on being acquired by a combination. Mr. Seiberling was one of the most philanthropic and liberal men of Akron, where his loss is keenly felt. The funeral services, held at his late residence on September 8, were attended by a large num- ber of Akron's most influential citizens. * • » Charles E. Breeden, of Glenridge, New Jersey, and a re- tired business man of New York, died on August 29 at his sum- mer home in Laconia, New Hampshire. He was born in Bos- ton, June 10, 1842, being the son of Abner Breeden, the first selling agent employed by the Ford Rubber Co., who began the manufacture of rubber shoes at New Brunswick, N. J., in 1845. Charles entered the selling agency after it became Breeden & Southwick (New York), handling the product of the leading rubber shoe manufacturers. He later volunteered in the civil war, after which he returned to his old firm, from which he retired in 1871, possessed of a comfortable fortune. His uncle, Benjamin F. Breeden, also of Breeden & Southwick, was one of the founders of the North British Rubber Co., Lim- ited. The attorney general of New Jersey has decided that rubber stamps cannot be used in marking ballots to be used in voting in that state this year, for or against the proposed amendments to the state constitution. October i, 1903] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 25 NEWS OF THE AMERICAN RUBBER TRADE. ADVANCE IN RUBBER TIRE PRICES. SEVERAL leading rubber tire manufacturers have with- drawn all prices, in consequence of the increasing cost of raw materials, in harmony with an agreement reached at the recent meeting in New York city, at which nine fac- tories are understood to have been represented. The subject is treated at further length in the Akron correspondence which appears in this issue. RUBBER GOODS MANUFACTURING CO. The equipment of the factory of The India Rubber Co., at New Brunswick, New Jersey, has progressed steadily since our last report, and it is now practically ready for operation. The product of the company will consist largely of tires, as was true of the factory operated under the same name at Akron, Ohio, burned last March, and orders are now being taken. The or- ganization of the company has been completed by the election of J. C. Wilson, president ; Charles A. Hunter, vice president ; and W. L. Wild, secretary and treasurer. Mr. Wilson for some time past has been manager of the rubber tire factories of the Rubber Goods Manufacturing Co. under the presidency of Lewis D. Parker. Mr. Hunter, of the Peerless company, is vice president of a number of the companies in the combina- tion. Mr. Wild was secretary of The India Rubber Co. at Akron. In addition to the other offices held by him, Mr. Hunter has been chosen vice president of the Mechanical Rubber Co. and the New York Belting and Packing Co., Limited, instead of Talbot J. Taylor. Also, as vice president of the Hartford Rub- ber Works Co., instead of F. H. Turner, who, for some time past, had held the two positions of vice president and treasurer. At the annual election of Morgan & Wright, Incorporated (Chicago), in October, it is understood that Charles J. Butler will be chosen president. BOSTON WOVEN HOSE AND RUBBER CO. Eighteen electric motors aTe being installed at the factory, having an aggregate of 615 hp. These will be placed in the most favorable positions and connected direct with the various lines of shafting.=During the month the company's head- quarters, at Cambridge, have been visited by Mr. J. V. Selby, manager of their Pacific coast branch (San Francisco), and Mr. W. O. Franklin, who covers the southern part of that territory and Mexico. THE NEW CABLE TO ALASKA. A submarine cable is about to be laid between the United States (at Seattle, Washington state) to Sitka, Alaska. There will be a branch from the station at Baronoff to Juneau, Alaska, to connect with the line laid a few years ago between Juneau and Skagway. The cable will be laid by the govern- ment, through the agency of the Signal Service. From that office the information is gained that the length of cable ordered is as follows : Shore end 10 miles. Intermediate 409 ' ' Deep sea 940 ' ' Total 1359 " In the manufacture of the cable a few feet more than the mileage here shown has been supplied of each type, but for convenience sake the fraction is not shown. This will be the longest cable yet manufactured in America. It has been turned out, at the rate of 20 miles a day, by The Safety Insulated Wire and Rubber Co. (New York). The insulation is of Para rubber, applied by the seamless process of the company referred to. It is expected that cable communication with Seattle will be es- tablished by the end of November. CONVERSE MEMORIAL DAY. On Friday, September 4, occurred the sixtieth anniversary of the marriage of Elisha Slade Converse and Mary Diana Ed- munds, who, since 1850, have made their home at Maiden, Massachusetts. In 1853 Mr. Converse became treasurer of the Boston Rubber Shoe Co., in 1856 president of the Maiden Bank, and in 1882, the first mayor of Maiden. During this long period the family has been identified in very many ways with the business and social life of Maiden, and the celebration of the golden wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Converse, ten years ago, was participated in by so many persons as to make it a notable event in the history of the city. This year, instead of another extensive celebration, the family decided to defray the expenses of the excursion on September 4 of the Boston Floating Hos- pital — an important and long established charity. The date mentioned was, therefore, designated as " Converse Memorial Day." The management of the hospital sent Mrs. Converse sixty beautiful white asters, in remembrance of theanniversary. ■ A recent day on the hospital program was known as " Marion Day," on account of the expenses of the excursion on that date being provided by an entertainment given at " The Moorings," the Summer residence, at Marion, Massachusetts, of Colonel Harry E. Converse. NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE TRANSACTIONS. United States Rubber Co. : Common. Preferred. Sales. High. Low. Sales. High. Low. Week ending Aug. 22 2,300 «3 II 1,270 40 39 Week ending Aug. 29 940 13K i*H 145 42 42 Week ending Sept. 4 2.5IO I3H J2?8 570 43 42^ Week ending Sept. 12 520 12% "J* 510 4*X 42^ Week ending Sept. 19 1,100 12% II 400 42% 40 Week endiog Sept. 26 320 I0J4 IO 400 31% 35 RANGE FOR TWO YEARS. Common*. Preferred. High 19^ Low 14 High 64 Low 49^ • 19^ 7 58 30M Rubber Goods Manufacturing Co. : 1902. 1903 Common. Preferred. DATES. Sales. High. Low. Sales. High Low. Week ending Aug. 22 3,40O 1S% M 300 70 b 9 % Week ending Aug. 29 5,88l 19 M 1 -, 710 75 70 Week ending Sept. 4 4,891 19'A I8« IOO 76 76 Week ending Sept. 12 2,OIO K)}i 18K — — — Week ending Sept. 19 3,050 I8& I5 3 4 Sio 72 70 Week ending Sept. 26 1,400 16 15 720 7o bgy 2 RANGE FOR TWO YEARS. Common. Preferred. 1902 High 25J.S Low 17^ High 74 Low 63 1903 30 12 84}^ 60 CONCORD RUBBER FACTORY FOR SALE. The plant occupied for several years past by the Concord Rubber Co., at Concord Junction, Massachusetts, and up to May i last, when the company ceased operations, is now adver- 26 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. tised for sale. The plant is in condition for carrying on the manufacture of rubber goods, or may be readily adapted for other purposes. Further details are contained in the advertis- ing pages of this Journal. ANOTHER SINGER FACTORY IN EUROPE. The Singer Manufacturing Co. will establish a sewing ma- chine factory in Germany, at Wittenberge, midway between Hamburg and Berlin. This will be the Singer company's fourth factory in Europe, the others being located (1) at Kilborne, near Glasgow, Scotland ; (2) at Kloridsdorf, near Vienna ; and (3) at Poldosk, between St. Petersburg and Moscow, in Russia. NEW INCORPORATIONS. The Buffalo Rubber Manufacturing Co., July 17, under New York laws ; capital, $50,000, fully subscribed. E. L. Toy. formerly vice president of the Alden Rubber Co., is president, and A. J. Commins, former secretary of the Alden company, is secretary and treasurer. A desirable manufacturing plant has been acquired at Tonawanda and West avenues, Buffalo, New York. The same has been electrically equipped, and at last ac- counts the company hoped to have an attractive line of rubber specialties on the market by October 1. = The Housatonic Rubber Co. (Bridgeport, Conn.), Sep- tember 22, 1903; capital, $4000, in $50 shares. Directors: Justin A. Wilson (president), Phebe A. Wilson (secretary and treasurer), A. B. Beers. The corporation is formed to con- tinue the rubber reclaiming business conducted by the late James A. Wilson as the Housatonic Rubber Co. = Anchor Rubber Tire and Manufacturing Co., September 5, 1903, under New York laws ; capital, $125,000. Incorporators : A. C. Farnsworth and A. ]. Farnsworth, New York city; Ed- ward Ridgway and Joseph W. Elberson, Setauket, Long Island. The purpose of the company is to make solid rubber vehicle tires and insulated wire, at a Setauket factory with which Mr- Elberson has long been'identified. Mr. Elberson will be gene- ral manager, and it is proposed to begin work early in this month. = Harris Rubber Co., September 1, 1903, under New York laws, to manufacture rubber goods ; capital, $15,000. Incorpo- rators: Benjamin Harris and Minnie Harris, No. 209 Sixth street, Hoboken, New Jersey ; Max Cohen, New York city. = The incorporation of the American Rubber Co., under New Jersey laws, with $100,000 capital, was reported in The India Rubber World June 1, 1903 [page 320J. On June 29 the company filed a certificate at Trenton, changing its name to the Continental Rubber Co., and increasing the capital to $1,000,000. One of the incorporators, Samuel R. Betts, of a legal firm at No. 120 Broadway, New York, informs The India Rubber World that the company are not yet prepared to make public any statement regarding their object or plans. TRADE NEWS NOTES. The Fairfield (Connecticut) Rubber Co. have awarded a contract for the erection of an additional storage warehouse, to be of brick, 40 X 120 feet, with fireproof roofing. = Four large new boilers have been installed in the power plant of the Fells factory of the Boston Rubber Shoe Co. =The Ailing Rubber Co. have enlarged their store at Bridge- port, Connecticut, by annexing an adjoining store, so that they now occupy Nos. 1 125 to 1 129 Main street. The store is divided into sections for different lines of goods, the bicycle tire de- partment being spoken of as unusually extensive and complete. Ernest M. Jaycox is resident manager. = The engine at the new rubber shoe factory of Terrence McCarty, at Bristol, Rhode Island, have been running for sev- tral days, and at last accounts it was expected that manufac- euring would be begun shortly after the first of the month. =*The Yatman Rubber Co. (Newark, New Jersey), whose loss by fire was mentioned lately in these columns, inform The India Rubber World that they have succeeded in getting their insurance adjusted and have resumed manufacturing at the same premises, Nos. 224 228 High street. =The Fawkes Rubber Co. (Denver, Colorado) have opened a branch office at No. 1679 Broadway, New York, for the sale of their new vehicle and bicycle tire, which was described in The India Rubber World for July 1, 1903. The office will be in charge of Basil S. Courtney, as manager of sales for the company — a gentleman of several years experience in the tire selling trade, he having been until recently with the New York Belting and Packing Co., Limited. =The twenty-nine salesmen of the Chicago Rubber Shoe Co., on August 29, the last day of their summer vacation, were delightfully entertained at the summer home of the president of the company, Mr. E. G. Stearns, at Lake Geneva, a few hours out of Chicago. Seven states are covered by the firm's travel- ing staff. =Theodore Hofeller & Co. (Buffalo, New York) are distrib- uting to the trade a neat folder illustrating the expansion of their trade in old rubber, in which line they now claim the largest business in the world. A view is given of their present large premises, in comparison with their original plant, in 1881. The title of this folder is characteristic of the spirit which per- vades the business of the establishment: "Expansion Thro' Mutual Good Will." =The factory of the Goodyear's Metallic Rubber Shoe Co. [Wales-Goodyear], at Naugatuck, was closed for a few days early in the month on account of an accident to the engine. = Henry L. Hotchkiss, of L- Candee & Co. (New Haven, Conn.), has been elected president of the Glenark Knitting Co., of Woonsocket, R. I. The board of directors includes also Colonel Harry E. Converse, of the Boston Rubber Shoe Co., and John J. Banigan, formerly of the rubber trade. = In the Labor Day parade in Boston a feature was a float showing a bevy of pretty girls, employes of the Hood Rubber Co., displaying a banner inscribed " Patronize Union Labor." There were in the parade 150 men belonging to the Rubber Workers' Union, and 150 female employes. = The firm of Gibson-King Rubber Co. (No. 206 Broadway, New York), the formation of which was mentioned in The India Rubber World of August 1, was dissolved on Septem- ber 14 by mutual consent. A. Rasines, of the same address, has been appointed trustee in liquidation. = The blowing out of a boiler tube at the factory of the Joseph Banigan Rubber Co., scattered coals from the grate around the boiler room, setting fire to the woodwork. An alarm was sounded and the Providence fire department put out the flames before much damage was done. =The strike in the rubber shoe factory of L. Candee & Co. (New Haven, Connecticut), mentioned in our last issue, came to an end about the middle of the month. It resulted from the introduction of a new line of shoes and the fear of the employes concerned that, with the required number of pairs per day, they could not earn their accustomed wages. The strike began during the vacation of Superintendent Pearce, who, on his return, called the striking girls together in the work rooms, where they found ice cream and cake served — something which has served as a basis for comment in very many newspapers, as introducing a new idea in dealing with labor troubles. During the strike a number of the girls in- volved secured employment at the Beacon Falls rubber shoe factory, where they are still at work. A rubber workers union has been organized at New Haven, as one result of the strike. ( (CTOBER I, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 27 = E. Bers & Co. (Nos. 22-24 South Delaware avenue, Phila- delphia) report that they carry in stock about 500,000 pounds of various grades of scrap rubber, and are at all times in a posi- tion to fill orders promptly. Orders are in many instances ex- ecuted on the day of receipt. The firm have also a house at No. 10^ Desbrosses street, New York. = The Calumet Tire Rubber Co. (Chicago) have been espec- ially busy of late, chiefly on solid tires, though they are doing a good business also in horseshoe pads. They are preparing to introduce a new line of solid tires, but are not yet ready to put out samples. = The Camp Rubber Co. (Akon and Ashland, Ohio) have filed with the secretary of state of Ohio a certificate of increase of capital from $50,000 to $150,000. = The regular quarterly dividend of $2 per share on the cap- ital of the Boston Belting Co. is due on October 1 to stock- holders of record of September 15. =The Bishop Gutta-Percha Co. have purchased a plot of ground. 50X98. 9 feet, adjoining their premises on the south side of East Twenty-filth street, New York. =The Duckwall-Harman Rubber and Supply Co. (Indianap- olis, Indiana) announce an increase in their capital from §io,- 000 to $1 5.000. The business of the company dates from April, 1899. The company are selling agents in their territory for the Gutta-Percha and Rubber Manufacturing Co. — being supplied from the Chicago branch — and also for leading manufacturers in various lines of supplies. = The Rubber Sole Leather Shoe Co. (South Framingham, Mass.) are stated to have entered into a contract for the manu- facture of their shoes by J. W. Russ & Co., of Haverhill, Mass. = The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio) are mentioned as having purchased a touring car for use in testing automobile tires — a three cylinder 30 HP. machine, with 34 inch wheels and a speed capacity up to 50 miles an hour. = After twenty-four years spent in the rubber business in Cleveland and in Boston, Mr. Alfred L. Lindsey, president of the Stoughton Rubber Co., Boston, severs his connection with rubber and goes into coffee and tea, the new position being sales manager for the Chicago house of the well known firm of Chase & Sanborn. For ten years past Mr. Lindsey has been an active factor in the mackintosh business in Boston and has left a record as a hard, successful, and conscientious worker. The New York management of the Stoughton Rub- ber Co. part with Mr. Lindsey with the greatest regret and as an indication of their appreciation of his services present- ed him with an elegant complete silver service. The good wishes of the whole trade will go with Mr. Lindsey. = Few perhaps, even in the rubber footwear trade, appreci- ate the remarkable growth of the business of the Mishawaka Woolen Manufacturing Co. In the last six years business has increased seven fold, the sales last year amounting to over $4,000,000. To take care of this business the building of addi- tions has gone on almost continuously. At the present time foundations are being put in for a storehouse for crude stock and for manufactured goods. This house will be 150X280 feet five stories, of brick, and connected with the main factory by bridges. PERSONAL NOTES. The Rev, Dr. Edwin S. Lines, who has been chosen bishop of the Episcopal diocese of Newark (New Jersey), is the subject of a sketch in Leslie's Weekly (New York), which states he is a native of Naugatuek, Connecticut, where, in his early years, he worked in a rubber factory to earn money to help pay his way through Cheshire Academy. He was graduated from Yale in 1872, ana after studying for the ministry and accepting a small- er pastorate, he became rector of St. Paul's Church, in New Haven, which position he has held until now. = Colonel Samuel Pomeroy Colt, president of the United States Rubber Co., and Mr. William R. Dupee, president of the American Rubber Co. (Boston) were at Aixles Bains dur- ing August, returning at the end of the month to Paris, where Mr. Russell Colt, son of Colonel Colt, left the party to return to his studies at Yale University. Colonel Colt arrived at home late in September. =rGeorge S. Andrus, general manager of the La Crosse Rub- ber Mills Co. (La Crosse, Wis.), after an absence of two months from active business with an attack of appendicitis, is again at the helm, and pushing things with his old time vigor. = Mr.JB. T. Morrison, general manager of the Reading (Mass.) Rubber Manufacturing Co., accompanied by Mrs. Morrison, has been making a tour of Europe. = Mr. E. D. Hewins (Boston), well known to the New Eng- land rubber trade as an enterprising cloth merchant, has lodged with the Interstate Railway Commission, a complaint regarding the practice of the New York, New Haven and Hart- ford railroad of charging as much for .a parlor car seat for a short distance, as it does from Boston to New York. = Mr. and Mrs. Charles Varnum Perry, of Bristol, Rhode Island, celebrated their silver wedding on September 17. Mrs. Perry was Mary Isabel Trotter, daughter of the late Andrew Ramsay Trotter, who was treasurer of the National India Rub- ber Co. for a long time. THE FIGURES THAT GOT MIXF.D. In a late issue The Boot and Shoe Recorder (Boston) ob- served : The India Rubber World is noted for the exactness of its state- ments. Editor Pearson never prints anyilem of news without first veri- fying it. Therefore we are pleased to learn, on the authority of The India Rubber World of September 1, that the Boston Rubber Shoe Co., in its two factories, has a capacity of 332,000 pairs of boots and shoes daily. We haven't time just now to compute what the yearly pro- duction would be if they run at that full capacity every day except holi- days, but we congratulate the Boston Rubber Shoe Co. on their ability to sell all the goods which they can manufacture. The mistake occurred in the simplest manner imaginable. Editor Pearson was engaged in solving two problems at once : (1) the daily ticket of the Boston Rubber Shoe Co. and (2) the number of times Editor Putnam had announced in thecolumns of the Recorder the fact that "Lester Leland is in New York this week." The first was intended as an item for The India Rubber World and figured 55,333 pairs, and the second to be used as a cure for insomnia and totaled 332.000 insertions. The totals were transposed in the editorial mind. That's all. Wellington Mackenzie, No. 48 Yorkville avenue, Torontb has filed a claim for a deposit of asbestos on the shore of Lake Temiscaming, about two miles from New Liskeard, on the On- tario side of the lake— the first to be discovered in Ontario. Mr. Mackenzie informs The India Rubber World that the material is abundant and of very fine quality, the fiber being four inches long. ^^^^ A traditional nickname for Akron— one that has been in use for years— is disappearing. That name was " Tip-top city," having its origin partly in the fact of Akron's elevation, being probably the highest city in the state. The name which is taking its place is " Rubber city." Cigars, pencils, and many things in the way of advertising matter are being branded " Rubber city,' and the Akron public are taking up the name with interest. 28 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. THE RUBBER TRADE AT AKRON. BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. TO the Editor of The India Rubber World: The man- ufacturers of automobile tires have long felt that, as long as they furnish guarantees regarding quality and workmanship, there should be certain rules as to their application to various rims and differenf weights of vehicles. Not only will guaran- teed tires under such rules give better service but they will in the long run drive out the cheap unguaranteed tires. The meeting of tire manufacturers in New York a few days ago was attended by representatives of several Akron concerns, who apparently believe that the result will be a better condition both for the manufacturers and the users of tires. Among the Akron men at the conference were Colonel George T. Perkins, president of The B. F. Goodrich Co. ; F. A. Seiberling, manager of The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. ; A. H. Marks, vice presi- dent of The Diamond Rubber Co. ; and H. E. Raymond, gen- eral sales manager of the Goodrich company. " The manufacturers of rubber tires," said an official of a lo- cal rubber company, " have long viewed with concern the ten- dency toward cheaper tires, and it has been felt for some time that eventually the manufacturers would have to get together on some such plan as has now been agreed upon. Automo- bile makers have used tires in many instances of too light con- struction for the weight of the machine, and both the manufac- turer and the user have suffered in consequence. Naturally tire makers have to guarantee their tires, and it has been found that by reason of the carelessness in fitting light tires to heavy machines we have suffered, while the users have not been sat- isfied. Tires have been fitted to rims that were not at all suit- able, and the conditions in a number of particulars have not been such as to give satisfaction. Together with this state of affairs has come the tendency toward making cheap tires. Au- tomobile makers have tried to get them as cheaply as possible, from motives of economy, and have thus created a demand for a grade of tires which has been very unsatisfactory. Had this tendency died out, there would have been no reason for an agreement among the manufacturers, but it has been growing worse, and we were confronted with a serious problem which could be successfully solved only by an agreement to make au- tomobile makers conform to certain conditions which were determined upon at our meeting last week. One of these con- ditions was that our guarantees on tires would not be oinding unless the tires are fitted to certain rims approved by us and that only tires of certain weights shall be used on machines of certain weights. We hope by this method to be able to pro- duce a grade of tires which will give the user better satisfac- tion. It is to be a fight between quality and price, and we expect quality to win." The tire makers are of the opinion that the agreement enter- ed into will be the means of making conditions better all round. No man wants to buy a tire unless it is guaranteed, and this fact, it is calculated, will cause the makers of automobiles to be more careful in the selection and fitting o( tires to their ma- chines. A scale of sizes for " axle weights " has been adopted, this term being used by automobile makers to indicate the bur den borne by each axle, which is approximately half the car, though not uniformly so. By making the schedule according to "axle weights," the tire agreement permits tires of different sizes to be used on front and rear wheels of the same automobile. A certain group of rim makers have agreed to make their rims exactly according to specifications furnished by the tire makers and to allow the tire men to keep inspectors in the rim factories to mark O. K. all rims approved. Tires not on rims so marked and on any cars not in accordance with the weight schedule have not the makers' guarantee. This is a check cal- culated to keep the automobile men in line, for no man wants to buy tires not guaranteed. Regarding prices a prominent tire man says : " Any tire maker can furnish tires at any price demanded. We have done this, and the result has been great dissatisfaction. Now we are going to determine for ourselves what grades to make and fix our own prices, and the vehicle people can take them or leave them. Buyers of automobiles will be willing enough to pay more for tires if they give better service." The tire makers have withdrawn all former quotations on tires, calling attention in their circulars to the increased cost of rubber and of Sea-Island fabric. * * * When the tire season of 1903 is over it will be found to have been the best in the history of the trade. Early in the season the rubber manufacturers here foresaw that the trade this year would be a large one, and made extensive preparations to take care of it. As a result they have been able to turn out large numbers of tires, and to keep abreast of the demand. The ex- perience of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. is only one of the many which might be cited. When this company was or- ganized it was the intention to have its tires manufactured by other companies. After a brief experience of this sort it was found that the demand for tires was so great that the company was warranted in erecting a plant. Since the plant was placed in operation it has not been idle a day, and it is the largest plant in the world devoted entirely to the manufacture of solid rubber tires. Other local companies which manufacture tires have been busy all season, some of them not being able to accumulate a stock. Local manufacturers have tried hard to keep up the standard ol quality of their tires, in spite of de- mands for low priced goods, and jobbers are beginning to real- ize that the cheap tire is not the one to push. The demand for heavy tires for trucks, fire engines, and other heavy vehicles has been brisk and some of the local factories have enjoyed a good business in this line. The demand lor bicycle tires has not been as large as in former years, but still the trade has been active enough to keep the machines in local plants pretty busy. The bicycle tire contracts will open "with October and present activity in the market make it evident that the coming season will be a busy one, probably surpassing the present season, An active campaign is also promised in the garden hose busi- ness. Contracts will be let during the next two months, and from present indications great activity in this trade is anticipated. * * « Arrangements are being made by local manufacturers for the big automobile shows, and they will show some first class goods, heavier in proportion to the weight of the machines than ever before. The detachable or clincher tire has appar- ently almost supplanted the single tube tire, and well posted tire men are of the opinion that the coming shows will demon- strate this fact. The B. F. Goodrich Co., the Diamond Rubber Co., and the Firestone company will have exhibits at all the principal shows. Local tire manufacturers will probably fight shy of the carriage and automobile shows which are not promoted by some recognized association. In the past it has been custom- ary for them to allow themselves to be "held up " for large sums for space in which to make a display ol their goods, at almost any show. Many of these shows have been promoted by private individuals for the money there is in it, and the Akron manufacturers cannot see where they can make the dis- plays they have been in the habit of doing with advantage to October i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 29 themselves. They have had to pay heavily for permission to display their goods, and they do not believe the advertising has been sufficient to warrant them to make the expenditure. Of course they will have men on the grounds looking for business, but the large displays they have made heretofore will be lack- ing. This has been practically decided upon in connection with the shows operated for private gain, and what action will be taken in regard to the legitimate carriage and automobile shows in this respect is problematical. According to the opin- ion of a man well known in the rubber tire trade, this action may be the beginning of a movement among local tire makers to "cut out " displays of this nature altogether. * * * The annual meeting of the Whitman & Barnes Manufactur- ing Co. was held in this city on September 3. The election resulted in but one change in the officials, Hon. George W. Crouse retiring from the directorate in favor of J. A. Vining, of Akron. Reports from the officers showed that the business, particularly in the rubber department, had been very good dur- ing the past year, a dividend of $1 per share being ordered, payable October 1. Mr. Vining, who succeeded Mr. Crouse, will have charge of the manufacturing interests in both Akron and Chicago. The officers are: C. E. Sheldon, Akron, presi- dent ; George E. Dana, Syracuse, chairman : William W. Cox, St. Catharines. Ontario, vice president ; William Stone, Chi- cago, treasurer; C. E. Caskey, Chicago, assistant treasurer; fames Barnes, Syracuse, N. Y., secretary ; Hon. Frank Hiskok, Syracuse, general counsel. The directors are : Messrs Shel- don, Dana, Cox, and Hiskok — named above — and I. C. Alden, W. H. Gifford, George C. Kohler, C. I. Bruner, and J. A. Vin- ing. » * * The article in the August number of The India Rubber World on fires in rubber factories was of interest here, where the big rubber companies have taken exhaustive measures to be prepared in the event of a fire. Perhaps there is no other rubber factory in the country better equipped for fire protec- tion than that of The B. F. Goodrich Co. This company have a well drilled fire department of their own, equipped with every convenience for fighting fire, and besides their plant is within a minute's run of No. 4 engine house. Within the fac- tory the company have a fire alarm system connected with this house which communicates to the firemen the exact spot where a fire is located, so that no lime is lost in getting to it. Fires, however, are a very rare occurrence at this plant, owing to the care which is exercised in handling chemicals, etc. Some other rubber factories here are also well equipped with fire fighting apparatus. * * * It is understood that at the annual meeting of The Diamond Rubber Co. in October plans for the construction of a hand- some new office building will be decided upon, and contracts let as soon as possible thereafter. Need of an office building has long been felt by this company, but for the past two or three years they have been so busy erecting buildings in con- nection with their plant that the office building has been lost sight of. It is said that the reports to be presented at the an- nual meeting will show that this year has been the most suc- cessful in the history of the company. Rumor also has it that The B. F. Goodrich Co. have found their new addition insuf- ficient to accommodate their growing trade, and that they will also erect an addition next spring. * * * Workmen are busily engaged in installing machinery in the plant of the Superior Rubber and Manufacturing Co. at Cuya- hoga Falls, and it will be only a short time until the plant is ready for operation. The company was organized over a year ago, and about the middle of August was reorganized, at which time final arrangements were made for equipping the plant. The company will manufacture dipped goods, employing about 50 people at first. Mayor E. M. Young of Cuyahoga Falls, was one of the promoters of the new company, and it was through his efforts that it located in Cuyahoga Falls instead of Akron, as at first intended. The officers now are : W.J. Bailey, Cleve- land, president ; W.J. Hart, Cleveland, vice president ; E. M. Young, secretary and treasurer; E.J. Ellis, general manager. Mr. H. B. Camp, president of the Faultless and Camp rubber companies, had a narrow escape from death on August 31. He was experimenting with natural gas in one of the kilns at the plant of The L. W. Camp Co., of this city, in which he is inter- ested. A defective valve allowed the kiln to be filled with gas, and when Mr. Camp applied a match to the burner under the kiln there was an explosion which demolished the kiln, knocked three or four workmen down, buried one man under a pile of bricks, and threw Mr. Camp backwards against a brick wall. Fortunately he was not injured beyond a few bruises, but the damage to the plant was considerable. The Ashland Rubber Co., recently promoted by Mr. Frank Ward of Barberton, has passed into the hands of Ashland people. Mr. Ward, who has been general manager and secre- tary, and Walter Leatherow, superintendent, have resigned. Mr. A. V. Snyder, who was formerly connected with The B. F. Goodrich Co., is understood to be slated to succeed Mr. Ward. By the change of the management, it is claimed that money will be saved, and that it will not injure the business in any way. Reports from Ashland indicate that the Camp Rubber Co. are doing the biggest business in their history, and that their trade in the line of articles manufactured by them is constantly on the increase. The company have just installed a new 250 HP. engine, the increased business of the company making this move necessary. Every little while there is a rumor to the effect tnat the plant of the People's Hard Rubber Co. here will be leased by some company interested in the manufacture of automobiles. The latest rumor was that the Peerless Motor Works of Cleveland would be removed to Akron and would occupy the plant, but so far it has been impossible to secure a confirmation of the rumor. Mr. Don O. Allen, manager of the tire department of the Diamond Rubber Co., and Miss Blanche Hale, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Hale, of Akron, were married on the evening of September 9, the ceremony being performed by the Rev. D. T. Thomas, of Youngstown. Mr. and Mrs. Allen will reside at No. 23 Hawthorne avenue, Akron. ==Mr. Frank Richardson Peabody, manager of the reclaiming plant of the Diamond Rubber Co., and Miss Ethel Webb Wright, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. S. J. Wright, of Akron, were married on September 17, the ceremony being performed by the Rev. Howard S. MacAyene, of Akron. James W. Hoffert, assignee of the People's Hard Rubber Co., has been ordered by Probate Judge Pardee to proceed at once to offer the claims of the company to the highest bidder. The suit of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. against the Consolidated Rubber Tire Co. has been transferred to the United States district court for northern Ohio. Goodrich tires were used by Charles J. Glidden, of Lowell, Massachusetts, in his automobile trip beyond the Arctic circle, and Diamond tires were used in the trans-continental trip of L. T. Whitman and E. T. Hammond in their 850 pound Olds- mobile. 30 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. TIRES AT THE BOSTON CARRIAGE SHOW. BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. FOR a city far removed from ihe great carriage centers of the country, the thirty-first annual convention of the Carriage Builders' National Association, held at Mechanics Building, Boston, September 21-27, was a big success. While not as large by any means as the conventions of New York, Phila- delphia, and perhaps other places, yet there was a very large and varied display of the products of the manufacturers. The rubber trade was well represented in the exhibition held in connection with the convention, showing tires and other rubber goods for vehicles of all kinds. According to one authority, generally speaking, few contracts were made by the manufacturers of tires, in view of the contemplated pooling of issues of all the large manufacturers for an increase in prices. Rubber men say that the general attendance at the show far exceeded their expectations. Prominent carriage manufactur- ers from all parts of the country were present, the visitors num- bering about 3000. The Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio) had a good exhibit of high grade rubber tires for carriages and auto- mobiles. The special feature was the company's sidewire tire for heavy autos, fire apparatus, etc. The claim is made that 90 per cent, of the motor cars in commercial use in Boston are equipped with the Firestone tire. The display was in charge of A. J. Greene, Boston manager ; H. S. Firestone, general man- ager of the company; William Wells, New York salesman; J. M. Gilbert, general salesman; and R. J. Firestone, Chicago manager. The Diamond Rubber Co. (Akron. Ohio) displayed rubber tites ranging from a baby carriage to heavy autos, and also goods in the mechanical rubber line. Solid, cushion, and pneu- matic tires were shown, and a new feature was the Diamond detachable " 1904 " auto tire, which is stated to be 50 per cent, heavier than formerly. O. S. Tweedy, Chicago, was in charge, assisted by J. R. Van Dusen, of New York, and W. P. Cronin, W. T. Heifer, and J. S. Wardell, Boston. The India Rubber Co., of New Brunswick, New Jersey, for- merly of Akron, Ohio, exhibited cushion tires, two wire car- riage tires, pneumatic bicycle tires and the Wheeler endless solid motor tire. R. A. Brine and Frederick W. Dogherty were in charge. The Sweet Tire and Rubber Co. (Batavia, New York) made a specialty of rubber tires, a new single cushion tire in particu- lar. A. W. Caney, vice president, and George E. Perrin, treas- urer, were in charge. The largest and most varied exhibit was that of the Good- year Tire and Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio. A fine display of solid rubber, cushion, and pneumatic carriage tires, and also rubber sundries, was made. The new goods shown were a flat tread auto tire and an endless solid rubber tire for delivery wagons, pleasure cars, fire apparatus, and the like. A curiosity was shown in the shape of a fire wheel 56 inches in height, the average being about 45 inches, and equipped with a solid rub- ber tire. A new tire machine was also on exhibition. G. M. Stadelman, manager of the vehicle tire department, was in charge. The Fawkes Rubber Co. (Denver, Colorado) made its first exhibit of the Fawkes indestructible airless rubber tire for all classes of vehicles and bikes. It is claimed for the airless tire that it possesses all the good qualities of the pneumatic tire, but is more lasting and cannot rim-cut or creep, as the tire is elas- tic and hugs the rim closely. B. F. Courtney and L. F. Still- well were in charge. The Hartford Rubber Works Co. (Hartford, Conn.), while showing all styles of rubber tires, made a specialty of solid rub- ber tires of a high grade. Mechanical rubber goods were also shown and a tire mounting machine. Manager E. R. Benson, of Boston, was in charge. The B. F. Goodrich Co., Akron, Ohio, exhibited under the direction of its New England agents — C. S. Mersick & Co., Frank W. Tucker, manager — a varied line of solid, endless, side wire, two wire, single tube, clincher, and pneumatic tires. The Kelly-Springfield tire was exhibited by the Consolidated Rubber Tire Co. (New York and Akron, Ohio). The concern claims to have made the first rubber tires and the first to apply the two-wire idea. Stanley F. Hall was in charge. Other tire exhibitors were Morgan & Wright (Chicago), The Stein Double Cushion Tire Co. (Akron, Ohio), the Milwaukee Rubber Works Co. (Milwaukee, Wis.), Alden Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio), International Rubber Manufacturing Co. (New York), International A. and V. Tire Co. (Milltown, N. J.), Vic- tor Rubber Tire Co. (Springfield, Ohio), and the Empire Rub- ber Manufacturing Co. (Trenton, N. J.). The Monarch Carriage Goods Co. (Cincinnati) made quite an extensive display of buggy boots, storm aprons, and hardware goods, in the construction of which rubber is used to more or less extent. Storm aprons, entirely of rubber, were shown, and also a deck-panel boot on which rubbers are used for holding the boot down, rubbers having been found more desirable than wire springs. Charles Weiclein had charge. A very good line of rubber carriage cloth was exhibited by The Eureka Rubber Manufacturing Co. of Trenton, N. J. The company claims a daily capacity of 5000 yards at its new fac- tory, with a contemplated increased capacity next year. In the rubber line, the Morgan Potter Co., Fishkill-on-Hud- son, N. Y., exhibited rubber shoes for brake blocks. NEW TRADE PUBLICATIONS. THE Superior Rubber Type Co. (Chicago) issue their Catalogue No. 18, devoted to a great variety of applian- ces for use in connection with rubber type, including printing presses, mounts for stamps, hand and dating stamps, and the like, besides which 30 pages are devoted to the different faces of type kept in stock. Wholesale prices are given. The cata- logue is liberally illustrated, and is the most complete catalogue in this line that has come to our notice. [6^ // X9?4 v/ - 128 pages.] The Ohio Rubber Co. (Cleveland and Cincinnati) have sent out a handsome catalogue of Stormproof Clothing to their trade in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York state. The company's stock is large and varied, and they are understood to be doing an excellent business. They assert : " The demand (or all kinds of waterproof clothing has never been so universal as now." This catalogue has won the most complimentary mention from journals devoted to artistic advertising — for instance, from Profitable Advertising, of Boston. [4*X9X*- '6 pages.] == A net pricelist to dealers accompanies the catalogue. Mulconroy Co., Inc. (Nos. [213-1215 Market street, Phila- delphia) issue their net trade catalogue No. 16, devoted to Waterproof Clothing for Man and Horse — " Liberty" brand. It is liberally illustrated, gives prices and an adequate description of the goods listed, besides which there is a department devoted to Oiled Clothing. [3H" X S%"- 2 4 P a g es -] Sweet Tire and Rubber Co. (Batavia, New York) have issued a descriptive list of Sweet's Patent Rubber Tires. [6" X 3/'s". 11 pages.] October i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 31 THE TEXTILE GOODS MARKET. OCTOBER finds the textile goods market, as related to the rubber trade, in a somewhat waiting attitude. At this time last year most of the rubber manufacturers had made their arrangements for cotton duck covering the entire twelve months, and both the seller and buyer knew where they stood. The market for raw material at that time was steady, the manipulators in the Cotton Exchange had not commenced their operations, and the prospective dearth of the staple had not dawned upon the market. Consumers who were averse to covering their requirements for the year at a stipulated figure saw no impediment to their going ahead on the principle of buying their ducks and sheetings as their needs dictated, al- though it was made very plain later in the season that they had made a mistake, and a costly one, for they could have con- tracted for all the fabric they needed for the year at ly'/i cents per pound, whereas they have been paying at intervals from 20 to 24 cents. It is a reasonable deduction that those who con- tracted for the year realized greater profits upon their rubber goods than did those who paid the higher price for cotton goods. Considering the status of the market for cloth, it is hardly necessary to state that rubber manufacturers who covered their requirements for the year have taken up to the maximum of their contracts. Few of them dreamed that they would require so much duck to carry them through the year, but there was nothing to be lost in making the outside limit of their takings large enough to meet any emergency, and that it was a very wise move on the part of the rubber people is shown by the fact that they have not only called for every pound of duck that was coming to them, but in some instances their requisi- tions have been from a dozen to a hundred bales in excess of what was due. The business acumen of these manufacturers is to be commended, but it failed in its purpose, for the duck mills charged up the extra supply on the basis of 22 cents, in- stead of allowing it to go in with the amount called for in the contract at \y% cents. The duck people claimed that they were already losing too much money by making 17^ cent duck out of 12,'i cent cotton. So much for the season just closing. In regard to business for the coming year both the rubber manufacturers and cotton goods people are all at sea. The un- settled condition of the staple market has made it next to im- possible for them to get together on the price question. Both factions are agreed that cotton is to rule higher, but how much higher is the question. The mills are now paying 13)^ cents for cotton, and are selling duck on the basis of 22 cents for reg- ular, and 24 cents for some special yarn goods. Rubber man- ufacturers are not willing to renew contracts on this basis, and the duck mills are unprepared to come to a settlement on a lower level. New business is therefore at a standstill. Of course the rubber mills have sufficient duck to carry them along for awhile, but in the meantime there is some close fig- uring going on between buyers and sellers. It is safe to say that scarcely a contract for the coming year has been put through yet, and when anything wiil be done in this direction depends entirely upon how soon the cotton market settles down. Colonel Henry G. Hester, secretary of the New Orleans Cotton Exchange, gives the total visible supply as 1,132,623 bales against 1,766,667 last year. There is very little reason to believe that the cotton duck mills will be able to cover their requirements for the next year with cotton at less than loyi or perhaps 11 cents against Z'/ 2 and 9 cents last year. During the past week there have been many representatives of rubber manufacturers in the market, endeavoring to get some idea as to outlook for the next season, but they have been disappointed. Emissaries of the duck sellers are also visiting the rubber people for a like purpose, and both factions arc patiently en- deavoring to reach an understanding. This is very necessary, for the market for rubber goods is permeated with activity, and the consumption of goods for the next season will doubt- less be heavy. Following are the prices of cotton middling uplands spots at the ports of New York, New Orleans, and Liverpool on the dates given : New Vork. New Orleans. Liverpool. September 5 12^ cents 11 Scents b.^od. September 12 12 cents 10^ cents 6.52^. September 19 11% cents 10^ cents 6 48d. September 26 n % cents 9^ cents 6.co^c. 40 shamrock. .. 9 c. 40" Highgate . . . 5?/c. 40" Sellew 7#c. Duets. 40' Hightown. ..6 c. 48" Mohawk. ...10 c. 40" 7 oz. Cran- 40" Hobart 6j^c. 40" Marcus. .. 5}4c. ( ™ A <" / - 40" Kingstons. ..7>^c. 40" Mallory 5 c. %%c. ^~ »». & ...~ - >.. ^ v H&wuaivik. ,.,iu \.. 40* 7 oz. Cran- 40" Hobart b%z. 40" Marcus. .. 5j£c. ford. ... „ 40" Kingstons. ..7J^c. 40" Mallory 5 c. 40* 8oz. Chart- 39" Stonyhurst...5^c. 36" Capstans. . ..4 c. res 8%"c. 3)' Sorosis 5 c. Osnaburgs. 40" Iooz Carew. II — -/*-* Jv — .„ — j -. „..«..._.£.,. 40 Iooz Carew. 11 c. 40' Seefeld 8 c. 40" Iroquois. ... 9 c. 40' 11 oz.Carita.12 c. A writer in the daily press from Brisbane, Australia, men- tions casually the wonderful gum cement that the natives know how to make, and which they use in fastening their shields together. Will some Australian reader give further light concerning this, particularly if it is a rubber cement ? Filler for Auto Tires. — A well known automobilist claims that the following filler for tires acts as an anti-leak substance very successfully in cases of ordinary puncture: Glycerine, 92 parts; gluten, 8 parts. Heat the glycerine in water bath, add the gluten, and stir until thoroughly mixed. 32 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. SOME FACTS REGARDING L1THOPONE. IN an article in the Zeilschrift fur angewatuite Chemie Dr. E. Kochs and Dr. F. Seyfert call attention to the fact that lithopone, the pigment so much employed in the manufacture of rubber goods and in the linoleum industry, is capable, by reason of its excellent covering power and cheapness, of prov- ing a serious competitor to the expensive body colors. The manufacturers of lithopone at present guarantee a certain amount of zinc sulphide in the various grades (green, red, white, blue, or yellow seal), but the analyses carried out by the authors for a number of years have demonstrated that very few samples actually contained the percentage guaranteed. The authors, after reviewing the various modes of production of lithopone and also the manufacture of sulphopone, discuss the method of analyzing lithopone and give as a reason for the non observance of the warranty the fact that the entire per- centage of zinc contained in the lithopone is not in the form of zinc sulphide, but that zinc salts soluble in acetic acid of 5 per cent, are likewise present. They occur therein, generally in the shape of zinc carbonate, up to 12 per cent., which is due to a defective mode of production. For the purpose of separating the zinc sulphide from the other zinc salts, acetic acid of 5 per cent, should be used and it is necessary, besides, to determine the amount of sulphur con- tained in the lithopone for verification. The final conclusion arrived at by the authors is that 1 to 2 per cent, of zinc soluble in dilute acetic acid hardly has any influence upon the quality of the lithopone, but a larger percentage should not be coun- tenanced by the buyer. Only fifteen of the samples received showing the guaranteed amount of zinc sulphide, it is within the buyer's interest to always have the merchandise analyzed. The dealers, in giving the guarantee, take it for granted that in the production all the zinc combines with the sulphur, while as a matter of fact this is not always the case, if the manufac- turing process is imperfect. The duty, therefore, devolves upon the manufacturer to have the article analyzed so as to be sure that the merchandise actually contains the warranted amount of zinc sulphide. If the entire amount of zinc found isaccepted as zinc sulphide almost all the lithopones conform to the guar- anteed amount. For this reason the manufacturers are unwill- ing to accept analyses in which this is not done, losing sight of the fact that with a faulty mode of production the reaction between barium sulphide and zinc sulphate does not always take place in a perfect manner, Moreover, attention is called to the fact that lithopone of good quality should not contain more than 0.2 to 0.3 per cent, of moisture. A lithopone holding in its composition more than 2 per cent, does not mix with oil as thoroughly as it ought. The paper closes with the advice to pay attention to a very careful taking of the samples; this is essential for the conformity of the analysis, but is still frequently lost sight of. As lithopone is extensively employed in the rubber manu- facture, as well as in the linoleum industry, the above informa- tion may also interest our readers, since frequently a higher percentage of zinc carbonate as well as an increased amount of moisture have a disturbing action. — Gummi Zeitung. REVIEW OF THE CRUDE RUBBER MARKET. AT the time of going to press with this issue crude rubber is selling at higher prices than at any time in the past history of the trade, with the single exception of a brief period in 1882, when the extreme price of $1.20 per pound was reached. From present indications it is possible that, before these pages reach our readers, an equally high price may again be reached. The market was firm and with an up- ward tendency throughout September, but the most marked ad- vance occurred immediately after the Antwerp sale, on the 17th, where all the grades offered brought much higher prices than the brokers' estimations. The advance has given rise in some quarters to conjectures that speculative trading is the cause. Such reports are always rife at such a time, but they are not always verified by subse- quent developments. It is exceedingly doubtful whether any influence in the trade could long hold the price of crude rub- ber at an unwarrantably high figure, and the risks attending an attempt to "corner" rubber — greater, perhaps, than in the case of any other commodity — are too great and too well un- derstood to be attempted by a house expecting to be engaged permanently in the trade. A glance at the diagram on another page of this Journal will show that rubber prices never remain long at one level ; advances are apt to be sudden, even when rising to a very high figure, and the decline is equally sudden and just as marked. Even if control of the market could be gained by speculative traders, the length of time during which extreme prices can be maintained is never longer than a manufacturer, with a fair supply on hand, can afford to remain out of the market. The India Rubber World is assured by the management of one of the largest manufacturing concerns in the trade that all of its factories can be operated for the next five months without the purchase of another pound of rubber, and an extreme ad- vance has seldom been maintained for five months at a time. Of course all the manufacturers are not so well supplied, and there is always somebody forced to pay the highest current price, or forego business. But to recur to speculation. To a certain extent all buying and selling is speculation. The question here is whether, in a period of short stocks, control of them has been obtained for the purpose of forcing consumers to buy at exorbitant prices. When Vianna got up his great rubber " corner " years ago, al- though he actually controlled most of the supply of Para rub- ber, he was kept in a nervous state because small lots of rubber not under his control kept dribbling into the market at lower prices than he demanded, and every such sale, no matter how small, weakened his position. A similar experience awaits every effort to buy up all the rubber in sight with a view to making large profits at the expense of the manufacturer. Be- sides, the market is infinitely wider today than in Vianna's time, and the task of gaining control of all the sources of sup- ply would be proportionately greater. After a "corner " has been effected it cannot last beyond the arrivals from a new crop; besides, it may collapse any day through a decline in prices from causes beyond the control of speculators, and im- possible for them to foresee. But high prices of a commodity due to short supplies at the moment is another thing. It is what happens when there is a coal " famine " ; even cabbages cost the housekeeper more when the market gardener has had a poor season. It would be a strange thing now, in view of the undoubted small supplies of rubber, and the active consumption, if prices were not high. October i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBbER WORLD 33 As to how long present prices will prevail, one man's judgment is as good as another, and no prediction need be offered here. Arrivals of the new crop at Para since the beginning of the season have been encouraging in extent. The figures herewith [including Caucho] give details for three years past, except that the record for the month just closed is brought down only to the 28th : 1901 . 1902. 1903. July tons 1260 1290 1280 August 1290 1370 1230 September 194° 1670 02075 4330 4585 Total, First quarter 4490 \a — To September 28, 1903] Following is a statement of prices of Para grades, one year ago, one month ago, and on September 30— the current date: PARA. Oct. 1, '02. Aug. 29. '03. Sep. 30. Islands, fine, new 7o@7i 96® 97 io7@io8 Islands, fine, old 72@73 ioo@ioi II2@U5 Upriver, fine, new 74@75 99(8100 uo@ni Upriver, fine, old 77@78 101(8102 1 I2@i 13 Islands, coarse, new 45@46 59@6o 6S@ 69 Islands, coarse, old @ «$ @ Upriver, coarse, new 59@6o ^ 78@79 88@ 89 Upriver, coarse, old @ @ @ Caucho (Peruvian) sheet 5i@52 6i@62 69® 70 Caucho (Peruvian) ball 55@56 74@75 78@ 79 The market for other sorts in New York, in which there likewise is an advance to be noted this month, is as follows: AFRICAN. Sierra Leone, istqualitygi (S92 Massai. red 91 @g2 Benguella ..75 @7° Cameroon ball. ..... .67 @68 Gaboon flake 48 @49 Gaboon lump 50 (0151 Niger paste 21 @22 Accra flake 2q ©30 Accra buttons None here Accra si rips None here Lopori ball, prime. . . .92 @93 Lopori strip, do ....89 @go Late Para cables quote : Per Kilo. Islands, fine .. 6$400 Ikelemba 93 Madagascar, pinky.... 84 CENTRALS. Esmeralda, sausage. . .76 Guayaquil, strip 66 Nicaragua, scrap ... .75 Panama, slab 56 Mexican, scrap 74 Mexican, slab 57 Mangabeira, sheet. . . .56 EAST INDIAN. Assam 88 Borneo Per Kilo. Upriver, fine 7$7CO Upriver, coarse 6$ooo @94 ©85 @77 (§67 @ 7 6 @57 @75 @ 5 8 @57 1903. 190 1. 7o@76 85@92 56@6i 6i@68 67(873 8l@88 45@48 46@5° 46@48J.£ 50@5i Islands, coarse 3$40G Exchange, I2^d. Last Manaos advices: Upriver, fine 7$65o/s$550 Upriver, coarse 5$55° Exchange, I2f,d. NEW YORK RUBBER PRICES FOR AUGUST (NEW RUBBER). I9°3- Upriver, fine 95@ioo Upriver, coarse 75@ 79 Islands, fine go@ 97 Islands, coarse 59@ 61 Cameta, coarse 58® 61 In regard to the financial situation, Albert B. Beers (broker in India-rubber, No. 58 William street, New York), advises us: " During September there has been very little demand for paper, and almost entirely from out-of-town banks, rates being Rubber Scrap Prices. New York quotations — prices paid by consumers for carload lots — in cents per pound ; old shoes are a trifle higher ; other items not changed [in cents per pound] : Old Rubber Boots and Shoes — Domestic 6% (© 7 Do —Foreign b% (g ) 6% Pneumatic Bicycle Tires 4 @ 4}^ Solid Rubber Wagon and Carriage Tires 7 White Trimmed Rubber g 1 ^ @ gj£ Heavy Black Rubber 4% Air Brake Hose 2 Jg @ 3 Fire and Large Hose 2 % Garden Hose ij4 Matting 1 from 6 @ i% per cent, for the general average of rubber paper, 6 per cent, being rather exceptional. The outlook is for a firm money market for some time to come." Statistics of Para Rubber {Excluding Caucho) . Stocks, July 31 tons Arrivals. August Aggregating.. Deliveries, August. NEW YORK. Fine and Total Total Total Medium. Coarse. ■ 903. 1902. 1901. 170 54 = 224 362 724 413 254 = 667 677 464 583 308 = 891 IO39 1188 443 280 = 723 818 665 Stocks, August 31 140 28 = 168 221 523 1903. 135 IIIO PARA. 1902. . 40 I380 1901. 215 ngo ENGLAND. 1903. 1902. 975 1025 475 I2CO 1901. 930 75° 1245 1125 I420 1323 1405 1215 1450 800 2225 700 1680 700 120 07 iqo 650 1525 980 1903. 1902. 1901. 1737 2746 2238 2l6o 2367 2305 300 323 250 364 418 87 435 468 458 Stocks. July 31. ..tons 135 Arrivals, August mo Aggregating 1245 Deliveries, August Stocks, August 3) World's supply, August 31 tons Para receipts, July 1 to August 31 Para receipts of Caucho, same dates Afloat from Para to United States, August 31 Afloat from Para to Europe, August 31 Rubber Receipts at Manaos. During August and the first two months of the crop sea- son, for three years [courtesy of Messrs. Witt & Co.] : August. Julv-Augi'st. From — Rio Purus tons Rio Madeira Rio Jurua Rio Javary — Iquitos Rio SolimOes Rio Negro Total Caucho 1903. 1903. 1901. 1903. 1902. 1901. 244 324 316 •457 497 560 240 283 258 492 540 552 — 1 42 2 4 60 too 86 62 M4 100 US 15 42 6S 25 49 80 3 4 8 15 21 15 652 740 754 1 105 1217 1382 47 51 114 208 216 24I Total 699 791 S68 1313 1433 1623 A CORRESPONDENT at Manaos writes [August 20] : " Every- thing points to a good rubber crop this year. The Acre trou- bles being practically settled, hopes are entertained of large shipments from that region, and from the upper Puriis. A feature of the month is the number of boats going up river, especially to the Jurua, no less than five having been despatched or now loading for that river. There are, however, troubles brewing on the upper Jurua, the Peruvians having invaded that territory and taken possession of it, declaring it to be theirs. A federal regiment — the Thirty-third— is under orders to leave here for that region as soon as the rivers rise sufficiently to permit steamers to go there. Rubber prices are keeping up and business prospects are looking brighter. The service of the Manaos Harbour is improving, though the new works are progressing so slowly that fears are expressed that when the rush comes the company will find itself unabie to handle all the traffic here. Politically the horizon is clear. Governor Nery has arranged that his brother. Colonel Constantino Nery, now a state senator, will succeed him in office. Mr. Alden's man- ager at Manaos, Frederick H. Sanford, has gone to Europe on a vacation, and the United States consular agency here, which was under his care, is now entrusted to his successor, Mr. Pell." Antwerp. At the regular inscription on September 17 the quanti- ty exposed, about 284 tons, of Congo sorts, found buyers Prices paid show an increase on valuations made at the pre- ceding monthly sale of 7 to 8 per cent., equal to an average 34 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. advance of 5 or 5}^ cents per pound. Good qualities, such as Lopori, Lomami, and UelfS, reached very high prices. Some principal lots sold were [prices in francs] : Valuation. 38,250 kilos Upper Congo — Uele S.85 6,268 " Upper Congo — Uele .. 9.40 15,611 " Upper Congo — Aruwimi S 90 13.788 " Upper Congo — Aruwimi 9.35 7,944 " Lower Congo thimbles red 5.60 12,608 " Upper Congo — ordinary 9.55 4,701 5.129 9.849 55,oi5 24.97S Sold at. 9 Slhi 10.071^ 9-97J4 585 10.02}^ 10.07^ 10. 10.07^ 10.12^ 9-97M 965 J0.17K I0.12>£ 10.15 I0.22J.2 8-77K 46,042 " Upper Congo — Mongalla 9 4oj 7,995 " Upper Congo — Mongalla 950 7,247 " Upper Congo — Equateur 9 30 j Upper Congo — Isangi 9. Upper Congo — Uele g 45 UpperCongo — Lomami 9.50 Upper Congo — Lopori I g.40 -j Upper Congo— Lopori II 8.25 [10 francs per Kilo=87, I 2 cents per Pound.] The next large sale by tender will take place on October 25, when about 425 tons will be offered. RUBBER ARRIVALS AT ANTWERP. AUGUST 24. — By the Albertville, from the Congo: Bunge & Co (Societe Generale Africaine) kilos Do (Chemins de fer des Grand Lacs) Do (Societe Anversoise) Do Do (Cie. du Kasai) Do (Societe Isangi) Societe A B I R Societe Equatoriale Congolais 4,000 Societe Coloniale Anversoise. .(Beige du Haut Congo) 15,000 Do (Cie de Lomami) 17,000 Do (La Lulonga) 6.000 SocK-te Commerciale and Agricole de l'Alima 4,800 Societe BaniemtiL- 700 Societe Coloniale Anversoise (Slid Kametun) 3,oco Do 1,500 328,670 Sept. 14, 1903. — By the Anversville, from the Congo: Bunge & Co (Societe General Africaine) kilos 111,800 Do Do Comptoir Commercial Congolais Societe Coloniale Anversoise (Cie. de Lomami) Ch. Dethier Societe Coloniale Anversoise (Cie. du Kasai) Do (Slid Kamerun) Th. Le Bruyne ANTWERP RUBBER STATISTICS FOR AUGUST. 153,000 8,000 22,300 470 52,000 3,500 37.400 1,400 37.500 14,000 21,000 1,400 17,000 5,000 5.400 214,500 Details. 1903. 1902. 1901. 1900. 1899. Stocks, July 31. Hies Arrivals, August. . . 377,527 347 062 322,136 24,926 724.589 404,603 689,772 321,102 294.073 27,119 1,040,441 286.816 267,939 18,877 1,133,702 49S.I88 112 450 '.631,890 575,766 r. 056, 124 345,205 299,604 280,838 18,766 Aggregating... 1,010,964 254.563 756.401 3.558.836 3,395.549 263 287 3217,144 1,327.257 642,902 644,809 244.377 Stocks, August 31. 319.986 3.326.394 2,971.32s 35^,066 3.664.513 684,355 3.838.870 3-5".496 3-7.374 3,768,464 400,432 Arrivals since Jan. 1 Congo sorts Other sorts 4.167,418 3.506,913 660,505 2.395.870 2,094,646 301,224 Sales since Jan. 1 . . 3.403,285 2,258.778 Liverpool. William Wright & Co. report [September 1] : Fine Para. — The market has been strong and active, and prices have advanced by about 3d. per pound. This has been brought about by the smallness of stocks, the small supplies at Para, and a good demand prin cipally from America — in other words, the advance has not been specu- lative, but is simply owing to the ordinary law of ' ' supply and demand." Stocks are very small (especially in medium grades), and we anticipate a further advance next month. Edmund Schluter & Co. report Liverpool stocks : July 31. Aug. 31. Para — 1st hands. . 556 349 tons. Fine 461 260 " Medium 33 43 " Negroheads... . 62 46 " Para — 2d hands.. 425 301 " Fine 367 246 Medium ... . 19 20 Negroheads .39 35 " Total Paia 981 650 " London. Edward Till & Co. [September i] report stocks : 1903. 1902. f Para sorts tons — — LONDON ^ ^meO 2 l I28 1 Assam and Rangoon 8 11 [Other sorts 202 396 July 31 • Aug. 31 Peruvians. . . . . . 222 150 tons Africans. . . . ■ 333 305 " Mollendo. . . . . . 108 81 pkg Mangabeira. . .. 70 21 " Pernambuco • • 53 45 " . . . 108 90 " — Assare 36 21 " Liverpool Total... Para Other sorts. 238 650 476 535 1532 664 1901. 129 90 506 725 984 1027 Total, United Kingdom 1364 Total, August 1 17S1 Total, July 1 22S5 Total, June I 2248 Total, May 1 2539 2731 2736 3053 2944 3595 3128 3687 3502 3788 3597 September 18. — The activity in this market has been well sustained, and large sales have been made at advancing prices. The stock of first hand Bolivian and hard fine Para has practically been all sold. Sales include fine hard Para, very old, 4*. 6d.@<\s. "]d.; new at 4*. $%d.@ 4s. 6d. Negroheads t Scrappy in good demand at dearer rates, with sales of Manaos at is. S'A<1-@3 S - 6rf. Cametas, spot, 2s. &%d. Peru- vian very scarce — fine, 4s. $%d ; fair ball, 3s. $d.(Q3s. S*Ad.; slab, 2s. 91/.; scrap, 3s. 6d. Mollendo, fine, 4*. 41/. Medium grades (Africans and Centrals) in active request; the small supply at to-day's auctions met a good demand, at dearer rates. Madagascar mixed pinky softish, 2s. nJjV. ; Majunga, 2s. id. ; East Coast good clean niggers, 2s. S^d ; Assam good clean red, 3.V. 7!^./. IMPORTS FROM PARA AT NEW YORK. [The Figures Indicate Weights in Founds.] September I.— By the steamer Bernard, from Para : Importers. Fine. Medium. Coarse. Caucho. Total Poel & Arnold 37,200 2,800 36,200 I,IOO = 77,300 United States Rubber Co. 34,600 3,600 9,300 — 47,500 A. T. Morse & Co 1,100 45,400 46,500 New York Commercial Co. 23,200 1,700 12,000 — 36,900 William Wright & Co ... . ... 33.50O — 33.500 L. Hagenaers & Co 8,000 3,700 — 11,700 2,900 3.IOO - Total 107,000 8,100 143,200 I,IOO= 259,400 September 10. — By the steamer Maranhtiise, from Manaos and Para: New York Commercial Co. 104 400 20,700 32,700 600= 158.400 William Wright &Co.... 47 900 4.400 95,200 600= 148,100 A. T. Morse & Co 18,900 300 73.8oo 300=: 93,300 Poel & Arnold 42,100 4,700 g 000 3,000 3. 100— 58,900 10,500 L. Hagenaers & Co 6,900 600 3,600 300 3.500 . . . = 7.400 United States Rubber Co. 4,700 300 31,300 1,500 218,700 . . .= 6,500 Total 228,500 4,600= 483,100 September 22. — By the steamer Cametense, from Manaos and Para: Poel & Arnold 94,000 33,100 65,200 1.400= 193,700 A. T. Morse & Co 15.200 3.O00 174.900 600= 193.700 United States Rubber Co. 58,200 9,7O0 61,300 129,200 New York Commercial Co. 72.300 11,100 14,100 000= 98,100 William Wright & Co ... 23,200 3,100 21,700 300= 48.300 I.. Hagenaers & Co 1 1 ,000 1,200 4.400 16,600 Robinson & Tallman . . 8,100 1,700 1,000 = 10,800 Thomsen & Co 2,300 400 3 400 . . . .= 6,100 G. Amsinck & Co 400 2,700 100 3,300 Total 284,700 66,000346,100 2 t,oo= 694,700 [Noth.— The steamer Palycarp, due at New York on October 3, has on board 135 tons of Rubber.] October j, 1903] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 35 PARA RUBBER via EUROPE. POUNDS. Aug. 28.— By the <.'arpathia- Liverpool: Poel& Arnold (Fine) 23.000 George A. Allien & Co. (Fine) 3.000 26,000 AUG.-25.— By the 4('!c I.lllla&Co 500 Kunhardl & Co 500 United Fruit Co 600 It Amsinck & Co 200 Jimenez * Escobar. 200 D.KIdgely&Oo 700 12.600 Sept. 15.— By the Viim(an=Colon : Hirzel. Feltman X Co 44,700 Am-rican Trading Co 19 100 G. Amsinck & Co 7.000 Lawrence Johnson & Co 12,500 V. Santos & Co 6.000 Isaac Brandon & Bros 4.000 H. Marquardt A Co 2.900 W.Loaiza&Co 1.700 Jimenez* Escobar 1.200 Diimaresl & Co 1.300 Mever Hecht 1.300 Fidanque Bros. & Co 900 Eggers&Heinleln 1.200 \ M. Capeu Sens 1.000 Livingstone & Co 1.400 E B. Strout 1.200 W.RGrace&Co 700 Andreas & Co 400 Kuidan Si Van Sickle 300 A. N. Rntholz 3M For Europe 1,100 110,200 Sept. 16.— By the Ce7i)antes=Bahla: J. H. Rossbach & Bras 20,000 Sept. 21.— By the Eaperaii2a=Mexlco: H. Marquardt Si Co 1.600 Harbin gei & Slack 1.200 Thebaud Bros 600 E. Steiger&Co 200 For Hamburg 2,500 5,900 Sept. 22.— By the Alii inca=Colon : Piza, Nephews* Co 2,400 Meyer Hecht ',400 E.B. Strout 2.000 A. H. Raclnes 1,500 L. N.Chemedlin* Co 1.300 Lawrence Johnson & Co 1.000 G. Amsinck * Co 1.100 j Ferro L 000 C. Wessels & Co 600 12,200 AFRICANS. POUNDS. Aug. 25.— By the Cet>ic= Liverpool: United States Rubber Co.. 56.H00 KubberT.adingCo 11,500 67,500 Aug. 25— By the £Yoon!and= Antwerp: George A. Alden & Co 125 ,000 A.T. Morse* Co 16,000 141,000 Aug. 27.— By the r>utonie= Liverpool: George A. Alden St Co 12 000 Joseph C.iiitor... 2.000 Poel&Arnold .• 2,500 16,500 Aug. 28 —By the Phamicir'.= Hamburg : Poel A Arnold 14.000 Rubber Trading Co 1.500 15,500 Aug. 28.— By the P(i(rt La G(t«coj/n«=Havre: A. T. Morse St Co 22,000 Sept 14.— By the I'ordam=Rotlerdam: A.T.Morse&Co 30.000 Poel&Arnold 6,000 36.000 Sept. 23 —By the Pa/otia= Hamburg: A.T.Morse&Co 33,000 Rubber Trading Co 4,500 37,500 EAST INDIAN. POUNDS. Aug 29.— By the Philadelphia= London: Poel&Aruold 5,600 Sept. 2.— By the riefterphtm^Slngapore: (>! to Meyer 10,000 Winter &Smillie 17 000 Rubber Trading Co 15,000 42,000 Sept. 5.— By the &'choe»/e!s=Calcutta: Poel&Arnold 11,000 Sept. 5.— By the St. Louis=London : Poel&Arnold 9.000 Sept. 19 —By the ' > /iil(iddj>fcia'=London: Poel&Arnold 44.500 Sept. 21.— By the Macduff =Singapore : William Wright & Co 15 000 Otto Meyer 14,000 29.000 FONTIANAK. Sept. 2.— By the Ttehcroh«i7i=Singapore: Robert Branss& Co 160.000 Poel* Arnold .150,000 310,000 Sept. 21.— By the Jfncdu#=Singapore: Poel & Arnold 250.000 Kobert Branss & Co 131,000 W. R. Hussell & Co 55.000 J. H. Recknagel&Co 50.000 490,000 GUTTA-PERCHA AND BALATA. FOUNDS. Sept. 8.— By the Kiinifss!'a=Glasgow : Kempshall Manufacturing Co l.5ro Earle Brothers 1.000 2,600 BALATA. Aug. 26.— By the JUaracas=Trinldad : George A. Alden A Co . H 00 E. F. Parrell & Co 1,000 6,200 36 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [October i, 1903. Sept. 12 —By Hie New I'orfc- London: Poel & Arnold 5.600 H.A.GouldCo 4,500 10,000 Sept. 21.— By the Minncapolia= London: H. A Gould Co 3,500 CUSTOM HOUSE STATISTICS. PORT OF NEW YORK — AUGUST. Imports .' pounds. IndU-rubber 3.039,422 Gutta-percha 11,273 Gutta-JeLutoug(I'ontianak) .. c:».i82 VAI UE. $1 936.323 5,476 16.252 Total . 3,729,877 $1,958,051 Exports : India-rubber 69,nu $46 872 Keclaimed rubber 104,373 12,691 Rubber Scrap Imported 1,097,896 $67,173 BOSTON ARRIVALS. POUNDS. Aug. 1 — Bv the New England= Liverpool : George A. Alden & Co.— African.... 22,460 Aug. 3 —By the Lancastrmn=LoaAon : George A. Alden & Co.— East Indian 6,006 Aog. 3— By the New England=Llverpoo\ : Poel & Arnold— Fine Para Aug. 11.— By the I'hiladelijhian— London: Poel & Arnold— East African Aug. 20.— By the Saxonla= Liverpool: George A. Aiden & Co— African Total .. [Value, $30,662.] 1'ONTIANAK. Aug. 28.— By the JVuiiia=Singapore: Otto Meyer 5.667 1,551 46,692 23.863 AUGUST EXPORTS OF INDIA-RUBBER FROM PARA (in Kilograms). EXPORTERS. UNITED STATES. SUROPE. FINK. MEDIUM. COARSE. CALCHO. TOTAL. FINK. MEDIUM. COARSE. CAUCHO. TOTAL. 128.021 70.75' 83,386 13,698 46,018 8,791 3 001 23,312 35.988 259.793 9.350 23, 116 47,505 8,247 12,413 5.715 nS,07i 229,417 4.37C521 6.290 4.094 14.255 67I 829 346 12.454 38,939 1,082,239 34,l80 108,056 37,908 63,200 30 750 4.776 5,l62 19,465 303 497 2.955. "8 3 258.615 150 3.798 3.948 1,066,171 1,070.119 49,820 I40.4I6 99.668 63 200 39,668 18,018 11,223 I53,788 | 575 801 9,474.049 10.049,350 68,170 43.552 57.6IO 9-532 31,416 1,328 1.954 10,529 1,445 195,678 7,480 3,204 7,900 2,l82 4.032 170 1,119 755 23,259 48,040 24.000 13.860 1,984 4.33" 4,016 10.570 177,841 211,172 183,054 13.698 109,218 Denis Crouan & Co 7,293 1,047 48.459 21,019 10,931 1.035 26,927 733 32.753 13.929 66.33? 2.494,530 2,560.912 34.535 35.988 413.581 Total for January July 421,214 5.079-357 5-500-S7' 50,101 634,329 135. 117 ',463,578 672,704 9,671,844 1,248,565 I9.I45.S93 Total since January i. 4.599.938 [,121,178 6S4.43 1.598.695 10,344.608 20,394.458 OFFICIAL STATISTICS OF CRUDE INDIA-RUBBER (in Pounds). UNITED STATES. MONTHS. IMPORTS. EXPORTS. NET IMPORTS. 4.320,853 31,218.867 246.296 1,505.217 4,074-557 29,7'3.650 Seven months, 1903.. Seven months, 1902. . Seven months, 1901.. 35539.72O 30.308,I34 34.899 446 J.75t.5l3 2,102.630 2,172,839 33,788.207 28,205,504 32,726,605 GREAT BRITAIN. MONTHS. July. 1903 January-June Seven months, 1903 Seven months, 1902 Seven months, 1901 2,081,984 29,318.128 3,598.000 19,415-872 a — Corrected figures. 32.200,112 I 23,013.872 29,076,096 I 17,790.528 31,518,144 1 18,871,552 b— Net Exports. NET IMPORTS. [ £716.016] 9.902,256 q. 186.240 11,285,568 12,646,592 GERMANY. ITALY. MONTHS. IMPORTS. EXPORTS. NET IMPORTS. MONTHS. IMPORTS. BXPORTS. NET IMPORTS. 2,806.320 18.357,240 525.140 6.686.O20 2,28l,l80 11,671,220 Seven months. 1903 Seven months, 1901 121,880 899.36O 6.380 94.380 115,500 304,980 Seven months, 1903 21,163,560 19,546,780 17,127.000 7,21 1, 160 7.583,180 6,590,100 13,952,400 II.963.60O IO.536.9OO 1,021,240 870,760 897.82O IOO,76o 80,960 II7.040 920,480 789 800 790.780 FRANCE.* AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. MONTHS. IMPORTS. EXPORTS. NET IMPORTS. MONTHS. IMPORTS. EXPORTS. I NET IMPORTS. January-June 1,325.280 69O.I4O 8,326,560 4.609,880 635.140 3 716.680 218,900 1,504,580 4.400 214.500 12,320 1,492.260 Januaty-June Seven months. 1902 Seven months, 1903 Seven months, iqoi. . 9,65[.840 IO.Oi3.52O IO.l62.020 5,300,020 4.gi~.660 6.3IO.J20 4 351.720 5.095.860 3. 851. 100 1,723.480 1,600 280 1.384 020 16.720 I.706.76O IO.78O I.589.5OO ig 580 i .364 440 BELGIUM t MONTHS. IMPORTS. EXPORTS. MET IMPORTS. Note. — German statistics include Gutta-percha. Balata, July. 1903 .... 284,885 3,732.883 435-977 2,643.519 [YRAMID BRAND BLUESTONE HIGH PRESSURE PACKING FOR STEAM % HOT OR COLD WATERS * AND AIR «,«. PACKS EQUALLY WELL FOR ALL PRICE PER LB. 80 CIS THERE IS NO PACKING MADE THAT WILL LAST ASLONGORWITH- STANDASWELL THE ACTION OF STEAM -^ MEAT THEGUTTA PERCHA- RUBBER MANUFACTURING CO NEW YORK CHICAGO SAN FRANCISCO BOSTON PHILADELPHIA. PA. 126-128 DUANE ST. 96-98LAKE5T. 30-32 FREMONT ST. 7IPEARLST. 221 CHESTNUT ST. HOOD RUBBER GO. RUBBER BOOTS and SHOES Mention The India Rubber World when vou write. 1856 FORTY-SEVEN YEARS 1 903 EXPERIENCE TYRIAN DRUGGISTS' RUBBER GODDS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS. RUBBER MOULD WORK A SPECIALTY. TYER RUBBER COMPANY, Andover, Mass. Mention The India Rubber World when you. write. Buyers' Directory of The Rubber Trade PAOE XLIII. The BEST BUCKLES for ARCTICS ARE HADE BY THE WELD MFO. CO., 41 Lincoln Street, - - Boston. ff »; RAIN COATS Must have this Circular Trade Mark stamped In inside of coat.. %o^ ouc ^QlTTA-Ptf^ Edited by HE1JRY C. PEARSON— Offices. No. 150 Nassau Street, NEW YORK. Vol. XXIX. No. 8. ~ J NOVEMBER 1, 1903. 85 Cents a Copy. $8.00 Per Tear. * THE ALDEN RUBBER CO., BAKBEt?TOH RUBBER WORKS, HANUFACTURERS OF t The MASTER KEY Rubber Tiling. Noiseless, Non Conducting, Non Slipping. The ideal floor for Offices, Banks, Vesti- bules, Elevators and especially for places where electrical cur- rents abound. Beautiful Color Effects. Designs Furnished. BICYCLE, AUTOMOBILE AND VEHICLE TIRES, HOSE, PACKING, VALVES. MOLDED GOODS, FRUIT JAR RINGS. WHITE TUBING. t THIS TRADE MARK GUARANTEES FULL VALUE. AKRON, OHIO and BAR.BERTON, OHIO. U.S.A. Akron Office, Arcade Block — Main Office and Works at Barberton LONG DISTANCE TEL., AKRON EXCHANGE NO. 999. CABLE ADDRESS "ARCO AKRON." c H L O R I D E OF S u L P H U R AND BI- SUL- PHIDE OF CAR- BON. GEO. W. S P E A I a H T, 106 Fulton St. N. Y. Mention the India Kubtier World when vov. writ* LAMPBLACKS especially for RUBBER MANUFACTURE. SAMUEL CABOT, BOSTON, MASS II THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [November i, 1903- SINGER MACHINE n No. 44=13 HIS is a new machine especially devised for stitch- ing the Binding on Rubber Dress Shields for which purpose it has already come into ex- tensive use, and with marked success. MACHINES SHOWN IN PRACTICAL OPERATION AT NEW YORK— Broadway and Prince Street. ^Jt BALTIMORE- II North Charles Street. UlllI BOSTON— 128132 Essex Street. CHICAGO-260-262 Fifth Avenue. PHILADELPHIA -1210 Chestnut Street. T ^-a-^HI CINC1NNAT1-II5 West Third Street. «a^ ST. LOUIS — 1124 Olive Street. TROY, N. Y.-25I River Street. INDIANAPOLIS, IND.— 33 S. Pennsylvania Street. ST. PAUL, MINN.— 402 Jackson Street. CLEVELAND— 52 Water Street. KANSAS CITY MO.- 1209 Grand Avenue. TOLEDO, OHIO-329 Huron Street. MILWAUKEE, WIS.-236 Water Street. LOUISVILLE, KY.— 706 Jefferson Street. ATLANTA, GA.— 79 Whitehall Street. The Singer Manufacturing Co. SALESROOMS IN EVERY CITY. Mention The India Rubber World when you write. COKTIJEJTM TYRES, GOflTIflEimii PGWIGM HDBBEH GOODS. CONTINENTAL CAOUTCHOUC & GUTTAPERCHA CO., Mention The India Rubber World when you write. Hanover, Germany. %^%^^^%^%%^^%^%^%^^%^%%^%^«^^%%%^%^^%%^^%^^^^%^%^%^%^^i For General Compounding "M.R." makes a perfect union with rubber. Prevents blistering, and the harsher action of free Sulphur. Absolutely acid proof. Has been used regularly by Rubber flanufacturers for the past four years. Manufactured only by the AHBRICAN ASPHALTUH & RUBBER CO., Chicago. GEO. A. ALDEN & CO., Boston, Mass. November i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 37 ^¥ Wft*** Published on the 1st of eaoh Month by THE INDIA RUBBER PUBLISHING CO. No. 150 NASSAU ST.. NEW YORK. HENRY C. PEARSON, EDITOR. HAWTHORNE HILL, ASSOCIATE. Vol. 29. NOVEMBER 1, 1903. No. 2. Subscriptions : $3.00 per year, 81.75 for six months, postpaid, for the United States and Canada. Foreign countries, same price. Special Kates for Clubs of five, ten or more subscribers. Advertising: Kates will be made knowD on application. Remittances: Should always be made by bank draft. Post Office Order- or Express Money orders on New York, payable to The India Ruhrkh Publishing Comp any. Item ittances for foreign subscriptions should be sent by International Post order, payable as above. Discontinuances : Yearly orders for subscriptions and advertising are regarded as permanent, and after the first twelve months they will be discontinued only at the request of the subscriber or advertiser. Bills are rendered promptly at the beginning of each period, and therebv our patrons have due notice of continuance. COPYRIGHT, 1903, BY THE INDIA RUBBER PUBLISHING CO. Entered at New York Post Office as mail matter of the second-class. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 1 Editorial : The Trusts not so Terrible The Brazilian Tax on Kubbi-r Bed, Blue, and Gieeu " L.aex " Report of a German Rubber Factory Company [Vereinigte Gummiwaaren-Fabriken, Harburg-Wien.] Advance in Rubber Goods in Europe Rubber Stocks, Prices, and Speculation [Illustrated with a Chart.] Madagascar Rubber in the Antwerp Market Emile Onuar Specific Gravity in Rubber Compounding , [With 4 Illustrations ] Steam Turbines in the Rubber Factory ..Ho hoi S. Kimball, s. B. [With 4 Illustrations ] Attaching Wringer Rolls by Melting 1 lUuxtrab tt) Rubber Factory Appliances [With 4 Illustrations.] The India-Rubber Trade in Great Britain Uur Regular Correspondent Record of Rubber Culture The German Rubber Workman Abroad Rubber Industry in New Jersey New Goods and Specialties in Rubber Ulliis'rated) [The U. S. A. Liquid Pistol. A New Ho; Water Bottle. The Achilles Exerciser. The Hicks' Dress Shield. The Rubber Face Mask. Automobile Tires with " Friciion Plug." The " High Bin -er " Felt Legging. Perforated Mats with Molded Boiders. The Sherman Hose Coupling.] Recent Rubber Patents [American, British, German] Miscellaneous : Inventors in Akron Rubber Factories The Preparing of Crude Rubber Where the Catalogues Went India-Rubber Goods in Commerce Charles Good vear Twice Surprised Balata from Dutch (iuiana The Para Rubber Plantation Co The Obituary Record New Tax on Rubber at Manaos New Trade Publications News of the American Rubber Trade [With Two Illustrations.] The Trade in Akron Our Correspondent The Textile Goods Market Review of the Crude Rubber Market 87 38 38 39 40 41 43 45 47 48 48 49 50 61 52 53 55 61 52 52 64 54 61 63 63 65 65 57 62 64 66 THE TRUSTS NOT SO TERRIBLE. T^HERE appears to be little attention given, in current 1 political discussions in the United States, to the idea, at one time so widely ventilated, of governmental regula- tion of Trusts, with a view to preventing them from gain- ing control of the whole field of industrial production in this country. A year or two ago there were many people who seriously considered it the first duty of the government to act promptly for the protection of the masses against the Trusts. This journal has more than once hazarded the opinion that before the attention of Congress could be con- centrated upon this subject, some of the so called Trusts, instead of needing to be curbed, would be in need of pro- tection from falling down through sheer weakness. Re- cent events seem to confirm this view. Lately the public has been treated to some sensational testimony, in legal proceedings growing out of an attempt- ed combination of shipbuilding concerns, the details hav- ing been brought out more fully than in any like case in the past, and the effect cannot fail to be to make investors more cautious for awhile in regard to industrial securities. Without questioning the motives of the first movers in the proposed shipyards consolidation, it is plain that the ob- ject of those who assumed control of the financial trans- actions were not at all concerned about shipbuilding. Their program was to manufacture certificates of stock which it was hoped the public would buy, without asking whether these shares represented anything of intrinsic value. If, after their sale, the shares should prove worth- less, the promoters who stood as vendors expected to be able to avoid all responsibility. The public failed to be- come interested, however, and the promoters now hold a mass of " securities " of little value to them as capital. Meanwhile the shipyards have not ceased to exist, and ef- forts are being made to settle the question of ownership, that orders for work now in sight may be utilized. Doubtless these disclosures will be recalled whenever, for sometime to come, the public is invited to invest in the capital of new industrial consolidations. And natural- ly one effect will be to place a stigma upon Trusts in gen- eral. Yet this shipbuilding case is entirely apart from the Trust question. The real question is whether commodities can be produced more economically by combining a num- ber of plants than by operating them independently, and, if so, whether the field is narrowed for small or individual enterprises. The history of the attempted shipbuilding Trust proves nothing whatever. under this head. In that case certain persons of prominence in the financial world, seeing a new movement on foot to combine industrial plants, offered to " finance " the transaction, their pay to be in the shape of some millions of dollars of promoters' shares. Combining the shipyards might or might not have been good business ; creating an excessive amount of pro- moters' shares was very bad business, comparable to "salting" a gold mine, or to hypothecating the same warehouse receipts with two banks. It has been a great blow to Trust development. But if public sentiment is less alarmed than formerly in 38 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [November i, 1903. regard to the Trusts getting control of all the industries and compelling the payment of exorbitant prices for man- ufactured commodities, there is evidence of a growing de- mand for the protection of investors against worthless corporation stocks. To day banks are so closely regu- lated by law that no holder of a banknote need fear its possible depreciation in his hands. The States also prac- tically guarantee the reliability of the insurance com- panies, while railway companies are required by law to re- port so fully in regard to their condition as to enable everybody to judge of the value of their shares. It will not be strange if a demand should next arise for the safe- guarding of the public against the sale of stock certificates without some basis of value. Without doubt there is room for useful legislation here, but complete protection of the public will never exist. Before the first joint stock com- pany was, people with more money than judgment easily found chances to make themselves poor, and if it should now become impossible to buy any but " gilt edge " stocks, somebody would begin selling town lots in the moon to investors who prefer foolish to wise use of money. Many so called Trusts organized during the past few years have ceased to exist, and not all the others are fac- ing the future with equanimity. Some very big concerns have been worried by the competition of the once despised "little fellows" on the outside. Another cause for dis- comfort is the prospect that, in the event of the dissolu- tion of many a big concern, the distribution of its assets might be very one sided. It is said that Mr. Carnegie put his steel works into the control of the steel Trust on terms which will enable him to take them back in case the Trust fails, regardless of what the other shareholders may get, and the steel Trust is not exceptional in this regard. Al- together the existing Trusts appear to have enough trouble of their own not to need congressional action to protect anybody against them, while the disclosures re- garding the projected United States Shipbuilding Co. will serve for a long time to discourage the organization of new companies capitalized for many times their real value. THE BRAZILIAN TAX ON RUBBER. A MAZONAS is truly a state that lives by rubber. Not ■**■ only is rubber the source of income of the people there who work and of those who engage in trade, but it is especially the source of the public income. It even supports people who neither work nor trade, judging from the recommendation by the governor at Manaos, in his last message to the state legislature, that fifteen "worse than useless " revenue stations be closed, they not having collected a cent for a year, though the officials regularly drew their pay. According to Governor Nery, the state revenue in 1902 was equivalent to $3,109,814.24, of which all but $33,913.21 — about 1 per cent. — resulted from the tax on rubber ex- ports. We believe that the theory prevails in the Amazon states that the foreigner pays the tax on rubber ; there- fore, no matter how high the rate, no burden falls upon their own people. But the theory is a mistaken one. Their rubber would bring precisely the same price in the consuming markets, taxed for export or untaxed, and every milreis exacted at the Manaos or Para custom houses leaves so much less for the citizens of those states than they would have if the government kept its hands off. Everybody in Amazonas believes that rubber from that state is smuggled across the rio Javary and then sent down the Amazon as the product of Peru, thereby avoid- ing the payment of duties to any Brazilian state. Yet in New York that rubber brings the same price, grade for grade, as the rubber taxed at Manaos. Which indicates that the seller of untaxed rubber gets more for his product than the other fellows. Of course the state is bound to have a revenue, and the only resource of an undeveloped state is to put a tax on the natural products exported. The people on the Ama- zon do nothing to make their lands valuable, and therefore taxable ; there are no corporations, to pay for franchises ; there is practically nothing in that region but a natural monopoly of rubber of a grade that is much wanted by the outside world. And when this want operates to induce the natives to work in the seringaes, the government thinks to make the unloved "foreigner " pay dearly for the rub- ber by imposing as a tax "all that the traffic will bear." The Brazilians really pay the taxes, as they ought to do, but perhaps the rate would be lower if they better under- stood the situation — and if they ever stopped to ask what the government gives them for their money. From Governor Nery's message it is possible to com- pute the average tax on rubber at Manaos during 1902 at 10.2 cents per pound — assuming 12 pence to have been the average exchange for the milreis — and as the tax is 20 per cent, ad valorem, the average export price of rubber at Manaos would work out at 51 cents per pound for all grades, including Caucho. It is interesting to note in this connection that the average import value of all Bra- zilian rubber into the United Scates during 1902 was 49.9 cents per pound, showing that the Manaos authorities were careful to avoid undervaluation. BLUE, GREEN, AND RED LATEX. IT is said that experimenters in Roubaix, France, have suc- ceeded in making- silkworms do their own dyeing. By feeding the voracious caterpillars on leaves containing a natural or artificial pigment, they have obtained raw silk in red, blue, and bright orange. We may before long see " natural colored silk " made and sold— no doubt at a fancy price. Now your up-to-date rubberman does not let anything of that sort happen without beginning to think. He knows that certain shades of color in rubber are much to be desired, but have never yet been obtained in the crude article. He won- ders if things have gone back far enough, and straightway places an order for certain chemicals and pigments to be shipped to his plantation. It does not yet transpire what the outcome will be, but fancy p'ctures the time when carefully prepared crude rubber will be shipped in assorted colors from the tropics. The blue will be tinged by the infusion of indigo poured about the trees in one section of the plantation, whde red and orange and green will be secured by other pigments. November i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 39 REPORT OF A GERMAN RUBBER FACTORY COMPANY. AT the general meeting of the Aktiengesellschaft Verein- igte Gummiwaaren-Fabriken Harburg-Wien, at Har- burg a/d Elbe, Germany, on October 24, the directors presented their report for the thirty-first business year of the company, ending June 30, 1903. In addition to a detail- ed balance sheet, the directors presented a general report to the shareholders, a translation of which is given below, as like- ly to be of interest to many readers outside of Germany in show- ing to what extent the holders of shares in corporations in that country are taken into the confidence of the management. Gentlemen: The business year closed on June 30 shows a result slightly lower than that of last year, although our fac- tories were actively employed in all branches and our output was in advance of that of last year. The major portion of this increase is due to our Harburg factory, being equally distrib- uted over all its branches of manufacture ; our exports also ex- ceeded those of last year. Our factory in Wimpassing, Austria, has been used princi- pally for export purposes. Owing to the unchanged economic conditions of Austria- Hungary and on account of its unfavor- able geographical location, increased expenditures were en- tailed. Oar Linden works have given satisfactory results, and it is hoped that by taking up new branches and new articles of manufacture it will continue to develop. The convention on rubber balls during the past year had ex- cellent results and has been extended for a further term of five years. As recorded in our last report, our new product " Galalith," has been taken up as a regular manufacture, but the special ar- rangements for its manufacture in our new building will not be completed until the end of this year, and only after that has been completed can we expect to produce it on an extensive scale. At present we can only say that the samples furnished by us to the several industrial branches during the past year have given entire satisfaction, and we hope that the develop- ment of this branch will prove to be profitable. The crude rubber prices experienced during the past busi- ness year an advance without comparison since 1899-1900; this advance dates from August and September of last year. The advance in crude rubber prices, compared with the former year was as follows : Fine Para 49 per cent. Manaos scrappy 43 per cent. Better African middle sorts 56 per cent. Inferior African sorts 92 per cent. This enormous advance in prices is chargeable in the main to the large consumption and comparatively small supplies. The latter amounted to, according to statistics on hand at the end of August : 1901 1902 1903 Tons 3894 3074 1846 The total world's production of rubber amounted during the period of — July 1, 1901, to June 30, 1902, to 53.887 tons July 1, 1902, to June 30, 1903, to 55.603 tons The total world's consumption of rubber during that period was — July 1, iqoi, to June 30, 1902 51.170 tons July I, 1902. to June 30, 1903 55.270 tons The total world's supply on hand amounted, during that period to — July 1, 1901, to June 30, 1902 6,816 tons July I, 1902, to June 30, 1903 5.053 tons These figures prove, that although the production has slightly increased, the consumption, comparatively, was far in ex- cess, and the visible supply therefore decreased quite ma- terially. The reason for this large consumption is not to be at- tributed to business prosperity of the various countries, but mainly to the fact that the bicycle branch consumes immense quantities for its purposes ; besides bicycles in the larger cities, many public vehicles and equipages are mounted with rubber tires. At the present time it cannot be foreseen how far the crude rubber prices will advance, until a sufficient amount can again be accumulated in store to enable the factories to complete their necessary supplies, which at present are entirely depleted, and purchases are made only as far as actual necessities require. The prices of other articles used in the rubber goods manufac- ture also have materially increased, in some instances from 20 to 30 per cent. That these unfavorable conditions finally affect- ed the profit account of the individual factories is self-evident. If, notwithstanding, we were enabled to do a profitable busi- ness during the past year, we are indebted, primarily, to the large stock of crude rubber which we carried over into this yeai 's account, having been bought at a low figure, and, second- ly, to the increased volume of business done to which we have already referred. The selling prices of our goods, owing to the low prices of crude rubber during 1901-02, had a dropping tendency. When, in the autumn of last year, crude rubber prices began to advance at an enormous rate, we were compelled to make an advance in prices, and we were successful, in harmony with other German rubber goods manufacturers, in carrying through a 10 per cent, increase, which, unfortunately, could not go into effect until April 1, of this year. The magnitude of our factory, and the large number of hands employed, make it imperative that we secure contracts for some time in advance. We are obliged to enter into contracts for future delivery of articles controlled by the seasons, such as shoes, the orders for which are generally received at the be- ginning of the year, and the deliveries made during the sum- mer and autumn ; and, as it is impossible to find a dealer in crude rubber who will take a contract for the year, at monthly deliveries, it is impossible to avoid using raw material pur- chased at the advanced price in filling orders contracted for at the lower figure. To keep abreast with the continued high prices of crude rub- ber we are now endeavoring, with other manufacturers, to ad- vance the prices of rubber goods 10 per cent., for the present, but, should prices continue to rise, the prices of manufactured goods will have to be advanced accordingly. The importation of rubber shoes from foreign countries has increased, owing to the low import duties imposed on them. The imports from the United States alone, for instance, were 119.300 kilograms in weight against 38.100 kilograms in the year 1900. The import from Russia advanced from 450.100 kilograms during 1901 to 527.300 kilograms. Besides this, Sweden unloads her overproduction of rubber shoes here, while it is impossible for us, owing to the prohibitive tariff of the three countries named, to sell a single pair of shoes there. In the following named countries the import duty on rubber shoes, 40 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [November i, 1903. and the equivalent rate ad valorem, is as stated in the table : Per 100 kilos. Ad Valorem. In Germany 60 marks 10 per cent. In Russia 222 marks 35 per cent. In Sweden 135 marks 22 per cent. In the United States 30 per cent. We hope and expect that in making the new trade agree- ments with these countries, they will receive such consideration as not to compel us to curtail the manufacture of such neces- sities as rubber shoes, or, eventually, to cease manufacturing them altogether ; and we also hope that the export of other ar- ticles to foreign countries will be maintained for us. Passing to our balance, we have to report, that in our three factories, Harburg, Linden, and Wimpassing, the amount of M 533305.96 had to be expended for new appliances; for new buildings, M 207,347.41 ; for new articles (machinery account), M 271,290.04; for new utensils and furniture account, M 54,- 66851; for liquidations, M 144.01 1.35. The expenses for re- pairs were M 458,415.37 against M 479.031.87 in the former year. The inventory of goods and raw material on hand has been made carefully, in compliance with the provisions prescribed by law, and amounts to M 636650.11 less than in the former year. The patent account has been debited Af 294,000 for pat- ents on Galalith already obtained, of which during this year M. 132,104 50 have been written off, so that this account ap- pears in the balance only with M 161,895.50. The supreme court having decided that the premiums re- ceived on the issue of new stocks are nonassessable, the amount of M 96,615, paid during the years 1900 to 1903, has been re- turned, and this, with the amount of M 80,859.25, which was held in reserve on that account and has now become free — al- together M 177.474.25— has been placed to the credit of the regular legal reserve fund, which now amounts to M. 3.279,- 339.25, or about 54.6 per cent, of the stock capital. The doubtful collections account has been written off M 10,- 076.57 less than in the former year, we having been free from any great losses. The social politic and voluntary contributions were M. 116,- 858.68, of which the widows and orphan pension fund of the officers and master workmen received M 34.368.80. From the interest on the aid fund of M 400,000, pensions and aid were received by 79 persons. The gross profits of the goods account amount to M. 3.374,- 100.67 [— $803,035 96]. against A/ 4,015,875.07 of the former year, being less by Af 641,774.4.0. The net profit for the thirty-first business year of the com- pany amounted to M. 1,460,070.45 [=$347,496.77], and was dis- posed of as follows : Net Profit for the year M 1,460,070.45 Less addition to Reserve Fund No. 2 24,749. 56 M 1,435,320.89 Dividend 5 per cent, on the entire Capital 300,000.00 M 1,135.320,89 Less 10 per cent. Commission to the Directors 113,532.08 M 1,021,788.81 Add Balance from profits of 1901-02 142,418 25 M 1,164,207.06 Dividend 15 per cent, on the entire Capital 900,000.00 .1/ 264.207.06 Officers' and Workingmen's Jubilees SI 10,000 Officers' Pension Funds 50,000 60,000.00 Balance to 190304 M 204,207.06 The total dividend on last year's business is 20 per cent Following is a comparative statement of the company's net profits for five years past, and the rate of dividends: Years. Net Profits. Capital. Dividends. 1898-49 M. 866,644.67 M. 6,000,000 12 % 1899-00 1,336,631.99 6,000,000 ll'A% IQOO-OI L489.53705 6,000,000 20 % 1901-02 1)775.032 57 6.000,000 24 <& 1902-03 1,460,070.45 6,000,000 20 % RUBBER INTERESTS IN EUROPE. ADVANCE IN RUBBER GOODS. ON October 10 an advance in rubber goods prices took ef- fect in Germany as a result of a meeting of rubber man- ufacturers held at Hanover, the occasion for which is expressed in the following terms in a circular issued after the meeting : The continuous advance of crude rubber prices, which, within the year, have reached, according to quality, a rise of from 50 to 90 per cent., the rubber factories are compelled, in order to secure to their customers the present standard quality, to advance their selling prices a further to per cent, on all articles of soft rubber for technical and surgi- cal purposes. The Gummi-Zeitung asserts that this action by the manufac- turers is justified by existing conditions in the trade, besides which it points out the probability of a further advance in the near future owing to the limited supply of crude rubber as compared with the demand. The India-Rubber Manufacturers' Association of Great Britain, in a circular issued from the office of their secretary at Manchester, on September 24. announced that " in consequence of the continued serious advance in the price of raw rubber, the prices of all manufactured rubber goods are advanced 10 per cent., with effect from this date, with the following excep- tions—namely, thread, fine cut sheet, proofing, shoes, and as- bestos goods, which are being separately dealt with." The India- Rubber Journal points out that the preceding ad- vance on the price of mechanical rubber goods had been far better maintained than any previous combined advance by the British manufacturers. It trusts that the course of the manu- facturers' association will be followed by such other firms as are not embraced in its membership. GERMANY. The Asbest- und Gummiwerke Alfred Calmon, A.-G. (Ham- burg), already mentioned in this Journal as having taken on the manufacture of rubber shoes, are now marketing their pro- ducts in this line. = The Vereinigte Hanfschlauch- und Gummiwaaren-Fab- riken, A.-G., of Gotha, were awarded a silver medal for their display at the German Cities Exposition at Dresden. A bronze medal was awarded to H. Schweider, Sachsische Gummi- und Guttaperchawaaren-Fabnk, of Dresden. FRANCE. R. de la Debutrie, at Lille, impotter of British and Amer- ican waterproof goods and sporting goods, has removed from 3, place de Rehour, to larger premises at 62, rue Esquermoise. GREAT BRITAIN. The Liberian Rubber Syndicate, Limited, an English com- pany holding a rubber trading monopoly in Liberia, exported from that republic 85.303 pounds of rubber during the year ended September 30, 1902. = At Preston (England) two prisoners convicted of steal- ing 162 pounds of India-rubber and 262 pounds of Kowrie gum, were sentenced to three and nine months' imprison- ment, respectively. NOVEMHER I, I903.] THE INDIA RUBbER WORLD 41 RUBBER STOCKS, PRICES, AND SPECULATION. THE charts which have appeared lately in The India Rubber World show how wide is the range of fluctu- ations to which the crude rubber market is liable, es- pecially if a term of years be taken into consideration. The marked advances and declines may not be repeated with any sort of regularity, but it is safe to assume that the same re- lation of cause to effect exists whenever prices go to'an extreme level. Five and a half years ago, when the market had an up- ward tendency, and manufacturers were concerned about the future of prices, The India Rubber World gave space to an extensive discussion of the question " Has There Been Specu- lation in Rubber? " suggested by the feeling in some quarters that the then prevailing high prices were due to manipulation by selling interests. On looking back through our files we find two articles — from well informed sources — that have so direct a bearing upon the market conditions of to-day that it seems worth while to reproduce them, without any change. The reader should keep in mind, however, that the references to dates and prices in the lines which follow applied to the early part of 1898, and not to the latter end of 1903. Otherwise, the articles might have been written in the very same terms this month. A LARGE MANUFACTURER SAYS "NO." [From The India Rubber World, February lo, 1893.] " I do not believe that there is or has been any speculation in crude rubber that can be charged with its high cost to-day,' 1 said another manufacturer. " I am a large buyer of rubber, and long have been, and I believe that I can detect a speculative element in the market when one exists. I get reports from im- porters in New York and Liverpool, and from the leading ship- pers in Pard, and when I know certainly how much rubber is being shipped, and who receives it, and all the various reports of stocks on hand agree to within 50 tons, I am inclined to believe the reports to be correct. Why, there are no large stocks of rubber anywhere to speculate on. You can't hide rubber. The rubber merchants are strong competitors one with another in Pard, they are so in New York, and they are so in Europe, and every shipment is kept track of until it is in the hands of the manufacturers. " In New York for months past all arrivals have been turned over at once to manufacturers. There is rubber due us to-day, rubber that we ordered months ago, which the importers assure me cannot be had. There is no such rubber in stock. Don't you think that they would be delivering the rubber and collect- ing for it if they could get it? At the same time we are receiv- ing rubber now, bought some time ago, at the prices prevailing then, for future delivery, which is costing the importers more money than it is billed to us for. Here is a bill for a lot of rub- ber now on the way to our factory, at 12J4 cents a pound less than we could go into the market to-day and buy it at, but we contracted for it early in the season. If the current prices of rubber were the result of speculative movements, do you think that our importers would have got themselves into such a fix as this? Several months ago we began to observe how closely the factory demand here kept up with the arrivals of rubber, and began buying for forward delivery. We have orders out for delivery in May, and the saving by this course has been very important. " I believe that fine Pari rubber will shortly reach $1 ; it isn't so far from it now. The increase in production down there is never large from year to year. It can't be. Then Madagascar rubber has fallen off ; we can't buy Assams at any price ; it is hard to get Benguela sorts, and so on. The people who talk about prices being due to speculation are not well informed. There never has been less of it in the market than to-day. We are declining orders for rubber goods for future delivery at present prices, in view of the probability of still higher crude rubber." A TALK WITH A BROKER. [From The India Rubber World, February 10, 1898. J " When I am asked how far the high prices of rubber are due to speculation," said a broker, " it must first be understood in what sense that word is used. To a certain extent all buy- ing and selling is speculation. But you mean, of course, the buying of rubber by large operators, with the object of gain- ing control of heavy stocks, in order to be able to sell out at higher prices when manufacturers' supplies have become ex- hausted, and their needs compel them to pay practically what- ever may be asked. There is another class of buying which is also speculative— where people outside the trade invest in rubber, in the hope of a rise, just as they would take a 'flyer ' in wheat or in stocks. My answer to your question is that I don't believe there has been enough buying of rubber in either of these classes, in a good many years, to have influ- enced prices. Certainly there has not been of late." " What is the true explanation of the present dearness of rubber ? " the broker was asked. "It is a question of supply and demand. We must all the time take account of stocks. Other things being equal, the price of rubber advances as stocks decline, just as with other commodities. Whenever the available supplies of rubber be- come low, either from a shortage in production or because of activity in manufacturing, sellers become firmer in their de- mands and prices go up. We know that the production of Para rubber has not fallen off, and yet the visible supplies of this class at the beginning of this year were smaller than at the same date in any year since 1882. Para rubber stocks generally have been smaller for three years past than formerly. There is good reason for believing that the rubber has been bought on factory account, instead of being withheld from the market for speculative purposes. In the case of Africans, however, excepting Congo sorts, there has been some decline in the output, which has helped to sustain prices." " Can the world's supply of rubber be estimated accurately ? " " No. It is to every importer's interest to conceal the amount of his holdings, and as statistics of rubber stocks are based usually on statements made by the importers, it is plain that these figures are not always a safe guide. One never knows at what moment an unsuspected lot of rubber may be brought from its hiding-place, to the confusion of his best- laid plans to profit from a particular situation in the trade. On the other hand, all the rubber produced in the world, at some stage, is accounted for in governmental statistics, which have the confidence of the trade, and which serve to aid in checking private estimates as to the total volume of trans- actions. Besides, the broker who is on the alert generally can detect movements of a speculative nature." " But people speculate in other commodities ; why not in rubber? " " First, there are no such organized facilities for trading in 42 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [November i, 1903. rubber as, for instance, in wheat. Rubber can't be bought on 'margin.' In the next place, it is not a safe commodity to carry. You may buy wheat, and it doesn't deteriorate in quality or quantity. Buy whiskey, and the leakage for a given time can be calculated to mathematical accuracy. But buy rubber, and no man on earth can predict the extent of the shrinkage. An outsider once, who had noticed that rubber sometimes fluctuated, instructed me to buy a lot for his account, and then waited for a rise. When he had grown tired waiting, and gave orders to sell, he found that not only had the rubber declined 10 per cent, in the market, but it had lost 7 per cent, in weight, making him a loser in two ways." " Would it be possible to ' corner ' the market for Para rub- ber in these days ? " " It would be a very difficult undertaking. The Para rubber output for 1897, figured at the prices prevailing there at the end of the year, was worth not less than $34,000,000. The people who bought this rubber did so with the expectation of a quick turnover, in order to be able to use their capital again. Now, in order to gain a controlling interest in the Paid market it would have been necessary from the start to pay more for rubber than the prices at which manufacturers, in the ordinary conduct of their business, buy freely. There would have to be taken into consideration the interest charges on the large capital involved, and the heavy loss from shrinkage in case any rubber was held long, not to mention the possibility of having finally to unload some of it at less than cost. There are many goods made of rubber for which consumers will not pay a high price, for which reason there are limits in cost that a manufac- turer cannot go beyond. Then there are other rubbers. When Vianna got up his great rubber ' corner ' some years ago, al- though he made an utter failure, he frightened manufacturers into experimenting with other sorts than Para, giving rise to the present large use of Africans. As compared with Vianna's day, the Para crop is now twice as great, and the business is scattered over Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia, and harder to con- trol than when, as he found it, all centered at Pard. And the value of African rubbers is now assured, whereas it had then to be learned. "There was a good chance for speculating in Para rubber within the past year," the broker went on. "The demand has been so great that any one buying largely at an advance over the market prices, could have unloaded at a still greater ad- vance, but the importers didn't recognize it until it was too late. There was an equally good chance two years ago, at the beginning of the ' boom ' in rubber consumption in Europe. The importer who could have foreseen the heavy demand there, and bought largely while prices were still low, could have unloaded at better profits than most of them did pocket in the end." " Where are rubber prices made, as a rule ? " "Where the largest stocks are. If there are large holdings at Para and limited supplies of Pard sorts elsewhere, the con- trolling quotations will be made in the Para market. As be- tween New York and Liverpool, whichever port is better sup- plied with a certain class of rubber than the other, to speak generally, fixes the price which the market that is short of the rubber must pay for it. Hence prices are made here or there, as conditions vary." " Shall we have cheaper rubber soon ?" " It doesn't seem so. The ' boom ' in the European industry may have passed, but it leaves the manufacture of rubber on a larger scale there than before. There may not be any great ' boom ' in business in America, but indications all point to a continuation of our large rate of rubber consumption. The Pard rubber crop may be expected to show the usual small yearly rate of increase, but, judging from recent history, Afri- cans will hardly do more than hold their own in quantity. African rubbers, by the way, are coming more and more to be sold on their merits, independently of the market for Para grades, and some of these, with an established reputation but a decreased yield, are selling higher in consequence. There is, in addition to all these considerations, a short interest in this market so far as certain grades are concerned, and this has the effect always of stiffening prices some, but it is not attributable to what can properly be called speculation." • * * In this connection it has been thought well to present the chart below, relating to conditions for ten years past, an explan- ation of which appears r n the paee following. TONS 55)00 5600 5300 5000 4700 4400 4100 3800 3500 3200 2!>00 2000 2300 2000 1700 1400 1100 THE FIGURES TO THE LEFT. EXPRESSING STOCKS IN TONS, RELATE TO THE HEAVIER LINE ACROSS THE CHART. THE FIGURES TO THE RIGHT, EXPRESSING PRICES IN CENTS, RELATE TO THE LIGHTER LINE ACROSS THE CHART. COMPARISON OF PARA RUBBER STOCKS AND PRICES FOR TEN YEARS. November i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 43 RELATION OF RUBBER STOCKS TO PRICES. THE chart on the preceding page is designed to illustrate the correspondence between the visible supplies of rub- ber and prices of that material. The data upon which this chart is based are the figures appearing monthly in The India Rubber World for ten years past, showing — 1. The world's visible supply of Pari rubber (excluding Caucho), in tons. 2. The New York quotations for new Islands fine Pard rub- ber, in cents per pound. It will be seen that, at the beginning of the ten years covered by the chart, rubber stocks were increasing, and prices were de- clining. Soon stocks began to fall off, while prices sharply ad- vanced. The price fluctuations all the way up to the present, while not adhering closely to the rule, yet illustrate the tend- ency of high prices to occur at times when stocks are low. For example, see the highest prices in 1898, coincident with the lowest stocks in that year. The lowest prices for eight years were touched in 1902, in which year the stock figure reached was the highest shown in the chart. At the end of the two fluctuating lines, it will be seen that they indicate stocks far be- low the average, and exceptionally high prices. The largest stocks of Par rubber will be found to accumu- late in the spring months of each year, when the active Ama- zon " crop " period is winding up. This rubber passes from the hands of the dealers during the summer, so that the end of autumn, as a rule, shows the smallest stocks of the year, there being no large arrivals at Para until the last three months of each year. The general relation between stocks and prices may disappear in periods when the demand for rubber is not active. Thus during the summer of 1S99 there was a sharp de- cline in prices, although stocks were falling at the same time ; the end of the same year saw prices and stocks of rubber going up the same time, indicating that an improved demand had set in. Following is a summary of the world's rubber supplies. The figures below, compiled from the records of a lead- ing European house, do not embrace stocks on the continent of Europe. Stocks of Pari on the continent are comparatively unimportant, however, and the supplies of other sorts there are chiefly at Antwerp, the full details of which market appear regularly in The India Rubber World. It is not practicable at any time to compute the amount of Africans afloat. May 3:. June 30. July3r. Aug. 31. Sept. 30. Para Grades: Stocks, Liverpool ... tons 1645 1601 1203 800 274 Stocks, New York 376 383 204 200 66 Stocks, Para no 129 140 105 260 Afloat 1490 1185 905 899 1260 Total 3621 3298 2452 2004 i860 AUOther Grades: Stocks, Liverpool 377 456 367 326 386 Stocks, London 227 224 210 238 197 Stocks, New York 229 246 229 246 190 Total 833 926 806 810 773 Grand Total 4454 4224 3258 2814 2633 Same dates, 1902. 6181 5520 5022 4515 4121 It is not to be expected that any two statisticians should agree exactly in estimating stocks, and yet any differences be- tween statements usually is more apparent than real, being due chiefly to different classifications. For example, compare the above figures for Liverpool with the table given in the market review department of this issue by Messrs. Till & Co. The showing is : Above Table. Till & Co. Para sorts tons 274 243 Other sorts 386 426 Total 660 669 In the above table 31 tons of Caucho is embraced in " Para"; in Messrs. Till's table it is classified with " Other sorts." The point of interest is that the two houses agree to within nine tons in estimating the amount of rubber in Liverpool held, on October 1, by nineteen firms. MADAGASCAR RUBBER IN THE ANTWERP MARKET.* IN April last the governor general of Madagascar wrote to the president of the French chamber of commerce at Antwerp for information in respect to the commercial position of Congo and Madagascar Caoutchouc and copal gum on the Antwerp market. M. Ed. Borniche, the president of the chamber, kindly sent information by return mail to the chief of the colony in a very interesting letter, which we give below, in response to the vari- ous questions asked which will be very useful to those in Madagascar who are concerned in the commercial exportation of Caoutchouc and copal gum. This letter emanates from M. Emile Grisar, a commission merchant whose house in Antwerp is the largest and the oldest engaged in the India-rubber trade. " Mr. President : I am in possession of your valued favor of May 15, containing an extract from a letter No. 2S3. under date of April 6, which you sent to General Gallieni, governor general of Madagascar and its dependencies, relative to the subject of the sale and conditions of Congo and Madagascar Caoutchouc in the Antwerp market. It is with true pleasure that I hereby reply to the questions of General Gallieni, and I should be very happy to see satisfactory results arise therefrom. ♦Translated for The India Rubber World from the Revue Generate Coloniate (Brussels), September 27, 1003. " We nave many times received at Antwerp, Madagascar Caoutchoucs which have always been sold at good prices. I will first mention the Caoutchouc shipped from Tamatave, which comprises the best quality coming from the great island. " This is sent us in the form of large cakes, of widely varying weights, very pure, of great consistency, containing no impuri- ties, but having a large amount of volatile matter amounting, according to the shipments, in the neighborhood of 15 to 20 per cent. The presence of this matter, while not the cause of a large loss, is nevertheless the cause of a lower value of the mer- chandise, since the shipper pays the export charges on this 20 percent., the freight, the packing, and then finally, on selling it, the buyer is subject to a considerable loss which the Caout- chouc undergoes in washing. I wouldconsequently advise that, after it has been coagulated, the larger cakes should be cut into sections, making pieces of medium size, and then dry them in the shade, and then ship them in strong cases, to protect them from breaking and prevent theft during the voyage. Present value 9.50 francs per kilogram [ = S3j cents per pound]. "The Caoutchouc sent from Majunga has the same appearance as the preceding, but sometimes contains bark and foreign par- ticles, which the acid juice has covered in coagulating. This kind also sometimes contains some sand, and always a large amount of volatile matter amounting to 20 to 30, and some- 44 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [November i, 1903. times 35 per cent. On this account, several qualities are recog- nized, having prices according to their degree of purity. Pres- ent price 6.75 to 7.75 francs per kilogram [ = 57^ to 62 cents per pound], " Finally, Madagascar ships a quality of the lowest grade, known on the European markets under the name of East Coast Niggers. This comes in the form of medium sized balls, made up of Caoutchouc filaments rolled upon themselves. Unfortu- nately, the better part of these balls is only the outside film, for on taking it off we find the center to be crammed with stones and earth, which gives this gum considerable false weight (50 to 75 per cent, of foreign matter introduced with fraudulent intent). The intrinsic quality of this Caoutchouc is excellent, for were it pure, it would be worth 9.50 to 975 francs, but on account of the foreign matter which is enclosed it scarcely brings more than 4 to 4.50 francs. Here we see a great cause of depreciation and a remedy is urgently needed. " On the other hand, there appears to me to be no doubt that the diminution observed in the Madagascar harvest is caused by the ravages made by the gatherers. Steps should be taken to see if the trees or plants which produce the Caoutchouc on the island are not susceptible of being reasonably tapped, so as to prevent its perishing as a result of this operation, and if so, there should be severe legislation specifying by what means, according to age and size, these plants should be tapped and by what process. " We were a long time under the impression that in the inde- pendent Congo Free State the Hams (vines) could be periodi- cally bled without their being necessarily lost; but practice shows that the natives cut the Hants in sections of I meter in length for the purpose of obtaining suitable results ; the pieces being suspended, the milk runs out freely. But otherwise, when they are bled in a rational and prudent manner, the quan- tity of the milk is insignificant, and the liane dies slowly of its wound. We must necessarily conclude, that both processes are equally defective. " The system which has been adopted is as follows : To trans- plant as many lianes as are destroyed, and even more, so as to make up for the deficit which will not fail to occur within a few years. For this purpose the legislation of the Congo state has considered it useful to reenforce certain provisions of the enactment of January 5, 1899, for the purpose of preventing the impoverishment of the Caoutchouc forests of the domain. This enactment notably prescribes that there must be annually planted in the forests of the state a number of Caoutchouc pro- ducing trees or lianes, calculated on a basis of 150 plants at least per ton of Caoutchouc gathered thereon during the year. A later enactment carries this up to 500 plants for each ton, dating from January 1, 1903. " As a result of the enforcement of this law on the companies and the individuals engaged in gathering Caoutchouc, the number of plants set out in 1901 amounts to about 510,000, against 500,000 in 1900, and 410,000 for the preceding year. Besides, we may estimate the total number of Caoutchouc bearing plants planted by the state as being in the neighbor- hood of 2,500,000, which are a direct result of the law or as conforming to the instructionsof thegovernment which orders, independent of what has been stated, the commencement of vast plantations of Caoutchouc plants throughout the eastern territory. " I will add that before proceeding with these replantings the state consulted with, and made inquiries through, agricul- tural engineers and foresters, for the purpose of determining suitable kinds which would be the best adapted for the seed plots and for slipping, and to determine und< :i what conditions these plantations should be started, so that the chances should be the most favorable for success. " Up to the present time very few plantations have given convincing results, and as they are a long time in coming to maturity, not producing suitable results for several years, it was thought desirable before commencing, to have funda- mental principles well established, and to thoroughly study the nature of the various plants, before using them for re- planting. " The various names of Caoutchouc from the Congo, such as, Kasai, Lopori, Aruwimi, etc.. relate to distinct species from which this Caoutchouc is gathered. As they are classed in the same manner according to quality, the buyers are saved considerable trouble, as they know exactly what each quality represents, and they are thus able to buy according to descrip- tion and through correspondence. The observations which General Gallidni has made in respect to the necessity for the classification of Caoutchouc is very commendable. " In effect, before the buyers can have confidence in the im- partiality of the commission merchant's classification of Caout- chouc, they must in a measure be always able to buy qualities which are the same and regular, so that the delivered products all conform to the designated kinds. This system has great advantages for sellers, who can thus be assured from one day to another, of the sale of their whole output in times of over production and low prices. " I herewith send you the sales conditions as employed at Antwerp. The method of making sales by inscription is satis- factory to everyone, in that buyers throughout the entire world are enabled to participate in these sales, since we always allow an interval of twenty days between the time of placing the pro- duct on the market, and that of making the sale. " As there have been of late very few lots from Madagascar among the receipts, I regret my inability to send you sam- ples of the varieties, but I shall not fail to do so on the first occasion. " Copal Gum. — This product, which is beginning to be ex- ported from the Congo in considerable quantities, should like- wise be exported from Madagascar. Its good quality (fossil gum), hard and clear, alone merits attention ; the young gums have almost no value. Before it is exported, it is desirable to have it thoroughly assorted for the purpose of taking out the defective parts, without which exportation becomes impossible, on account of their small value. This assorting should be done by agents who have a certain knowledge of the article as Copal gum possesses an infinite variety of qualities according to its degree of hardness. The value of good Copal gum varies from 200 to 275 francs per 100 kilograms. " If any other information should be of use to the colony of Madagascar, I place myself at the entire disposition of the gov- ernor to furnish it. Yours truly, emile grisar." In connection with the current charges of corruption in the postoffice department at Washington, questions have been asked regarding contracts to furnish supplies, obtained by per- sons not manufacturers, sometimes at a lower price than the goods could be made for in the best conducted factories. A postoffice inspector, to illustrate how this might occur, without involving fraud, says : " The rubber pads used by the small offices throughout the country at that time were made in Pennsylvania by women and boys who worked for $4 and $5 a week. The New York bidders figured on paying men $12 to $15 for the work, as the union schedule provided. I don't say that is the case with all the contracts, but I know that in some of them the bidders shaved pennies." November i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 45 SPECIFIC GRAVITY IN RUBBER COMPOUNDING. THE ratio of bulk to weight is of great practical import- ance in the rubber industry, because it controls the number or pieces or feet per pound obtainable from any given stock. This relation of bulk to weight is de- pendent on the specific gravity of the material. Its determina- tion presents a constantly recurring problem that the rubber factory superintendent must solve by some means or other if he is to work to the best advantage. The following explana- tion, it is hoped, will make clear to any who may be unfamiliar with the term what is meant by " specific gravity." Every material whether solid, liquid, or gaseous has weight or density dependent on its nature or composition. These weights vary through a wide range from the very heavy solids to the lightest gases, taken bulk for bulk. The specific gravity of any substance is the particular ratio of its weight to that of an equal bulk of another substance, taken as a standard or unit weight. For all solids and liquids the standard substance of unit gravity is distilled water at the temperature of 62" Fahren- heit. For gases the standard is hydrogen gas at the atmos- pheric pressure of the sea level. The following table gives the specific gravities of a few com- mon substances and will be convenient for reference. It will be understood that the figures express averages and are near enough for practical purposes of technical work. The value for each substance is given in terms of water as unity : SPECIFIC GRAVITIES OF SOME COMMON SUBSTANCES USED IN RUBBER COMPOUNDING. Antimony sulphide 4.6 Asbestine 2.6 Asphaltum 1.3 Barytes 4.5 Caoutchouc o 94 Fossil flour 1.8 Graphite 2.0 Gutta-percha o 99 Iron oxide 2.0 Kaolin 2.2 Lampblack 0.2 Litharge 9.3 Lithopone 3.6 Magnesia 3.4 Plaster of Paris 2.9 Pumice 2.2 Red lead 8.5 Rosin. 1.1 Sublimed lead 8.0 Sulphur 2.0 Talc 2.7 Tar 1.0 Vermilion 8.1 Whiting 2.8 White lead 6.2 Zinc oxide 5.6 The method of determining specific gravities of solids de- pends on the fact that any substance immersed in water loses weight equal to the weight of the volume of water which it dis- places. The means of ascertaining specific gravities vary some- what according as the substance under examination is solid, liquid, or a gas. Only those methods will here be given that relate to solids and liquids, since they comprise the extent of the problem for rubber workers. The density of any substance bears the same proportion to the density of water as the weight of the substance bears to the weight of its bulk of water. Hence if the weight of the body, in air, is divided by its loss of weight, when weighed in water, this quotient will represent the specific gravity or comparative density of the body. The apparatus illustrated and described in this article is de- signed to afford a ready means of weighing materials in air and water, thus obtaining the data for determining the specific gravity. Every chemical balance is provided with a hook at either end of the beam for use in suspending a sample to permit its weight to be taken in water, the glass containing the water be- ing placed on a support standing on the floor of the balance case and astride the scale pan. The Jolly spiral balance, so called from its inventor, is es- pecially useful for obtaining rapidly the specific gravities of minerals and rubber samples and is really indispensable in rub- ber works. It consists of an upright supported on a heavy iron base, which is provided with leveling screws to adjust the in- strument plumb. Extending the full length of one side of this upright is a mirror upon which is engraved a fine scale of equal parts arranged decimally. Sliding on the upright is a small platform for supporting a glass of water, and adjustable at any height by a thumbscrew. Sliding into the upright is a light adjustable wooden rod carrying an arm arranged for holding one end of the weighing spiral of wire which at its lower end hooks to the pans, of which there are two connected together. Three spirals of various degrees of tension are provided with the instrument to regulate its sensibility to heavy, medium, or light materials. Thus set up, as shown in the illustration, with the pans suspended from the medium spiral, allow the lower or glass pan to hang freely in a glass filled with clean water. It is proper to use distilled water, of course, as coming nearer the scientific standard. If such water is not available, clean cool WESTPHALE S BALANCE. water, that has been previously boiled to expel the dissolved air, will answer very well. To make a specific gravity determination, begin by adjusting the glass of water at such height that the lower pan will be im- mersed to some point above where its supporting wires meet. Allow the pans hanging free in this way to come to rest, and note the reading on the scale of the height of some fixed point, as the top of the white bead. The scale is engraved on a mirror in order that a level reading may be taken by sighting the point selected for reading with its reflection. Every reading must be made from one reference point. Record this reading taken with the pans empty. Then place in the upper pan a small piece of the rubber or other material to be tested, of suitable size (and any shape). Again adjust the level of the glass so that the pans may hang free and with the lower pan immersed as before. When equilibrium is established note the second reading of the same reference point and record. In precisely similar way de- termine the reading of the reference point again with the sam- ple in the lower pan immersed. Care must be taken to free the sample of all adhering air bubbles which would otherwise falsi- 46 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [November i, 1903. fy the reading. Note the third reading and the data will be ready for calculation. These readings represent, in terms of spaces on the scale, (1) the weight of the pans unloaded; (2) the weight of the pans and substance in air; (3) the weight of the pans and substance in water. The difference between the first and second readings stands for the weight of the sample in air. The difference between the second and third readings represents the loss of weight of the sample in water. Divide the weight in air by the loss of weight in water and the result will express the specific gravity. For solids lighter than water it will be found necessary to close the wires of the lower pan more or less around the sample to keep it immersed. Another and simpler instrument for obtaining specific gravities of solids is known as the Nicholson hydrometer. ^_ This is made of thin sheet metal of hydrometer form, and provided with a set of small weights. It is inexpensive and accurate, but not as convenient to use as the Jolly balance. Above and below the body of the hydrom- eter are pans for holding the sample. On the stem is a reference mark to which point the instrument is always sunk in the jar of water before each reading is taken. Briefly described, its use is as follows : * Let a/j be the weight required to sink the instru- ment to the mark on the stem, the weight of the instrument being w ; to take the specific gravity of any solid substance place a portion of it weighing less than iv x , in the upper pan, with such additional weight, say w t , as will cause the instrument to sink to the zero mark. The weight of the substance, in air, is then w^ — w a . Next transfer the substance to the lower pan, and again adjust with weight w i to the zero mark. The loss of weight of the substance in water is then a/ 4 — w t . Therefore the specific gravity is obtained by this formula : ORDINARY HYDROMETER. Specific gravity=- w l —w a For materials in the form of powder the specific gravity bottle is used. This is of various forms, but is essentially a small flask provided with a reference mark on the neck. A fine chemical balance is nec- essary to make the weights and the pro- cedure is as follows for solids heavier than water:* Weigh the flask filled to the ■ mark with water, then place the substance, jolly's spiral balance. of known weight, in the flask, fill to the mark with water, and weigh again. Turning to the consideration of the means of obtaining the gravities of liquids such as acids, oils, naphtha, etc., we have the various forms of hydrometers and the Westphale's balance. There are many specially designed hydrometers adapted to the requirements of certain industries, but in principle they are all alike. They consist of a weighted glass bulb sinking the in- strument upright in the liquid and reading the degree, or actual specific gravity, by means of graduations on the stem. The or- dinary Beaume' hydrometers are those in general use. Two in- struments are required, one weighted and graduated for liquids heavier than water, and one for those lighter than water. The Beaume scale of " degrees " is arbitrary and to as- certain the specific gravities a table must be consulted. For ordinary trade purposes the Beaume degree is used and is all that is required. The Westphale's balance is adapted to either light or heavy liquids and by its aid the gravities are read direct from the weights used without calculation. It is also convenient when only small samples of liquids are available for examination. The balance is so adjusted by the mak- ers that the glass bob will balance the counter weight on the opposite arm when hanging in air. When suspended in any liquid a buoying effect, dependent on the gravity of the material throws the instrument out of balance. The equilibrium is reestablished by means of a set of rider weights. Reading the position on the beam of the weights in the order of their size gives at once the specific gravity sought without cal- culation. It should be noted that specific gravity is not to be taken as a test for quality as applied to rubber stocks, but should be considered simply as a guide to the economy of the stock. An other practical appli- cation is found in estimating the weight of a proposed article of solid hydrometer. stock when its cubical contents is known. The weight for water of the cub- ical contents is ascertained by multiplying by 252.5, the weight in grains of one cubic inch of water. This product multiplied by the specific gravity of any material will give the weight of the object in that material. Thus an article of 10 cubic inches volume would weigh, if made of a rubber stock of 1.85 specific gravity : 10X252. 5Xt.35 = 4&7i-25 grains = 10% oz. The calculation will be ; (Weight of substance in air)+(weight of flask and water) — (weight of flask _and water and substance) ""(weight of substance in air). It will be unnecessary to discuss the methods employed in determining the gravities of substances soluble in water or of gases. • From Bailey's " Chemists' Pocket Book." A petition has b een addressed to the governor general of French West Africa by the rubber trade of Bordeaux, asking that measures be taken to prevent the exhaustion of the native rubber vines ol the Soudan and adjacent districts, to encourage planting, and to promote improvement of the quality of the present production. It is pointed out that the quality of the Conakry rubbers is satisfactory, and that, by the adoption of similar methods of preparation, other French colonial rubbers could be made as good. Credit is given in this regard to the action of the governor of French Guinea. The petition is signed by twenty rubber brokers, importers, experts, etc. November i, 1903] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 47 STEAM TURBINES IN THE RUBBER FACTORY. BY HERBERT S. KIMBALL, S. B. THE steam turbine is on the market, and the results of its careful design have proved so successful that one is war- ranted in making use of this machine. They are installed in va- rious industrial plants, and the number of orders for such ma- chines is astonishing. While the problem of installing turbines in a rubber factory presents no special difficulties, yet a few cases may be of inter- est. It might be well to describe the principal features of the steam turbine, and though the writer is more familiar with the " De Laval " machine, he offers the following remarks, which, in general, apply to the various types. The construction of the machine is simple — in brief, merely the turbine wheel mounted on a shaft, so constructed that the wheel may rapidly revolve around an axis through its center of gravity, rather than its geometric center. If an electric ma- chine, the shaft is connected to the gen- erator by a pair of gears and in case a mechanical drive is wished, an iron sheave or a pulley is substituted for the electric generator. Of course there is a case for the turbine ; and other parts of the apparatus that re- laval turbine alternator. quire protection are suitably encased. The small space necessary, and the need of no special foun- dation for the turbine, alone are points that immediately at- tract one ; and when a 300 HP. horizontal type steam turbine, mounted on a frame with the generator, requires a floor space of about 15X6 feet, it is readily seen how economical in floor area such a machine is, and how inexpensive the necessary foundation would be. The steam turbine is radically different from the reciprocat- ing steam engine in that, instead of using the expansive power of the steam behind a piston, the steam is expanded in a noz- zle, converting the static energy into kinetic ; and as the steam impinges against the wheel its great velocity is utilized to re- volve the wheel at a tremendous speed. All the energy in the steam is converted into useful work in the steam turbine, which is not true in a reciprocating engine ; and another point in its efficiency is the fact that there is no condensation and reevaporation, as upon the walls of the cylin- der of the reciprocating engine. It is claimed that with low pressure steam and running noncondensing that the turbine can compete with the reciprocating engine ; but for the very best economy the turbine should be operated with high pres- sure steam and a condenser. A further gain is made by super- heating the steam. It has been proved that the turbine is more economical in its consumption of steam than is the reciprocating engine; and it should be noted that its consumption of steam does not increase to any extent per horse power, as the load decreases. Cost of fuel is an important item, and, considering that the steam turbine is such an economical machine in steam consumption, this fact alone is bound to attract attention. The speed regulation is all that could be wished, and even with a sudden variation of load the speed will be maintained within very small limits. Oil does not have to be introduced into the machine, and consequently the steam is free from such LAVAL TURBINE MOTOR. contamination, and the condensed steam may be again used in the boilers without purification. Owing to its simple construc- tion, it is predicted, and with good reason, that the life of the machine will be long. In applying the steam turbine to the rubber factory, either way of furnishing power is suitable — electrically or mechanically. The generator is connected directly to the turbine, and the electric current transmitted to the electric motors on each ma- chine, or group of machines. Should it be deemed best to transmit power by shafting, the rope sheave, which is con- nected to the turbine, is, by a system of rope drives, connected with the main lines of shafting, which extend from the power house out into the mill. Owing to its speed regulation, the steam turbine is well adapted to operate the crackers and mix- ers whose loads vary greatly and suddenly. Two accompanying illustrations show a 300 HP. turbine, with iron sheaves, and a 300 HP. turbine connected to an electric generator. V r ^J^0 TURBINE ROOM. ■ "L '*:::} cznz:: EZZT72 CIZ"" PLAN FOR CONNECTING TURBINE TO MAIN SHAFT LINES BY ROPE DRIVES. 48 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [November i, 1903. ATTACHING WRINGER ROLLS BY MELTING- THE old style making of wringer rolls by molding and cur- ing the compound onto the shaft was superseded by the method of building up by hand a calendered sheet of stock on the copperized shaft, cemented and covered by a ply of bard curing rubber to insure a firm union between the iron and the body of the roll. The cure was effected by subjecting the cloth wrapped goods to open steam. This method involved consider- able hand labor in building up the roll, but permitted the man- ufacturer to face the roll with a ply of high grade stock. Excellent work may be made in this way, but " rolls for the million " are better made by forcing the stock from a heavy tubing machine, delivering it very close to size, or small enough to receive a facing ply, and ready to be cut in two-roll lengths. In this state the double length roll is slipped onto a short mandrel, and rolled in a wide piece of sheeting, which is drawn tightly about it in a small three-roll wrapping machine of the ordinary form. The ends of the wrapper are then tightly tied down to the mandrel, and dozens of such rolls thus prepared are placed, standing endwise, in a rack ready for curing in open heat. After this process, it remains to unwrap and remove the rolls, ready for cutting to length and sandpapering to size on a lathe. It requires some skill to force the uncut rolls onto the tightly fitting lathe mandrels. This is done by resting the mandrel on the floor with the upper end slightly entered in the roll. Then, covering the upper end of the roll tightly with one hand, a sudden downward thrust of the workman's right hand compresses the air in the roll sufficiently to permit it to slip completely onto the mandrel. The attachment of a cured roll to the shaft is effectually ac- complished as follows : The shaft is brought to dull redness its entire length and is then used to melt or burn out the hole in the roll enough to thoroughly smear both hole and iron their entire length with sticky compound. The iron is then quickly quenched in water to a heat below the melting point of the rub- ber. At this stage the roll is replaced on the shaft and, with a few blows of the shaft on an anvil, jarred down to place. The heat remaining in the shaft is sufficient to cure the roll so firmly to the iron that on cooling it can only be removed by cutting the rubber away. A little practice is necessary to properly judge the heat of the iron after quenching, that it may not continue melting the interior of the roll and produce a cav- ity or unattached spot. Such a spot would, of course, permit the roll to twist and tear in service. The layer of hard curing cement formed by melting the rubber should be as thin as pos- sible, and the hole not enlarged beyond the size for a snug fit. This method of attachment is adopted by leading wringer makers for new work as well as by rubber manufacturers for repair work. A few experiments will enable an ordinary me- chanic to attach rolls in this way, efficiently and cheaply. RUBBER FACTORY APPLIANCES. CURING, STRIPPING, AND REVERSING INNER TUBES. THE old style method of straight wrapping and cross wrap- ping inner tubes of rubber was used for many years in every factory devoted to their manufacture. It was at last modified by using a straight wrapper of increased dimen- sions, and omitting entirely the cross wrapper. This was not only a distinct saving in time and wrappers, but the tube was kept free from all markings and variations in thickness caused by irregular cross wrapping. A still further improve- ment is now effected by curing the tubes with no wrapping at all. The mandrels are supported on racks to prevent contact and the tubes come out perfect in every respect. The removal of inner tubes from the mandrels on which they are cured was formerly very generally accomplished by distend- ing the tube with a large bubble of air and forcing it slowly along the mandrel by hand pressure. The tube thus loosened from the pole slipped off readily, but required to be reversed on a rod by hand to bring outtermost the finished side. [Fig. 1 ] /»//«/•!< percent, of his estate to De Pauw University and 5 per cent, to the New York Chatauqua, is being contested by his widow, who filed papers to that effect at South Bend, Indiana, on October 7. =Mr. Herbert F. Moore has resigned as instructor in machine design at Cornell University to accept a position as mechanical engineer at Riehle Bros. Testing Machine Co. (Philadelphia). BALATA FROM DUTCH GUIANA. THE Balata industry in Dutch Guiana in 1902, according to a British consular report, was more prosperous than for several years past, the exports being stated as follows : 1899. 1900. i9or. 1902. Pounds 260,922 459,371 521,400 728,200 The latter figure is only a little smaller than the highest pro- duction ever reached (in 1896), and brings up the average for the above four years to the usual average for the colony, thus off- setting the depression in the output a few years ago. A pecu- liar fact stated in the consul's report is that much Balata is lost in transit between the " bush " and the seaport, which is lead- ing the traders to insure their produce. The report reads : " It is difficult to say how much was lost in this way, but within six months claims were made against a single insurance com- pany for about ,£7500, the value — insured — of some 90 tons lost in the rivers by the upsetting of the boats." 62 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [November i, 1903. THE RUBBER TRADE IN AKRON. BY A RESIDENT CORRESPONDENT. TO the Editor of The India Rubber World: The sec- ond annual convention of the Amalgamated Rubber Workers' Union of America was held at Akron during the four days October 12-15. Fourteen unions, affiliated with the na- tional organization, were represented by delegates. At the opening session of the convention, on Monday afternoon, Mayor C. W. Kempel.a union man, who was elected by the working men of the city, delivered an address of welcome. J. D. Thomas, president of the Central Labor Union of Akron, de- livered a welcoming address in behalf of organized labor in this city, and, together with the mayor, took an active part in the convention. On Monday evening the visitors were the guests of the Central Labor Union. On Tuesday and Wednesday the sessions were of a business nature and were behind closed doors. On Wednesday afternoon the question of child labor was discussed, and the union pledged itself to attempt to secure legislation unfavorable to the employment of children in fac- tories and to the employment of women between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. The delegates present were : Chicago Local, No 1. — John Dean, W. T. Dunn, Harry Brick. Concord Junction Local, No. 2. — Clarence E. Akerstrom, Charles H. Stevenson. Cambridge Local, No. 3. — Thomas J. Edwards. Trenton Local, No. 4. — James O'Donovan, Harry Archer, E. Thomas Staunton. Akron Local, No. 5. — William Labbe. Kokomo Local, No. 6. — Clem Jackson, Fred Cooper. Port Dalhousie (Ontario) Local, No. 7. — John J. Phillmore, Frank Blaine. Montreal Local, No. 8.— J. E. Bernard. * Montreal Local, No. 9. — Maud Jerett. New York Local, No. 10. — Robert Gorham, Edwin Turnberger. Toronto Local, No. n. — George A. Martin, Geale Woodall. St. Louis Local, No. 12. — Wilbur Walton, J. M. Cannon. Hamilton Square (New York) Local, No. 13. — William Scudder, John J. Redwood. * New Haven Local, No. 14. — Maud Heaney, Agues Donahue. [♦These unions are composed of women.) Officers for the ensuing year were elected as follows: President — Thomas J. Edwards, Cambridge, Massachusetts (re- elected). First Vice President— Harry Archer, Trenton, New Jersey (succeed- ing C. H. O'Bovle). Second Vice President— Charles H. O'Boyle, of Chicago (succeeding C. H. Stevenson). Third Vice President — John J. Phillmore, of Port Dalhousie, Ontario (succeeding M. E. Mahoney). Secretary and Treasurer — Clarence E. Akerstrom, of Concord, Mas- sachusetts (reelected). General Organizer — James O'Donovan, of Trenton (succeeding W. T. Dunn). The next annual convention will be held in Trenton, in 1904. In discussing the question of differences between workmen and their employes, President Edwards said to your correspond- ent : "I find that the Eastern manufacturers do not feel the same toward organized labor as does the Western manufac- turer. There exists in the East a perfect understanding be- tween organized labor in the rubber trade, and there is little trouble. Here no such feeling exists, or at least only in a lim- ited degree, and to cultivate such a feeling was one of our ob- jects in coming here." • * » The annual meeting of the Diamond Rubber Co. was held in Akron on October 13, and the election resulted in the old offi- cers being chosen for another year, as follows : President— Y . A. Hardy, of Chicago. Vice President and Superintendent — A. H. Marks, Akron. Secretary— W . B. MlLLKR, Akron. Treasurer — A. H. Noah, Akron. These officers, with O. C. Barber, Akron; J. K. Robinson, New York ; and W. B. Hardy, Chicago, constitute the board,of directors. The question of the erection of a new building was not taken up. Treasurer A. H. Noah states that the company have no intention of erecting an office building at the present time. " The business of the company during the past year was excellent," said Mr. Noah. " The tire trade was the best in the history of the company, especially in automobile and bicycle tires. Naturally the automobile tire trade was better than ever before owing to the increase in the number of machines on the market, and our company made more bicycle tires than ever before." When asked if there is any reason to expect that the trade in bicycle tires next year will exceed this year's busi- ness, Mr. Noah stated that he knew of none. The results achieved in the use of Diamond tires in the automobile endur- ance contests were a source of great satisfaction to the officers of the company. * * * The Lilly Rubber Manufacturing Co., of Barberton. have in- creased their capital stock from $10,000 to $50,000. The com- pany will place a limited amount of stock on the market, and with the proceeds will increase the capacity of their plant. The officers of the company are: Charles Ammerman, president; E. E. Beam, vice president ; H. Benner, secretary and treasurer; W. C. Lilly, general manager. In speaking of the increase of capital stock, President Ammerman said : "The Lilly Rubber Manufacturing Co. have been remarkably successful for a new company — we were organized only a little more than a year ago — and during the past year we have built up a trade which warrants us in increasing our capital stock. We expect to greatly increase the capacity of our plant, and to turn out more goods than ever." * * * In the common pleas court at Akron on October 6, on the application of Ossian G. Lyon, vice president of the Lyon Rub- ber Co., a receiver was appointed for that concern, the court naming A. E. Kling for that position. With the exception of the People's Hard Rubber Co., this is the first instance of the failure of a rubber company in the history of Akron. The pres- ent case is not one of importance, the Lyon Rubber Co. having been capitalized at only $10000, and its business never having reached large proportions. The company was incorporated October 1, 1902, by several Akron business men, none of whom had had any experience in the rubber business, to succeed a small partnership business formed a few months previously. Receiver Kling informs your correspondent that he will not continue the operation of the plant, but will apply for an order of sale for the property. If the accounts due can be collected — and he thinks that the greater part will be — the creditors can be paid in full. » » * REFERRING to the agreement among the rubber tire makers, mentioned in the last India Rubber World, an Akron rub- ber manufacturer said to your correspondent: "It has been proved to the satisfaction of all, that manufacturers of rubber tires are able to meet any demand for tires. If the makers of automobiles desire cheap tires, we can make them, no matter how badly we dislike to do so. Competition in the rubber tire trade is so keen now that the manufacturer must meet the de- mands of his customers, no matter what they may be. If one company refuses to make a cheap tire others stand ready to do so, and the company which desires to put only the best grade of goods on the market have no choice but to follow. It is an unfortunate thing that the automobile makers have not recog- nized the fact that cheap tires are a bad thing. Just as a chain November i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 63 is no stronger than its weakest link, so is an automobile no stronger than its weakest point. This point, owing to the too frequent desire on the part of the maker to economize, is often the tire. Bv paying an utter disregard to the quality of the tire with which he equips his machine the automobile maker has done not a little to injure his own business. It is a well known fact that the tendency of cheap tires to wear out and puncture frequently has been the cause of many people becom- ing disgusted with the automobile. It was so with the bicycle, and tire makers have been going through the same experience they had with the cheap bicycle tire. The new agreement seems to me to be the best thing for all parties concerned that could have been devised. Without the maker's guarantee the buyer will not purchase tires, so it is an assured fact that the agreement will accomplish the purpose for which it was made. While automobile makers have been so busy devising new things to increase the speed and efficiency of their machines, the buyer, the man who puts up his hard cash, has been study- ing some on the question of tires, and I make no wrong asser- tion when I say that the buyer is perfectly satisfied with the agreement. He realizes that it means better service for him, and he is content. I can see no reason at all why the agree- ment will not accomplish its purpose to the satisfaction of not only the tire maker but the manufacturer of automobiles and the users of them as well." * + • Mr. Howard Hoskin, bookkeeper for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., was married to Miss Ella B. Hershey, daughter of Mr. E. A. Hershey, of Columbus, Ohio, on Wednesday even- ing, September 30. The wedding was solemnized by Dr. Washington Gladden of Columbus. They will make their home in Akron. THE PARA RUBBER PLANTATION CO. A MEETING for the reorganization of the Para Rubber Plantation Co. was held in Chicago on October 6, at which it was decided to change the name to the International Rubber and Trading Co., and to increase the capital stock to $10000,000, divided equally between preferred and common shares. The capital formerly was $5,000,000, all common stock. Milton Doud was elected secretary and treasurer, in place of F. M. Crawford, who formerly held these offices. There are now two vacancies in the directory, which President Cudahy says he will try to have filled by well known and substantial business men. The offices of the company will continue at No. 52 Broadway. New York, which was the headquarters of the Para Rubber Plantation Co. Mr. John Cudahy, president of the company, stated to The India Rubber World correspondent that the character of the company's properties was such as to warrant him in claiming that the company would be a financial success. He said that heretofore much advertising matter had been circulated which he did not approve of and which was misleading. He said that this had been stopped, and that it had led to the present reor- ganization steps. Mr. Cudahy stated that he proposed to take hold of the affairs of the International Rubber and Trading Co. personally and manage them in a way that would develop the properties and be satisfactory to the most exacting shareholder. He said that the man chosen for the post of secretary is a trans- portation man. Early in the month parties interested in the rubber industry in New York and its vicinity received letters dated October 7 and signed by Carl A. G. Adae, " investment broker," No. 31 Barclay street, New York, offering 500 shares of the Para Rub- ber Plantation Co. at $7.35. the par value being $10. Mr. Adae was found to have desk room on an upper floor at the address mentioned, with a firm dealing in florists' supplies. His name did not appear on any sign and he was found only after con- siderable effort. He stated that the stock he had to offer was held by a young man in the employ of the Para Rubber Plan- tation Co., and at present on their properties on the river Casi- quiare. Mr. Adae stated further that the company had paid two 6 per cent, dividends within a year from the sale of $300,- 000 worth of rubber in New York. As for transportation, he stated that at certain seasons the Casiquiare flowed toward the Orinoco, which furnished an outlet to the seaboard, and that at certain other seasons it flowed toward the Negro, when that stream was used for transportation. When Mr. Adae was call- ed upon, however, he said that it had been decided to withdraw all the stocks from sale, pending a reorganization of the com- pany " on a larger scale." THE OBITUARY RECORD. HENRY STEERS, of New York, who was accidentally drowned on September 29 while fishing nearhis summer home in Massachusetts, was a director in the Rubber Goods Manufacturing Co. — which position he had held from the first organization of that company — and in a number of financial in- stitutions. He was born in New York. September 14, 1832, and grew up in the shipbuilding business with his uncle, George Steers (who designed and built the famous schooner yacht America), to which business he succeeded and expanded to very large proportions, retiring in 1875. Mr. Steers was the last sur- vivor of the crew which sailed the America in English waters in 1851, bringing to the United States the Cup which British yachtsmen ever since have been trying to regain. James McCord, one of the best known merchants in the West, and who died at his home in St. Joseph, Missouri, on September 25, was born in Virginia. January 7, 1826. At an early age he removed to Missouri, where he began a business association with the late Abram Nave, which lasted 52 years and proved exceptionally successful. McCord at the time of his death was interested in a number of wholesale houses, in- cluding the McCord Rubber Co., incorporated in 1895, to con- tinue the boot and shoe trade of the St. Joseph branch of E. B. Preston & Co. (Chicago), after the death of Mr. Preston in the same year. Charles Runvan died at his residence in New York on Oc- tober 13, in his sixty sixth year. His business career began about forty-five years ago, in the employment of the Union India Rub- ber Co. (New York,) then one of the most important rubber manufacturing concerns in the country, and later he rilled for a while the office of secretary and treasurer of that corporation. He next became interested in the coal business, and was succes- sively secretary and treasurer of the Superior Mountain Coal Co., president of the Hoboken Coal Co., and president of the Communipaw Coal Co. The latter position he held at his death. Marshall Field, the Chicago merchant prince, after an ex- haustive series of tests, has become a firm believer in the value of the rubber horseshoe. The horses employed in his busi- ness, since being shod with rubber, give six years of service, instead of three years as formerly. And that the horses them- selves approve is evidenced by the fact that they refuse a hard pavement every time unless they have on rubber shoes — that is, of course, once they have acquired the " pad habit." The city of Chicago, by the way, with its enormous use of horses, has become one of the best markets in the world for rubber horseshoe pads. 64 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [November i, 1903. THE TEXTILE GOODS MARKET. IT is not often that the rubber trade is called upon to face such conditions as exist at the present time. In years past, the first of October saw the greater part of the textile requirements of the rubber mills covered for the entire year, but November has come and probably not 2 per cent, of the mills have closed contracts for their cotton fabrics. The reason is clear to those who have watched the fluctuations of the raw cotton market. Last month the manufacturers of duck and sheeting looked for- ward to the middle of October when they would have closed up all the business their mills could take care of for the season, but when that time came both the seller and the consumer were as much at sea as ever, and a fortnight later they were no better off. A week ago some thought that the market had settled down to a substantial and steady basis, for a time at least. A few rub- ber concerns made contracts, and a number of thestitched belt- ing factories also placed their contracts for the year. These ar- rangements are said to have been made on the basis of 10 cent cotton, and the duck contracts were made at about 20 cents a pound. Some have paid more and others less, but it is under- stood that 20 cxnts is about the average. The past week saw a number of rubber manufacturers in the marketlooking over the field, and it is understood that some of them were about to close contracts for the year, but in the meantime the cotton market took a sudden jump and the textile manufacturers shrunk from proceeding farther until conditions became more settled. Here the matter stands. The developments during the past day or two in the cotton market have caused those who have made contracts to con- gratulate themselves, as good authorities are now figuring on a 10.000.000 bale crop, but this is a " bullish " estimate, and must be accepted for what it is worth. The price of raw cotton has, however, advanced during the past week Yz cent a pound and the market is in the complete control of the " bull " element. But meanwhile the rubber trade and the stitched belting peo- ple are not suffering for textiles. The latter having placed such heavy orders last year for their season's supply they are now in possession of sufficient quantities of duck to keep their mills running until such time as new contracts can be made. The past week has seen considerable quantities of sheeting change hands, the rubber footwear concerns having bought quite freely at full prices, and the mills producing special grades are well employed at present. The duck mills have been buying cotton as fast as the right grade came into sight, and the most of them have enough to carry them well along into next year. These mills have been running full for several weeks, and the past week marked the departure of commission house representatives out into the rubber field with a view to talking up new business. It is very doubtful if sellers will make contracts on anything less than 10 cent cotton, and per- haps they will ask an even higher price. Many of the spinners have been delaying their purchase of cotton in hope to see a decline, while the British consumers have bought all the cotton they could obtain. This has placed the American spinners in the position of hunters after desirable grades, with poor success in covering their requirements. The following are the prices of cotton middling upland spots at the ports of New York, New Orleans, and Liverpool : New York, New Orleans. Liverpool. October 6 9,50 cents 9% cents 5 78a'. October 13 9 60 cents 9J^ cents 5.64a". October 20 9 80 ceuts 9% cents 5 68d. October 27 10.45 cents 10^ cents 5.82a". The stitched belting people held a meeting in New York a fortnight ago for the purpose of revising prices and adjusting a number of minor matters of interest to the manufacturers Representatives were present from all the concerns in the country except the Gandy company, of Baltimore, and as this concern produces about one-third of all the stitched belting used in the United States, its competitors thought it would be a case of playing " Hamlet " with Hamlet omitted, and so they sent a delegation to see the Baltimore manufacturer. The conference resulted in settling the question of cooperation in the matter of a readjustment of prices, but the Gandy company refused to enter into any agreement that would restrict its in- dependence in any respect. It is said that there will not be any advance in the price of belting, but the prices on the vari- ous kinds will be changed somewhat and made more uniform. PRICES CURRENT FOR SHEETINGS FOR THE RUBBER TRADE. Pick. Yds. to Lb. 36" Household Favorite, 56x60, 4.00 5^ cents. 40* Household Favorite, 56x60, 360 sH cents. 36" Henrietta, L. L., 48x52,400 5 cents. 3Q" Henrietta, 68x72, 4.75 (net) 5 cents. 38J" Henrietta, 64x64, 515 4^ cents. 40" Henrietta, 48x40, 2.85 (part waste) 6J^ cents. 36" Florence C., 44x44,6.15 4 cents. 36' American L., 64x64, 5.00 (net) 4^ cents. 40" Majestic C. C, 40" Majes:ic B B. B. 40" Majestic B. B., 40" Ekaney, 36" India, 48x48, 2.50 7% cents. do 2.70 6% cents. do 285 6J^ cents. do 3.60 s l 2 cents. do 3.00 5^ cents. Sheetings. 40" Selkirk. . . . 7^c. 40" Shamrock. .. 9 c. 40" Highgate . . . 53/c. 40" Sellew 7)4 C - Ducks. 40' Hightown. ..6 c. 48* Mohawk, ...10 c. 40" 7 oz. Cran- 40" Hobart 6^c. 40" Marcus. .. S%c. ford. ... 8^c. 40" Kingstons. ..7>£c. 40' Mallory 5 c. 40* 8oz. Chart- 39" Stonyhurst...5^c. 36" Capstans. . ..4 c. res 8^c. 39* Sorosis 5 c. Osnaburgs. 40* tooz Carew. II c. 40" Seefeld 8 c. 40" Iroquois 9 c. 40" 11 oz.Carita. 12 c. GERMANY AND THE DUTY ON ASBESTOS. FROM "THE MONTREAL HERALD." K /^\F one thing Canadians may be certain and it is that ^^ Germany will not place any duty on raw materials which may be sent from Canada into that country. My reason for saying so is that the Government itself is a large user of the raw materials sent from Canada and would not be willing to add to its cost." This statement was made to a Herald representative at the Place Viger, by Mr. J. Krug, of Hamburg, the only agent for Canadian asbestos in Germany. "The demand for Canadian asbestos," he added, "has in- creased rapidly, as its quality is much superior to that obtained from either Georgia or the United States and certain parts of Russia. The output of asbestos in the Province of Quebec, will this year total over 26.000 tons and this will be quite suffi- cient to supply the markets of the United States, England and Germany. " Prices are somewhat lower than last year, and owing to the new purposes that are being found to which it can be put we expect that the demand as far as Germany, at least, is con- cerned, will be much greater, as far as quality is concerned there is not any other country that can compete with Canada for asbestos." One of our readers in London writes to ask for informa- tion concerning a device or process for extracting the latex from rubber trees by means of suction, which was referred to some time ago in The India Rubber World. We are not aware that this method has been practically developed as yet. November i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 65 NEW TAX ON RUBBER AT MANAOS. NEW TRADE PUBLICATIONS. THE state of Amazonas (Brazil), by a law enacted Septem- ber 9, 1903, grants to the Banco Amazonas, a credit in- stitution to be established at Mandos by Charles Figueiredo, the right to levy a tax of 100 reis per kilogram on all Rubber, and 80 reis per kilogram on all Caucho produced in that state at the time the same is placed upon the market. This is in ad- dition to all other taxes now levied upon rubber at Manaos. The new tax is to be levied by the state authorities and deliver- ed monthly to the proposed new bank, the capital of which is required to be 2,000,000 milreis [ = $500,000], with the privilege of increase. The concession is to exist for ten years. The bank shall have a department for mortgages and commercial transactions, and may engage in all branches of the banking business. One provision is that after the profits of the new bank shall exceed a certain percentage, new shares equal to the gain shall be created and distributed gratis to the producers of rubber in proportion to the amounts they may have paid under the levy, said shares to be entitled to dividends from future gains of the bank, but not from the proceeds of the tax. The United States consular agent at Mandos (.Mr. George E. Pell) estimates that with an annual production of rubber in Amazonas of 16.000 tons, the new tax— equal to 1, 600 000 mil- reis— will, at the present rate of exchange, amount to $4°c>.c> 00. He adds: At certain times in the year many native houses require money to tide them over until they receive rubber from upriver. At such times in the past it has been customary to borrow money from the foreign houses here. Casually looking at the law, it appears that this bank is to be or- ganized and run as an accommodation to the native business houses, thus taking these loans from the hands of the foreigners, but many think that a " corner" in rubber is to be attempted with the aid of this tax. It would result seriously to our very large American rubber trade if a corner could be managed controlling the rubber produced in this state. The rubber manufacturing trades of England and the continental manu- facturers would also suffer. According to United States Consul Kenneday, at Para, "the new law has created consternation among the rubber buyers throughout the Amazon valley," and "exporters here are al- ready indulging in gloomy forebodings." He quotes a Para merchant, favorable to the plan, as saying that the intention of the law is to facilitate commerce, and especially the rubber trade, " by the establishment of a bank which shall be able to advance necessary funds to the aviadores and commerce in general in a place where ready money is very scarce and ex- pensive, and business is handicapped accordingly." But the sentiment of all the Paid merchants is not so favor- able to the law. Frank da Costa, a very large exporter of rub- ber from Paid is thus quoted by Consul Kenneday : This law is sure to work harm to the general rubber trade, but it is yet too soon to say how serious its effect may be. This bank will have 100 reis (2.5 cents) per kilogram advantage over every other buyer in Manaos, and this means practically a corner on the rubber market at that point and an extra annual cost of at least $400,000, provided the enterprise is well managed. This law is certainly a menace to the whole trade in northern Brazil. However, we can only wait and let matters develop themselves. I have seen other obnoxious and dangerous laws repealed. It may happen again. With 12 pence as the price of the milreis, the new tax will equal £5. or $24.33 P er metric ton, which is a trifle over 1.1 cent per pound avoirdupois. THE Peerless Rubber Manufacturing Co. (New York) manufacturers of Mechanical Rubber Goods, issue under date of October, 1903, their Catalogue No. 60, which embraces not a little new material in relation to their standard products of Packing, Belting, and Hose, together with numerous specialties in allied lines. Particular mention must be made of the section devoted to Mats, which is attractively illustrated, with mat de- signs in colors and fac simile. This is one of the most attract- ive looking of the many attractive catalogues of the Peerless company, and a copy will be appreciated by every dealer in rubber goods who secures it. [$ 7 /s" )<.&%'■ 150 pages. 1 Typke & King (16, Mincing lane, London) have issued a pamphlet of instructions for using the specialties for India- rubber of which they are manufacturers, including golden and crimson sulphurets, various pigments, lead, magnesia, and the like, and also their line of India-rubber Substitutes. The trade in America may obtain this useful little book from the firm's representative, Joseph Cantor, No. 56 Pine street, New York. [3#"X5^'- 16 pages] The M. Lindsay Rubber Co. (New York and Washington) are sending out a handsome illustrated catalogue of their " Agnota " Process Rubber Specialties, several of which have been described in The India Rubber World. The list in- cludes gloves, nipples, ice caps, ice bags, finger cots, and so on. In fact, the process may be applied to any seamless specialties. UM" X W- 22 pages.] Mulconroy Co. Inc. (Nos. 1213-1215 Market street, Phila- delphia) issue a neat illustrated descriptive catalogue of Piston and Sheet Packings, for steam, hydraulic locomotive, and am- monia requirements. A wide variety is listed. [3%" X 6". 24 pages.J The Diamond Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio) have issued a neat catalogue of Rubber Garden Hose, listing their numerous brands, for a variety of purposes, and illustrating their markings in fac simile. A few lines of helpful descriptive matter appears in each case. [sW X 3)4". 36 pages.] ALSO RECEIVED. The Foster Rubber Co., No. 370 Atlantic avenue, Boston. — Friction Plug Specialties, ig pages. [Perfection Rubber Co.] John J. Cook, Trenton, New Jersey = Per- forated Mats. 8 pages. Tennant Auto-Tire Co., Springfield, Obio=Automobile Tire Talk. [Tennant's puncture proof pneumatic tires.] S pages. Knickerbocker Manufacturing Co .Chicago, Illinois. =; Knickerbocker India- Rubber Fountain Brush. 12 pages. The Nippon Rubber Co., Tokio, Japan. = Catalogue and Price List [of rubber belting and hose], 4 pages. Bauer & Black, Chicago, Illinois. =The Struggle for Supremacy. [Descriptive of the " O PC " suspensories] 16 pages. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio. = The Pneumatic Golf Ball. 12 pages. Continental Caoutchouc Co. . No. 2g8 Broadway, New York. = Price List [of "Continental" automobile tires, from the company's factory (Hanover, Germany) for the American trade.] Considerable deposits of asbestos are reported to exist near the Ropes gold mine at Ishpeming, Michigan, worth from $50 to $200 per ton, and mining machinery has been ordered. Colonel William Jennings Bryan, of Nebraska, while visiting Mexico recently, with his family, was entertained at the " Hacienda Yale," an extensive private plantation, including rubber on a large scale, the property of Alfred Bishop Mason, the railroad man, and managed by his nephews, J. R. Trow- bridge and R. S. Willis, near Tierra Blanca, in Vera Cruz. The hacienda was named for Yale University, where the two young men were educated. 66 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [November i, 1903. THE LAW ON RESTRAINT OF TRADE. A DECISION dealing with combinations in restraint of trade, rendered lately by the appellate division of the New York supreme court, while it related to the sale of books, would be equally applicable to such sales contracts as were in force a few years ago in the rubber shoe trade. R. H. Macy & Co., of New York, brought suit to restrain the American Pub- lishers' Association from carrying out an agreement among its members not to sell their publications to any dealer who did not bind himself to retail the books at a fixed net price. The action was brought under the statute (Laws of New York, 1899, chapter 690) declaring to be illegal any contract, agreement, arrangement, or combination, whereby competition in the sup- ply or price of any commodity of common use may be restrained or prevented. On trial the case was won by the defendants, followed by an appeal and a reversal by the higher court. Justice Ingraham, in the prevailing decision, says that the statute does not attempt to prevent a manufacturer from fixing the price at which he will sell his product. But when the arti- cle has passed out of his hands, into the ownership of dealers engaged in general business, its free sale would be restrained, and competition in price would be prevented, by any combina- tion of manufacturers of similar articles to refuse to sell to a dealer who presumed to offer such article at less than the retail price fixed by the manufacturers. The object of the Publishers' Association clearly was to compel every dealer in their books to fix the selling price of each book owned by him at the price designated by the publishers. Hence competition in the price of the books would be restrained or prevented, within the meaning of the statute. It was claimed, for the publishers, that their agreement related only to copyrighted books, which each publisher has a sole right to publish and sell, and that the agreement was merely carrying out their monopoly under the copyright law. But the court held that when the publisher of a copyrighted book once sells the book, the copyright law gives him no power to interfere with the property right of the pur- chaser in the book, by regulating the price or otherwise. Justice McLaughlin, in a dissenting opinion, cited the case of Park v. National Druggists' Association, in which the court refused an injunction to restrain the defendant association from granting a rebate only when the jobbers agreed to main- tain a fixed rate of prices. He thought that that decision gov- erned the present case. Justice Van Brunt was of the same mind, and said : " I do not see why a seller of property in re- spect to which he has a monopoly cannot impose any condi- tions as to its resale that he sees fit." AFRICAN RUBBER IN TRINIDAD. IN regard to the rubber species Fumtumia elastica, formerly known as the Kickxia Africana,a.n& producingthe so-called " silk rubber " of Lagos, No. 33 of the Bulletin of the Trinidad botanic garden says : " Our trees of this plant have made excellent progress during the past season, and some of them are now 18 feet in height. Several of them have produced seeds and large numbers of seedlings have been raised. Among the trees it is noted (as is general with seedlings), a large amount of variation appears especially in the form and size of the seed pods or follicles. Seed will be ripe about June, 1902." The Fumtumia is an important rubber tree. REVIEW OF THE CRUDE RUBBER MARKET. AS was to be expected, the sudden and very considerable rise in Para grades, which reached its limit as the last issue of this Journal was being printed, was followed by an early reaction, but prices are still far above any re- cent former level. A downward tendency was checked by the results of the Antwerp sale of Congo sorts on October 23, when higher prices were obtained than even at the September sale. Besides, the movement of rubber down the Amazon has been slower than was anticipated at the beginning of the season. In spite of prices being higher than for three years past, and the reported activity of traders in preparing for a large crop, the total receipts at Para so far have been only slightly larger than at the same period of last season, and decidedly less than in 1901, as these figures show : 1900. 1901. 1902. I9°3- July tons. Sbo 1260 1290 1280 August 1290 I2QO 1370 12 3° September 1280 1940 1670 2010 October 2350 2640 2280 a 2280 Total, Four months 5780 7'3° 66l ° 6 78o [a To October 28, 1903.] At the same time, consumption has been on a large scale. The official returns of imports of crude India-rubber of all sorts into the United States during the first nine months of 1903 show an increase of 5.287,729 pounds over the same period of 1902, or a gain of 14 per cent. The official statement of import values of rubber for the same nine months of 1903 shows an in- crease of $8,270,940 over the first three quarters of 1902, or in other words, 45^ per cent. As the amount exported was almost precisely the same in both periods, it is evident that the consumption this year has been decidedly larger than last year, in spite of the fact that the average import value of all kinds of rubber this year was 61}^ cents per pound, against only 48.2 cents during January to September in 1902. Current prices for Pari sorts are 30 per cent, higher on an average than one year ago. Prices of Africans and Centrals have declined during the month only about 2 cents a pound on an average. Supplies of many grades of these classes are either very low or exhausted. Following is a statement of prices of Para grades, one year ago, one month ago, and on October 30— the current date: PARA. Nov. 1, '02. Oct 1. '03. Oct. 30. Islands, tine, new 72@73 107(8108 97® 98 Islands, fine, old @ U2@ii3 @ Upriver, fine, new 78@79 iio(8iii I02@I03 Upriver, fine, old 8i@82 It2(aii3 104(8105 Islands, coarse, new 47@48 68@ 6g 57® 58 Islands, coarse, old @ l<* @ Upriver, coarse, new 62(863 88@ 89 82(883 Upriver, coarse, old @ @ @ Caucho (Peruvian) sheet 52(853 60(870 63® 64 Caucho (Peruvian) ball 56©57 7S@ 79 7 2 @ 73 Tne market for other sorts in New York on which prices have been better maintained, as a rule is as follows : AFRICAN. Ikelemba 92 rips None here Lopori ball, prime 91 ©92 Lopori strip, do 84 (885 EAST INDIAN. Assam 80 <88i Borneo @ November '9°3 ] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 67 Late Para cables quote : Per Kilo. Per Kilo. Islands, fine 5$8oo Upriver, fine 7#°5t> Islands, coarse 2$8oo Upriver, coarse 5$150 Exchange, i2^d. Last Manaos advices (October 2 ) : Upriver, fine. . . .6$65o/4$550 Upriver, coarse 4$55° Exchange, I2%d. Statistics of Para Rubber {Excluding Caucho) . Stocks, August 31. Arrivals. September NEW YORK. Fine and Medium. Coarse. , .tons 140 28 = 589 305 = Toial 1003. 1 08 954 Total Total 1902. 1901. 221 523 897 500 Aggregating Deliveries, September. Stocks, September 30. Stocks. August 31. tons 120 Arrivals, September... 1980 729 641 88 parA. 1902. 1901. 97 190 1640 1850 393 = 1122 384 = 1025 97 ii)8 920 198 1023 537 486 ENGLAND. 1903. 1902. 650 1525 59° 719 1901. 980 645 Aggregating 2100 Deliveries, September i860 1737 1651 2040 1790 1240 1000 2244 1625 969 600 Stocks, Sept. 30. . 240 86 250 240 1275 1025 "9°3- 1903. IQOI . 1719 2595 2797 4500 3962 4112 4'5 368 283 492 420 408 650 616 628 " During the first half of October the demand for paper con- tinued very light, and rates ran from 6'/i @. 7% per cent., but the latter part of the month has shown a slight improvement in demand, and rates eased a little to about 6 @ 7 per cent, for the usual average of rubber paper." Antwerp. To the Editor of The India Rubber World : Since the sale of September 17 the only offering of rubber in this market has been on October 2, when 71^ tons of varied sorts brought good prices. The next large sale by inscription will be on Octo- ber 23, when about 414 tons of Congo sorts will be offered. Among the lots to be disposed of are the following, with the broker's estimations: 43 tons Uele francs 9.55 22 " Aruwimi 9. 70 54 " Upper Congo balls io.I2)£ 24 " Upper Congo red — Yakoma io.I2>£ Receipts since January 1 show a decline of about 300 tons- Sales during the same period show an increase, with the result that stocks here have been reduced. C. SCHMID & CO. Antwerp, October 12, 1903. ANTWERP RUBBER STATISTICS FOR SEPTEMBER. Details. 1903. World's visible supply, September 30. . .tons Para receipts, July 1 to September 30 Para receipts of Caucho, same dates Afloat from Pari to United States, Sept. 30. . Afloat from Pari to Europe, September 30 ... NEW YORK RUBBER PRICES FOR SEPTEMBER (NEW RUBBER). I903. I902. 1Q01. Upriver, fine i.oo@i.io 74@78 8;@qi Upriver, coarse 79@ 9> 59@62 65@66 Islands, fine 97@l.o8 7'@75 84@8S Islands, coarse 6o@ 70 46@48 48(850 Cameta. coarse 6i@ 68 47@50 50@5i United States Crude Rubber Imports — Official. [NINE MONTHS ENDINC SEl'TF.MHER 30.J 1901. 1902. 1903. United Kingdom pounds 4,863,693 5,070006 7,282,365 Germany 1,340,184 1,437,160 1.706,430 Other Europe 6,781.870 5,270,264 6,870843 Central America 976,207 806,435 836,904 Mexico 222.028 224.353 216,692 West Indies and Bermuda... 31.434 47,155 9054 Brazil 24,927,390 23,526,180 24,433,802 Other South America 1,000,183 806,246 1,166,057 East Indies 315.273 402,927 369,516 Other countries 22,778 19.843 6,735 Total pounds 40,481,040 37,610,569 42,898.398 Exports 2,921,765 2.537,333 2,583,197 Net imports 37.559,275 35.073,236 40,315,201 Value of imports $20,869,070 $18,118,144 $26,389,084 Av. Value per pound 51.6 cents. 48.2 cents. 61.5 cents. In regard to the financial situation, Albert B. Beers (broker in India-rubber, No. 58 William street. New York), advises us : Rubber Scrap Prices. New York quotations — prices paid by consumers for carload lots— in cents per pound; no change of importance is to be noted this month : Old Rubber Boots and Shoes— Domestic 6,% @ 7 Do —Foreign b<( @ b% Pneumatic Bicycle Tires 4 @ 4^ Solid Rubber Wagon and Carriage Tires 7 White Trimmed Rubber %% @ 9 Heavy Black Rubber 4j£ Air Brake Hod=Singapore: Robert Branss & Co 20,000 William Wright & Co I5,oro 35,000 PONTIANAK. Oct. 10.— By the E. B. Su'/onsSingapore: Robert Branss & Co 11,000 Oct. 14.— Bv the Kenneuec=Siagapore: Poel& Arnold 260,000 Robert Brans* & Co 13S000 wii'iam WrUht&Co 145.1*0 Rubber Trading Co 30 000 J. H. Recknasel&Co 25.000 585.000 Oct. 19.— By the Albenga= Singapore: Poel.£ Arnold 105,1100 Oct 21.— By the Heal/i/ordsSingapore: Poel& Arnold 6:0.000 Robert Brands & Co 165 000 J. H. Recknagel & Co 60,000 885,000 GUTTA-PERCHA AND BALATA. POUNDS. Sept. 23.— By the PenruyliMuIasHamburg: ToOrder 6,600 Oct. 9.— By the PhainfciasHamburg : ToOrder 6.500 OCT. 14.— By the Oceam'cs Liverpool: Earle Brothers 7,000 OCT. 14.— By the KennebecsSlcgapore : William Wright & Co 70 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [November i, 1903. BALATA. Oct. 19.— By the J/nr BELTINC PACKINCS VALVES VALVE SHEET TUBING and CASKETS SUPERIOR .. IN .. QUALITY RUBBER HOSE -FOR- WATER SUCTION STEAM AIR Fire Protection ACIDS BREWERS Pneumatic Tools > SATISFACTORY Sole Manufacturers of the celebrated "MALTESE CROSS" and "LION" Brands Rubbers. The best fitting, best wearing and most stylish rubber footwear on the market. SPFP.IAI ATTENTION GIVEN TO EXPORT ORDERS= ?= The Gutta Percha & Rubber Mfg. Co. of Toronto, Ltd. Head Office Warerooms— 45-49 Front St., W., TORONTO, CANADA. Mention Ti\e India Rubber World when you write. = THE GRANBY RUBBER CO. RUBBER BOOTS, SHOES, AND CLOTHING. S. H. C. MINER, President, J. H. McKECHNIE, Qen'l flgr. Factories: GRANBY, QUEBEC. Mention The India Rubber World when you BOUND VOLUMES OF THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD Make a desirable addition to the office equipment or the private library of any man who is interested in any branch of the rubber business. The twelve monthly numbers from October, 1902, to Sep- tember, 1903, inclusive, have been bound in half Morocco, forming a handsome and durable volume. Price, $5.00, Prepaid. Back volumes at the same price. The India Rubber Publishing Co., No. 150 Nassau Street, New York. GORHAM RUBBER COMPANY, Manufacturers and Distributors for the Pacific Coast and the Orient OF RUBBER GOODS OF EVERY DESCRIPTION. MAIN OFFICE: SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF. BRANCH: SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. Mention The India Rubber World when you write. LII THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [November i, 1903. The Gutta Percha & Rubber Mfg. Co. established 1855 :m:.a.£ttt:f , -a.cttt:r:e::rs op Rubber Belting, Packing, Hose, Mats, Matting and MECHANICAL RUBBER GOODS OF EVERY KIND. SUt WAREROOMS : Nos. 126-128 Duane St. I NEW YORK. 4U. BRANCH STORES \ 96-98 Lake St., CHICAGO. 71 Pearl St., BOSTON. 221 Chestnut St., PHILADELPHIA. 30 & 32 Fremont St., SAN FRANCISCO. A. SPADONE, Pres. HENRY SPADONE, Vice-Pres. Mention the India Rubber World when you write. MATTHEW HAWE, Treai. HOOD RUBBER CO RUBBER BOOTS and SHOES 1856 FORTY-SEVEN YEARS EXPERIENCE 1903 TYRIAN DRUGGISTS f llention The India Rubber World when vou write. RUBBER GOODS OF ALL DESCRIPTIONS. RUBBER MOULD WORK A SPECIALTY. TYER RUBBER COMPANY, Andover, Mass. ilention The India Rubber World when you write. Buyers' Directory of The Rubber Trade PAQE XLIII. The BEST BUCKLES for ARCTICS ARE HADE BY THE WELD MFQ. CO., 41 Lincoln Street, - - Boston. a RAIN COATS Must have this Circular Trade Mark stamped Id inside of coat.. ^otfl* " . :Gu m .p E R# Edited by HENRY C. PEARSON-Offices. No. 150 Nassau Street, NEW YORK. Vol. XXIX. No. 3. DECEMBEK 1, 1903. 35 Cents a Copy. 83.00 Per Year. THE ALDEN RUBBER CO., BARBERTON RUBBER WORKS, HANUFACTURERS OF ~J t i The MASTER KEY Rubber Tiling. Noiseless, Non Conducting. Non Slipping. The ideal floor for Offices, Banks, Vesti- bules, Elevators and especially for places where electrical cur- rents abound. Beautiful Color Effects. Designs Furnished. THIS TRADE MARK GUARANTEES FULL VALUE. LONG AKRON, OHIO and BARBERTON. OHIO, U.S.A. Akron Office, Arcade Block — Main Office and Works at Barberton Mention the Jrutia rtuooer World when vmi vrnu BICYCLE, AUTOMOBILE AND VEHICLE TIRES, HOSE, PACKING, VALVES. MOLDED GOODS, FRUIT JAR RINGS. WHITE TUBING. DISTANCE TEL.. AKRON EXCHANGE NO. 999. CABLE ADORESS "ARCO AKRON." t c H L O R I D E OP 5 U L P H U R AND BI- SUL- PHIDE OF CAR- BON. GEO. W. 5 P E A I a H T, 106 Fulton St. N. Y. LAMPBLACKS especially for RUBBER MANUFACTURE. SAMUEL CABOT, BOSTON. MASS II THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [December i, 1903- Singer Sewing Machines P erfectly erform all rocesses in R tubber Stitching 1INNEST GOSSAMER TO THE HEAVIEST BELTING. Machine No. 31-16 for general work. Specially designed for stitching Rubber. Fastest Lock-stitch machine in the market. Widest range of work. Greatest durability and least repair expense. MACHINES SHOWN IN PRACTICAL OPERATION AT NEW YORK— Broadway and Prince Street. BOSTON— 128-132 Essex Street. PHILADELPHIA— 1210 Chestnut Street. BALTIMORE— 11 North Charles Street. CHICAGO 260-262 Fifth Avenue. CINCINNATI— 115 West Third Street. ST. LOU1S-1124 Olive Street. TROY, N. Y.— 550 Fulton Street. INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -33 S. Pennsylvania Street. ST. PAUL, MINN. -402 Jackson Street. CLEVELAND— 52 Water Street. KANSAS CITY, MO.- 1209 Grand Avenue. TOLEDO, OHIO -329 Huron Street. MILWAUKEE, WIS.,— 236 Water Street. LOUISVILLE, KY 706 Jefferson Street. ATLANTA, GA.— 79 Whitehall Street. THE SINGER MANUFACTURING CO. Salesrooms in Every City. Mention The India Rubber World when you write. COHTIflEllTAIt TYHES, G OH TIfl EH Tib ]REG0A|iIGAIt JlJBBEK GOODS. CONTINENTAL CAOUTCHOUC & GUTTAPERCHA CO., Haitian The India Rubber World when you write. Hanover, Germany. *'%.'%'%'%/% '%.'%.-%."%.-%.'%"*'%.■». "%-'%,'%-'%^V%.%/%.'V-%."%.-%.1 For General Compounding "M.R." makes a perfect union with rubber. Prevents blistering, and the harsher action of free Sulphur. Absolutely acid proof. Has been used regularly by Rubber flanufacturers for the past four years. Manufactured only by the AilBRICAN ASPHALTUn & RUBBER CO., Chicago. GEO. A. ALDEN & CO., Boston, Mass. ■*^%^%^^%^'%^^%^^.^%^%/^%%^%^%^%^^%'%^%.'%,^%^%^»^^%.^%^m^%^%^%i December 1903] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 71 Published on the 1st of each Month bj THE INDIA RUBBER PUBLISHING CO. No. 150 NASSAU ST.. NEW YORK. HENRY C. PEARSON, EDITOR. HAWTHORNE HILL, ASSOCIATE. Vol. 29. DECEMBER 1 , 1903. No. 3. Subscriptions : $3.00 per year, $1.75 for six months, postpaid, for the United States and Canada. Foreign countries, same price. Special Rates for Clubs of five, ten or more subscribers. Advertising: Rates will be made known on application. UI8CONTINUANCE8 : Yearly orders for subscriptions and advertising are regarded as permanent, and after the first twelve months they will be discontinued only at the request of the subscriber or advertiser. Bills are rendered promptly at the beginning of each period, and thereby our patrons have due notice of continuance. COPYRIGHT, 1903, B Y THE INDIA RUBBER PUBLISHING CO. Entered at New York Post Office as mail matter of the second-class. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Editorial: TheOpenlngfor Rubber Experts 71 Rubber Planting In Ceylon 72 The Acre Settlement 73 The Nature of Vulcanization 75 Papers on Air-Brake Hose— I. 77 [The Manufacture of Air- Brake Hose.] Rubber Factory Methods and Appliances, 78 [Making Perforated Rubber Mats. Multiple Ply Insulation for Wires. Molding Solid Carriage Tires. Improved Operation of Dry Heat Vulcanizers. Illuminated Dial Gage.] [With Five Illustrations.] Literature of India-Rubber 80 The India-Rubber Trade in Great Britain Our Regular Correspondent 81 [The Fiscal Question. The Waterproof Trade. A New Fire Hose Company. William Warne & Co., Limited. " Nomenclature of Rubber." India-Rubber Manufacturers' Association. Trade Notes. Rubber in Peru.] Crude Rubber Interests 83 [The Exhaustion of " Caucho." A Consul to Report on Rubber. A Rubber School in Africa. The Sale of Congo Rubber. A Much Travelled Canard.] Rubber Planting Enterprises 84 [Notes on New Companies in Ceylon and Mexico ] Recent Rubber Patents [American, English and German] 87 The Late Louis K. McClymonds 89 [With a Portrait.] India-Rubber Goods in Commerce 90 New Goods and Specialties in Rubber (Illustrated) 91 [Pilley's Expansion Wedge Packing. Hanover Excelsior Atomizer. A Rubber Brand That Can Be Seen. Rubber Heel Holder. Rubber Automobile Veil.] Interviews in the New York Trade 93 The Textile Goods Market ... 94 Miscellaneous : The Business Man's Monroe Doctrine J.L. 74 A Shrewd Deal in Rubber Boots 74 German Official Interest in Rubber 76 A Town Divided Over Rubber Heels "6 Damage Suit Against a Rubber Company 80 Rubber Exports from Peru 82 The Little Known Amazon Region L. O. 85 A Japanese Rubber Factory Damaged (J frustrated) 86 A Cable Expert on Wireless Systems 86 Growth of a German Rubber Factory . 86 The Amazon Rubber Centers 90 Cravaneite Importers Win 92 Rubber Hose Still in Use 92 General Jean Not Forgotten 92 Rubber Boots for Cily 92 New Trade Publications ... 100 News of the American Rubber Trade 97 The Trade in Akron Our Correspondent 95 Review of the Crude Rubber Market 100 THE OPENING FOR RUBBER EXPERTS. M OT a few letters reach us from time to time inquiring about the outlook in the India-rubber industry for a young man of technical training. Such a letter is now before us, the writer of which, having become much inter- ested in rubber in the course of his studies in a scientific school, is moved to ask " if there is any field for rubber experts ? " We assume that his inquiry relates to the rub- ber factory, and shall venture to answer accordingly, though scientific work is beginning to be called for in the production of rubber no less than in the manufacture of rubber goods. The opportunities in rubber factories for technically trained men are doubtless increasing, owing to the fact that rubber manufacturers, in common with all others, are coming to realize more fully the advantages of modern scientific methods of systematic study of the conditions and problems connected with their industry. The single fact that the leading railway companies now demand that their more important supplies of rubber goods shall conform to definitely specified requirements in construction and qual- ity, has a far reaching significance and influence with the 1 manufacturers. They are awaking in general to the value of the scientific method, and are gradually dropping anti- quated machinery and processes and even relaxing the traditional secrecy that has so long hampered progress in the rubber industry. The man with a technical education has ample oppor- tunities in many industries, and generally in proportion to the magnitude of the industry. The financial success of the Standard Oil Co., for example, has been due to noth- ing else so much as to the expert scientific work which the directors of that great corporation have been wise enough to employ, in utilizing to the utmost every constituent of their raw material, and at a minimum cost, so as to place the products within the reach of the greatest possible number of buyers. And the great prominence of the steel industry is a direct result of chemical science. The rub- ber industry is especially inviting to the chemist or chemi- cal engineer, and while the total volume of the industry must ever remain small in comparison with some others, and the possible financial reward of the scientific worker may not be so great, there must always be desirable posi- tions open for expert work of the right kind. Successful competition in the rubber industry, as in every other, de- mands a scientific knowledge of the possibilities of the materials employed and thorough study of the economics of manufacture. This means the devotion of somebody to the mastery of these details and, in the end, advantage to the company employing him. The crowded scientific schools of the United States — not to mention those else- where — and the wide extending clientele of the corre- spondence schools, attest the extensive development of an influence which is to react on the industries of the nation and, through the work of trained men, modernize and ad- vance the methods of manufacture in every line. The literature of India-rubber, of comparatively recent origin, is rapidly growing in volume and becoming more 72 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [December i, 1903. important in quality. For a generation after the discovery of vulcanization there was practically nothing available for the " rubber man's library " outside of a single work each by Goodyear and Hancock — books which now possess little more than historic value. Twenty years ago there did not exist so much as a trade journal devoted to rubber interests. To day, while the number of volumes devoted to rubber science is not extensive, a few books have ap- peared which are particularly notable in helping to make clear some of the complex problems connected with the nature of India-rubber, and its employment in industry, while in several journals devoted exclusively to the trade, as well as in a host of other technical journals, there are constantly appearing articles by competent men which mark a distinct advance in our knowledge of rubber, and which cannot fail to prove of benefit to the rubber indus- try and all who are employed therein. All of this is the outcome of expert investigation done in connection with rubber, and in this utilitarian age such work would not be persisted in for the mere love of labor ; somebody is bene- fiting by it. We are far from belittling the work of the founders of the rubber industry, none of whom were men of scientific training. It is vastly to their credit that, imbued with an idea of the possibilities of the industry, they struggled against so many disadvantages and wrought so much. But they were contemporaries of men in other industries who groped in the dark and made discoveries often by acci- dent. Constantly working with their hands, their minds became trained through thinking over the results. The more modern idea is to start with a trained mind, for the better guidance of the hands. Not that every technical graduate may hope to step into a rubber factory and dis- place a graduate from the mill room who was at work be- fore the college man was born ; he may count himself fortunate if he ever knows as much as the older man has learned about rubber under the old regime. But the time must come when, with two boys starting in life together, and both made of the same material, the one with a tech- nical preparation will have a better chance for a high posi- tion in the rubber industry than the one who laboriously educates himself in the factory. •RUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON. /~*EYLON is experiencing a veritable "boom" in the ^-' rubber planting interest, evidenced by the organiza- tion of many joint stock companies for the opening of new plantations on an extensive scale. The new companies are basing their estimates of profits upon the success attained by a number of tea planters who are already producing rubber on a small scale, and the further fact that consid- erable private planting of more recent date gives promise of equally good results. There certainly is encourage- ment to be found in the early productiveness of the Hevea species in Ceylon, as compared with the same trees in Bra- zil, in the rate of yield, in the quality of rubber pro- duced, and the high prices obtained in London. It does not follow, however, that uniform success is to be attained in every case, or that all the promises of the company prospectuses can be made good, especially where a heavy initial outlay is made for some estate which has proved unremunerative under other crops, or if an expensive ad- ministrative system is planned. But every business is bound to show some failures, and the prospect for rubber culture in Ceylon, on the whole, appears distinctly favor- able. The financial details of the new Ceylon companies may be of interest to those engaged in forming rubber planting companies elsewhere. The articles of association provide generally for a " nominal " capital of a certain amount, in shares of 100 rupees [=^£6 13^. 41/., or $32.44]. An " initial issue " of shares of less than the whole capital is offered for public subscription, to apply to purchase money and to provide the first working capital. The intention is to issue shares only as development capital is needed, through a term of several years. The vendors of lands, improved or otherwise, as a rule accept shares in part payment. Gen- erally tea or coffee or some other product already on an estate is mentioned as promising returns during the period required for the development of rubber, though no definite rate of dividend is assured. But estimates are given of the cost of cultivation and management, and the expected re- turn of rubber, so that, even in the event of a decline in price, " there still remains a very handsome profit." A circumstance favorable to the new undertakings is the fact that the large tea plantations of Ceylon as a rule are owned and managed by joint stock companies, so that the invest- ing public there is accustomed to putting money into plant- ing enterprises, and much English capital has also been placed there in this way. The Ceylon press has properly advised some caution in regard to the new planting interest. For example, where company prospectuses, referring to current London prices of Ceylon rubber, have provided for the contingency of a fall of 2,Z'/i per cent, before the new plantations are pro- ductive, the Times of Ceylon suggests that the figure should be 50 per cent. Another suggestion by the same journal is the possible danger of the rubber tree in Ceylon suffer- ing from pests or maladies. Already some discussion has appeared in that journal on the rubber " canker," which is being investigated by Mr. J. B. Carruthers, the govern- ment mycologist. Mr. R. W. Harrison, chairman of the Kalutara Planters' Association, having objected to any public mention of the matter as injudicious, the editor of the Times of Ceylon remarks : Most of us remember the indignation of the cacao planters at the publicity which helped so much to secure scientific aid in time to put that industry on its feet again. Nowadays planters are better off, and there is more prompt attention given both by producers and by the agri- cultural department to the first indications of trouble ; but it is useless to demand secrecy which would do more than anything else to under- mine public confidence. It would be strange if the acclimatization of the Hevea in Asia should be unaccompanied by some malady to which it has not been known to be subject in America. The transference of some other economic plants from their native habitat has developed in them unfavorable condi- tions which in time have been remedied by science, and December i, 1903-] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 73 this very fact should prevent the complete discouragement of the Ceylon rubber planters at the first indication of any troubles with their trees. THE ACRE SETTLEMENT. "FHE effective protest made by the Brazilian govern- *■ ment against the terms of the "Acre concession" granted by Bolivia to the Bolivian Syndicate, the details of which we printed in April last, was followed by diplo- matic negotiations between the two republics, the result of which already is a treaty about to be signed, and which, on its face, would appear likely to prove mutually advan- tageous. Brazil will have more territory and more rev- enue, and Bolivia has in prospect the better development of the territory left to her. Bolivia, it is true, quits all claim to the greater part ot the disputed Acre district, an area of about 66,000 square miles, generally regarded as the richest rubber district in the world, and having other resources worth considering. But this territory, on account of its remoteness from the seat of government and the difficulties of communication, had never been administered with success by Bolivia, while capital was lacking in the country for its commercial de- velopment. When an attempt was made, a year or two ago, to induce the investment of foreign capital on a large scale, the opposition of Brazil, in refusing transit through her territory, completely blocked the only outlet to the sea, thus rendering the Acre grant of little value. The fact is that the contention of the Brazilians that the Acre district belongs naturally to their country has some foundation. It is accessible only by means of water courses which flow through Brazil into the Amazon, being thus only an extension of the Amazon watershed. Be- sides, such population as exists in the territory, apart from the Indians, consists mainly of Brazilians who have ven- tured there in quest of rubber, without protection or en- couragement from Bolivia. Any attempt of Bolivia to ex- tend its authority over these people was resented by them, while Brazil held that her citizens on the Acre had ac- quired rights by the mere act of settlement in hitherto un- occupied territory. Bolivia had, however, certain rights under old treaties, though these were capable of different constructions, and in consideration of these Brazil agrees to pay a cash in- demnity, to grant perpetual free transit through her terri- tory, and, what promises to be of most importance, to construct a railway around the obstructions in the Ma- deira, the most important of Bolivia's natural outlets. The extensive system of rivers, draining a much larger portion of Bolivia than the whole Acre region, and a por- tion which has been developed to a greater extent, con- verges to form the Madeira, which in turn discharges into the Amazon. But for a series of formidable cataracts in the Madeira, Bolivia would have a system of waterways for internal communication such as is not surpassed in any other country, the whole connecting with the seaboard. The proposal to build a railway around the falls — a dis- tance of 200 miles or more — is not new, but the expense involved in a country without capital and where much time must elapse before such an undertaking could become commercially profitable, have prevented such an under- taking from being carried out. If the Brazilian part of the new agreement is carried out in good faith, within a reasonable time, Bolivia as a whole should be in a better condition than if the plans of the Bo- livian Syndicate had been left undisturbed, since the pro- posed field of operation of the latter was confined to the single territory of the Acre, without regard to developing the districts watered by the sources of the Madeira. An- other point is that by the cession of her Acre territory, Bolivia is relieved from a possible boundary dispute with Peru. The interest of the outside world in the whole situation relates to the development of the rubber resources in- volved. While there were hopes that, under a liberal and progressive policy such as the Bolivian Syndicate pro- posed, the rubber fields of the Acre would be opened much more extensively, it must be considered that the world's ever growing demand for rubber will cause it to be mar- keted in some manner, under whatever jurisdiction, and the removal of the friction between the two nationalities on the Acre will doubtless do much to stimulate rubber working there. In 1898 the official estimate of the rubber output from the Acre was more than 2000 tons ; in 1900, owing to political troubles, it was only about 800 tons. In 1901 there was a heavy increase, followed in the next year by more troubles and the closing of the rivers. Peace on the Acre, therefore, may be expected to result in a perma- nently large rubber yield. As for the regions of the Bcni and Madre de Dios, con- necting with the Madeira, the high cost of transport over the latter river has made it preferable to ship such rubber as has been collected there over the mountains to the Pa- cific. With the Madeira opened to commerce by means of a railway, there is reason to believe that such development might follow there as in the almost identical case of the Congo. Before the construction of the railway first sug- gested by Stanley, all traffic with what is now the Congo Free State was conducted by means of porterage, so that it was estimated that five years were required for a piece of cloth to find its way from the seaboard to regions which, with the help of about 200 miles of railway, are now reach- ed in two or three weeks. The building up of a trade in Congo rubber of millions yearly has been due almost en- tirely to this little railway. The Bolivian rubber fields which the Madeira railway would open up are richer than anything in Africa, and the trees may be regarded as per- manent, which is not true of the Congo rubber. What assurance Brazil can give of building the promised railway is another matter. The cash indemnity promised to Bolivia should be easily arranged, by pledging the ex- port duties on rubber from the Acre, which now becomes a Brazilian asset. But the relation of the government to the projected Madeira railway of twenty years ago, work on which was actually begun, under a guarantee of the public credit, must not be repeated if a railway is wanted now. And the history of the little street railway at Manaos, 74 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [December i, 1903. the state subsidy for which, after being long in arrears, was finally paid in thirty-year bonds, is not such as to make any ordinary guarantee from the rubber states attractive to capitalists. Still, the world must have Bolivian rubber, and ultimately the neccessity for better transportation through the Madeira valley will result in a railway, regard- less of local help or hindrance. THE BUSINESS MAN'S MONROE DOCTRINE. TO the Editor of The India Rubber World : Diplo- macy in the United States has a few cardinal principles, the most familiar of which is the Monroe Doctrine. This doc- trine is that the United States will regard the acquisition of new territory by a European power on the American continent as an unfriendly act. Expressed in less diplomatic language, the doctrine means that whoever in Europe has an American colony is welcome to keep it, unless, as happened in Cuba, he administers it so badly as to injure the United States. But if Europe wants to expand it must go away from America, north or south, or be prepared to go to war with Uncle Sam. This doctrine is not supposed to be exactly popular in some patts of the European continent, but all Europe knows it must be reckoned with in dealings with the United States. It is getting on toward a century since this doctrine was an- nounced, and yet it has remained thus far a possession of the diplomats alone. The opening years of the twentieth century seem a fitting time for an extension of the Monroe doctrine to business. There is no reason in the nature of things why the United States should not be the center of the manufacturing and commercial interests of the whole Western hemisphere. The man who wants to send money ought to find New York bankers prominently established in every considerable town on the American continent. The man who wants to ship freight from or to South America ought to find direct shipment at or to American ports the easiest method. The man who wants to buy a machine in Valparaiso or Caracas or Rio de Janeiro ought to find machines made in the United States leading the market. " Made in the United States of America " ought to be the pre- vailing recommendation of manufactured articles of all descrip- tions. Now, as a matter of fact none of these things happen. There are important cities in South America where London or Paris exchange is easier to buy than New York funds. Passengers and shippers often use the route via Liverpool or Havre, rather than the direct route, simply because the means of direct trans- portation are insufficient. And though our manufacturers have within the past few years terrified Europe with their in- vasion, American-made goods cut no figure at all in the mar- ket in many parts of South America. The situation in this re- gard has indeed vastly improved within a few years. The needs of the rubber trade have caused the establishment of good lines of freight steamers between New York and Para, American exchange and American manufactures are gaining steadily. And yet it cannot be said that the business world of the United States has a Monroe doctrine of its own. There are, of course, obstacles to the establishment of such a doctrine. In some respects the field itself is less inviting than others more remote. Collections and credits are supposed to be harder to manage in Latin America than in Europe or China. Government is less stable there than anywhere else in the civ- ilized world. And indisputably the stronger nations of South America dislike the United States. There are obstacles, too, for which our own business men are at fault. Until our new relations with Porto Rico, the Philip- pines, and Cuba made it necessary, practically no attention was given in this country to a study of colloquial Spanish. If a man wanted to do business in Spanish America he had to go and learn the language on the spot or hire a representative for his knowledge of Spanish without much regard to other qual- ifications. Nor have we sufficiently regarded the principle that the only way to success in business was to respect one's cus- tomers. If anyone in South America wanted something we made we have been willing enough to sell, but we have never taken the trouble to find out what South America wants and to satisfy the wants. The establishment of a Monroe doctrine in business means a good many things. And first of all it means a respectful study of the field. Spanish must be taught and studied more widely even than it is now. The reasons for the instability of South American governments must be considered and it must be seen what business enterprise of the right sort will do to cor- rect it. The popular dislike of the United States must be over- come by sending the right sort of men as representatives of business houses — men tactful, likable, frank, and cordial, who will enter into the habits and feelings of the men with whom they deal without loss of self-respect. And it must be over- come, too, by sending goods better than those that now hold the market. We like to believe that the United States does the best manufacturing in the world, as well as some of the worst. It is the best that gets and holds new markets. Spanish Amer- icans are not so conservative as to prefer inferior goods because they are accustomed to them. Success in winning the market means sending superior goods in the care of representatives who know how to make their superiority manifest and to win the respect and liking of their customers. It means patience. Perhaps it may mean as long a waiting for large profits as it the case with cultivating rubber, but it will pay in the long run in more ways than one. The Monroe doctrine of the business man can be established only by the business man himself. And it cannot be established in a minute by any one. Yet its establishment is one of the great opportunities of the present day, and we confidently expect to see the time when all the Western hemisphere will find its commercial as well as its political leadership in the United States. J. L. November 17, 1903. A SHREWD DEAL IN RUBBER BOOTS. BURIED in the middle of a long article in the New York Evening Post, on "Our Trade in Rubber," is the follow- ing bit of information, never before published to our knowl- edge, and which would indicate that every man who makes " big money " in this trade does not at once proclaim the fact from the housetops : "When the great rush to the Alaskan goldfields began, in 1899 and 1900, an immediate demand for rubber shoes of all kinds and rubber boots was anticipated by shrewd dealers. One speculator, who had an eye to business, knew of a large lot of rubber boots and shoes which had been in storage here in New York for several years, a drug on the market. He also knew that the owners would be glad to get rid of them at al- most any price. Going to a banker who had confidence in his judgment, the man borrowed enough to get the whole stock, shipped it to Seattle, Spokane, and Tacoma, Washington, and to Portland, Oregon, where miners were getting their outfits, and sold every pair at a large profit." Wonder if there are any more such hidden stocks? December i, 1903.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 75 THE NATURE OF VULCANIZATION.* WHAT is Vulcanized Rubber? It is somewhat surpris- ing that there is no established definite meaning (or a term which is in such common use. The rea- son (or this doubtless is that its meaning varies ac- cording to the class of persons that uses it. To the general public, it has no special meaning except that the rubber articles so designated are adapted to the purposes for which they were intended. To the dealer in such articles, it means scarcely more. To the manufacturer, it means that these articles have been subjected to the final step of a very complicated process, and, as a result, possess certain physical qualities. To the chemist, and to him alone, it means rubber that has become chemically united with sulphur. He has in mind the chemical change that has taken place during the vulcanizing operation. The manufacturer has in mind only the physical properties be- longing to the product. If a certain percentage of sulphur has become chemically combined with the rubber, the chemist says it is vulcanized, the manufacturer that it is not vulcanized un- less it possesses certain physical properties. It is evident that there are great changes in the physical properties of rubber that is well vulcanized, but it is not an easy matter to define in simple terms what these changes are It is the common belief that vulcanized rubber is stronger more distensible, more elastic, and more durable than crude rubber. This is not, however, necessarily the case. Rubber freshly coagulated by the best methods is stronger, more dis- tensible, and more elastic than almost any vulcanized rubber to be found on the market, a fact that is well known to those who are familiar with such crude rubber. Manufacturers are familiar with the fact that the durability of vulcanized rubber depends not so much upon the proper application of the vul- canizing operation as on its proper previous manipulation. Dr. C. O. Weber, who is probably the best authority on vulcaniza- tion, says in his excellent work, "The Chemistry of India- Rubber": "The physical state of the India-rubber colloid while under vulcanization largely determines the physical con- stants of the vulcanization product." It is practically impossible to judge of the durability of most vulcanized rubber. Articles, to all appearances well vulcanized, may have within themselves the seeds of decay, which may de- velop in a few weeks, a few months, or not until after the lapse of several years. Manufacturers of vulcanized rubber threads — an article that probably requires more care in every step of the manufacture than any other — are accustomed to preserve and label one thread from each day's work for future reference. Some of these samples will remain sound for an indefinite pe- riod, others will begin to decay after five or six years, and others after two or three years. It is very seldom that any of the samples will show signs of decay sooner. And yet all have been subjected to precisely the same vulcanizing process ; all were made of the same kind of rubber, the best in the mar- ket, and compounded precisely alike. These variations must have occurred through very slight differences in the physical condition of the samples at the time they were subjected to the vulcanization operation— differences so slight that they could not be detected by the most careful inspection, or the most careful chemical analysis, and which were brought about during the preparatory steps of the manufacture. On the other hand, there is no uncertainty as to the durabil- * Copyrighted, 1903, by The India Rubber Publishing Co, ity of crude rubber. Crude rubber of the best varieties will re- tain all its useful properties for an indefinite period if preserved from the action of sunlight and heat, which are fatal to both crude and vulcanized rubber. Unvulcanized rubber shoes, manufactured from Pard rubber, have been kept for more than half a century without showing signs of decay. Perhaps the best general definition of the physical qualities of Vulcanized Rubber is that given by Charles Goodyear in his original patent of 1844 — that it is not affected by the ordinary extremes of heat and ccld nor by the ordinary solvents of rub- ber. But even this is not exact, for long continued heat, and long continued subjection to the action of its ordinary solvents, will affect it. It is now generally considered that there is a chemical union of rubber and sulphur in vulcanized rubber and that the union is brought about or assisted by the action of heat. This union takes place only in the presence of the vapor of sulphur, and proceeds more or less rapidly according as the temperature is higher or lower. It is also considered that it is only dissociated sulphur vapor that can thus unite with rubber. Sulphur, like camphor and iodine, can pass entirely into va- por from the solid state at a temperature not much above the ordinary. At ordinary temperatures its vapor has a percepti- ble tension, which may explain what is said to be a fact that thin sheets of rubber and sulphur become vulcanized when left to themselves a long time. The union of rubber and sulphur always requires time, as does the dissociation of sulphur. Rub- ber is a colloid and, like all colloidal substances, it submits to change but slowly. The union takes place throughout the sub- stance of the rubber equally, if the temperature be equal throughout ; that is to say, there is a gradual chemical union of rubber and sulphur until the process is complete. We would therefore expect to find, as is the case, the amount of combined sulphur in the rubber sulphide to vary from a very minute per- centage to the largest ever found, which, in the case of hard rubber, is sometimes as high as 33 per cent. But the physical qualities of what we call vulcanized rubber are not found un- less at least from 2 to 2^ per cent, of sulphur has combined with the rubber. With every increase of temperature the rate of vulcanization increases rapidly, from the ordinary temperature to the highest commonly used, which does not exceed 350 F. From 256° to 270° F. is, however, the usual range for soft rubber goods, though many articles are vulcanized at lower temperatures. It is not clear why the vapor of sulphur is dissociated at these temperatures. The molecule of ordinary sulphur consists of 8 atoms of sulphur. At a temperature of 900° F. the molecule consists of 6 atoms and at 1800° F. of 2 atoms, which is the constitution of amorphous or colloidal sulphur. If such great temperatures are required to change the sulphur molecules of eight atoms to those composed of 6 and 2 atoms, why is it that in the presence of rubber the sulphur is dissociated at so low temperatures ? The answer doubtless is that at the higher tem- peratures the sulphur molecules are all decomposed, while at the lower temperatures used in vulcanizing there is a mixture of undecomposed and decomposed molecules. But, in vulcan- ization, not only is the combined sulphur changed to amorphous or colloidal sulphur, but the uncombined sulphur of the com- pound also. Is it not possible that the rubber itself assists the dissociation of the sulphur ? We know that colloidal substances, 76 THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD [December i, 1903. and rubber is a colloid, have the property under certain condi- tions of inducing the colloidal state in many crystalizable bodies. May not therefore the rubber colloid be capable of inducing the colloidal state in sulphur vapor? The rate of vulcanization depends largely on the medium by which it is surrounded. If it be surrounded by air, it proceeds slower than if surrounded by any other medium in use. This is because air both receives and yields up heat very slowly. It cannot be heated to any appreciable extent except by contact and circulation, and it cannot give up its heat any more readily than it receives it. As rubber is a nonconductor of heat, we have here the worst possible combination for the transmission of the heat necessary to maintain the vulcanization at any par- ticular temperature. When the surrounding medium is steam the rate of vulcanization at any particular temperature proceeds somewhat faster, as saturated steam yields up its heat quite freely if kept in circulation. If the medium be water under pressure, the circulation of the water maintains the desired temperature, and the loss of sulphur by evaporation is almost entirely prevented. If the rubber being vulcanized is between heated iron plates, a quick vulcanization results, in consequence of the rapidity with which the plates yield up heat to the rubber. If the rub- ber be subjected to great pressure between the plates, the rate of vulcanization is still more rapid by reason of a closer con- tact between the iron and the rubber, which enables the latter to receive a greater supply of heat. By the latter method, a piece of rubber may be vulcanized in a few minutes, while sev- eral hours might be required to vulcanize it in air at the ordi- nary pressure. Thus the rate of vulcanization is not governed by the conductivity of the surrounding medium, for air, steam, and water are nonconductors, but at the rate at which the medium can yield up its heat. There is a popular delusion that the manufacture of vulcan- ized rubber is an exact science — one which can be conducted in accordance with certain rules, with the certainty that, if so con- ducted, the product will always be vulcanized rubber goods which have the physical qualities necessary to render them dur- able and adapted to the various purposes for which they are in- tended. This delusion is not confined to the general public, but is held by many well educated persons who have had no practical experience in the art. There is no fixed rule for the manufacturer to follow in the preparation of his goods for the vulcanizing operation, nor for the time or the temperature to be employed during that opera- tion, and, from the nature of the case, there can be none. Each manufacturer has his own formulas and his own methods of at- taining results, which must be strictly followed in minute de- tail to be of any practical use. The slightest deviation in any step of the process influences the final result. So well known is this to manufacturers that little effort is made to keep formulas or methods secret ; in fact, " the possession of formulas, with- out the general ability, experience, and discretion that their proper use requires, is a damage rather than a blessing." To accomplish the chemical union of rubber and sulphur, the time depends on the temperature, and the temperature on the time during which it is maintained. Whatever the tempera- ture may be, within the limits usually employed, the rubber and sulphur continue to unite but the time must be adapted to the temperature. Again, a percentage of combined sulphur which in one rubber would produce sound merchantable goods, would, in another rubber result in a product having no com- mercial value whatever. Hence a chemical analysis of a sam- ple cannot necessarily deteimine its commercial value. All formulas for vulcanization must be adapted to the kind of rubber employed, to the compounds incorporated with it, and to its previous manipulation. If in the same operation there be submitted to the vulcanizing process articles made from various kinds of rubber all prepared and compounded alike, some will be perfectly vulcanized and commercially val- uable, but the remainder may have no commercial value, be- cause different varieties of rubber require different methods of compounding and preparation, and also different times and temperatures during vulcanization. And so if several pieces of the same kind of rubber, even pieces of the same lump of crude rubber, be handled differently in the preparatory steps, the compound in each case being identically the same, and then all be submitted together to the same vulcanizing operation, some will be well vulcanized and commercially valuable, and the others may have no commercial value. For different de- grees of mastication of crude rubber produce different physical conditions, and all such differences in physical condition are perpetuated by the vulcanizing process. Again, if various rub-