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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[December i, 1905. 



Is it justifiable, therefore, to use brake hose at about 3 marks 

 [ = 71^ cents] a piece, representing about the lowest quality 

 made, when there is an opportunity for obtaining hose of vastly 

 more reliable and durable quality ? Should a diflference in price 

 amounting to a few marks even be taken into consideration, 

 where brake hose is concerned, in view of the purpose for which 

 it is to serve? Certainly not ! The bursting of a brake hose of 

 insufficient quality may, at a dangerous moment, do enormous 

 damage. 



The question may be asked how it became possible to reach 

 such conditions as these. It would appear that the manage- 

 ment of the railway which would allow them to exist would be 

 guilty of a very serious neglect of its duties. Still, their exis- 

 tence remains a fact, and though they certainly do not apply to 

 all cases, the above remarks are applicable to some. Purchases 

 are made by various methods, but usually by the system of 

 tenders, and wherever this is done, the purchases wiM be deter- 

 mined by the cheapness of the goods. It is true that there are 

 certain fixed provisions for the quality of the supplies, includ- 

 ing the brake hose, and the samples are subjected to certain 

 tests, but all of this does not prevent preference being given to 

 low priced and low grade goods, to the detriment of more ex- 

 pensive supplies of higher quality, as long as the former have 

 stood the test. 



It is, of course, possible to apply the system of tenders in 

 various ways, and we do not desire to assert that the lowest 

 prices always obtain, but the mere possibility of such cases, in 

 which the preference is given to the cheapest goods, even where 

 such articles as brake hose are concerned, oflfers a sufficient 

 ground for the condemnation of the system, as applied thereto. 



Whenever, as is often done, the regulations provide for test- 

 ing the cheapest goods first, and then proceeding with the 

 higher grades, until an article has been found that will stand 

 the test, the good medium and highest grades are as a rule 

 practically totally excluded from the competition. Such a 

 method of testing offers many advantages, but it may at 

 the same time have serious disadvantages. Especially where 

 such an article as rubber is concerned, it quite often happens 

 that cheap goods will stand the test quite well, though they 

 will not prove sufficiently durable in practical use. Cheap 

 grades, especially such as are being placed on the market at the 

 present time, often disintegrate more rapidly than the better 

 grades, and this is a serious objection. Brake hose should last 

 one year at least,* and the manufacturer must warrant his 

 product for such a period, the requirements for practical service 

 being formulated on this basis. For goods manufactured from 

 sound, new rubber, such durability is not in the least unusual. 

 When, however, senseless competition is allowed to continually 

 drive prices down, and when waste material becomes the prin- 

 cipal ingredient of the goods, conditions must arise which must 

 be very seriously considered. We are undoubtedly at the pres- 

 ent time approaching such conditions, and may very probably 

 have already reached them. 



We do not mean to deny that the hose is still able to serve 

 its purpose, notwithstanding their extreme cheapness. Is there 

 any necessity, however, of manufacturing brake hose, an article 

 that may be of the highest importance, from all kinds of infe- 

 rior substitutes, in the cheapest possible manner, while the use 

 to which such hose is put, theoretically indicates the use of the 

 best and most durable rubber material.' Most certainly not 

 for it surely seems ridiculous to try to efTect a saving of a few 

 pennies on brake hose, and thereby enormously increase the 

 dangers of the traveling public. 



• In the United States manufacturers are required to guarantee railway air brake 

 hose for two years. — Thk India Rubbbr World. 



We need not state that our railway authorities have no in- 

 tention of creating such conditions. They are merely the vic- 

 tims of the system of competitive bidding, and no individual 

 parties can be held responsible therefor. It is, however, the 

 duty of the interested parties furnishing the supplies, to submit 

 a presentation of the facts to the railway authorities, as soon as 

 they notice the appearance and growth of serious drawbacks 

 relating to the values and use of their products. A general 

 condemnation of the system of competition bidding is useless, 

 for no one would listen to it. But as soon as individual in- 

 stances are specialized and the detriment proven in each case, 

 there is no doubt that the railway authorities will agree to a 

 practical investigation of the matter. If the unpopular system 

 of tenders, when applied to railways and to rubber goods, is to 

 be successfully attacked, the question of the supply of brake 

 hose would certainly aflford the best article for contention. 



The objection that not many accidents caused by the burst- 

 ing of brake hose have as yet been heard of, cannot serve as an 

 excuse for present unfavorable conditions. Such accidents have 

 already occurred, and they will still be within the range of pos- 

 sibilities, even though the highest grade of rubber hose were 

 used, but the chances of their occurring are undoubtedly much 

 greater when they are made from poor material than when thev 

 are of good quality, and this ought to suflSce for the definite 

 and lasting rejection of all inferior products. Unimportant as 

 this matter certainly is for the railways, as far as the cost is 

 concerned, it would not even involve a financial sacrifice, for 

 the higher cost of high grade hose would be made up by its 

 greater durability. We must, moreover, take into considera- 

 tion, that with the much cheaper products of the last few years, 

 the limit of the decline in quality has not yet been reached. 

 The manufacturer will continue his efforts to cheapen his prod- 

 ucts still more, and as other means appear scarcely possible 

 from a technical standpoint, the cheapening will have to be 

 brought about by lowering the quality of the goods. 



But how can an effective change be accomplished ? The rail- 

 ways must, after all, purchase such goods as the manufacturers 

 recommend as being of good quality, and such as the test ap- 

 parently proves to be suitable ! That is true, and this fact pre- 

 sents many difficulties, which we cannot fail to acknowledge. 

 All desire to participate in the furnishing of supplies, and only 

 a few receive the orders. This situation must first of all be 

 changed. The only effective way would be for all manufactur- 

 ers to furnish the supplies in equitable shares, and to manufac- 

 ture the most practical railway supplies, in accordance with a 

 definite plan, to be jointly agreed to. This need not refer to 

 brake hose alone, but could be extended to all other kinds of 

 rubber goods. 



It would not prove difficult to come to an agreement regard- 

 ing the best mode of manufacture, on the basis of conferences 

 to be held forthe practical discussion of the subject. It would 

 become the duty of each manufacturer to be responsible for the 

 appropriate manufacture of the part of the order assigned him, 

 on the basis of precise directions, which could be readily sup- 

 plied. If every one, from the workman up, who consciously 

 aids in producing an inferior article, were to be subject to a 

 fine, fraud could be efficiently prevented. After all, it may be 

 assumed that all manufacturers would try to act honestly. The 

 matter is well worthy of consideration, and speakers in favor 

 of it may possibly appear. 



An advertisement now displayed in the street cars in New 

 York is unquestionably of Hibernian origin. In the first place, 

 it warrants every pair of dress shields perfect, and then offers 

 to refund the money for those that are not perfect. 



