October i, 1908.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



11 



was formed. This organization consists of the practical men 01 

 the larger companies who at monthly meetings codify specifica- 

 tions so that the quality of rubber compounds for various voltages 

 would be the same with each manufacturer. All suggestions by 

 electrical engineers were carefully considered and any new meth- 

 od or material discovered is carefully discussed for the general 

 benefit of the rubber wire industry. 



To-day, instead of having each manufacturer's catalogue de- 

 scribe a different form of wire for a stated purpose, the various 

 types are standardized, avoiding the necessity of the lighting en- 

 gineers specifying as to the thickness of insulations, percentage 

 of rubber and the like. 



The larger portion of rubber insulations manufactured is used 

 in the wiring of houses and office buildings for electric lighting 

 and interior communication. The electric current penetrating 

 every portion of buildings would naturally be a great source of 

 danger unless it was properly controlled. This has led the Na- 

 tional Board of Fire Underwriters to make specifications which 

 are rigidly insisted upon in the installation of electric lighting in 

 all buildings. 



The Underwriters' rules were sometime ago further developed 

 by the formation of a testing bureau, under whose direction every 

 foot of wire entering any building in the United States or Can- 

 ada was tested under the supervision of the representatives of the 

 Board of Fire Underwriters after it had been submerged in 

 water for a stated period. The wire that withstood this rigid test 

 was tagged and only such certified wire was allowed in any build- 

 ing on which a policy was given by the insurance companies. 



Various samples are taken from time to time from buildings 

 and from the factories where the wire is made, and presented 

 to chemists to see that the compounds contained a sufficient quan- 

 tity of rubber to meet the service requirements. In 1888, when 

 electric lighting and the use of the telephone began to assume 

 something like their present proportions, there were but five man- 

 ufacturers in America making rubber insulations. These com- 

 panies guarded their secrets very closely and the enormous growth 

 of their business naturally led to profits which interested manufac- 

 turers of other rubber goods in this line of business. To-day 

 there are sixteen or more manufacturers in this country turning 

 out rubber insulations, but unfortunately it has been remarked by 

 engineers that while some of the newer concerns have shown 

 great merit in the manufacture of mechanical rubber goods, their 

 compounds were not always suitable to stand the electrical stress 

 and mechanical requirements which must be ever present in an 

 insulated conductor. 



This has been somewhat improved by the gradual shifting of 

 some of the experts of the older companies to the new, but a 

 close examination of the product shows room for further im- 

 provement, and it is believed that the newer companies will soon 

 discover that the making of electrical goods call for the trained 

 engineering in combination with manufacturing experience. 



With the continued increase in the use of electricity in our 

 every day life, the supply of rubber insulated wires must nec- 

 essarily keep pace. As there is a constant improvement in all 

 forms of electrical apparatus more high grade wire will be 

 used. The amount of Para for this purpose may at some time 

 in the near future be greater than that used in any other branch 

 of the rubber industry. Although this high grade compound 

 is required for insulating wires none of it is ever recovered as in 

 the case of mechanical goods. Electrical wires when replaced are 

 usually sold for the amount of copper they contain, no attention 

 being paid to the rubber compound, as it is separated from the 

 metal by burning. 



4,000,000 marks [=$952,840] capital, to lay and work submarine 

 cables from Germany to Brazil and to German West Africa. The 

 capital stated is to be increased from time to time, in proportion 

 to the progress of the enterprise. The new cables will be made in 

 Germany, at the works of the Norddeutsche Seekabclwerke Ak- 

 tiengescllschaft, at Nordenham a/Wcser. 



The manufacture of. submarine cables in Germany has now 

 assumed iniiiortant proportions, and seems likely to become even 

 more important, owing to the disposition of Germany to own and 

 control its own cable lines as it does its own ocean steamers. 

 The Deutsch-Atlantische Telegraphen-Gesellschaft now owns 

 two cables between Germany and New York, which are operated 

 profitably. The first of the two cables was made in England, but 

 by the time it was laid the Nordenham works, due to the enter- 

 prise of Felten & Guillaume, the insulated wire people, and 

 Franz Clouth, the Cologne rubber manufacturer, were in readi- 

 ness for work, so that Germany has not since been obliged to rely 

 upon foreigners for any sort of cable construction. 



RUBBER SHOES IN CHINA. 



[from "d.mly consul.\r .\nd tr.\de reports."] 

 pONSUL-GENERAL AMOS P. WILDER, reporting from 

 ^^ Hongkong, says that the extent of importations of india- 

 rubber boots and shoes into south China has long been consider- 

 able, and at certain times American exporters have enjoyed a 

 large part of this business. Mr. Wilder enters upon a discussion 

 of the trade : 



The customs returns for 1906 (the latest complete) show im- 

 ports through the Canton custom-house "from foreign countries 

 and Hongkong" of 404,522 pairs with a value expressed in United 

 States currency of about $242,615 This is surely a trade worth 

 cultivating. Practically all these importations pass through Hong- 

 kong. The North British Rubber Co., Limited, is doing a large 

 part of the business at present, their goods being sold through 

 an English firm here which guarantees the sales and receives a 

 commission for their services. Brand or "chop" plays a large part 

 with the Chinese in buying rubber boots and shoes as in all else. 



In 1902-3, owing to a shortage of supply for some reason from 

 England and the Continent, other brands got in, including Ameri- 

 can rubber goods. Since then other attempts, some on a large 

 scale, to break into the old patronage, have been made, but usually 

 the experiment has proved an expensive innovation. At present 

 the rubber shoes are British ; to a less extent of Russian, German 

 and Austrian manufacture. One of the most popular brands of 

 rubber shoes (British) is quoted at about $130 per case of 100 

 pairs assorted in sizes 9 to loj^ inches. This price is in Hong- 

 kong currency, the Hongkong dollar now being worth about 44 

 cents gold. [This would give a gold value of 57.2 cents per 

 pair.] Rubber shoes arc kept in stock by the European dealers, 

 Chinese dealers paying cash when they take delivery from the 

 stock. 



If American rubber bnot and shoe nuunifacturers are to get 

 into this market, they must meet the prices of their competitors, 

 and establish a "chop" which should he registered as a trade- 

 mark in Hongkong and China. There is a practice of importing 

 unbranded shoes, which are then stamped by the Chinese in imi- 

 tation of ether "chops." To get new brands of shoes popular 

 among the Chinese, some wise advertising would be necessary. 



It may be noted that the Chinese are more and more taking to 

 "European" styles ©f leather boots and shoes. The rubber shoe 

 has long been popular with them in a country where there is so 

 much wet weather, and a favorite size is a half-height shoe. 



A GERMAN CABLE TO BRAZIL. 



TPHE German-South .■\merican Telegraph Co.. Limited (as 



•^ the company's name would be expressed in English), 



has been formed with headquarters at Cologne, with 



The late Russell Sage, the New York banker, whose estate 

 was appraised officially at $66,356,718.90, is reported to have had 

 considerable holdings in shares of the United States Rubber Co. 

 and the American Telegraph and Cable Co. 



