October i, 1904.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



21 



RUBBER INTERESTS IN EUROPE. 



LEYLAND AND BIRMINGHAM RUBBER CO., LIMITF.D. 



AT the annual general meeting (Leyland, England, August 

 17) the accounts presented showed a gross profit for 

 the year ending June 30 of /^'S^Sg o^. 2r/. This is a consider- 

 ably lower figure than in former years, which is accounted for 

 by the directors by reason of the exceptionally high cost of raw 

 materials and the impossibility, in the face of competition, of 

 advancing their selling prices proportionately. Otherwise, the 

 company's business was in good condition, the volume of trade 

 having been increased and desirable new markets having been 

 secured. A high degree of efficiency of the plant had been 

 maintained and the cost of considerable improvementscharged 

 to revenue. The dividends for the year aggregate 5 per cent, 

 on share issues of ^233 557, which would absorb ^11.677 17^. 

 After deducting for reserves and depreciations, a balance of 

 j£335° S-^- 9'^- "'^s carried over, against a balance last yjar of 

 ;£6445 lis. 4(i. This completes the sixth year of operation of 

 the consolidated companies, the rate of dividend hitherto hav- 

 ing been as follows : 



lP9g. 1900. igoi. 1902. 1903. 



t}i% (>'A% T/2% iVii ^H-i 



The directors reported that, while not discouraged at the 

 present situation, they felt that they would not be justified in 

 looking for any marked improvement in the near future, in 

 view of the abnormal price of raw material still ruling. 



RUBBER PAVING IN LONDON — A CORRECTION. 



To THE Editor of The India Rubiier World : We ob- 

 serve in your issue of September i, 1904, that in an article on 

 page 415, relating to rubber paving laid in England and other 

 places, you make the statement that the relaying of the rubber 

 paving at Euston station was carried out by the North British 

 Rubber Co. 



This statement is inaccurate, as we beg to inform you that 

 the recent relaying was carried out by this company. We re- 

 main. Dear Sir, yours faithfully, 



THE INDIA RUBBER, GUTTA PERCHA AND 

 TELEGRAPH WORK.S CO., LIMITED. 

 Stivertown, London, E., September 14, 1904. 



NEW FEATURE OF A GREAT RUSSIAN FACTORY. 



To THE Editor of The India Rubber World: Some 

 years ago I wrote for your columns some facts about the Rus- 

 sian-American India-Rubber Co. (St. Petersburg) as gleaned 

 by myself during a visit of nearly two months with them. 

 Since those days I have visited this great establishment sev- 

 eral times. Each visit has increased my knowledge of their 

 methods and with increased knowledge comes increased ad- 

 miration. In an article now under way I will try and give you 

 some definite and correct facts, historical and personal, which 

 may be of interest to your readers. 



At this time I write simply to tell you of a new departure 

 made by them, an addition to their eflorts to make good men 

 and women, as well as good and faithful workers. You have 

 been told of their nursery, kindergarten, and advanced school; 

 now to these has been added a country home for their oper- 

 atives. They call it " Erholungs-Haus," or recreation house. 

 It is located in a healthy and handsome estate, about fifty miles 

 from St. Petersburg, called Wolosowa. 



The house is handsome in appearance, contains all modern 

 conveniences, both for summer and winter use, and has accom- 

 modations for fifty people. Both men and women, who 

 through illness are unable to work and need a rest and a 

 change, are sent to this place at the company's expense, and 

 entertained there for one or two months. During this rest. 



while the operative is receiving all the benefits of good air, 

 good food, and hygienic living, his or her pay is curtailed but 

 a little, so that at the end of the period of rest they have not 

 run in debt for the support of those left at home. 



A. M. STICKNEY. 



Medford. MaHsachusetls. Seplcmber 35, igot. 



GREAT BRITAIN. 



The directors of W. T. Henley's Telegraph Works Co. 

 Limited, have declared an interim dividend on the ordinary 

 shares at the rate of lo per cent, per annum, less income tax, 

 for the half year ending June 30 last, payable September 2. 

 This compares with an interim dividend at the rate of 12 per 

 cent, per annum last year. 



=The India-Rubber, Gutta-Percha and Telegraph Works 

 Co., Limited, have issued a circular, dated September i, an- 

 nouncing advances in the prices of rubber goods, varying be- 

 tween lYi and 5 per cent. 



=W. T. Glover & Co., Limited (Manchester, England), are 

 mentioned as having been awarded a contract for supplying 

 their Diatrine paper insulated, lead covered, and leadless and 

 vulcanized rubber cables to the city of Johannesburg, South 

 Africa, to the extent of more than ;^ioo,ooo [=$500,000]. 



GERMANY. 



The Gummi-Zeitung of September 9 reports having learned 

 by wire, at the moment of going to press, that the hard rubber 

 manufacturers of Germany agreed upon the following advance 

 in prices: A temporary advance of 10 per cent, on hard rubber 

 combs, smokers' articles, razor handles, slabs, rods, tubes, tech- 

 nical and electro-technical articles ; also divers articles of hard 

 rubber. On pipe mouthpieces the advance is 25 per cent. The 

 advance takes effect immediately. 



=The firm of S. Saul (Samuel Saul, proprietor), manufac- 

 turers of surgical rubber goods, at Aachen, on September 3 

 celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of one of its foremen. 

 Many presents from the firm, officers and employes, and tokens 

 of honor were received by him. A reception, held at the Dom 

 Hotel, joyful and harmonious in nature, gave evidence of the 

 spirit of good feeling existing between employer and employes. 



CONGO CONSUL TO THE UNITED STATES. 



WITH a view to strengthening thecommercial and friendly 

 relations between the United States and the Congo, 

 King Leopold has appointed Mr. James Gustavus Whiteley as 

 consul of the Independent Congo State in this country. This 

 is the first consular representative of the Congo appointed in 

 the United States. 



Mr. Whiteley is a newspaper man and author and also a 

 banker. He has represented the government of the United 

 States at several international congresses, is an associate of the 

 Institute of International Law. a fellow of the Royal Histori- 

 cal Society of Great Britain, and a corresponding member of 

 the Society of Diplomatic History of France. 



It is not necessary to add that Mr. Whiteley is not in sym- 

 pathy with the criticisms of the government of the Congo Free 

 State, which have been so pronounced of late, especially in 

 England. On the contrary, he has used his pen in defense of 

 the administration of that country under the sovereignty of 

 the king of the Belgians. Mr. Whiteley 's address is No. 223 

 West Lanvale street, Baltimore, Maryland. 



In re Victor Rubber Co.— the old concern, in bankruptcy 

 — several creditors' meetings were held during the past month 

 at Springfield, Ohio, but without any definite agreements being 

 reached in this exceedingly complicated case. 



