82 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[December i, 1904. 



years ago, one outcome of which was the formation of the Gutta- 

 percha Corporation, Limited, with a nominal capital of ^350,- 

 000. From a source intimately concerned with this company, 

 which, as is also known, came to an untimely end, I learn that 

 apart from its flotation which had several curious features con- 

 nected with it the difficulties which proved so disastrous were 

 lack of sufficient working capital and also the very important 

 fact that the material obtained was by no means equal to the 

 ordinary Gutta-percha as obtained from the mature tree. 

 Naturally the ordinary investor would think that with the 

 names of Lord Kelvin and Professor Ramsay on the prospectus 

 as experts such an important point as this would have been ab- 

 solutely settled. The result, however, goes to show, if more 

 evidence of the fact is required, that though a scientist may 

 be preeminent in some directions, his attainments are not 

 necessarily of a universal character. 



Ar the tenth International Shoe and Leather Fair, held in 

 Agricultural Hall, Islington, London, from October 31 to No- 

 vember 4. a very prominent feature, as last year, 

 THE SHOE „^5 j[^g exhibits of rubber heel pads, the great 



AND LEATHER , . , , • , . ^ ,-, • • J 



FAIR. popularity of which in Great Britain was treated 



at some length in Thk India Rubber World 

 of May I last (page 278). More than a dozen extensive displays 

 were made, some of the exhibitors manufacturing their own 

 goods. The only firm engaged in the general rubber manufact- 

 ure, exhibiting heels on their own account, was the Hyde Rub- 

 ber Works, Limited. One display was devoted to a heel of 

 American manufacture — being made by the Pennsylvania Rub- 

 ber Co.— though exhibited under the name of a London firm. 

 A notable exhibit of rubber footwear was made by the London 

 depot of United States Rubber Co., and a good exhibit in the 

 same line was made by the North British Rubber Co., Limited. 

 A feature of Interest in connection with the fair was the ap- 

 pearance of the Footwear Daily, due to the enterprise of the 

 important weekly trade journal. Footwear. This was probably 

 the first daily ever published in connection with this trade. On 

 account of its success, the suggestion was heard that such 

 paper in connection with cycle shows might be worth while. 



Nor being a golfer, I have to depend on others for informa- 

 tion on this important topic. It seems that of all the balls on 

 the market, the Haskell Is In the greatest favor; the 



BALLS Kempshall is reported as being liable to crack on the 

 surface, though the dealers are always willing to re- 

 place one that behaves in this undesirable manner in the first 

 round. The Haskell ball is still retailed at 2 shillings, and 

 some difficulty Is experienced in filling the demand even at this 

 price, as the balls want seasoning and must be kept in stock 

 for some time. The solid Gutta-percha ball is still largely used 

 In Scotland, a statement that perhaps requires a little elabora- 

 tion. In Scotland, contrary to what obtains in England, the 

 pastime is largely Indulged in by workingmen who pay a penny 

 a round on public links. It is this class who find the solid ball, 

 which can now be obtained for 4 pence, attractive. At places 

 like St. Andrews and North Berwick, where Mr. Balfour puts 

 in much of his leisure time, the question of cash is of no great 

 Importance, and it is here that one hears the praises of the 2 

 shilling ball sung. 



In the course of a recent conversation with a large machin- 

 ery exporting firm I was informed that the South African min- 

 ing machinery business, had almost died out ow- 



chinery has diminished, in one respect at least, owing to the 

 general abandonment of the Frue vanner in favor of tables of 

 the Liihrig and Wllfley type, in which linoleum is used instead 

 of rubber for the huddling surface. In other directions, such 

 as conveyor belts and hydraulic hose, the use of rubber has In- 

 creased. I note that Messrs. F. Reddaway & Co., Limited 

 (Manchester), have a special advertisement relative to the 

 goods they supply for mining purposes; no doubt this branch 

 will receive more and more attention, especially at the hands 

 of firms such as the Leyland and Birmingham company, who 

 have established offices of their own in the Transvaal. Per- 

 haps it is too much to ezpect that the average rubber manu- 

 facturer shall have a close acquaintance with the developments 

 in ore-dressing machinery and general mine equipment, but 

 the fact that certain American firms have established a reputa- 

 tion In this by no means Insignificant branch is surely worth 

 the attention of other firms who are desirous of extending their 

 connection, by incursions into new fields. With regard to min- 

 ing ventures, it is said that there are ten failures to one suc- 

 cess. I do not vouch for the accuracy of this dictum, but no 

 doubt there is a good deal of truth in it. 



An issue of ^100,000 \\i per cent, debenture stock at par 

 has recently been made by the North British Rubber Co., 

 Limited (Edinburgh). The London Economist, 

 In referring to this, states that the assets (no 

 good will included) are valued at /543,439. The 

 average profits of the last three years were ^67,273 and for the 

 last seven years ^58,593, from which figures the Economist con- 

 siders that the issue is very well secured. 



NEW CAPITAL 

 ISSUE. 



PRICES OF RUBBER FOOTWEAR. 



RUBBER IN 

 METAL MINING. 



Ing to American competition. This is a matter 

 to which in some of its aspects I have already 

 referred in this correspondence, but a further word or two may 

 not be out of place. Compared with seven or eight years ago 

 the amount of rubber used in connection with ore dressing ma- 



AT the last business meeting of the Northwestern Shoe and 

 Leather Association, at St. Paul, on the evening of Oc- 

 tober 10 — which was preceded by an enjoyable dinner — a dis- 

 cussion of the " Prices of Rubber Footwear " was participated 

 in by all present. Mr. Albert Fischer, president of the St. 

 Paul Rubber Co. [according to the Northwestern Shoe and 

 Leather /ournall, expressed the opinion that there never was a 

 better opportunity than now for retailers to secure good prices 

 for rubber footwear. While the prices of rubbers are quite 

 high, the consuming public have become well educated to the 

 fact that crude rubber prices are higher than in the past, and 

 they expect to pay more for rubber footwear; consequently, 

 retailers can get good prices and they should do so. AH the 

 members present agreed on this subject, and after considerable 

 discussion and comparison of prices charged by retailers for 

 the same styles and grades of rubbers, it was found that there 

 were only very slight differences in the prices charged. 



Some of the city retailers contended that stores in different 

 localities in the same city could not charge the same for the 

 same classes of rubber footwear, as the class of customers In 

 different localities vary, and the expense of keeping up their 

 respective stores also vary. Consequently, some stores could 

 sell the same style and grade of rubbers a few cents cheaper 

 than others whose expenses were higher, and still make the 

 same percentage of profit. It was finally agreed, however, that 

 the stores could and should charge practically the same price 

 for the same style and grade of rubbers, and that a fair profit 

 should be made on rubbers as well as on leather footwear, not- 

 withstanding the fact, that heretofore there has been a sort of 

 unwritten law among shoe retailers that rubber footwear 

 should be sold at a low margin of profit, something like a 

 grocer handling sugar, merely an accommodation to his cus- 

 tomers and not because of the profit made on sugar. 



