402 



IHE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[September i, 1905. 



layer of pure gum between two layers of muslin ; and (3) the 

 " stockinet " shield, made by calendering prepared rubber be- 

 tween two pieces of stockinet. The stockinet shields, by the 

 way, were the first made by Mr. Kleinert or by his competitors 

 in this country. The development of the other classes of goods 

 has been the result of continuous experimenting, in which Mr. 

 -Kleinert has taken an active and leading part. Dress shields 

 are made for sale at prices ranging from $4.50 to $100 per 

 gross, the higher priced goods involving the use of silk. It 

 may be mentioned that chamois skin goods have practically dis- 

 appeared from the American market during the past 15 years. 



The manipulation of the rubber used by the Kleinert inter- 

 ests is carried on at College Point (near New York), where all 

 the rubber entering into the Kleinert shields is prepared. Sev- 

 eral hundred hands are also employed at College Point in the 

 making of dress shields. The greater part of the dress shields 

 are made, however, at No. 725 Broadway (where 20,000 square 

 feet of floor space are used) and two other factories in New 

 York. There is also a factory at Toronto, Canada, which is 

 supplied with prepared rubber from College Point. 



Mr. Kleinert has invented a number of machines for use in 

 the manufacture of dress shields, which have been patented, 

 and he has also taken out many patents on shields. Many of 

 these patents are still valid. Mr. Kleinert has always taken a 

 special interest in the manufacturing end of the business, leav- 

 ing the selling departments in recent years to the other mem- 

 bers of the company. He receives reports daily from the fac- 

 tories and during the eight months of the year which he spends 

 in the city he is an almost daily visitor to College Point. Mr. 

 Kleinert is understood to have an expert knowledge of rubber 

 and its manipulation. 



In addition to dress shields the products of the Kleinert 

 Rubber Co. embrace a large variety of suspenders, hose sup- 

 porters, and like goods ; besides which, they have during 

 the last two years built up an extensive business in dental rub- 

 ber and rubber dam. 



Mr. Kleinert's city residence is at No. 31 West Eighty- 

 seventh street. Four months in the year he spends at his 

 country home at Fleischmanns. Next to the conduct of 

 his business his chief interest for many years has been in 

 promoting the welfare of his employes through associations 

 which they are encouraged to join and support to a certain ex- 

 tent by the payment of periodical dues, though the expenses 

 are really largely met by contributions from the company and 

 from Mr. Kleinert's private purse. Two such associations exist 

 in New York and at College Point, both incorporated under 

 the laws of the state. Members of these associations — the em- 

 ployes are mostly girls, except in the factory devoted to work- 

 ing rubber — receive a stated weekly salary in the case of ill- 

 ness, besides which medical attendance is provided free. Be- 

 sides the members have a day's outing twice a year. 



THE UBERO PLANTING COMPANIES. 



THE reorganization committee of the Ubero Plantation Co. 

 of Boston, mentioned in the last India Rubber World 

 (page 363) have sent a circular letter to the shareholders of 

 that company, outlining a plan for a further subscription of 

 stock with a view to having the company discharged from the 

 receivership, to the taking of steps to acquiring possession of 

 the plantations in Mexico, and the continuance of the business, 

 it being stated that Messrs. Stedman and Hood, officers of the 

 company, will, if the amount asked for is subscribed, subscribe 

 a substantial amount in addition and thus complete the total 

 amount estimated by the committee to be essential. Responses 



to this circular were asked for prior to the annual meeting of 

 the company at Kittery, Maine, on August 11. At the date 

 mentioned the attendance of shareholders was so small that an 

 adjournment was had to a later date. 



♦ * » 

 Plans are also on foot for the reorganization of the Con- 

 solidated Uhero Plantations Co. Circulars have been issued to 

 the bondholders of this company by a committee announcing 

 that they hold all the mortgage bonds of the company which 

 may be deposited under certain conditions with the Interna- 

 tional Trust Co., of Boston, and the circular outlines the condi- 

 tions recommended by the committee for the reorganization of 

 the company in the event of a majority of the bonds being so 



deposited. 



» * * 



In the suit of Henry C. Parker, of Woburn. and others, 

 against the officers of the Ubero Plantation Co. of JUyston, seek- 

 ing to recover damages in case the court may find that negli- 

 gence existed in the management of the company, the plaint- 

 iffs filed a motion for leave to amend the bill to permit an ac- 

 counting to be sought from the individual defendants in case 

 gross neglect on their part should be proved. On August 10 

 Judge Lawton, of the superior court, granted the motion for 



amendment prayed for. 



* * * 



Hugh W. Ogden and Jeremiah Smith, Jr., receivers for the 

 Ubeio Plantation Co. of Boston, on July 31 filed a suit in equity 

 in the supreme judicial court of Massachusetts, against Ferdi- 

 nand E. Borges, seeking to recover the moneys paid to him 

 from the funds of the company. The complaint sets forth 

 that Borges was one of the organizers of the company, was the 

 holder of a number of shares for none of which he paid any- 

 thing, that as business manager he was in actual control of 

 its affairs, and that he improperly converted large sums of 

 money to his own use. Seventeen life insurance companies, 

 including the Equitable Life Assurance Society, are made co- 

 defendants with Borges, the bill alleging that he has paid to 

 them amounts aggregating $50,000, and an accounting by 

 them is prayed for. 



FIRE DEPARTMENT CARTS. 



AN extensive variety of factory, village, and fire department 

 hose carts is illustrated in Catalogue B of the Wirt & 

 Knox Manufacturing Co. (Philadelphia), which is just out of 

 press. In this catalogue larger illustrations are used than was 

 possible in the old edition, thus showing the goods to better 

 advantage. The firm are also introducing several new styles 

 of hose carts, including their new Forged Frame cart, which is 

 referred to as having special advantages; a Fire Department 

 Jumper, and a new size of Factory Hose Cart. These carts 

 are constructed in a high degree of perfection, being thor- 

 oughly well made and handsomely finished. The company 

 will be pleased to supply copies of this catalogue to village and 

 other fire departments and whoever else may be interested. 

 {<3]i" X 6". 20 pages.] 



The Socie.e Franfaise d'Agriculture Coloniale (French So- 

 ciety for Coloniale Agriculture) held in Paris in June an inter- 

 national assembly devoted to the discussion of the topics em- 

 braced in the society's scope, in connection with which an ex- 

 hibition of colonial products was opened. The program in 

 various ways recognized the importance of Caoutchouc, which 

 was catalogued in Class I (products of cultivation), Class III 

 forest products), and Class V (products of colonial industries). 



