February i, 1903 ] 



THE INDIA RUBBER \A^ORLD 



149 



THE INDIA-RUBBER TRADE IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



ONE of the leading rubber clothing manufacturers in 

 London, with whom I was recently in conversation, ex- 

 pressed the opinion that the state of depression expe- 

 rienced during the past year in this branch was not at 

 all likely to prove evanescent. The position of affairs ruling ten 

 years ago with regard to macintoshes for the 

 ^'^^ million was not in his opinion ever likely to re- 



WATERPROOF „ . , , 



TRADE. cur. The rapid means of transit now afforded 

 in our large towns by the electric car was, he 

 thought, one cause for the decline in the use of the macintosh, 

 the rainproof garment having been found more generally 

 serviceable for town use. The trade in high class sporting 

 coats had not appreciably declined, he said, but this class of 

 work only kept occupied the spreading machines of a limited 

 number of firms whose reputation was securely founded. It 

 certainly seems a somewhat curious and disquieting sign of the 

 limes to see goods exposed in retail rubber establishments 

 bearing prominent labels to the effect that rubber does not 

 enter into their composition. Of course it would not be much 

 exceeding the limits of strict truth if a good many other so- 

 called rubber goods of the day were likewise described, but 

 then one hardly expects details of the sort to be exhibited 

 under the signboard of the So-and So rubber company. This 

 decline of the macintosh will naturally alTect the British rubber 

 manufacturer to a much greater extent than his competitors on 

 the Continent or in America, as this country has had a home 

 demand in the past far exceeding that of other nations where 

 the rubber industry has established a firm footing. It would 

 no doubt prove interesting to our proofers to hear something 

 about the trend of the rubber clothing trade in the United 

 States. 



A JOINT patent recently taken out by Messrs. Charles Mac- 

 intosh & Co., Limited, and Mr. A. E. Walker, their sub mana- 

 ger, has for its subject what is really a novelty. 

 IMPROVEMENT ^^^,ich cannot exactly be said of everything 

 SOLID TIRES, issued from the patent ofiice in connection with 

 tires. It has been sought in this case to secure 

 the channels through which the circumferential wires pass, 

 from liability to split transversely, which object is satisfactorily 

 attained by lining the holes with canvas or other strengthen- 

 ing material. And not only are the holes thus lined but the 

 canvas is extended from one hole through the body of the rub- 

 ber to the other hole, the mutual support thus obtained adding 

 greatly to the value of the original conception. Undoubtedly 

 great annoyance has been caused in the past through failure of 

 the unprotected sides of the holes to resist sudden pressure, 

 and this further proof of Mr. Walker's expert knowledge of 

 matters relating to solid tires will certainly be appreciated by 

 buyers thereof. 



The recently issued tender forms for the condemned stores 

 of the general postoffice do not show the decline in the quan- 

 tity of Gutta-percha on offer that has been predicted from the 

 increased use of paper insulation. The amount of 

 ^''note's *'^ Gutta-percha on offer is 41 tons, and it is noticeable 

 that the price per pound for sample lots is fixed at 

 4 shillings, instead of the 3 shillings which has figured in recent 

 tender forms. ^^==1 notice that included in the arrangements 

 (or the forthcoming visit of the Institution of Electrical Engi- 

 neers to north Italy, in April, is a visit to the rubber and cable 



works of Messrs. Pirelli & Co. (Milan). It has not been 



generally known of what the Bitite insulating material used so 

 largely and successfully by the Callender Cable Co., of Erith 

 Kent, consisted. It was supposed to be a natural bitumen of 

 the Trinidad type ; speculation, however, has now been ren- 

 dered superfluous, as it is stated by Dr. C. O. Weber, in his re- 

 cently issued volume on "The Chemistry of India-rubber," 

 that it is composed of stearine pitch, which has undergone a 

 sort of vulcanizition with sulphur. With regard to these Cal- 

 lender cables, electricians responsible for house wiring seem to 

 be somewhat afraid of introducing them indoors from their 

 alleged inflammable nature. I cannot gather that house fires 

 have been traced to this source, though there seem to be in- 

 stances of fires in mains insulated with pitch and which have 

 become overheated. ^^I hear that the Liverpool Electric Cable 

 Co., a firm of recent foundation, have attracted the favorable 

 notice of buyeis by the superior finish which their products 

 show; a coat of varnish does not necessarily testify to inward 

 value, but there is no doubt that an attractive appearance has 

 a good deal to do with successful sales= = W. T. Glover & Co., 

 Limited, of Traffoid Park, have issued a well got up diary for 

 the year, with information of various sorts useful to station 

 engineers. ===Despite the assurances of Sir William H. Preece 

 and others that the Marconi system of wireless telegraphy can 

 only have a limited application, there seems to be a growing 

 fear amongst shareholders of the great cable companies that 

 trouble is in store for them. The next few months will un- 

 doubtedly prove an anxious time, as it is felt that the full scope 

 of the new system must shortly be clearly demonstrated. 



Major Nathan, the governor of the Gold Coast Colony, has 



recently been in England and has had a good deal to say about 



its prospects. I have not seen his reports to the 



°°'"° colonial ofiice, these being more or less of a confi- 



COAST ° 



rubber, dential nature, but a friend who has recently re- 

 turned from employment out there tells me that 

 the position of the rubber trade has largely engaged the gov- 

 ernor's attention. Compared with the German-African posses- 

 sions, there is very little government initiative in developing 

 resources, it being considered the correct thing to leave all such 

 initiative to the private trades. At present there seems room 

 for improvement in the organization of the rubber industry. 

 The falling off of exports in recent years from some of our 

 West African possessions seems to be attributable not so much 

 to the scarcity of labor as to the destruction of the trees in the 

 coast districts. The Gold Coast rubber now has to come about 

 an eight days journey through the bush, all having to be car- 

 ried by the natives whose maximum load is about 100 pounds. 

 The first railway in the colony is now being constructed through 

 to Coomassie in Ashanti, and this will certainly tend to the de- 

 velopment of the gold industry, if it does not also increase 

 the output of rubber. 



A CASE of similarity of title which undoubtedly lends to con 

 fusion seems to deserve a word of mention. Not long 

 since this journal had a paragraph referring to 

 the formation of the New York Whee' and Tyre 

 Co. (New York) with a capital of $150,000. With 

 regard to this title I understand that the New York Wheel and 

 Rubber Tyre Co., of 377, Kennington road, London, S. E., have 

 lodged a protest, their title having been in existence for thir- 



SIMILARITY 

 OF TITLE 



