September 1, 1913.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



645 



SOME RUBBER NOTES FROM LONDON. 



/^XE of the features of recent parliamentary proceedings at 

 ^-^ Westminster has been the annual review of Colonial trade 

 by Mr. Harcourt, the Colonial secretary. He referred to the com- 

 parative steadiness of receipts of rubber from British West Africa, 

 which, however, were no larger today than seven years ago, de- 

 scribing the increased output of Ceylon and Malaya as "a mar- 

 velous result of science applied to forestry." The growth of 

 balata exports from British Guiana was also commented upon, 

 with special reference to the rise from £40,000 to il40,000 within 

 six years. 



ItKITlSII RUBBER GOODS EXPORTS. 

 British Exports of rubber goods, excluding tires, for the first 

 six months of 1913 amounted to £1,443,778. as compared with 

 £1,322,299 for the corresponding period of 1912 and £1,333,239 for 

 that of 1911. Tires have only been quoted for the first time this 

 year, so an exact comparison is in that case impracticable. The 

 value of tire exports for the first half of this year was £731,361. 

 Insulated wire and cables show for the first six months of 1913 

 marked advances on the corresponding periods of the two 

 previous years, having been £1,437,803, against £1,041,712 in 1912 

 and £571,885 in 1911. 



.SP.M.niNG VS. GAMAGE. 



In the judgment lately rendered by the court, the claims of 

 A. G. Spalding & Bros, have been fully supported in the now 

 celebrated "Orb'' football case. An order has been issued restrain- 

 ing A. W. Gamage, Ltd., the sporting goods dealers, from adver- 

 tising and offering for sale as firsts, footballs which had been 

 rejected as inferior by Messrs. Spalding, the manufacturers. Be- 

 yond the question of stopping the defendants from selling, was 

 that of damages. In its decision the court evinced a disposition to 

 award compensation for the losses sustained, remarking that a 

 "tort" had been committed. While affirming the principle of 

 awarding damages, it added that the needful details on that sub- 

 ject had not yet been presented. 



The case, it will be remembered, grew out of the rejection by 

 Messrs. Spalding of some 6,000 "Molded Orb" footballs which 

 had been found unsatisfactory in 1910, at which time they stopped 

 making balls of this type. In 1912, while still holding the old 

 stock, they brought out the new "Improved Sewn Orb." About 

 May of the last-named year, these old balls were sold to Mellis, 

 Schein & Co. as waste material. This firm sold the balls to the 

 Gamages, who seem to have offered them as the "Improved Sewn 

 football," then being sold by the plaintiffs. The evidence tended 

 to show want of care on the part of the defendants in the adver- 

 tisements inserted. In handing down its decision the court said 

 that the plaintiffs had every right to complain of the grave 

 damage they had sustained. 



THE GORTON RUBBER COMPANY'S STAFF. 

 In consequence of the recent changes in the Gorton Rubber Co., 

 its staff is evidently making new arrangements. Mr. W. Downs, 

 late sales manager of the company, has joined the Russian Tire 

 and Export Co. in order to develop the band tire business of 

 the Prowodnik Co. Mr. F. G. Billett has been appointed agent 

 for London, Belgium, Holland and Denmark for Redfern's Rub- 

 ber Works, while Mr. R. S. Humphries, the Gorton Co.'s repre- 

 sentative in the Midlands, has taken up that territory for the St. 

 Helen's Cable Co. 



RUBASTIC. LTD. 



This new rubber substitute, referred to in the European press, 

 is the invention of Mr. F. J. Healey, who belongs to the scientific 

 department of the Faraday Institute London. Mr. Healey is 

 said to have carried out the preliminary investigations and to 

 have subsequently founded a company in Basle to continue his 

 work. 



A company has been registered in England with a capital 



e(|ualing $5,375,000, of which $5,000,000 is in preference sharea 

 The common stock is in shares of one shilling each. 



The objects of the company include the smelting of metals, 

 the reason for which is not considered apparent in connection 

 with artificial rubber. Its offices are in Southall, Middlesex, 

 and the officials are said to be French. 



The English press is recommending caution, in view of the 

 limited information available. Altho it is said to be adapted for 

 printing rollers, hose and balls, the new article is apparently not 

 claimed in England to be an "artificial rubber." 



RUBERITE. 

 .\mong the claims made for this newly introduced compound- 

 ing ingredient, is that of increased elasticity and resiliency in the 

 manufactured product, through mixing with new, waste or re- 

 claimed rubber. It is claimed that it takes the place of carbons, 

 another advantage being that of preventing the adhesion of rub- 

 ber to the mold. The inventor, Mr. Robert Currie, of 7 Nor- 

 mandy street, London, is known to rubber manufacturers in con- 

 nection with other improvements. 



ELECTRICITY IN MINES. 



\\ ith reference to the subject of the Xew Home Office rules 

 as to electricity in mines, Mr. W. T. Anderson of W. T. Glover & 

 Co., Manchester, has called attention to four classes of coverings 

 for light and power cables: rubber; paper lead covered; paper 

 leadless ; bitumen. Of these he considers rubber-insulated metal 

 sheathed cables the best, tho their cost renders their adoption 

 in many cases impracticable. Rubber cable is. however, nearly 

 always used for "tailing" cables of other descriptions. 

 COMMERCIAL VEHICLE SHOW. 



The tire section of the Commercial Vehicle Show at Olympia 

 (lasting from July 18 to 26), included 27 exhibits, forming an 

 unprecedently complete display of solid vehicle tires. Among 

 the notable exhibitors was The B. F. Goodrich Co., Ltd.. which 

 made a special feature of its rubber studded tires with side 

 flanges. The North British Rubber Co. made a specialty of the 

 "Ducasble" tire, fitted to clincher wheels, while the Michelin Tire 

 Co. showed the "Semelle" non-skid tires, which have for some 

 time been a feature of its product. The regular standard makes 

 of British solid tires were well represented. The "Liga Gummi- 

 werke" of Frankfort. Germany, exhibited their continuous solid 

 band tires, in addition to their rubber matting. 



LIGA TIRES, LTD. 

 This company has been formed to undertake the agency for 

 England of the "Liga Gummiwerke" of Frankfort, German, which 

 was established last year. Mr. S. Patterson is sole director and 

 manager of the company, which claims to have shown for its 

 product excellent records for mileage. 



RUBBER TANNED LEATHER CO. 

 Mr. E. C. C. Smith was lately appointed receiver and manager. 

 He reported at the adjourned meeting that arrangements were 

 pending for the formation of a company with considerable capital. 

 If negotiations were successful, the company would be continued 

 and the creditors paid in full. 



RUBBER REGENERATING CO. 

 This Manchester company is now installing a new horizontal 

 cross-compound condensing engine of 1,000 h. p. It is expected 

 to shut down during the first week of September for the purpose 

 of connecting and starting the new engine. 



ALUMINUM FLAKE. 

 Typke & King are understood to have made arrangements for 

 distributing this product in the United Kingdom, acting for the 

 Gammeter-Brodbeck Sales Co. of Akron, Ohio. 

 MACINTOSH CABLE CO. 

 This new company has been registered in London with a capital 

 of £25.000 for the manufacture and sale of cables, chains, wire or 

 ropes. The directors are Sir Frederick H. Smith, Bt., Frederick 

 M. B. Smith and T. H. M. Harvey. 



