100 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[November 1, 1912. 



curacy of certain analytical methods used in the examination 

 of rubber goods. 



Attendance at this morning session reached 200 and the inter- 

 est in the meeting was very keen, as was shown by tlic fact that 

 most of those present remained to the close. 



AFTERNOON SESSION, FRID.W, SEPTEMBER 27. 



The meeting was well attended. Mr. Loudenbeck presented 

 the following motion ; That the secretary be instructed to pre- 

 serve the records of this Conference, pul)lish the papers and 

 minutes, and notify the members of this Conference when these 

 arc ready for distribution or sale. 



The topic "Standard Methods for Testing Te.xlile Materials 

 Used in Rublier Manufacture" was then called up for discussion. 



time had cost, but, inasmuch as a half ton of it had been 

 made at the Elberfeld factory, it was fairly obvious that it could 

 not have cost a tliousand dollars a pound. 



Dr. Weber, in presenting the subject of government specifica- 

 tions, said that the manufacturer is at present seriously handi- 

 capped when delivering goods to the government on specifica- 

 tions. It has been the policy, up to the present, to reject goods 

 on the strength of certain analyses, and at the same time the 

 government chemists who have made these analyses have omitted 

 to publisli their methods of testing. This, he thought, was a 

 very undesirable stale of affairs, and requires early attention 

 and serious consideration. He presented this resolution: "It is 

 the oi'inion of this Conference that all specifications should 



Dr. Frederic D.xnnerth. 



Henry C. Pe.\rson. 



Dr. ].\cqves Huber. 



Little interest in this subject was manifested by those present 

 so that the regular business was proceeded with. 



The paper of the afternoon was by Mr. A. O. Bourn, of 

 Providence, R. I., entitled "A New Theory of Vulcanization." 

 Owing to the absence of the author of the paper, it was im- 

 possible for the members present to put directly the questions 



bearing on it. 



MORNING SESSION, S.\TURD.\Y. SEPTEMBER 28. 



The Saturday morning session opened at ten o'clock. 



The chairman announced that the International Rubber Ban- 

 quet was planned for the evening of Wednesday, October 2, at 

 the Hotel Plaza. He also announced that the initial meeting 

 of the Nomenclature Committee had been held in the main hall 

 reception room on the afternoon of the previous Thursday. (This 

 meeting was followed by a full meeting on Monday afternoon, 

 September 30.) In this committee Mr. Baxendale had consented 

 to develop a glossary of terms for the plantation rubbers, while 

 Dr. Huber had been entrusted with a similar duty on the 

 wild rubbers of Brazil. 



The chairman stated that he had been requested by Dr. Weber 

 to make an official denial of the statement, which a daily paper 

 had attributed to him, to the effect that synthetic rubber 

 cost a thousand dollars a pound. He went on to say that an 

 .\merican reporter is expected by his city editor to turn in 

 interesting matter, and that he is for that reason constantly 

 under the temptation of making his copy interesting rather than 

 accurate. Dr. Weber added that he would communicate with 

 the paper that attributed this statement to him and ask it to 

 publisli a contradiction. He went on to observe that it would 

 be quite impossible to tell what synthetic rubber up to the present 



include complete descriptions of the methods of physical testing 

 and chemical analysis, to which materials delivered on any par- 

 ticular specification will be subjected." 



In explanation of his motion. Dr. Weber added that the 

 Brooklyn Navy Yard had at various times rejected materials, as 

 a result of analyses and analytical methods which are unknown 

 to the general public. 



Mr. Rodman advised Dr. Weber of the fact that tlie Railroad 

 Committee on Standard Methods of Analysis would have its 

 report ready in two or three months. He said that we should 

 not confuse the Bureau of Standards with the Chemical Labora- 

 tory of the Navy Department, as the methods issued by the former 

 are oflicial, while those issued by the latter are the private methods 

 of a consulting chemist who happens to be in the employ of the 

 government. 



Mr. Cottle stated that the .\mcrican Chemical Society is now 

 engaged on the preparation of standard methods, and that re- 

 lated work in the same field is being carried on by the Railroad 

 Committee. He felt assured that these methods would be 

 presented to the United States Government departments for 

 their approval, and that the ability and standing of the men who 

 have prepared these methods would insure for them serious 

 consideration. It was inadvisable, in his opinion, at this time 

 to publish methods of analysis, which would in any case have 

 to be revised very shortly. This had been observed in the case 

 of the methods published by the Bureau of Standards, which 

 had to be revised shortly after they were published. 



Prof. Hinrichsen said that the Royal Testing Station at Berlin 

 at one time experienced difficulties similar to those recited by 

 Dr. Weber. He stated, on this point, that the policy of the 



