164 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[December 1, 1912. 



AN EXPERT ON THE RUBBER SHOW. 



Mr. W. P. Wilson, the managing director d the Commer- 

 cial Museum of Philadelphia, is an expert on exhibitions, as he 

 has had charge of a continuous industrial and commercial ex- 

 hibition in Philadelphia for some years. His opinion of exhibi- 

 tions in general, therefore, is one of more than ordinary value, 

 and Mr. Mandcrs may well feel complimented in receiving the 

 cnmnumication given l)elow from Mr. Wilson. This is only one 

 of many complimentary letters received by Mr. Manders, but 

 this is particularly worth quoting because of its authoritative 

 source : 



The Commerci.m. MusEfM. 

 Thirty- fourth Street. Below Spruce Street. 



PniL.\DEi.PHi.\, October 28. 1912. 

 Mr. .-X. Staines Manders, Manager Third International Rubber 

 & Allied Trades Exhibition, New Grand Central Palace. 

 New York. N. Y. : 



Mv Dear Mr. Manders.— T came home the other day after 

 visiting the Rubber & Allied Trades Exposition in New York, 

 'vith a new mass of knowledge relating to rubber and its produc- 

 tion over all quarters of the glolie. Although I had been over the 

 building before the exhibit was opened and had seen somethin.g 

 of the magnitude of the display, I really had no adequate con- 

 ception of what this exhibition was to be. Its magnitude was 

 beyond anything that 1 had in mind. 



The whole arrangement and organization of the exposition 

 seemed to me to be well done and followed out on excellently- 

 laid lines. The only regret I had on leaving it was that I could 

 not return and spend ten days in studying the great diversity of 

 products, rubber and allied, which you had brought together. 



.\ graphic exhibit of this kind does more than anything else 

 to impress one with the great value and extensive use of this 

 alisolutely necessary product. The Exposition, a great success 

 in every way, 1 hope repaid you for your painstaking and hard 

 work which I know full well an exposition of this kind requires. 

 Yours very truly, W. P. Wilson. Director. 



A MANUFACTURERS VIEW OF THE EXPOSITION. 



Editor, IxDi.\ Rubber World: Dear Sir. — 



Now that the crude rubber exhibition is a thing of the past, one 

 wonders how much good has come of it. 



It was my privilege to spend a whole week at the Grand Cen- 

 tral Palace, taking in all the lectures and discussions during the 

 conferences. After returning home and digesting the many 

 things 1 learned there. I could not help but feel that we fai'l 

 to make the most of our opportunities. 



We on this continent seem to be imbued with the idea that if 

 we open up a little in a discussion we are surely going to ex- 

 pose our knowledge to others, and in that are giving something 

 away. But. coming down to hard facts, what have we got to give 

 away? Is there anything we know that the average intelligent 

 rubber company does not already know ? I think not. It is 

 foolish to think otherwise; if anyone has a machine more ad- 

 vanced than others it is quite within reason to keep it secret as 

 long as possible, but to think we are ahead of others in the 

 technical understanding of the rubber business is at once erratic 

 and foolish. 



I heard some men say that the Exhibition and conferences 

 were of no particular use to them. In such cases it was surely 

 their own fault. Any man with a modicum of common sense, 

 who was looking for and wanted information, surely found it 

 there. I have been twenty-one years in the business and have 

 spent much time in the technical part of it, and I must say I 

 learned much. There were learned men from different parts 

 of the world whom we may never have the opportunity of meet- 

 ing again. To engage in conversation with these men was to 

 realize quickly how willing they were to open up and to give 

 one a tremendous amount of the most valuable information — 

 information that cannot be bought : and I for one feel that this 

 exhibition afforded one of those opportunities rarely obtained 

 in our business. Yours truly. Manufacturer. 



A WORD OF WARNING. 



Editor, The India Rubber World: 



In reference to the Rubber Show recently held in New York, it 

 has suggested itself to me that, whilst all manufacturers received 

 much benefit from being in attendance, some may become so over- 

 enthusiastic as to be led to the excessive uses of some of the 

 grades, without sufficient tests, both as to percentages to be used 

 and the proper working of the rubber, as well as the time to 

 cure, and under what pressure. 



It would seem to me to be well to caution those, not yet well 

 informed, to the end that they should commence with, say, one to 

 two per cent., and make their oiun experiments, as they finally 

 must stand or fall by their own acts. 



Time, only, gives the final test to rubber, and I earnestly recom- 

 mend everyone to not follow too closely advice not proved by 

 actual personal knowledge. 



The whole rubber trade is now in a most critical position — we 

 arc at the apex in the use of Paras, African and Central rubbers, 

 and at the base in the use of Ceylon. Strait Settlements and kin- 

 dred plantation grades, and there are such radical differences in 

 coagulation, locality and climate that special expert knowledge 

 must be had if the uses of plantation rubber in substitution of 

 other, proved, grades be successful. 



As in a crossing, I can only advise, "Stop! Look! LISTEN! 



Respectfully submitted. 



New York, November 21, 1912. Robt. B. Baird. 



AS SEEN BY A FRIENDLY VISITOR. 



The India Rubber World tried to acquit itself creditably at 

 the Rubber Exposition recently held in New York City, and it 

 hopes that it succeeded in that worthy purpose. The following 

 paragraph would seem to indicate that it did. It is taken from 

 a column and a half description of the Exposition which ap- 

 peared in a recent number of the Daily Chronicle of Georgetown, 

 British Guiana, written by the paper's special correspondent : 



"Of course, our first attention was given to the space devoted 

 to The India Rubber World, which was decorated with a map 

 bearing the names of all the countries where it is circulated. A 

 wonderful portrait painted on hard rubber of Mr. Goodyear, of 

 Vulcanite fame, one of Mrs. Goodyear and JNIr. Webster, on the 

 same rubber, hung on the walls. These portraits are very val- 

 uable and were heavily insured. Specimens of all rubber-bearing 

 trees, collected, arranged and named by Miss Pearson, were 

 shown, and all sorts of rubber literature, including Mr. Pearson's 

 latest on his visit to the tropics — in which British Guiana is not 

 included. Mr. Pearson, however, assured me that the next book 

 should be all about British Guiana, which is promising. In stop- 

 pered bottles. Hevea and all other seeds were shown, personally 

 collected, as were the rubber snakes, centipedes, lizards, spiders 

 and other familiar objects. Wonderfully lifelike these were, 

 very much admired." 



RETHOSPECT OF THE NEW YORK RUBBER EXPOSITION. 



In discussing the features of the recent exposition in the 

 columns of the "Gummi-Zeitung." Mr. E. G. Salmon, who repre- 

 sented various European interests, expresses the opinion that 

 both Germany and England missed a valuable opportunity of 

 showing their capacity as makers of rubber machinery. He adds 

 that while the exposition was a very good display of crude rubber, 

 manufacture and machinery were much less efficiently represented. 



The importance is recognized of the direct relations established 

 between Eastern planters and the .\merican market, which, it is 

 added, will lead to the former dealing with New York directly, 

 instead of through London. This would possibly lead to a reduc- 

 tion of rubber prices. American manufacturers, it is remarked, 

 are all looking for cheaper rubber and would welcome any 

 methods tending in that direction. 



It was noticed at the Exposition that American manufacturers 

 much appreciated the opportunity of seeing rubber, if not actually 

 in cultivation, at least in the stages least removed therefrom. 

 Whatever the final mode of purchase might be, it was doubtless 

 to the advantage of both seller and buyer to know each other's 

 peculiar needs, in a manner possible only through personal as- 

 sociation. One prominent importer was heard to remark that 

 he would at all times prefer to do business with a buyer ac- 

 quainted with the goods he was bargaining for, rather than with 

 one devoid of that knowledge. This personal coming together 

 of producer and purchaser was inevitably to the advantage 

 of both. 



