January 1, 1913.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



205 



The India-Rubber Trade in Great Britain. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



IN THE 

 COURTS. 



IX the June issue, 1912, of The India Rubuf.r World, we re- 

 ported the action of the North British Rubber Co. v. Wil- 

 lows ; this being for the value of dirigible balloon fabric 

 supplied. The fabric proved faulty and useless for its purpose 

 after a few months, and the defendant counterclaimed for dam- 

 ages. At the trial Mr. Justice Scrut- 

 ton gave judgment in favor of the 

 North British Co., and the defendant 

 appealed. The apjical came on for hearing on Noveinber 25, be- 

 fore the Master of the Rolls, and Lord Justices Farwell and 

 Hamilton. The appeal was dismissed; the Master of the Rolls 

 in delivering judgment, laid stress on the scientific evidence and 

 said that Mr. Justice Scrutton was clearly entitled to the view 

 that the duration of life of such an envelope was a matter of 

 speculatiiin and uncertainty. 



Mr. O'Gorman (for the defendant) had given it as his opinion 

 that the life of such fabric was two years, but he had declined 

 to say that it was unfit for use when it left the North British 

 works in October, 1910. It had been suggested that the judge 

 had put the expert evidence on one side, and had relied only 

 on the report of the Advisory Committee on Aeronautics. Mr. 

 O'Gorman. however, had said that they were at a speculative 

 stage on this matter of duration of life, and the judge was not 

 bound to accept the opinion of an expert when such opinion was 

 purely speculative, and not based on the experimental proof which 

 an expert witness should give, if his opinion was to be regarded 

 as final. 



With this judgment in existence there is hardly likely to be 

 a similar action, until the experiments which are now in hand 

 both in England and Germany on balloon and aeroplane fabrics, 

 have produced evidence which can be quoted as authoritative. 

 It is important also for expert witnesses to note, that they are 

 expected to back their opinions by experimental evidence. 



The case in which Mr. E. E. Buckleton sued Messrs. Heilbut, 

 Symons & Co., for the return of money invested in a rubber plan- 

 tation was won by Mr. Buckleton at the Liverpool assizes, and 

 also in the Court of Appeal. The defendants, however, took it to 

 the House of Lords ; the final result being that they have won and 

 Mr. Buckleton has been deprived of the satisfaction he had pre- 

 viously experienced, and at the same time of course is more out 

 of pocket. 



There does not seem any falling off in the demand for re- 

 claimed rubber: the various producing works reporting them- 

 selves as fully employed. The largest 

 works (the North Wesiern Co. of 

 Liverpool) has decided, I hear, upon 

 practically doubling their plant in the near future. It is clear 

 from this, that the certain prospect of cheaper raw rubber from 

 the increased plantation output in forthcoming years, does not 

 cause any apprehension as to a serious curtailment of the re- 

 claimers' business. On the contrary, the view appears to be held, 

 that cheaper rubber will result in increased use. and therefore 

 larger stocks of waste to come upon the market. 



The Rubber Regenerating Co., of TrafFord Park, Manchester, 

 are again making additions to their works, and have recently 

 purchased further land. The average grade of the reclaimed 

 rubber now produced in England, is higher than was the case 

 ten or twenty years aga, though a demand still continues for 

 4d. per pound qualities. Indeed there is a market for stuff at 

 3d. per pound ; this lowest quality coming from abroad. The 

 Mersey Reclaiming Co., of Stockport, one of the newer con- 



RVBBER 

 SCRAP NOTES. 



cerns, reports a gratifying increase in their sales and may now 

 be considered firmly established. 



The firm of T. Hallas & Co. have removed from their Tod- 

 morden works to new premises at Woodley, near Stockport. 

 The factory, which was formerly a wool washing mill, is con- 

 veniently situated for carrying on the business ; which includes 

 substitute making and heel pads. Mr. Harris, who was for- 

 merly with Messrs. G. H. Scott & Co., of New Mills, was the 

 manager at the Todmorden works, but has now left the com- 

 pany. 



Scrap rubber collectors complain that the market values of old 

 rubber are now so widely known through the increased circula- 

 tion of rubber technical literature, that it is a difiicult matter to 

 pick up a bargain. In regard to published quotatisns, sellers 

 of old rublier are too apt to ignore the fact that quotations refer 

 to goods delivered at specified places. When a man has had to 

 travel to a country town on hearing that old rubber is for sale, 

 and finds only four or five tires, he is naturally disinclined to 

 pay the full price quoted for tires delivered in London. The 

 present price for motor tire covers is 38s. per hundredweight, 

 which is about 4s. per hundredweight less than a year ago. Red 

 inner tubes fetch 5d. per pound. 



This substance (formerly called Parkesione, after the name 

 of its inventor) will come up for discussion before the Depart- 

 mental Committee, appointed by the gov- 

 XYLONITE. ernment to enquire into the conditions 



of manufacture, use and storage of 

 celluloid. Some discussion will probably arise as to the differ- 

 ence, if any, which exists between the various bodies, including 

 celluloid and xylonite, which are all camphor-containing cellulose 

 nitrate plastics. Under the circumstances, a few facts concern- 

 ing xylonite may be appropriate. 



At the time in 1868, when Parkes. owing to want of capital, 

 had suspended his manufacture of Parkesine. Daniel Spill, who 

 had been associated with him, effected an improvement, or at 

 any rate an alteration, in the process of manufacture, and 

 patented his cotton xyloidin or xylonite. Further patents were 

 taken out in 1875, after the manufacture had been commenced 

 by Daniel Spill & Co. In 1877 this firm was taken over by a 

 new company, called the British Xylonite Co., of which more 

 anon. 



The Spill patents in America were exploited by a Mr. Brown, 

 and a company called the American Xylonite Co. was started in 

 1881 at Adams. Mass. Litigation, however, arose with the own- 

 ers of other plastic patents, and in 1890 the company was ab- 

 sorbed by the Celluloid Co., ceasing its separate existence. The 

 works of the British Xylonite Co. are situated at Hale End. near 

 Epping Forest, on the outskirts of London, and also on the 

 Essex coast ; the operations being for reasons of safety carried 

 on at the two localities. The buildings at the works are laid out 

 in separate blocks and are of an artistic character; separated by 

 beds of flowers. They are under Government regulation and in- 

 spection as if the business formed a branch of the explosives 

 manufacture. The nitrating process, which is the more danger- 

 ous part of the manufacture, is carried out at the coast works, 

 the material being made up into combs, tooth brushes, knife 

 handles, etc.. etc.. at the Hale End Works. From statistics 

 which are immediately available, it appears that Great Britain 

 exported in 1910 celluloid and xylonite goods to the value of 

 £167.000. The imports of celluloid for the same year are given 

 as of the value of £450.000, no mention being made of xylonite. 



