90 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[December i, 1901. 



MR. J. O. STOKES AND OTHERS INTERVIEWED. 



REALIZING that the rubber trade at large, are exceedingly 

 interested in the new rubber shoe project, of which Mr- 

 Joseph O. Stokes is the visible head and front, The India 

 Rubber World secured a brief interview with him. Mr. 

 Stokes said in substance : 



" I have but little to add to the news article which you 

 printed last month. Prior to that time, my associates and my- 

 self had been developing our project quietly and carefully, per- 

 fecting the machines and the processes, and securing patents 

 that should protect us in every possible way. Now that that is 

 accomplished, I am perfectly willing to give you our plans as 

 fast as they are matured. For example, they are nearly com- 

 pleted for the most practical up-to-date rubber factory that can 

 be built. The location is already decided upon, and is ideal 

 with regard to help, water, shipping facilities, and the like. 

 The steam and power plant will be equal to anything ever in- 

 stalled. The washers and mixers will be run in the usual man- 

 ner, but the calenders will be operated by separate motors, so 

 that we may have the advantage of variable speeds. The 

 ticket at the start will be 20,000 pairs a day, but we shall build 

 so that we can increase to 100,000 pairs, which, under the new 

 process, is perfectly feasible. An order for 300 of our machines 

 for this plant is already booked. 



" With regard to your question as to leasing to other man- 

 ufacturers, I have that matter in mind and shall take it up 

 as soon as may be. Everything in connection with this busi- 

 ness is to be done on a broad and liberal basis, and, while we 

 shall safeguard our own rights and interests most jealously, we 

 shall not ignore the interests of others. 



" I have received interesting communications from manufac- 

 turers all over the United States, both in and out of the rubber 

 shoe trade, each of which will have careful attention at an early 

 date. I have no objection at all to keeping The India Rub- 

 ber World informed of our progress from time to time, but 

 matters are now moving so rapidly that your paper should be a 

 daily to keep track of us." 



" In this connection it is interesting to note the views of lead- 

 ing rubber shoe men, who have already seen the new product. 

 Said one : " This is the only time in my life that I have known 

 the word ' revolution ' to really fit the case. It is an absolute 

 revolution." 



Said another : " It is interesting, very interesting, but as far 

 as I can see there will be no finesse in this method of manufac- 

 ture; that is, some parts of the shoe will call for expensive 

 stock, others call for cheap stock, and so on. I do not see how 

 this new shoe can accommodate itself to this need." 



Still another — an exceedingly wealthy owner in a large cor- 

 poration : ■• I have not seen the shoe, but my associates say 

 that it cannot be lined by machinery, and we are not in the least 

 concerned about it." 



One whose company have not the fear of the Lord before 



their eyes said : " Our Mr. told me that if the machine 



and process were very good, we should appropriate them, and 

 that it would take years to settle the matter in court." 



Another said : " If it has come I am glad of it, particularly 

 if it is true that we shall be allowed to investigate with an idea 

 of leasing. If one- half claimed for the new method can be 

 substantiated, I stand ready to sign leases just as soon as they 

 can be drawn up." 



A PETITION of involuntary bankruptcy has been filed against 

 F. N. Woodward & Co., rubber manufacturers, of East Water- 

 town, Mass., by their creditors, taking precedence over the 

 firm's application for a receiver. 



CRUDE RUBBER CONTRACTS." 



'T'O THE Editor OF The India Rubiser World: I have 

 ■*■ read with much interest the article on " Crude 

 Rubber Contracts," in your November issue, and find several 

 items open to some criticism, though nothing of special im- 

 portance, except under heading VIII — paragraphs 2 and 3, relat- 

 ing to over deliveries and underdeliveries, where the differences 

 allowed are, in my opinion, too liberal. 



With regard to a purchaser going into the market and buying 

 rubber to make up a shortage (and also a non-delivery), treated 

 under heading IX of the article referred to, the custom in the 

 rubber trade is for the buyer to be rather easy with the seller. 

 Usually, where a delivery is not made exactly in the time spe- 

 cified in the contract, the buyer is willing to wait a reasonable 

 time for the seller to deliver, though of course he has the legal 

 right to demand delivery in the time specified, and, failing to 

 get the rubber, to notify the seller that he will buy it in the 

 market, if obtainable, and charge him the difference, if any. 

 But my experience has been that this is rarely done, and in 

 some cases where the seller has not been able to get the goods 

 to make good his deliveries, I have known of cash settlements 

 being made. a broker. 



New York, Nov. 22, igoi. 



THE RUBBER VINE OF HONDURAS. 



FURTHER information regarding "A new rubber from 

 Honduras," mentioned in The India Rubber World 

 for November [page 40] has been supplied by Messrs. Eggers & 

 Heinlein, the New York importers who submitted the sample 

 of rubber in question. The firm have received from their cor- 

 respondents in Honduras a letter reading in part as follows: 



" We have further information about the new rubber plant, 

 and beg to advise you that the same Mr. Floriano Davadie who 

 is mentioned in The India Rubber World of May i, 1901, 

 [page 234] forwarded us the samples which we had the pleasure 

 of sending you. It seems that the plant must be cut off in 

 order to get out the rubber, but there are large mountains cov- 

 ered with this wild vine, so that large quantities might be ob- 

 tained. The sticks sent you were from a plant of four or five 

 years growth, at which age rubber may be obtained. The plant 

 is killed, or at best will stand only a second bleeding, instead 

 of yielding for a number of years, as in the case of the rubber 

 tree. It is still unknown how this vine may be used in the best 

 way to produce rubber." 



The Mr. Davadie mentioned above is the governor of the 

 district of Yoro, in Honduras, and member of a company or- 

 ganized last spring to exploit rubber. 



In the August India Rubber World was reported the in- 

 dictment of John J. Scannell, fire commissioner of New York 

 city, and of William L. Marks, who is alleged to have enjoyed 

 special advantages as an " agent " for the sale of fire hose and 

 other supplies to the fire department, for defrauding the city in 

 the matter of contracts for such supplies. On September 30 

 Justice Gildersleeve dismissed the indictments on a technicality, 

 on the ground that a lawyer retained as special counsel retained 

 by the public prosecutor was illegally in the grand jury room 

 while the cases were being considered. Justice Gildersleeve 

 gave permission to the district attorney to resubmit the case 

 to the grand jury. This was done, and on November 22 new 

 indictments were found, and the cases had been called for trial 

 in one of the New York courts, when this paper was closed for 

 the'press. 



