May 1, 1911.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



263 



The India-Rubber Trade in Great Britain. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



THE TESTING OF 

 RAW RUBBER. 



I J" HAS been repeateilly urged in late years — more particularly 

 by analysts — that the buying and selling of raw rubber ought 

 to fall into line with the procedure adopted in the case of the 

 bulk of other raw materials and be controlled by the analyst's 

 certificate. L'p to now, bnwe\er. no progress at all has been 

 made witli tlie maturing of the sugges- 

 tion and it is with much mterest that 

 i have seen a translation of the scheme 

 put forward by the Dutch Government Bureau for the India 

 Rubber Trade and Industry to practically test the applicability 

 of chemical analysis for this purpose. For three montlis sam- 

 ples of raw rubber will be tested free and certificates of analysis 

 returned to the sender along with a part of the rubber for use 

 as a sale sample. In the case of plantation or fine Para or of 

 sheet balata the taking of an average sample both from bulk 

 and in the laboratory should present no great difficulty, hut I 

 venture to say that tl'.e reverse will be foun<l to l)e the case 

 with medium and low grade rubbers. The Bureau lays stress on 

 the importance of sending an average sample, though pre- 

 sumably this operation is to be left to the untutored mind at 

 the docks or warehouse. It will be absolutely necessary for the 

 Government to appoint sworn samplers, I he alternative to this 

 is the joint sampling by the seller and .m independent sampler 

 appointed by prospective purchasers. In saying this I am not 

 making any attack on prevailing commercial moralitx" ; 1 am 

 merely arguing from the general situation in the numercus 

 other cases where raw products are bought and sold on the 

 analysis of what is certified to be a bulk sample. In a good many 

 cases most of the unpleasantness between buyer and seller is 

 concerned with the percentage of water in the goods, and I 

 imagine that this phase will be accentuated in the case of raw 

 rubber. In the case of dry rubber from plantations the mois- 

 ture question may not become at all acute but a large amount 

 of work will have to be done with such rubbers as contain over 

 10 per cent, of water before any procedure can be devised which 

 will give results which will be accepted with equanimity by both 

 sides to a sale. With regard to the Dutch development it is dis- 

 tinctly stated that it is being undertaken solely as an experiment 

 and those concerned merely wish to see if the results are such 

 as to commend the new procedure to the notice of the trade 

 So far the investigators of the movements profess an open mind 

 and in these circumstances nothing should be said or done to 

 discourage them in their course of action. It is inevitable, how 

 ever, that the scheme will provoke criticism as being in tlic 

 form of a radical departure from time-honored methods. 



This company, whose works are situated in Trafford Park, 

 Manchester, rear to those of the British Wcstinghouse Co., 

 Limited, is now largely e.xterding its 

 pren-ises in order to meet the increased 

 demard for its products. The concern 

 is a branch of a well-known Chicago factory, and the English 

 works, which were started two or three years ago, were the 

 direct outcome of what is known generally as the Lloyd George 

 Patent .'\ct. The actual capita! of the English company is only 

 £1.000 and it is understood that this w-ill shortly be increased. 

 Mr. Mamsick, who is well know-n in America, is the general 

 manager and the products are put on the market entirely through 

 Messrs. Somervilles' Sons, of Liverpool and New York. The 

 process is controlled by Price's patents of 1901 and 1904 in 

 which alkali is used, and an objection has been raised by the 

 Northwestern Rubber Co., Litherland, Liverpool, owners of 

 .\. 11. Marks' patent of 1899, on the score of infringement. 



RUBBER REGENERATING 

 CO.'S SECOND. 



The company have had the action pending for some time with- 

 out enterir.g it for trial and in order to bring things to a head 

 the Regenerating Company applied to the Chancery Court at 

 Liverpool that particulars of the alleged infringement should 

 be given or the action abandoned. As a result of the application, 

 the vice-chancellor directed the Northwestern Company to give 

 particulars of their complaint. The next scene in the drama 

 will be awaited with interest; anyhow, no further prolonged de- 

 lay is possible — the action must proceed or be abandoned. 



Mr. J. G. Gr.w is the new works manager at the Gorton Rubber 

 Co., Limited, Manchester. Mr. Gray comes from the Dunlop 

 Rubber Co. at Birmingham, where he 

 has been for a number of years. Mr. 



PERSONAL MENTION 

 AND TRADE JOTTINGS. 



Saunders, the late works manager at 

 the (i.ntiin Rubber Co., has gone to the Werneth Rubber Works. 

 riiesc works were ol'fered fi r sale at auction by Mr. S.'ilmon, 

 the proprietor, two or three years ago, but were withdrawn. 

 Recently a new company has been formed. The works were 

 originally started by Mr. Cresswell when he left the Hyde Im- 

 perial Rubber Co., in the same neighborhood. 



Mr. Walter Wild, who comes from the Liverpool Rubber Co., 

 is the new manager at the Wood-Milne works recently erecte 1 

 at Leyland, Lancashire, as previously mentioned. The scope 

 of ojierations of the Wood-Milne Co. is being extended be- 

 yond the well-known heel-pad to mechanical goods and tires. 



The increased capitalization of the Midland Rubber Co., Lim- 

 ited, of Birmingham, is due to the fact that they have at last 

 got possession of some house property immediately adjoining 

 their works at Ryland street. This acquisition, about whicli there 

 has been considerable difiiculty, makes it possible to enlarge 

 the works to meet the requirements of the increasing business. 

 The general manager is Mr. J. P. Higgins, The patent in this 

 country of the Diuig'iity high-temperature vulcanizing press, 

 wdiicb has been the property of the Dunlop Rubber Co., has 

 recently lapsed and machines are now to be seen at work 

 in competitors' works. Saving of time in the manufacture of 

 cycle tire covers is its principal advantage. 



In the course of the expert evidence given in connection with 

 a recent breach of contract just tried in the Manchester Court 

 of .\ssizes some discussion arose in regard to over-vulcanization 

 and under-vulcanization, a prominent witness wlio graduated in 

 America laying it down that although uniformity in vulcanization 

 can be expected in goods mostly cmiiposed of fine Para rubber, 

 this is not the case with low quality sheeting, a fact, he said, 

 which is well known to purchasers generally. To give the ex- 

 pert evidence at len.utli wmilil re(|uire too much space. 



Regrett.\bi,k .\s .\rk the msAsTKKs. accompanied in several 

 instarces by the loss of valuable lives under deplorable circum- 

 stances, that have accompanied the development of aerial navi- 

 gation, they are no more than we are accustomed to look for in 

 connection with every such radical departure from familiar con- 

 ditions as are involved in .aviation. That they arc likely to 

 prevent, or even retard progress in this field, we regard as 

 exceedingly unlikely, rather they may be expected, by supplying 

 the necessary experience on which to base future operations, to 

 encourage the development of the art. We look for notable 

 progress in aviation during the present season, the fact that 

 .American manufacturers arc beginning to turn their attention, 

 to an increasing extent, to the supply of the bird-men's require- 

 ments, bein.g further evidence of the practical confidence with 

 which the ultimate triumph of the flying man is regarded. 



