January 1, 1911.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



133 



BALATA BELTINGS IN AMERICA. 



AUTOMOBILE FIRE ENGINES. 



AT tlie annual meeting of R. & J. Dick, Limited, [Glasgow, 

 November 9J, the chairman stated that the main feaure of 

 the year's report related to the construction of a balata belting 

 factory in America, at Passaic, New Jersey, at a cost of about 

 £30.000. In the meantime they had been at work in opening a 

 market for their belts in America. They had involved much 

 preliminary e.xpense in the establishment of a selling organiza- 

 tion, the whole of which had gone against the profit of last year. 

 .\ large amount of belting manufactured at home had been sold 

 in the L'nited States. That had not been lucrative business, be- 

 cause of the heavy tariff of 35 per cent, which was borne on the 

 finished articles. They had had to sell at a bare profit, when 

 the strong demand from all parts of the world would have 

 enabled them to sell at a more satisfactory rate. That, however. 

 was a temporary matter, and they believed the exertions of the 

 past year had laid a safe foundation for prosperous business in 

 the future. 



Discussing the accounts, the chairman said that the gross 

 profits stood £11,000 lower than last year, chiefly for reasons con- 

 nected with America which he had explained. The result was 

 that they had this year £41, OCX) to distribute as against £53.000 

 last year. The dividends for the year aggregated 5yl per cent. 

 on the preference and 3 per cent, on the ordinary shares, after 

 transferring £10,000 to a special reserve fund, to be invested in 

 outside securities to secure the payment of preference dividends. 

 The gross profit on the year's trading was £47,226; deducting 

 income tax and depreciation, the net profit was £39,751. 



THE DICK FACTORY IN AMERICA. 



Thk .\nierican management of R. & J. Dick, Limited, advised 

 Thk I.\1)i.\ Rubber World during the montlt; of the completion 

 of their factory at Passaic, New Jersey, adding that they were 

 then busy with the erection of their special machinery, imported 

 from Great Britain. They expected within a very few weeks to 

 be manufacturing their well known "Dickbelt." The company 

 further advise : ■'Our factory is capable of turning out as much 

 stuff as our main works in Glasgow, Scotland, which supply the 

 whole of the world except the United States of ^America. Our 

 Passaic factory has been specially built for the requirements of 

 the users of belting in the United States, and we are pleased to 

 let you know that we have already established a large business, 

 and as soon as we start manufacturing we shall have in hand 

 sufficient orders to keep us going for some considerable time." 

 The company maintain a Xew York office at Xo. 50 Church 

 street. 



The United States consul at Manchester, England, reports 

 shipments of balata and other belting from that port to the 

 United States during October last to the value of £3,208, as com- 

 pared with £2,281 in October, 1909. 



The India-Rubber, Gutta-Percha, and Telegraph Works Co., 

 Limited, have become extensive manufacturers of balata belting. 



The Socit'te Fran^aise pour 1' Achat et la Vente des Produits 

 de la Russian-American India Rubber Co. — a branch of the St. 

 Petersburg establishment, has been established in Paris, with a 

 capital stock of 500,000 francs, in shares of 500 francs. Offices : 

 Rue St. I'erdinand, 47. 



SELF propelled fire fighting apparatus is coming so extensively 

 into use, not only in large cities, but in smaller places, for 

 which it furnishes ideal fire protection, that the item of rubber 

 tires, with which these vehicles must be equipped, will entail a 

 very material addition to the large amount of india-rubber fire 

 departments already require in the shape of hose. 



The motor fire engine here illustrated, which has a guaranteed 

 speed of 60 miles an hour, with a carrying capacity of 3,600 

 pounds, is propelled and operated by a 90 h. p. gasoline motor, 

 and is only one of a number of similar machines built by the 

 Webb Motor Fire Apparatus Co. (St. Louis), including fire 

 engines, chemical engines, hose wagons, and trucks for fire de- 



Webb No. 1 Motor Fire Engine. 



partment use, for which rubber tires are indispensable. The 

 high rate of speed at which these ponderous vehicles are re- 

 quired to travel over all kinds of roads makes the pneumatic tire 

 absolutely essential for the protection of the motor and pump- 

 ing mechanism from the destructive shocks to which it would 

 otherwise be exposed. 



New York City has some of this self propelled fire apparatus 

 in use; other cities in which it is employed, with satisfactory 

 results, are St. Louis, Charleston South Carolina ; New Haven, 

 Connecticut; .August;i, Georgia; Binringham, .Alabama; Winni- 

 peg, Manitoba; Springfield, Ohio; Detroit, ^Michigan ; Dallas, 

 Texas; Trenton, New Jersey; Manila, Philippines; London, 

 Dublin, Berlin, and so on. 



The apparatus in New ^'ork has given entirely satisfactory re- 

 sults to date. 



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