194 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD. 



IMairm I. i'JII 



INDIGENOUS RUBBER 

 ASSOCIATION. 



been against it and more recently attention has been strongly 

 drawn to its toxicity and other disadvantages. I notice, how- 

 ever, in a recent patent by Messrs. Pichou and Truchelut of 

 Paris, that they propose to add spirit of turpentine or some 

 hydrocarbon of the terebenic series, to insure the stabihty of 

 tetrachloride of carbon under conditions of use where, when 

 used alone, it is apt to decompose. The non-inflammable quality 

 is not affected by the turpentine. For rubber solution they 

 also propose to use, with the tetrachloride of carbon, a consid- 

 erable proportion of light petroleum spirit — some turpentine is 

 added to this to prevent decomposition, and the adhesiveness 

 of the rubber solution is augmented by the addition of an alco- 

 holic solution of gumlac. This patent is seen to cover a good 

 deal of ground, and its claims will doubtless be scrutinized by 

 those who propose to utilize it. With respect to the adhesive 

 bodies I have understood that rosin has been employed for 

 some time as an addition to rubber solution, though I cannot 

 say that I have any first-hand knowledge on the matter. 



So our friends, the planters, are not to have it all their own 

 way. An influential committee has been formed to see that at 

 the forthcoming exhibition indigenous 

 rubber receives that due meed of at- 

 tention to which it is entitled, both by 

 reason of its recognized quality and from the truth of its out- 

 put compared with that of "its pushing and youthful rival." 

 Perhaps some move of the sort is desirable in the case of an 

 exhibition which takes shillings from the pockets of the pub- 

 lic at its doors, and any exhibits or demonstrations, which have 

 for their object the removal of misconception, can hardly be 

 considered superfluous. At the same time it must be remem- 

 bered that the casual visitor who owns a few shares in this or 

 that plantation does not exercise any influence, beneficial or 

 malevolent, upon the rubber markets. After all, it is the man- 

 ufacturers who, though comparatively insignificant in number, 

 put the values on the various brands of rubber, and as far as 

 fine Para is concerned it would be merely preaching to the 

 converted for the Earl of Erroll and his colleagues to ex- 

 pound the virtues of the Brazilian product. With regard to the 

 superiority of wild over cultivated Para, for the best purpose 

 of the trade things remaind in statu quo, in the manufacturer's 

 opinion, despite erudite publications to the contrary from this 

 or that laboratory. In the case, however, of other brands of 

 rubber, especially those from Kast Africa, it may be a more 

 difficult matter to keep the pushing plantation product in its 

 proper place, though in view of the fact that the manufacturer 

 must remain the final arbiter as regards demand and value, 

 the association can hardly exert any great influence commer- 

 cially. If wild rubber is being ousted from the markets through 

 no fault of its own, but merely by the wiles of designing com- 

 petitors, then the formation of the new association is called 

 for in the interests of commercial morality. Obita principiis is 

 a valuable maxim and granted the existence of the evil, no bet- 

 ter opportunity than the forthcoming exhibition could be seized, 

 in order to demonstrate to the public and the manufacturer 

 alike, that the wild rubl)er industry is by no means in a mori- 

 bund condition. 



After having had one of Warne's well-known crocodile to- 

 bacco pouches in use for a number of years, I decided the other 

 day to replace it by one with a cleaner 

 exterior. The intention matured at a 

 sul)url)an tobacconists where, after ask- 

 ing for a crocodile pouch, I went off with what I took to be 

 one. I did not examine my purchase closely at the time, and 

 was rather surprised to find next day that what I had got was 

 the cobra pouch (registered) made in Austria. I don't think 

 that there was any intention to mislead ; my impression is that 

 the woman knew very little about the various pouches in stock. 

 But, be that as it may, I am iiot airing a grievance and only 

 refer to the matter, because this Austrian product is the near- 



HED 

 POUCHES. 



est approach to a genuine Warne crocodile rubber that I have 

 come across in my experience. I can recall many trials which 

 have been made, here and there, to produce a pouch equal to 

 Warne's, but in my experience the result has always been un- 

 satisfactory from one cause or another. 



On the morning of January 31 a serious fire broke out at 

 the London premises of the Almagam, Limited, at 374 Euston 

 road, damage to the amount of several 

 thousand pounds being done. This 

 company was floated during the rub- 

 ber boom of last year to work a special process for retreading 

 motor tires, the principal mills being at Harpenden, where all 

 business in retreading will be carried on until the London prem- 

 ises have been put into order again. 



FIRE AT 

 A WORKS, 



AN AWARD FOR PLANTATION PARA RUBBER. 



POR the best samples of plantation Para rubber, shown at 

 *■ the International Rubber and Allied Trades Exhibition, 

 opening in London in June, the India Rubber Journal, London, 

 offers, as a prize a silver shield, value 100 guineas C$SOO). 



Entries, restricted to countries exhibiting at the exposition, 

 must be made to the Award Committee, International Rubber 



The Indi.\ RuiiUER Joukn.m, .Siiiiii.i). 



and Allied Trades Exhibition, 75 Chancery Lane, London, by 

 Monday night. May 1, letters postmarked May 1 will be accepted. 

 Exhibits, limited in number to three for each competitor, pro- 

 duced wholly on the property of and prepared for market by 

 the exhibitor, must not weigh less than ten poimds, and must 

 be in the hands of the Award Committee, Royal Agricultural 

 Hall, London, IV., carriage paid, not before June IS nor later 

 than June 20. They will constitute a special group, classified 

 as the India Rubber Journal Shield competition. 



