September 1, 1911. 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



463 



In another case a fire occurred under a large bench 

 forty feet in length, underneath which were a few 

 paints and oils, and oily waste or rags (as well as 

 probably some dirty overalls). Fifteen sprinklers 

 opened and held the fire entirely under the bench. 



LOOKING AHEAD. 



AFTER conference with the managers of selling 

 branches in all parts of the country, the presi- 

 dent of one of the leading motor car manufacturing and 

 vending combinations in the United States, expresses 

 his opinion that next year's demand for automobiles 

 will require the manufacture of not less than 210,000 

 power vehicles, for pleasure and light business pur- 

 poses, apart from motor trucks, and that 60 per cent, 

 of these vehicles will be for utility purposes, with a 

 distinct advance in the number of lower priced cars 

 sold for business and pleasure uses. 



This — unless some genius comes to the front with a 

 practical substitute — means a material increase in the 

 demand for the hitherto indispensable rubber tire. 



That the manufacturers propose to be prepared to 

 meet it, will be apparent from the frequent reports in 

 the columns of the India Rubber World, of extensive 

 additions to their producing facilities, made by the 

 leading tire manufacturers. 



For this important branch of the rubber manufac- 

 turing trade, future prospects, for some time to come, 

 may therefore be regarded as satisfactory — provided 

 the figure on which this prognosis is based, is reason- 

 ablv near the mark. 



turing corporation in New England, not exactly in the 

 rubber line, but at least in the rubber territory, re- 

 cently gave its employes a fine oiling. It devoted a 

 full day to it. It employs 500 people. These were 

 gathered together, along with the wives and children 

 of the family men — making a regiment of 1,400 souls — 

 put on board a commodious steamer, given a delightful 

 sail with orchestral accompaniment, landed at a cheery 

 resort of many attractions, and supplied with coupons 

 covering them all. A local restaurateur of repute was 

 given carte blanche to load them to the gunwales with 

 all the delicacies of the seashore. Afterwards, armed 

 with their coupons, before which all gates parted and 

 all doors opened wide, they shot the chutes, careened 

 around the scenic railway, roller-coasted, watched the 

 diving belles and pirouetted over waxed floors until 

 human capacity could ask for no more. 



Later in the day they were deposited as near their 

 own doors as the trolley could take them — fatigued, 

 but full of a great joy and oiled up for many days and 

 weeks of cheerful toil. That was a good piece of lubri- 

 cation. It cost probably $4,000, perhaps more, but 

 think of the wear and tear it prevented. At any rate, 

 these particular manufacturers must believe that it 

 pays, for they have been doing this same thing for 

 thirty years. 



This shows one good way of keeping the human 

 machine running smoothly and eflfectively. There are 

 plenty of others, and all are in the line of added effi- 

 ciency. 



THE COST OF ISOPRENE. 



EFFICIENCY AND OIL. 



♦TiHE efficiency expert is abroad in the land. He 

 •*• tells how to turn out 100 feet of hose where one 

 is now turning out only 90 feet. Some of his rules 

 are interesting, some highly ingenious, and some 

 actually work. But here is one he has so far missed — 

 oil the help. 



A rubber factory of the first grade uses from 7,000 

 to 10,000 gallons of lubricating oil a year. That runs 

 into dollars, but nobody begrudges a penny of it. It 

 is the best investment in the shop, for what sort of 

 work would a machine do without oil? 



It is the same exactly with the human machine. If 

 it is to run smoothly, turning out good work day after 

 day without squeaking at the axles, oil it. A manufac- 



A LTHOUGH isoprene is only an intermediate 

 ■** product, in the manufacture of synthetic rubber, 

 its actual cost is one of the most essential factors in 

 any calculation bearing upon the subject. 



This aspect of the case has not been overlooked by 

 leading chemists. Some time ago Professor (now Sir 

 William) Tilden, Dean of the Royal College of Sci- 

 ence, London, called attention to the fact that the yield 

 of isoprene from turpentine is very small, probably 

 not exceeding 10 per cent., under favorable conditions. 

 In his experiments it had been less than that rate. 

 His researches as to synthetic rubber, going as far back 

 as 1882, add weight to his statements. 



Upon the basis of a calculation made at the time, 

 and taking for a starting point the present New York 

 price of 56 cents per gallon of Vyi pounds (exactly 7.47 



