96 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[November 1, 1913. 



weighing up to 7 or 8 tons, clown to flexible trailing cables for 

 coal cutters, being seen in various stages of manufacture. A 

 comprehensive display of accessories for suspending, cleating 

 and jointing mining cables also attracted much attention. 



A demonstration was given of the fire-resisting cables, these 

 being braided with asbestos and specially prepared yarns. Be- 

 sides vulcanized rubber, paper and bitumen are now largely 

 used, the last particularly for mining cables. The raw bitumen 

 is cut up and mixed in large rolling machines with the various 

 ingredients necesssary to make it into a suitable compound for 

 applying to the cable. This compound is then further masticated 

 and applied to the stranded cable by means of forcing machines. 

 All cables are immersed in water tanks for a considerable period 

 to prove their immunity from faults or slight meclianical de- 

 fects. For lead-covered cables a more drastic test is applied, the 

 firm having patented a special tank in which hydraulic pressure 

 is applied to the cables at 100 lbs. per square inch. The only 

 rubber mentioned to the visitors as being used for insulation was 

 fine hard Para, a statement which would probably not be too 

 pleasing to holders of plantation shares. 



LEGAL CASE. 



In a recent criminal case at Manchester involving the purloin- 

 ing of washed and masticated rubber from Messrs. Moseley's 

 works, a passage of arms took place between the solicitor for the 

 defendants and ]\Ir. Blick, the successor of the late Mr. Blund- 

 stone as manager of the Messrs. Moseley's works. The solicitor 

 asserted that the rubber in question could not be identified as 

 having come from one particular works, while Mr. Blick said 

 he had no doubt whatever that it was his firm's rubber, tho 

 when pressed on certain points of detail he said he was not there 

 either to educate solicitors or to enlighten the trade generally on 

 knowledge he had acquired during his extended experience. His 

 identification was complete both because of the black streaks in 

 the rubber due to the outer skin having been left on in this par- 

 ticular case, and also by the width of the pieces of washed rubber 

 being exactly the width of the machines used by his firm. Fur- 

 ther, the marks of corrugation had the same pitch as those given 

 by his firm's machines, which machines were made by the Messrs. 

 Moseley themselves. It was not usual in the trade to leave the 

 skins on in the washed rubber, tho they did it in this particular 

 case. On being shown another piece of washed rubber with black 

 streaks in it the witness would not agree that it was similar to his 

 firm's, the end of further questioning being a remark by the sti- 

 pendiary magistrate that the court had to accept what the witness 

 said as an expert. He, the magistrate, did not know much about 

 rubber. In this case one may remark in passing that the magis- 

 trate was m the rather unusual position of listening to expert 

 evidence on one side only. When the High Court judges have to 

 deal with rubber, they usually find experts who totally disagree 

 with each other. The prisoners in the case were duly convicted. 

 The rubber in question, I may say, in conclusion, changed hands 

 more than once. It was first sold at 2s. per lb., resold by the buyer 

 at 3s. Sd., the last purchaser selling at 3s. lOd. 



EUROPEAN KUBBEE MANUFACTTTRING VERY DITLL. 



A prominent member of the European rubber trade states, in 

 a letter just received, that he has recently made an extensive 

 tour among the rubber manufacturers of Europe and finds the 

 universal complaint of poor business. He mentions one manu- 

 facturing concern in Germany which has just discharged 1,700 

 workmen, another factory in the same town having discharged 

 800 workmen, while the plants that are running are, as a gen- 

 eral thing, operating only on half time. The manufacturers at- 

 tribute this condition to the drop in rubber prices caused by the 

 over-production of plantation rubber, but our correspondent does 

 not believe this to be the true cause. He attributes the poor bus- 

 iness simply to the reduced consumption. 



CHANGE IN BELGItJM'S TARIFF ON RUBBER TIRES. 



In accordance with a Royal decree, the ad valorem duty on 

 rubber tires imported into Belgium will be replaced by a specific 

 duty in accordance with Article 4 of the law of June 16, 1905. 

 The new schedules will be as follows : 



Per 100 Kilos 

 (220.4 Lbs.) 

 Rubber tires for the wheels of vehicles, including those 

 into which other material enters but in which 

 rubber predominates, according to weight — solid 



tires 65 francs 



($12.54) 

 Pneum.\tic Tires. 

 Shoes for automobiles and motorcycles, with iron- 

 studded protective tread 130 francs 



($25.09) 



Other kinds 116 francs 



($22 38) 

 Outer tires for other vehicles of less weight than 21.16 



pounds 90 francs 



($17.37) 



Above 21.16 pounds 60 francs 



($11.58) 

 Note. — Separate parts of outer tires (tread reinforcements, 

 protective bands, etc.) consisting chiefly of rubber, dutiable the 

 same as complete outer tires. 



Inner Tubes. 



For automobiles and motorcycles 170 francs 



$32.81) 

 For other vehicles (including complete pneumatics 

 known as "boyaux," or tires for racing wheels, con- 

 sisting of an outer protective shoe and an inner air- 

 tube) 150 francs 



($28.95) 



SWEDISH RUBBER SHOES FOR AMERICA. 



An official report from United States Consul General 

 Ernest L. Harris of Stockholm, Sweden, states that the nine 

 rubber factories in that country employ 1,525 hands, and pro- 

 duce goods to the value of about $2,500,000 a year. Stock- 

 holm exports to the United States included rubber shoes to 

 the value of $80,922 in 1911 and $137,057 in 1912. These are 

 undoubtedly old shoes intended for the reclaimers. 



SALES ASSOCIATION FOR GERMAN INSULATED WIRE MANUFAC- 

 TURERS. 



The German manufacturers of insulated wires have com- 

 bined in the formation of an association under company 

 rules and regulations for the sale of their product, this 

 association to make all sales, on common account, for its 

 members, who are to be allowed a suitable profit. These 

 manufacturers about a year ago formed an association for 

 price regulation — of which this new company idea is prob- 

 ably the natural outgrowth. Prices are said to have shown 

 no particular change. Telephone and telegraph wires are 

 not to be included in the sales to be made by the new 

 association. 



INCREASE IN PROWODNIK CAPITAL STOCK. 



The Prowodnik Caoutchouc Co., of Riga. Russia, manu- 

 facturing the Prowodnik tire, is reported to be enjoying a 

 very satisfactory business, and to have paid for the last four 

 years annual dividends of 12 per cent. This company has 

 recently increased its capitalization to 12,000,000 roubles 

 ($6.000.000") , this being 3.000.000 roubles ($1,500,000) in excess 

 of its former capital. One-half of the receipts from the sale 

 of this additional capital stock — sold at 100 above par — has 

 been added to the company's reserve fund, the other half 

 to be devoted to the general working capital. 



