June 1, 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



509 



convenient place, as those who attend this exhibit may properly 

 be divided into two classes — those in search of the conference 

 room and those in search of the club room — and both will find 

 our booth directly on the way. 



THE UNITED STATES RUBBER RECL.MMING EXHIBIT. 

 -•Kmong the notable American exhibits must be mentioned that 

 of the United States Rubber Reclaiming Co., of New York. 

 This company has taken ample space and will give a remarkable 

 exhibit of the reclaiming industry as it is carried on in this 

 country. Samples of reclaimed rubber adaptable to every branch 

 of the rubber industry will be shown, and in order to demon- 

 strate the working characteristics of this class of rubber mills 

 will be in operation. The English manufacturer will undoubted- 

 ly be much interested in seeing reclaimed rubber sheeted in any 

 degree of thickness from one-half inch to the very thinnest tissue 

 without the addition of any crude rubber or mineral ingredients. 

 Moreover, there will be apparatus in operation for the testing of 

 rubber chemically, physically and electrically. Some of these 

 machines have never l)cfore been seen on the other side. There 

 will also be samples of almost every form of goods (boots, shoes, 

 clothing, tires, wires, etc.) in which reclaimed rubber can be 

 advantageously used. Mr. L. J. Plumb, who has spent many 

 years in the study of vulcanization and devulcanization, will be 

 in general charge of this exhibit and will be able to give in- 

 quirers all possible information. 



THE RUBBER GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. 

 The Rubber Growers' Association, of London, invites Ameri- 

 can visitors to call at its booth and register their London ad- 

 dresses so that they may be included in the general arrangements 

 for the hospitality which this association will extend to visitors 

 during the exhibitii>n. and the association expresses the desire 

 to be of any service whatever to rubber men in London at that 

 time. 



ALDENS StICCESSOES, LIMITED. 



A new company, .Mden's Successors, Limited, has been estab- 

 lished at 24 and 25 Great Tower Street, London, to carry on 

 business as rubber importers and merchants in London and Liv- 

 erpool, and has acquired the whole of the shares in A. H. Alden 

 & Co., Limited. The company has also acquired an interest, to 

 the extent of 75 per cent, of the shares, in Adelbert H. -Mden. 

 Limited, of Para and Manaos. The company has an authorized 

 capital of £100.000. of which £60,000 has been issued and is fully 

 paid up in cash. Wm. H. Hildreth, E. Stevenson (directors of 

 A. H. Alden & Co., Limited) and R. Bolten, manager of the 

 rubber department of Bunge & Co., London, will be joint manag- 

 ing directors of the organization. 



EESULTS OF GERMAN RUBBER MANUrACTURING COMPANIES. 



A Statistical return shows that of 29 German rubber com- 

 panies with a total nominal capital equaling $17,300,000, 17 are 

 either paying no dividends or are in liquidation. The accounts 

 for 1913 being in many cases still open, the rates paid in 1912 

 will serve for comparison. 



Of the twelve more prosperous companies, the Continental 

 takes the lead with 45 per cent, for the three last years. Ph. 

 Penin 25 per cent, for 1912; Excelsior 25 per cent, for 1910, 

 1911 and 1912, and 18 per cent, for 1913; Miinden-Hildesheim 

 and Mannheimer each 10 per cent. The other seven range 

 from 4 per cent, to 7 per cent. 



The limited profits in some cases are attributed to the heavy 

 expense of installing machinery and molds for the manufacture 

 of automobile tires. This last-named article, moreover, has been 

 the object of keen competition between French and German 

 makers, while business was likewise affected by the fluctuations 

 in the rubber market. 



COMMERCIAI. ORGANIZATIONS IN GERMANY. 



.•\ccording to a bulletin lately issued by the I'.ureau of Foreign- 

 and Domestic Commerce at Washington, Germany has two dis- 

 tinct classes of trade organizations. Federal legislation deals 

 with the trade and commerce of the empire regarding specific 

 industries, while the chambers of commerce are regulated by the 

 various states, differing considerably in functions, authority and 

 constitution. There arc more than 150 chambers of commerce 

 in Germany, 90 of which are in Prussia, 8 in Bavaria, 8 in 

 Wurtemburg, 9 in Baden, 8 in Saxony, 7 in Hesse, 7 in Alsace- 

 Lorraine, and the remainder in other parts of the empire. 



Besides the organizations including all the business men of 

 a district, there is the chamber of commerce in the stricter sense 

 of the word, resembling a board of directors. Of the cham- 

 bers of commerce 33 have their own buildings. 



ALLEGED POISONING AT RUSSIAK RUBBER FACTORY. 



.Attention has been aroused in Europe by the illness which 

 recently attacked the workers of the "Trougolnik" rubber fac- 

 tory of St. Petersburg, which was at first attributed to inferiority 

 in the benzine used or to changes in the varnish employed. Those 

 hypotheses were found to be groundless, as no change had been 

 made for years in the benzine, nor in the mode of using it. 1 he 

 "Trougolnik" company has called attention in the European press 

 to the fact that the sickness first appeared at the 'Prowodnik" 

 works, Riga, and later in the Trcugolnik factory at St. Peters- 

 burg. A few days afterwards it broke out at some ten other 

 plants in various lines. 



For the investigation of the origin of this illness a special com- 

 nittee of doctors was appointed, who at first were of the opinion 

 that it arose from the inhalation of benzine, but when it was 

 taken into consideration that cases had occurred in factories 

 where no benzine was used they arrived at the conclusion that it 

 was of a nervous character. 



In reviewing the question Dr. Fritz Frank and Dr. Edward 

 Marckwald of Berlin, express the opinion that while the illness 

 took the form of fainting and suffocation, such attacks could not 

 have been caused by benzine, particularly if the needful pre- 

 cautions had been taken for ventilation and for the absorption 

 of the gases. A final verdict depends on the result of further 

 investigations. 



FRENCH IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF RUBBER MANUFACTURES. 



Statistics for 1913 show French imports in belting, hose, valves 

 and other mechanical goods of rubber combined, or not, with 

 fabrics or other materials, to have been 1,314 tons, value equal to 

 $2,365,000. French exports under the same classification were 

 1.509 tons, value $2,935,000. 



Imports of rubber thread (vulcanized) in 1913 were 197 tons, 

 value $786,800. 



Imports of elastic fabrics in 1913 were 90 tons, value $398,200, 

 exports being 144 tons, value $587,200. 



Imports of piece goods in 1913 w-ere 56 tons, value $146,200, 

 and exports 35 tons, value $90,600. 



Imports of dress shields for 1913 were 21 tons, value $100,800. 



Imports of braces, garters and hose supporters for 1913 were 6 

 tons, value $32,600. 



Imports of card clothing for 1913 were 26 tons, value $52,400, 

 exports being 3-}4 tons, value $7,800. 



Imports of rubberized clothing for 1913 were 34 tons, value 

 $150,400, exports being 84 tons, value $394,200. 



Imports of rubber footwear for 1913 were 153 tons, value 

 $245,200, exports being 66 tons, value $100,400. 



Imports of tires for 1913 were 1,310 tons, value $4,976,800, 

 exports being 4,993 tons, value $17,826,000. 



The Hackethal Wire Co., Hanover, has declared a dividend 

 of 16 per cent, for 1913, as compared with 14 per cent, for 1912. 



