April 1, 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



381 



Some Rubber Interests in Europe. 



BRAZILIAN COMMEaClAL MUSEUM IN FABIS. 



THE new Brazilian Commercial Museum, lately opened in 

 Paris, is situated in the center o£ the city, at 101 rue Saint- 

 Honore, within a stone's throw o£ the Louvre and the 

 Tuileries gardens. It is located on the premises of the Brazilian 

 Information Bureau. In the exhibits the various sections of the 

 natural wealth of Brazil are included — such as coffee, rubber, 

 mate, sugar, cocoa and cotton. 



Rubber, as occupying the second place among Brazilian ex- 

 ports, is fully represented by samples of the product in the form 

 of biscuits and balls. The exhibit comprises the principal 

 varieties of rubber known in Brazil, as well as slips for planting 

 purposes. A collection of photographs illustrates all the steps in 

 gathering rubber. 



Dr. l>elfim Carlos B. da Silva, aided by an efficient staff, has 

 the direction of the new museum. A circular shows the rise 

 of Brazilian rubber exports from 31,717 tons in 1903 to 42,280 

 tons in 1912. 



NEW FRENCH FROTH RUUBER CO. 



A company has been formed in Paris to work the Pfleumer 

 patent for the manufacture of "Caoutchouc Mousse" (froth 

 rubber), from rubber, gutta percha and baluta, vulcanized by heat. 

 1 he capital equals $1,200,000. 



FRENCH COLONIAL EXHIBITION IN 1916. 



It is proposed to hold an exhibition at Marseilles in 1916 

 representing French colonial interests. The prominent officials 

 are ; M. Loisy, director of the cabinet of the French Colonial 

 .Ministry and M. Jacques Marlio, his assistant. 



BORDEAUX RUBBER MARKET IN 1913. 



Bordeaux rubber imports fell from 1,365 tons in 1912 to 914 

 tons in 1913, the reduction being caused by the fall in prices 

 which led to many importers ceasing operations at the sources of 

 supply. It will require an improved range of values in Europe 

 to revive trade with French Africa. The rubber passing through 

 the Bordeaux market in 1913 did not display any improvement in 

 quality, there being, moreover, a lack of uniformity. The imports 

 of balata, however, showed an increase from 8 tons to 75 tons' 

 prices having been relatively high and steady. 



HOT AIR VULCANIZER INVENTED BY MR. BOBET. 



In the February issue of The India Rubber World there 

 was an illustrated description of a new hot air vulcanizer being 

 used quite extensively in repair shops in France. This apparatus 

 is the invention of Mr. Rene Bobet, a frequent contributor to 

 these columns. 



LARGE PROFITS OF BEBGOUGNAN COMPANY. 



The net profits made by the Bergougnan concern, of Clermont- 

 Ferrand (France), for 1913 equal over $1,000,000. Of this 

 amount $100,(XX) has gone to a special reserve fund, to provide 

 against fluctuations in the price of rubber. 



BOTANICAL SERVICE IN TUNIS. 



A botanical service has been officially established in Tunis to 

 be carried on under the direction and control of the French 

 Director General of Agriculture. Its objects will include the 

 study and propagation of plants and trees of interest to the 

 inhabitants of Tunis. 



PIRELLI & CO.S NEW SPANISH FACTORIES. 



Messrs. Pirelli & Co., of Milan, have acquired a large site 

 adjoining their Spanish branch electric cable works at Villa- 

 nueva y Giltru. Two large buildings are being erected, with 

 a total floor space of about 60,000 square feet. One of these is 



intended for the production of rubber goods, and the other for 

 making telephone cables. 



NEW BOHEMIAN RUBBER GOODS FACTORY. 



Under the style of Maximilian Rest, a limited company has been 

 registered at Bodenbach, Bohemia, for the production and sale of 

 elastic rubber goods, braces and bandages. 



MIOKELINS FORM BELGIAN COMPANY. 



A company styled "La Societe Beige du Pneumatique 

 .Michelin' has been formed, with a capital equaling $60,(XX), at 

 St.-Josse-ten-Noode, near Brussels. 



INCREASED DANISH IMPORTS OF TIRES. 



The total q\iantities of pneumatic tires, covers and tubes im- 

 ported by Denmark were: 1910, 365 tons; 1911, 404 tons; 1912, 

 461 tons. 



NEW HUNGARIAN AIRSHIP FACTORY. 



The Danubius factory and the Manfred Weiss Co., both 

 of Budapest, have combined in erecting a new airship plant. 

 Orders for 18 airships have been received from the Austrian 

 government. 



GOOD DIVIDEND OF AUSTRIAN RUBBER FACTORY. 

 At the recent general meeting at Vienna of the Ungarische 

 Gummifabrik (Hungarian Rubber Factory) a dividend was 

 declared of 16;/^ per cent., being at the same rate as in the 

 previous year. 



MEIZELER & CO. OPEN VIENNA BRANCH. 



An Austrian company has been registered for the manufacture 

 and sale of rubber goods by Metzeler & Co., Munich, in the name 

 of their Vienna branch. The capital equals $700,000. 



MR. HARNESS JOINS PROWODNIK FORCES. 



Albert Harness, formerly Manchester district manager for the 

 Continental Tire & Rubber Co., is reported to have severed his 

 connection with that company, to take a position with the Rus- 

 sian firm of Prowodniks, of Riga, being appointed managing 

 director of the Indian Columb Tire Co., Calcutta. 



EUROPEAN STATISTICS OF CRUDE RUBBER, 



England. — Imports for 1913 amounted to 55,270 tons, and 

 deliveries to 52,854 tons. Stock on December 31, 1913, was 5,985 

 tons. 



For the month of January, 1914, imports into London of 

 plantation rubber were 3,911 tons, and deliveries 3,384 tons; de- 

 mand thus evidently keeping pace with supply. The respective 

 quantities for January, 1913, were 1,337 and 1,280 tons, the 

 plantation rubber business having thus apparently grown three- 

 fold during the year. 



During January, 1914, Liverpool imported 1,304 tons of rubber, 

 and delivered 1,644 tons, in comparison with 1,578 and 1,793 

 tons in January, 1913. 



France. — Imports for 11 months ending November were: 

 1912, 20,905 tons; 1913, 19,338 tons. Exports for that period 

 were respectively, 14,966 and 13,999 tons. 



Germany. — For the twelve months of 1913 imports represented 

 20,497 tons, and exports 3,972 tons, against 20,586 and 4,943 in 

 1912. 



Out of a total of 469 splash-guards recently submitted, the 

 municipality of Paris has not been able to select any style which 

 is fully efifective, altho several were designated as promising, 

 fairly useful, durable and cheap, and the prefect of police has 

 been called upon to make the use of the splash-guard obligatory. 



