Mav 1, 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



43; 



witli everyone he met. While his life was spent chiefly in the 

 West, he had many warm friends among the rubber men of 

 the East. 



SAMUEL HEILBUT. 



Samuel Ileilbut, member of tlie great Lniulcm rubber importing 

 house of Heilbut, Symons & Co., and for the last half century 

 prominent in rubber circles in England and the continent, died 

 in London on the morning of April 3. Mr. Heilbut was not 

 only one of the leading rubber importers of England, but he was 

 one of the few people who early saw the prospective productive- 

 ness of the Eastern plantations, and many years ago he became 

 an extensive shareholder in some of the plantations that later 

 proved very profitable. The firm of Heilbut. Symons & Co. 

 was established in London in 1849 and opened a branch in New 

 York in 1864. It has branch offices in Liverpool, HaTiiburg. Ant- 

 werp, Paris, Bordeau.x and in Para, Manaos. The two surviving 

 partners. Frederic C. Pusinelli and Hermann Keimers both hap- 

 pened to be in New York at the time of Mr. Heilbut's death. 

 Mr. Pusinelli immediately returned to London, while Mr. 

 Reimers sailed for Brazil to look after tlie company's interests 

 there. 



RESOLUTIONS ON THE DEATH OF GEORGE P. WHITMORE. 



The following resolution was adopted liy the E.xecutive Com- 

 mittee of the Rubber Club of America at a recent meeting : 



Whereas, Death has released from its earthly tenement the 

 spirit of our beloved former treasurer and felUiw-mcmber, 

 George P. Whitmore, we, the members of the Rubber Club of 

 .■\merica, in token of our deep grief, tender the following 

 resolutions : 



RESOLVED : That in the passing of George P. Whitmore, the 

 rubber trade and business world lose one whose record, clean, 

 consistent, unblemished, marked him as one to be respected and 

 chosen as a worthy example for those wdio follow ; w hose per- 

 sonality, pulsing WMth friendliness, charity and wholesome com- 

 mon sense, won for him the esteem and love of all who came in 

 touch with him. 



RESOLVED : That his memory, cherished as a beloved mem- 

 ber and a co-founder of the club, be often before us, and to that 

 end that these resolutions become a portion of the records of 

 the club. 



RESOLVED : That a copy of these resolutions, with the deep 

 sympathy of the club, be engrossed and sent to the loving com- 

 panion who shared the burdens and joys of his life for so many 

 years, and to the last comforted and strengthened him with 

 wifelv counsel and unremitting care. 



March 6, 1914. 



Committee on Resolutions : Elston E. Wadbrook, Chairman ; 

 Elisha S. Williams. L. Dewart Apsley. 



LATEST REPORT ON NAVY SPECIFICATIONS. 



MR. W. C. GEER. of Akron, the secretary of the Manufac- 

 turers" Sub-Committee on the revision of the rubber 

 specifications of the United States Navy Department, submits 

 the following report showing what has been done by the gen- 

 eral committee and the two sub-committees — one representing 

 the navy department and the other the rubber manufacturers — 

 appointed in December. 1911, to draw up a set of specifications 

 that should be at once satisfactory to the government depart- 

 ments and to the manufacturers of rubber goods used by the 

 departments. 



Mr. Geer has sent a copy of this report to the manufacturers 

 interested, and asks for their comments and criticisms, and par- 

 ticularly for suggestions as to any new points not yet discussed 

 by the members of the committees. His report is as follows : 



On December 15. 1911, a conference of rubber manufacturers 

 was called by the Navy Department, with a view to discussing 

 the specifications for rubber goods then in use by the Navy. 

 This conference was called as a result of more or less dissatis- 

 faction, which had been expressed by the manufacturers, over 

 the uncertainties and inconsistencies in the Navy specifications. 

 It was thought that by securing an expression of opinion from 

 the manufacturers themselves, some action tnight be taken by 

 the Navy Department, which would make it possible to eliminate 

 those parts of the siiecifications which were unsatisfactory either 

 to the manufacturers or to the Navy. 



In response to the Navy Department's invitation nearly forty 

 attended the conference, some of whom represented other de- 

 partments than the Navy, while the majority represented rubber 

 manufacturers. Naval Constructor E. S. Land, of the Bureau 

 of Construction and Repair, U. S. N., acted as Chairman of the 

 Committee. So many manufacturers were present, and so many 

 suggestions made as to the method of procedure, that it was 

 thought advisable to appoint a committee consisting of two sub- 

 committees, one to represent the rubber manufacturers and the 

 other the various Government departments. .After short, sepa- 

 rate conferences of the sub-committees, the Whole Committee 

 decided upon a l)lan of action involving a revision of the speci- 

 ikalions to provide for the elimination of the undesirable features, 

 while maintaining the high grade of material demanded by the 

 Government. The chief difference of opinion among those at 

 the conference centered around elimination from the specifica- 

 tions of all reference to grades of rubber and chemical composi- 

 tion, and the sulistitution therefor of such physical tests as would 

 insure the purchase of as high grade materials as those pur- 

 chased under the existing specifications. 



The members of the Manufacturers' Sub-Committee agreed 

 that they would, in a series of subsequent meetings, work out a 

 revision of the specifications which would embody the ideas 

 of the majority of the manufacturers represented. These should 

 be submitted to the Committee of the Whole for discussion and 

 adoption if the proposed changes should prove acceptable to the 

 (lOvernment departments. After two meetings it was found that 

 a fundamental difference of opinion existed among the manu- 

 facturers relative to the proposed changes. .Xccordingly. a re- 

 port was drafted consisting of a majority report favoring elim- 

 ination, and a minority report favoring retention of specifica- 

 tions respecting chemical composition of the rubber. This re- 

 ])ort also included a unanimous report in favor of the adoption 

 of standard testing methods and testing machines. 



The report was mailed to Chairman I-and. with the request 

 that it be considered by the Government Sub-Committee and 

 that the manufacturers be advised of the opinions of the Gov- 

 ernment departments with respect to the fundamental question 

 involved. The Government departments stood unanimously op- 

 posed to the elimination of chemical requirements, and sug- 

 gested that the manufacturers proceed to revise the specifications 

 only so that they might conform to the best commercial practice. 

 .\ccordingly. the Manufacturers' Sub-Committee in a series of 

 seven meetings, proceeded to redraft all of the Navy specifica- 

 tions. These meetings continued at intervals through the year 

 1912. 



Finally, in April. 1913. the chairman called a meeting of the 

 Committee of the Whole to discuss the specifications as revised. 

 The members of the Government Sub-Committee accepted as 

 satisfactory, and agreed to adojjt the revised specifications, with 

 slight changes, which were decided upon by both sub-committees 

 during the meeting. It was thought liest to continue the Com- 

 mittee of the Whole so that if further action were necessary 

 either in respect to the interpretations or revision of the speci- 

 fications already adopted, it could be taken without delay. 



Owing to the congested condition of the Government Printing 

 Office it was impossible to issue the revised uniform specifica- 

 tions immediately upon their adoption, but they w-ere issued 

 from time to time, commencing with July, 1913. .\n official 

 notification, countersigned by Chief Constructor R. .M. Watt, 

 Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair, dated January 

 24. 1914, was sent by Chairman Land to the Secretary of the 

 Manufacturers' Sub-Committee, announcing the adoption of the 

 revised specifications, as follows: 



"As a result of the conference of the Rubber Manufacturers 

 of the United States and representatives of the Government 

 departments in Washington, held in the Bureau of Construction 

 and Repair, Navy Department. Washington. D. C, December 

 \S. 1911, a revision of rubber specifications for the Navy De- 

 partment w-as undertaken, and the results of this revision were 

 promulgated by the Navy Dei)artnient in the form of revised 

 drafts of specifications, which were issued during the summer 

 of 1913. Each specification so revised bears a notation in the 

 'reference' at the end of the specifications showing that action 

 was taken by the 'Rubber Specifications Committee.' " 



Several matters are still pending with the Government which 

 will be taken up in the near future. Some of them now under 

 way are the following: 



1. The trying out of specifications not requiring chemical 



analysis (Air Hose, specifications 34-H-8). 



2. The development of commercial specitications not requiring 



so large a percentage of fine Para rubber, which will give 

 them a good, serviceable grade of packing for cold water 

 purposes. 



3. 01)taining from the Government half of the committee, an 



ofiicial definition of method of analysis, interpretation of 

 results, and other important matters, thus eliminating ex- 

 isting conditions involving possible differences of opinion. 



