70 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[Dei ember i, 1909. 



of which was confirmed by the British house of lords. 



Characteristic of Mr. du Cros was a passage in his address 

 at the last meeting of shareholders of the Tyre company (that 

 is the way they spell it in England) : "Another valuable asset 

 this company has is the board of directors, where there has 

 never baen a note of dissent — a board of directors who pursue 

 a settled policy ; it is continuous and that continuity is one 

 of the best assets that this company possesses." Mr. du Cros 

 could hardly have been expected to say so himself, but another 

 might very well have suggested that he is practically the author 

 of the company's policy, and the power which carries that policy 

 into execution. He did mention in his address, by the way, 

 his ownership of one-fifth of the share capital of the Tyre com- 

 pany, but he doubtless controls directly a much larger proportion. 



DUNLOP INTERESTS IN FRANCE. 



The separate company which since 1896 has controlled the 

 Dunlop tire interest in France — the Societe Franchise des Pneu- 

 matiques Dunlop — is to be liquidated, its business and undertaking 

 to be acquired by the Dunlop Rubber Co., Limited. The latter 

 company will issue "income stock" to the shareholders of the 

 French company at the rate of £2 for each £1 share now held, 

 windier preference or ordinary, a minimum income of 5 per 

 cent, being guaranteed. The trading profits of the French 

 company for the year ending July 31, 1909, including interest on 

 investments, amounted to £56,019 [=$272,616.46], which per- 

 mitted of dividends of 6 per cent, on the preference and 30 

 per cent, on the ordinary shares. 



The sale of the French company to the English company was 

 sanctioned at a special meeting of the shareholders of the for- 

 mer in London on November 7. The solidarity cf the Dunlop 

 interests is indicated by the fact that the managing director of 

 the French company is Arthur du Cros, j.p., m.p., son of Mr. • 

 Harvey du Cros. The capital of the French company is £159,807 

 [=$777,722.77]. 



The object of the change is to bring about certain economies 

 through consolidation; also to open the way for the introduction 

 into France of other Dunlop rubber products than tires. Under 

 the terms existing hitherto the Societe Frangaise des Pneu- 

 matiques Dunlop, Limited, had the sole right to trade in France 

 under the name "Dunlop," but by acquiring the good will of the 

 French company the parent company, in England, may trade in 

 France as freely as at home, especially since, by taking over a 

 factory in France, they will not be liable to customs charges on 

 whatever mechanical goods they may market in that country. 



THE DUNL0P3 AND THE W-IITZT.. 



The veteran cyclist. R. J. McCredy, who helped so much in 

 popularizing the pneumatic tire, and who is now editor of 

 The Motor News, of Dublin, wrote in his issue for November 13: 



"Everyone will be delighted to know that Mr. J. B. Dunlop and 

 his son (J. B. D., junior) will be amongst the diners at the 

 Pneumatic Tyre majority celebration banquet on the 19th inst. 

 Nothing could possibly be more appropriate than the presence 

 of the inventor of the tire and its first user, upon this historic 

 occasion. It was feared that Mr. Dunlop would not be able to 

 travel, because he is a delicate man, and a journey to London 

 in the depth of winter is a rather formidable undertaking for a 

 gentleman of his age and delicate health. However, he has de- 

 cided to travel over specially for the functions, and we think 

 that his presence upon the occasion will form the coping stone 

 to the work of the committee. Every one of the directors of 

 the original company will, therefore, be present to do honor 

 to the occasion, and incidentally to Mr. Harvey du Cros, the 

 present chairman of the company." 



DUNLOP BRIEFS. 



The Dunlop Rubber Co. (Far East), Limited, have opened 

 a branch in Singapore, at 7, Collyer quay, for the sale of tires 

 of every class, and other rubber goods. The manager is Mr. 

 Thomas Sibray, for many years with the Dunlop company in 



England. The company are reported to have an extensive trade 

 in the Malay peninsula. 



In these days of registration of trade marks generally, it is 

 rather odd that the Dunlop tire trade mark was not registered 

 in the United States until October of the present year. 



The promotion of the present Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co., 

 Limited, made Ernest Teralh Hooley famous, his profit from the 

 transaction having been commonly reported at $10,000,000, for 

 only two or three days' work. The most recent newspaper 

 mention of Mr. Hooley was in connection with the reported 

 purchase by Mrs. Hooley of an estate in Northamptonshire for 

 nearly £100,000. 



In connection with the invention of the pneumatic tire, one 

 of our British exchanges mentions that Air. H. Thomson Lyon, 

 chairman of the highways committee of the Westminster city 

 council, which forms part of the municipal government of Lon- 

 don to-day, is a son of Robert William Thomson, who patented 

 the first pneumatic tire in 1844, though his invention at that 

 time was termed an "aerial wheel." 



THE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. 



THE number of letters patent granted by the United States 

 ■*■ patent office during the year ended June 30, 1909, was 

 larger than in any preceding year, the number being 34,332. The 

 number of patents expiring during the year was 22,779, leaving 

 a' net increase in the number of effective patents of 11,553. The 

 total number of patents issued, from the establishment of the 

 office to June 30 last, was 926,719. The office has always been 

 self supporting, and the total of receipts over expenditures from 

 1836 until now is $7,060,547. The commissioner of patents is 

 desirous of having the government devote part of this surplus 

 to the erection of a new building better fitted for its purposes 

 than the present patent office. The commissioner reports con- 

 tinued improvement in the condition of affairs in the office, 

 permitting a better service to be rendered to applicants for 

 patents. Commissioner Moore has been designated to represent 

 the United States at a meeting in Switzerland next year of the 

 International Union for the Protection of Industrial Property, 

 to discuss agreements in respect to the reciprocal protection 

 of patents in different countries. It is a singular fact that in 

 6,763 cases where patents were ready for issue the same were 

 withheld on account of the non payment of final fees, although 

 six months are allowed for making such payments after the 

 inventor is informed that his application has been allowed. 



A MILLION DOLLARS FOR WRIGHTS. 



TNDER title of the Wright Co., the aeroplane business of 

 ^ Wilbur and Orville Wright has been incorporated under 

 the laws of New York, the papers having been filed on November 

 22. The capital, $1,000,000, has been paid in. The directorate, it 

 is announced, is to include Cornelius Vanderbilt, Howard Gould. 

 August Belmont, Allan A. Ryan, Theodore P. Shouts, Morton 

 F. Plant, Edward J. Berwind, Andrew Freedman, Robert J. 

 Collier — all New York men of affairs — and Russell J. Alger, of 

 Detroit. One of the Wright brothers, it is stated, will be presi- 

 dent, and the other vice-president. The Wrights will give their 

 personal attention hereafter to the aeroplane factory already 

 erected by them at Dayton, Ohio. The company have opened 

 offices in New York and are prepared to accept orders for ma- 

 chines. An important object of the new company is the protec- 

 tion of the Wright patents in the United States and Canada, 

 for which work some noted attorneys have been retained. A 

 dinner in honor of the Messrs. Wright, in New York, on the 

 evening of November 23, was largely attended by enthusiasts 

 in aviation from all over the country. 



Other details regarding the development of aeronautics will 

 be fi und elsewhere in these pages. 



