74 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



L December i, 1909. 



Gummiwaren-Fabriken, at Gross-Liciiterfelde, near Berlin. This 

 gentleman is Mr. Emil Spannagel, of whom a sketch appeared 

 in The India Rubber World March 1. 1906 (page 186.). On his 

 right is the technical manager of the company, Herr Kroedel, 

 and they are supposed to be "celebrating the record price of 

 Para at gs. 2d." The specimen of rubber shown, weighing over 

 150 kilograms, represented a value of over $750. This rubber is 

 especially prepared for the Berlin-Frankfurter company in the 

 upper Amazon region, for their use in the manufacture of cer- 

 tain of their specialties, including the famous "Veritas" billiard 

 table cushions. The lettering on the ball of rubber includes the 

 trade mark of the producer, and the initials of Mr. Spannagel's 

 company. 



The premises long occupied by the Berlin-Frankfurter com- 

 pany at 70-71 Muhlenstrasse, Berlin, and which they vacated for 

 the purpose of finding more room in Gross-Lichterfelde, have 

 been leased for a long term to Actiengesellschaft Metzeler & 

 Co., of Munich, who intend to erect an asbestos weaving and 

 spinning mill on the property, and to the Chemische Fabrik 

 G. Meyer, Jr., of Einbeck. 



THE HARD RUBBER INDUSTRY IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



The liquidation of the Scottish Vulcanite Co., Limited (Edin- 

 burgh, Scotland), under a resolution of the shareholders dated 

 September 12, 1907, has now been practically completed. The 

 various properties involved are to be taken over by a new com- 

 pany with the same name, of which the managing director will 

 be Robert B. Black, long and extensively known in the British 

 rubber industry. The history of the Scottish Vulcanite Co., 

 Limited, which, by the way, was formed by Americans and at the 

 beginning sustained close relations with the North British Rub- 

 ber Co., Limited, was given in some detail in The India Rubber 

 World December I, 1907 (page 75). On the whole, the company 

 had a profitable experience. The net profits for 34 years are 

 stated to have averaged 13 per cent, on the share capital em- 

 ployed, which varied from £25,000 to £70,800. The new com- 

 pany are starting with £50,000 [=$243,325] capital, in ordinary 

 shares of £1, of which 40,000 have been offered for subscription. 

 Mr. Black, who has been mentioned, was connected for a number 

 of years with The Clyde Rubber Works Co., Limited (Glasgow, 

 Scotland), of which he was secretary as early as 1886. He 

 left this connection in 1897 to found The Rubber Co. of Scot- 

 land, Limited (Stirling), of which he was managing director. 

 Since the closing of the Scottish Vulvanite works there has 

 not been in Great Britain any factory devoted exclusively to the 

 hard rubber industry. Mr. Black is convinced, however, that the 

 demand for hard rubber justifies the restarting of the works, 

 and that the former customers show a disposition to revive 

 their patronage. The ground, buildings, and machinery are 

 valued at £63,328 and the whole property has been kept in good 

 order. As in the past, the manufacture of celluloid will be 

 carried on in connection with hard rubber goods. 



GERMAN RUBBER MANUFACTURERS IN SESSION. 

 [FROM THE "GUMMI-ZEITUNG," NOVEMBER 5.] 



A meeting of the German rubber manufacturers was held to- 

 day at the Hotel Kaiserhof, in Berlin, a large number being 

 present. The principal purpose of the meeting was to consider 

 the precarious condition of the crude rubber market, a fact well 

 known in trade circles. 



The exceptionally large advance in the price of crude rubber, 

 compelling manufacturers to agree on a general advance in their 

 prices, has in the meanwhile become even more pronounced. 

 Further advances in the prices of some of the principal manu- 

 factured products are declared to be necessary, considering the 

 state of the crude rubber market, and it is the consensus of opin- 

 ion of . the assembled manufacturers that further advances 

 must be made in the prices of all rubber goods. 



Dr. Voss, the commercial expert of the German consulate 

 general in Rio de Janeiro, and Mr. D. Sandman, member of the 



Berlin Chamber of Commerce, gave a detailed exposition of crude 

 rubber production and the condition of the rubber plantations. 

 Close attention was paid to their remarks, and these gentle- 

 men received a vote of thanks from the meeting. 



THE GERMAN BALLOON FABRIC INDUSTRY. 



The Vereinigte Gummiwaren-Fabriken, Harburg-Wien, men- 

 tioned in The India Rubber World, September I, 1909 

 (page 427) as prominent exhibitors of rubber baloon stuffs at 

 the recent exhibition at Frankfort o/M., supply this paper 

 with some further information in this connection. They have 

 made balloons for several years at their factory in Wim- 

 passing. Austria, besides which they have made at their 

 factory at Marburg a/d Elbe the following balloons: 



Alfa 1260 cu. meters [=39,458 cu. feet]. 



Hansea 945 cu. meters [=29,594 cu. feet . 



Barmen 1680 cu. meters [=52,611 cu. feet]. 



Sleipner ... 945 cu. meters [=129,594 cu. feet]. 



Use 600 cu. meters [=18,790 cu. feet . 



Harburg 1260 cu. meters [=39,458 cu. feet . 



Besides, the Harburg-Vienna company mention having 

 constructed the hull of a motor air ship lately completed at 

 Elberfeld, and shortly to make a trial trip. 



The Continental Caoutchouc- und Guttapercha-Compagnie, 

 of Hanover, are supplying the balloon sheeting for the aero- 

 planes in course of construction at Pau, France, for the 

 Wright brothers. 



DEATH OF GUSTAV HEYSE. 



On October 1/14 Mr. Gustav Heyse, manager of the Russian- 

 American India-Rubber Co. "Treugolnik," peacefully departed 

 this life in St. Petersburg, after a brief illness. Mr. Heyse had 

 been connected with the company since its organization, in i860, 

 and held the office of general manager of the works 47 years. 

 The title of Manufakturrat was conferred upon him by the 

 government in recognition of his beneficial efforts. As a mem- 

 ber of the board of directors of various other large enterprises, 

 Mr. Heyse was highly appreciated by all his associates as a busi- 

 ness man of wide experience. In his intercourse with the factory 

 hands under his charge, he always showed a kindly spirit, and 

 they are indebted to his loving care for many humanitarian in- 

 novations. We have lost in him a man of rare kindness of heart 

 and great ability, and his death is mourned as a serious loss 

 by all who knew him. — Gummi-Zeitung. 



Rubber Sample Room, Weise & Co., Rotterdam. 



[The establishment from the interior of which this view has been ob- 

 tained was described in The India Rubber World, December i, 1909 — 

 page 90.] 



