April i, iqio.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



247 



Some Rubber Interests in Europe. 



PROSPERITY OF THE INDUSTRY IN GERMANY. 



THE Continental Caoutchouc- und Guttapercha-Compagnie, 

 of Hanover, were again in a position to distribute a divi- 

 dend of 40 per cent. This favorable result has been at- 

 tained in spite of the extreme high prices for raw materials 

 which prevailed during a great part of the year. The call for 

 the recent annual meeting stated that a motion would be voted 

 upon to increase the capital of the company — already 6,000,000 

 marks — by 3.000,000 marks [=$714,000]. 



Owing to the satisfactory business for the last book year the 

 Hannoversche Gummi-Kamm Compagnie found themselves in a 

 position to declare a dividend of 25 per cent., against 22 per cent, 

 in the preceding year and 21 per cent, for the year 1907. 



The dividends of Hannoversche Aktien- Gummiwaren-Fabrik 

 are 6 per cent, on the preferred stock (the same as last year) and 

 6 per cent, on the ordinary, against 4 per cent, last year. The 

 share issue is 250.000 marks preferred and l.ioo.too marks ordi- 

 nary. 



The dividend of Vereinigten Berlin-Frankfurter Gummiwaren- 

 Fabriken, of Gross Lichterfelde, is 9 per cent, for the last busi- 

 ness year, compared with 7 per cent, for the year preceding. 



The firm of C. Midler — Gummiwaren-Fabrik, A.-G, in Berlin, 

 report a dividend of 9 per cent., against 8 per cent, last year. 



RIVALS IN THE BALLOON FABRIC INDUSTRY. 



The pending proposals for the reform of the French tariff 

 schedules involve an increase of the duty on rubber fabrics 

 for balloons, for instance, on which heretofore 200 francs per 

 kilogram [—18 cents per pound] have been paid, are in future 

 to be liable to a duty of double this amount. The Berlin 

 Gummi-Zeitung comments : 



"The reason for this increase in duty became apparent at the 

 last session of the [French] chamber of deputies. In reply to an 

 inquiry of Deputy Benazet, who asked why the ministry of war 

 has purchased the fabric for a balloon envelope from a German 

 concern, the representative of the government stated that the 

 fabric in question had not as yet been manufactured by any 

 French concern, but that there was reason to expect that it 

 would be possible to obtain it in the near future from French 

 manufacturers. It is evident, therefore, that French concerns 

 have recently been taking up the manufacture of balloon fabrics, 

 and that they now want to protect themselves against the impor- 

 tation of German makes. It would be exceedingly desirable to 

 see Germany succeed in preventing, if possible, this injury to her 

 balloon fabric industry. For this purpose it would be necessary 

 for the interested parties and the competent authorities to take 

 adequate measures." 



RUBBERIZED LEATHER IN BELGIUM. 



The Societe Franco-Beige de Tannage des Cuirs au Caoutchouc 

 (Franco-Belgian Rubber Tanned Leather Co.) has been or- 

 ganized at Brussels with a capital of 2,200,000 francs [=4424.600]. 

 This is participated in by the Rubber Tanned Leather Co., 

 Limited, registered in London last year with a capital of £250,000 

 [= $1,216,625]. Ah account of the processes and business in- 

 volved appeared in The India Rubber World July 1, 1009 (page 

 356). The invention upon which the whole is based was brought 

 to public notice first through the Rubberized Leather Co., 

 Limited, of Melbourne, Australia. 



SAMSON LEATHER TIRE COMPANY BANKRUPT. 



The French company, Pneumatiques-Cuir Samson, by a judg- 

 ment of the commercial court of the Seine, was declared to be in 

 a state of bankruptcy. The decree accorded to the company the 

 benefits of judicial liquidation, and named a provisional assignee. 

 This company's leather tread pneumatic tires had a considerable 



vogue a few years ago. The trade in America was conducted 

 by the Samson Leather Tire Co., who were exhibitors at the 

 leading automobile shows. 



TO UTILIZE THE EPINAT PROCESSES. 



The Societe des anonyme des Caoutchoucs Comprimes Epinat 

 (Epinat Processes Pressed Rubber Co.) is being formed at 

 Nevers, France, with offices at 4, Faubourg de Lyon — the location 

 of Monsieur Jean Epinat, described as a manufacturer and who 

 contributes to the company his patents and processes. The ob- 

 ject is stated to be the manufacture, purchase, sale and repairing 

 of rubber goods of all kinds. The capital is 136,000 francs 

 [= $25,090]. 



NORTH BRITISH RUBBER PROFITS. 



The accounts for the past business year of the North British 

 Rubber Co., Limited, show a balance at credit of profit and loss, 

 after writing off depreciation, of £53,471 19.?. 41/., which, with the 

 balance from 1908, makes the amount disposable £65,685 19-f. iorf. 

 In addition to the fixed dividend of 5 per cent, on preferred 

 shares the directors proposed a dividend of 5 per cent, on the 

 ordinary shares, making a total of £23,750 for dividends. The 

 debenture interest was £12,750, and, after making a liberal re- 

 serve, the carry over is £23,431 4.?. 8d._, against £12,204 os. 6d. 

 from the preceding year. During the later half of the year the 

 company's business was affected unfavorably by the unprece- 

 dented high price of crude rubber, and it is feared that this may 

 have a prejudicial effect on the coming year's working. 



THE "SILVERTOWN" COMPANY WIN AT LAW. 



An action in the King's Bench division, in London, during the 

 past month, was that of Ethelburga Syndicate, Limited, v. India- 

 Rubber, Gutta-Percha, and Telegraph Works Co.. Limited, for 

 damages for alleged breach of contract. The alleged contract 

 was for the building and laying of a cable between Colombia 

 and Jamaica [see The India Rubber World, March 1. 1908 — 

 page 182]. The defense was that while negonations were en- 

 tered into, there was never a concluded bargain between the par- 

 ties. His Lordship (Justice Lawrence) decided that there was 

 no evidence to go to the jury, and judgment would be for the 

 defendants. Counsel for plaintiffs intimated that the case would 

 be taken to the court of appeal. 



HUTCHINSON'S SIXTY YEARS OLD. 



The important French company, Etablissements Hutchinson, 

 incorporated as Compagnie Nationale du Caoutchouc Souple, 

 founded in 1850, are celebrating this year their sixtieth anniver- 

 sary. The house was founded by Hiram M. Hutchinson, who 

 had been interested in the industry in the United States, in view 

 of the then large exports of American footwear to Europe, and 

 was the first of the rubber factories established abroad by Amer- 

 ican interests. The Hutchinson company are the leading manu- 

 facturers of rubber footwear in France, besides which they have 

 worked up an important business in tires. They have also a 

 large factory in Germany, and sales bureaus in London and 

 other leading capitals in Europe. 



SYNTHETIC RUBBER IN COURT. 



One of the most recent proposals for the making of synthetic 

 rubber was aired in the London chancery court through an action 

 by Mr. Alfred Suart against Mr. Matthew Sinclair Stevenson, 

 Dr. Edwin J. Richardson, and the Consolidated Rubber Co., 

 Limited. The Consolidated company was planned for the work- 

 ing of the Heinemann process of making synthetic rubber, in 

 which the defendants Stevenson and Richardson were interested. 

 The basis of the action by Suart was his allegation that he had 

 undertaken to procure capital for the enterprise, under an agree- 

 ment entitling him to commissions. The agreement was dis- 



