180 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[January 1, 1912. 



RUBBER 

 RE-FORMING. 



easily be added to if the demand increased, while it would not 

 be at all an easy thing to find another carbonate producer or, at 

 any rate, another one like the big Northumbrian mine, which 

 turns out about 8,000 to 10,000 tons per annum of high quality 

 carbonate. For the manufacture of barium compound, it is easy 

 to understand the advantage of material soluble in acid, but as 

 far as the rubber trade is concerned, I don't quite see what ad- 

 vantage is to be gained by using tlie higher priced carbonate 

 where plenty of the sulphate is obtainable. 



The premature death of Sir Charles Lawes-Wittewronge, 

 Bart, lias led to changes in the Millwall Rubber Co. Sir Charles 

 was practically the sole shareholder and 

 had spent or advanced altogether about 

 £53,000, C25,0O0 of this being repre- 

 sented by a debenture. It is understood that prolit would shortly 

 have been made, but up to the present the money has mostly been 

 spent in an extensive series of experiments with the Roux and 

 Karavodigne re-forming patents, which had become the property 

 of the company, and were being perfected under the control of a 

 Frenchman. 



According to the latest reports, the stafY have had official notice 

 of termination of contracts, but the business is being carried on 

 as usual by the receiver on behalf of the executors, who have 

 not yet had time to settle definitely what will be done in the 

 future. It is, however, considered that the business is too good 

 to be abandoned. 



The New Southern Rubber Co., Ltd., has gone into bank- 

 ruptcy, with liabilities of i2,253, and no assets. This company, 

 whose works are near London, was only formed a few months 

 ago to take over a former concern of much the same title. The 

 business carried on was rubber reforming under a license 

 granted by the Simplex Rubber Co., the owners of Care's patents. 

 The Hazel Grove Rubber Co.. Ltd., which was formed some 

 months ago to take over Care's works at Hazel Grove, near 

 Stockport, are now in full swing and report themselves as full 

 of orders. 



In the construction of a large temporary building recently 



erected by the Manchester Corporation on a plot of land hitherto 



vacant in the center of the city, the 



ASBESTOS Calmon asbestos slates and sheets form 



SLATES 



an important feature. I believe this the 

 first occasion en which this new material has been thus prom- 

 inenth- hronslit tn the notice of the passer-by in this important 

 commercial community. 



So far we have not had any wintry weather, and there are but 

 few goloshes on view in the shop windows. Last winter was a 

 very open one, with hardly any snow, 

 and there was no repetition of the rush 

 for goloshes witnessed in the previous 

 winter. AltJiough the golosh is certainly in more general use 

 at the present time than it was a decade back, yet a purchase is 

 rarely made until a heavy fall of snow occurs, the current practice 

 of putting salt on the streets making the rubber a very desirable 

 adjunct to the leather boot. 



rOOTWEAS AND 



THE WEATHER. 



RUBBER DOINGS IN LONDON. 



(By a Sfecial Correspondent.') 



THE most notable event which has taken place in London dur- 

 ing the last month in connection with rubber is the fit of the 

 blues it has worked up in the Stock Exchange. Brokers and job- 

 bers attached to the Rubber Share Market have allowed them- 

 selves to drift into a state of despair, compared with which their 

 depression during the great slump was but a trifling nervous 

 disorder. 



In the market itself, the only obvious sign of this demoralizing 

 epidemic that has seized upon the members is the "Nothing Do- 

 ing" peace and quiet air of the place from morning to night. Oc- 



casionally a solitary, gloomy-looking individual may be spotted 

 moping in a corner, but not for many minutes is he allowed to 

 brood over his troubles. Some one soon comes along and slaps 

 him on the back, with a "Cheer up, you'll soon be dead." Or he is 

 made the butt of one of the many practical jokes for which the 

 House is famous. For a most blatant, really aggressive disguise 

 of courage has been popularly adopted as the correct garb for 

 miserable souls during business hours. 



Thoroughly to realize how rubber of late has demoralized its 

 share specialists on the London Stock Exchange, it is necessary 

 to live in the same house with one of them, to have the family's 

 privilege of intimate acquaintanceship. At home, their general 

 mood just now is best summed up in that mournful ditty of the 

 dejected street singer, "How I'm cast down !" 



In criticising the situation, let me first put the case for the 

 rubber-share specialists as generously as possible. During the 

 "Great Slump," when there was much more reason for the House 

 to be in despair, there was a certain amount of excitement to 

 drive away the blues. Many of the members had to be on the 

 alert, to rack their brains and to bustle about taking active steps 

 of some kind or other to avoid being hammered. There was 

 much unndering as to who would be the next colleague to go 

 under. There was the interest of learning for certain that sus- 

 picions had proved justifiable, of saying "I told you so," when 

 this or that company turned out to be rotten to the core. There 

 was a general move of prices, even though it was a downward 

 one. .And there was quite a lot of business to be done in the 

 way of selling. 



Of late activity of any and every description possible in the 

 market has given place to stagnation. The members have to 

 stand about hour after hour, day after day, doing nothing. Even 

 though a man has enough money to jog along with for some time 

 to come, what can be more depressing than having nothing to do 

 and yet being obliged to stick in one place waiting for the turn of 

 the tide, without any idea as to when it will turn? And if the 

 public does happen to put an odd rubber-share deal in the way of 

 one of its professional representatives, there is practically nothing 

 to be made out of the transaction but commission, for, with but 

 few exceptions, prices are at a standstill. Beyond the dull ques- 

 tion as to whether the week's commissions will total up by drib- 

 lets to an amount that will cover the week's expenses, what in- 

 terest is there in such business for the professional dealers? No 

 man in his senses becomes a member of the Stock Exchange un- 

 less he is blessed (or cursed?) with the speculative instinct. 

 Heart and soul the elect can throw themselves into a deal of 

 chance. Little wonder, then, that they are tempted to feel that 

 the present monotonous game is a dreary business. Many of the 

 victims are talking of giving up the game altogether, of emigrat- 

 ing to Canada, or Australia, or anywhere where they can make a 

 fresh start at earning a living by some other way of work. But 

 truth to tell, this is mere talk, just the latest hobby for passing 

 the idle time away. The man who had to take himself at his 

 word in regard to such proposals would indeed be more sorry for 

 himself than lie is at present — and that is saying a good deal. 

 They all mean to hang on as long as they can to the one profes- 

 sion which is thoroughly congenial to them. And if the tide has 

 not turned by the spring, when subscriptions to the House be- 

 come due again, even the poorest of them will do his level best to 

 get together enough money to pay up for another year's chance. 

 And this fact brings me to my case against them for their pres- 

 ent indulgence in an epidemic of the blues. 



Since they are all so determined to play Micawber, why not look 

 on the bright side? And really there is a pretty bright side to 

 rubber conditions as a whole just now. The stagnation in share 

 dealing means not only that the public do not want to buy rubber 

 shares at the moment, but that holders are anxious not to give 

 up their partnerships in rubber-growing ventures. Why, if things 

 are as bad as the Stock Exchange would have us believe, is not 

 the Share Market glutted with sellers? Why is not ton after ton 



