280 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[March 1. 1912. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN TRENTON. 



By a Resident Correspondent. 

 ""THE local factories are in operation tull-lianded nnd many of 

 * the concerns are working in day and night shifts to keep 

 up with orders. The Thermoid, Home, Empire, Hamilton, 

 United and Globe, and Joseph Stokes rubber companies are 

 working up to capacity, and officers of these companies report 

 that the outlook is particularly good for a continuation of the 

 prosperity in so far as their business is concerned. 



The United and Globe Rubber Manufacturing Co.'s are doing 

 a large business in the manufacture and sale of hose couplings 

 for air brakes, supplying many of the railroads of this country, 

 and many in foreign countries. The local plants manufacturing 

 automobile tires say business in this branch of the trade is fully 

 up to expectations. 



* * * 



Fire destroyed a section of the plant of the Empire Rubber 

 Co. recently. The section destroyed was used for storage pur- 

 poses and contained a large quantity of benzine, cement, oil and 

 machines used in coating rubber. It is the belief of President 

 Murray and Secretary Cornell that the fire was caused by 

 friction from one of the machines, which ignited the oil in one 

 of the upper floors. Luckily the fire occurred during the day. 

 This, together with the fact that the burned structure was 

 situated apart from the main building, enabled the liremen to 

 prevent the blaze from reaching the section where the more 

 valuable rubber was stored. 



* :^ * 



Wholesale thefts of rubber by employes of the Ajax-Grieb 

 Rubber Co. were brought to light by the arrest of Fred Volk, 

 teamster, and Jacob Sweetlove, factory hand. The company 

 missed so many automobile inner tire tubes that they invoked 

 the aid of the authorities, with the result that detectives were 

 put to work on the case. After several weeks' systematic search 

 they arrested the two employes. 



Sweetlove confessed to the authorities that the thefts had been 

 going on for many months. The rubber was carted off by the 

 teamsters and deposited with a "Fence" and later disposed of to 

 junk dealers, who sold it out of town. 



* ^ * 



L. P. Kuhl, southern representative of the Thermoid Rubber 

 Co., and Miss Susan Henry, employed by the same concern, were 

 married last month. 



* * * 



The United and Globe Rubber Co. and the Empire Rubber Co. 

 recently furnished the city of Trenton fire department with 5.000 

 feet of fire hose. The hose was inspected and tested during the 

 making by the Underwriters' Laboratories, of New York City, 

 which were paid at the rate of one cent a foot by the city. The 

 hose more than came up to the specifications. 



THE PROPOSED CHEMICAL SCHEDULE. 



' I 'HE new chemical schedule before Congress includes various 

 materials used in rubber manufacturing, a synopsis of which 

 appeared in The India Rubber World for July, 1911 (p. 380), 

 in connection with details of imports of materials used in rubber 

 manufacture, during the fiscal years 1909 and 1910. A similar 

 report is now being compiled for the fiscal year 1911. 



The new rates, being as yet only proposed, are of course sub- 

 ject to discussion, but even in that condition they are of interest 

 and include the following changes : 



Sulphuric acid, now paying y_^ cent per pound (about 8.63 per 

 cent.), would come in free. 



Carbonate of ammonia, now paying Wz cents per pound (about 

 27.73 per cent), would pay half that rate. 



Acetone, at present unspecified, would pay 1 cent per pound. 



Ground chalk, now paying 1 cent per pound (about 39.37 per 

 if cent.), would pay 10 per cent. 



Balsams, now coming in free, would pay 10 per cent, when 

 crude, and 15 per cent, when in advanced condition. 



Chloride of calcium, crude, now paying 25 per cent., would 

 come in free. 



Benzol and certain otlier cual-tar products, now coming in 

 free, would pay 5 per cent. 



Crude glycerine would continue to pay 1 cent per pound (about 

 n.29 per cent.) ; while refined glycerine, now paying 3 cents per 

 pound (about 10.63 per cent.), would only pay 2 cents per pound 

 (about 7 per cent.) 



Gums, which have hitherto been free, would be dutiable. Gum 

 copal would pay J'j cent per. pound, while gum Kauri and Damar 

 would pay 1 cent per pound. 



Calcined magnesia, now- paying 7 cents per pound (about 43.27 

 per cent.), would pay one-half that rate. 



Castor oil, now paying 35 cents per gallon (about 34.94 per 

 cent.^, would pay 20 cents per gallon (about 20 per cent.). 



Linseed oil. now paying 15 cents per gallon (about 27.11 per 

 cent.), would pay 13 cents per gallon (about 22 per cent.). 



Palm oil, now coming in free, would pay '4 cent per pound. 



Baryta, unmanufactured, now paying $1.50 per ton (about 59.11 

 per cent.), would pay 15 per cent., while in manufactured condi- 

 tion (now paying $5.25 per ton, or about 52.11 per cent.), it would 

 pay 20 per cent. Minimum rates would be respectively 40 cents 

 and $1.30 per ton. 



Black pigments, now paying 25 per cent., would only pay 15 

 per cent. 



Prussian blue, now paying 8 cents per pound ( about 44.23 per 

 cent.), would pay 20 per cent., but not less than 3 cents per pound. 



Ultramarine, now paying 3 cents per pound (about 32.22 per 

 cent.), would pay 20 per cent., but not less than 2 cents per 

 pound. 



Oxide of cobalt, now paying 25 cents per pound (about 24.14 

 per cent.), would pay 10 cents per pound (about 9;.^ per cent.). 



Chrome green, now paying 4->^ cents per pound (about 25.98 

 per cent.), would pay 20 per cent., but not less tlian 3 cents per 

 pound. 



Litliarge, now paying 2'/2 cents per pound (about 53.32 per 

 cent.), would pay 25 per cent., but not less than 1 cent per pound. 



Venetian red, now paying 30 per cent., w-ould pay 10 per cent. 

 or 20 per cent., according to stage of advancement. 



Whiting and Paris white, dry, now paying % cent per pound 

 (about 43.98 per cent.), would pay 1/10 cent per pound (about 

 17=< per cent.). 



Dry oxide of zinc, now paying 1 cent per pound (about 17.47 

 per cent.), would pay 15 per cent., but not less than 6/10 cent 

 per pound. Similar rates would apply to dry white sulphide of 

 zinc, lithophone. etc. 



Bichromate of potash, now paying 2J4 cents per pound (about 

 45.86 per cent.), would pay 1 cent per pound (about 20 per cent.). 



Caustic potash, unrefined, now free, is apparently made dutiable 

 at the rate of 6/10 cent per pound. 



Caustic soda, now paying ^ cent per pound (about 15.39 per 

 cent.), would pay only half that rate. 



Sulphur in any form would be in the free list. 



Talc, now paying 35 per cent, in ground, powdered or prepared 

 form, would only pay 15 per cent. 



Various materials used in rubber manufacture coming under 

 other schedules, the chemical schedule does not cover the whole 

 of them. While the changes proposed are as yet to be subjected 

 to much debate, and cannot be regarded as certainties, they will 

 serve to indicate points for the consideration of rubber manu- 

 facturers, thus inviting criticism by those who«ie interests would 

 be affected by their adoption. Like all legislation, the wording 

 of the new schedule is open to various constructions. The rates, 

 as quoted, are therefore more or less subject to official interpre- 

 tation. 



