276 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May i, 1904. 



THE INDIA-RUBBER TRADE IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



THE article on this topic in the March issue of The India 

 Rubber World is interesting, and no doubt there are 

 many who would like to see it supplemented by an ac- 

 count of foreign rubber imports into England. It ap- 

 pears that the Americans are now making themselves several 

 lines of goods, at one time imported. Except, per- 



AMERICAN ° j „ ■ t. • ■ 1 ■ . u 



imports na P s > vulcanite and toys, Great Britain claims to be 

 of rubber able to produce all rubber goods that are in demand, 

 goods. an( j f a superior quality to what is imported, but 

 of course there is the fiscal question, which undoubtedly reacts 

 against the manufacturers' interests. Some speculation has 

 been rife as to the particular goods which were imported so 

 largely from the Continent last year as to call for special notice 

 at the hands of the chairman of the Silvertown company meet- 

 ing. The goods were not specified, though no doubt many in 

 the trade could indicate them or enlighten my ignorance on the 

 matter. Against this instance of successful invasion, however, 

 there are certainly other cases where the attempt to oust home 

 made goods from the market has resulted in dismal failure. I 

 don't know who would undertake to write the article I have 

 suggested. Interviewing on trade topics is by no means so easy 

 or so productive on this side as it appears to be in America, 

 though with the general disinclination togive information there 

 is an equally strong inclination on the part of individuals to 

 hear what their fellows have to say. 



At 47, Farringdon street, London, is situated the European 



headquarters of the great American combination of rubber 



footwear manufacturers. It cannot be said 



united states ^^ this company competes to any great ex- 



RUBBER CO. , . , . 



tent with British manufacturers, because with 

 the exception of perhaps three firms the class of goods of 

 which the bulk of the American imports consists are not made 

 in this country. Besides boots and shoes of all descriptions, 

 the United States Rubber Co. are now doing a large business 

 in motoring garments, there being an increasing demand for 

 the heavy macintosh type. With regard to the boots made by 

 the company I may mention the increasing appreciation among 

 officers of the army of the " Squadron " military boot. These 

 boots, generally known in the service as "gum boots," do not 

 form part of the regulation outfit, but are used in undress for 

 many purposes where the leather boot is not compulsory and 

 under conditions where it would be likely to get spoilt, or at 

 any ratejvery dirty. " We look upon gum boots," said a staff offi- 

 cer at one of our great military stations to me in response to a' 

 query on the subject, " much as the ordinary man looks upon 

 carpet slippers — as a great convenience, but not intended for 

 show purposes." Another direction in which I think such 

 boots might find a wider application is in metal mining, in the 

 case of those who have to pay official visits at intervals. Of 

 course such boots would require more careful treatment than 

 hob nailed leather, but at any rate they would be watertight, 

 which is a desideratum. 



The annual meeting of this society is to take place this year 

 in New York next September, and an attractive program, in- 

 cluding visits to the St. Louis exhibition, Niagara, 

 society of Pmsburgh, and other places has been arranged. 



CHEMICAL _.„«,. , , , , 



industry The New York section of the society is one of the 



latest, but it has made a name for itself, and from 



all accounts the members seem determined to make the meet- 



ing a success. It cannot be said that the rubber trade is very 

 strongly represented in the society, as regards its British sec- 

 tions. I don't know how far this holds with respect to the New 

 York section, but the Canadian section at any rate has in Mr. 

 Harold von der Linde, of the Gutta Percha and Rubber Manu- 

 facturing Co. of Toronto, a prominent representative of the 

 trade both on its scientific and commercial side. Times not 

 being too good at present in many British industrial circles, it 

 is a matter of serious consideration for a good many members 

 whether they can afford the time and expense to make the 

 trip. I do not imagine that the number of travelers will be 

 very large, these long distance affairs appealing to the affluent 

 and independent members rather than to the larger number 

 who cannot well be placed in this category. In the list of ab- 

 stractors of scientific publications for the Journal of the so- 

 ciety the name of Mr. J. K. Burbridge is to be seen. In Mr. 

 Burbridge, who is departmental manager and chemist at the 

 rubber works of Messrs. William Warne & Co. (London), the 

 publication committee must be congratulated on the assistants 

 they have obtained and one cannot help feeling that Mr. Bur- 

 bridge with his wide practical knowledge must often feel in- 

 clined to add some caustic remarks of his own when dealing 

 with the regular crop of patent substitutes for rubber. The 

 president of the society this year is Professor Sir William 

 Ramsay, K. C. B., F. R. s., who is at present engaged in a chem- 

 ical investigation into the constitution of Gutta-percha — a 

 body to which he seems first to have given serious attention 

 when appointed as advisory expert to the Gutta Percha Cor- 

 poration, Limited, formed in London some years ago, and of 

 somewhat unfortunate memory. 



Despite the jubilant tone in the remarks of the chairman, 



Sir Charles Evan-Smith, at the meeting of the Marconi Co. in 



London, as to the conclusion of negotiations with 



THE the general postoffice, there did not seem anything 

 MARCONI . , l , . . , , , , 



company ln the speech to cause quakings in the hearts of the 



cable companies. The over sea business has ap- 

 parently still serious difficulties to overcome, and it is evident 

 that the panic among cable company shareholders some little 

 time back was decidedly premature. That last year was an ex- 

 ceedingly wet one needs no emphasis, and the mining com- 

 panies in Cornwall have had serious difficulties with the inflow 

 of water. Personally, I should hesitate before indicting the 

 Marconi telegraph as being a prime cause of the bad weather, 

 but it has been assailed in wordy warfare at mine meetings and 

 to judge by some of the utterances a practical assault on the 

 telegraph station would appear to be not improbable. 



With the reopening of the premises recently occupied by 

 Messrs. Wallington, Weston & Co. at Limpley Stoke, by a new 

 company known as the Limpley Stoke Rubber 

 Co., the number of rubber firms in that agricul- 

 tural portion of England has been increased to four, the others 

 being The Avon Rubber Co., of Melksham ; Messrs. Spencer, 

 Moulton & Co., of Bradford-on-Avon, and Messrs. Wallington 

 & Weston, who are now located at Frome. As the latter firm 

 was an offshoot, so to speak, of the Avon, so the Limpley 

 Stoke Co. in its personnel was at one time closely identified 

 with those who lately occupied its premises. With the recent 

 addition to the works, the Avon Rubber Co. has now quite an 

 imposing appearance, and a corresponding increase in business ; 



DOWN WEST. 



