278 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May i, 1904. 



THE REVOLVING HEEL IN ENGLAND. 



T^HE type of heel known as the " revolving," although the 

 *■ number of revolutions per minute is so few that no 

 speed indicator yet known will register them, has caught the 

 British fancy, and for these reasons: In the first place, the 

 rubber heel certainly outwears the leather; then the Briton 

 always comes down solidly on his heels when walking, and the 

 elastic cushion eases the jar; and still further, the fact that 

 when the outer edge of the heel is worn one can turn that part 

 toward the instep and present a fresh surface for wear, appeals 

 to him mightily. 





QYAT. WOOD-MILNE. 



That the heel as a revolver first appeared in the United States 

 but did not sell well, is strongly urged. The American, how- 

 ever, is thriftless as compared with his cousin across the At- 

 lantic. He won't bother to turn a heel; that is, as a com- 

 munity he won't. Nor does he like the looks of a money saving 

 device on a fine pair of shoes. But the more independent 

 Briton would wear copper-toed shoes if it suited him and never 

 give their appearance a thought. 



Nor does he have the objec- 

 tion to rubber heels in general 

 that some Americans feel, in that 

 when they walk into an office 

 unannounced, the rubber heel 

 palatine. making no sound, they startle 



the occupant by appearing at his elbow like a ghost or burglar, 

 and thus embarrass themselves. The English office is so 

 guarded that none enters except through the cooperation of the 

 occupant. 



And so the heel, the revolving heel, in many shapes, has 

 caught on and is to be seen everywhere. The history of its 

 growth is most interesting. It began back in 1896, when Mr. 

 P. E. Roberts, of the Revolving Heel Co. (London), first put 

 one on the market. He had his troubles in getting the right 

 goods and in interesting the public, but finally success came. 



HARBRO. HUSHAPAD. THE TRAMP. 



His company today are said to be marketing over a million a 

 month of them. The business of this one company is between 

 $400,000 and 8500,000 a year, so it is said, and there are others 

 — many of them. For example there is Wood-Milne, the 

 Palatine, the "Quyat," the " Hushapad," the Harboro, the 

 Tramp, and many others. Bear in mind that the above refers 

 only to revolving rubber heels, and that there are just as many 

 of the kind that cannot be turned after wear. 



As for those who wear them, they are to be seen on the shoes 

 of peers of the realm and on costers, on the boots of elegantly 

 dressed ladies and on the substantial footwear of the char- 

 woman — all of which indicates real merit. 



THE OBITUARY RECORD. 



T OUIS E. K. ROBSON, who died at Maiden, Massachu- 

 ■1— ' setts, March 27, aged 51 years, had been since 1876 chief 

 clerk of the Edgeworth factory of the Boston Rubber Shoe 

 Co. He was born in Stoneham, Mass., being a son of the Rev. 

 John Robson, a retired clergyman, at one time a partner of 

 Mr. E. S. Converse in operating the old " Red Mills " in the 

 manufacture of dye stuffs. Louis Robson was a master of arts 

 of Tufts College, and spent four years after graduation in teach- 

 ing. He served at one time on the Melrose school board, was 

 something of a writer, and was active in the literary organiza- 

 tions maintained in his community. In 1893 he served as al- 

 derman in Maiden. He was unmarried. A surviving brother 

 is John Robson, formerly with the Boston Rubber Shoe Co., 

 and now general superintendent of the Woonsocket Rubber Co. 

 Rudolph Fischer, vice president of the St. Paul Rubber 

 Co. (St. Paul, Minnesota), died on April 8, at Pasadena, Cali- 

 fornia, of an illness from which he had suffered for more than 

 two years. He was 36 years old and a native of St. Paul, being 

 a son of the late Louis Fischer, an early settler. The St. Paul 

 Rubber Co. was established in 1877, as the first rubber jobbing 

 house in the northwest, west of Milwaukee. Later the firm be- 

 came incorporated, with Albert Fischer, a brother of the de- 

 ceased, as president — a position which he still holds — and 

 R udolph Fischer, vice president. The house did a jobbing busi- 

 ness in rubber goods generally. The deceased is survived by a 

 widow and three children. 



The Hon. Oliver S. Kelly, who died at Springfield, Ohio, on 

 April 11, aged 79 years, was the father of Edwin S. Kelly, some 

 time general manager of the Consolidated Rubber Tire Co. 

 Their name is represented in the designation of the " Kelly- 

 Springfield " tires. The deceased was interested largely in the 

 manufacture of agricultural implements and steel products, 

 and was active in business until within a few days of his death. 



RUBBER UNDER THE RUSSIAN TARIFF. 



THE new Russian customs tariff, confirmed by the Emperor 

 on January 13, 1903, has not gone into effect, and no 

 date has been fixed for its operation. The British board of 

 trade, however, has prepared a translation of it, based upon 

 which The India Rubber World has made a calculation of 

 the rates, in American money, per 100 pounds avoirdupois, as 

 follows : 



New rate. Old rate. 

 In sheets or threads, not combined with other materials.. $11. 41 $ 9.41 

 Manufactures (rubber in combination with other mate- 

 rials) 17.12 15.98 



Hard rubber — unwrought 1 1. 41 9.41 



Hard rubber manufactures 55 38 15.98 



Boots and shoes 30.55 30.55 



Card clothing, with felt 8.56 856 



Card clothing, without felt 17.12 17.12 



Tissues containing rubber threads or rubber in other forms are dutiable accord- 

 ing to the material of chief value. 



Crude India-rubber and Gutta-percha, including scrap, are 

 now dutiable at about $1.29 per 100 pounds; the new tariff 

 provides for a rate of $2.43. 



The new tariff also provides for an export duty on " Caout- 

 chouc, waste " of 1% rubles per Russian poud, equal to about 

 $2.43 per 100 pounds, to which The India Rubber World, 

 has relerred already [March 1, 1903— page 208] 



