332 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[July i, 1904. 



THE AUSTRIAN RUBBER TRUST. 



JULY 1 is the date fixed for the going into effect of the " Kar- 

 tel " (agreement) of the rubber manufacturers of Austria- 

 Hungary, the negotiations for which have been in progress for 

 some months past. To make the proposed combination effec- 

 tive, it was essential that the German companies having branch 

 factories in Austria lend their aid, and this was refused on the 

 ground that the laws of the latter country could not be invoked 

 to guarantee the carrying out of the agreements of the combi- 

 nation. Hence it agreed finally to establish headquarters at 

 Berlin, so that the affairs of the combination shall be subject 

 to German law. All the factories coming under the provisions 

 of the Kartel, therefore, have been required to deposit in Ber- 

 lin bonds to guarantee the payment of any fines or penalties 

 that may be imposed. A bureau of control, empowered to ex- 

 ercise a close scrutiny on the working of the Kartel, is located 

 at Vienna, the members of which are pledged to secrecy. The 

 general affairs of the combination are governed by an executive 

 committee, composed of representatives of the Vereinigte Gum- 

 miwaaren-Fabriken Harburg Wien (as chairman), the Oester- 

 reichisch-Amerikanische Gummifabriks Aktiengesellschaft 

 (vice chairman), and the firm Josef Reithoffer's Sohne, holding 

 proxies of Josel Miskolczy & Co. and the Berlin Frankfurter 

 Gummiwaaren-Fabriken. 



The board of control is to ascertain the amount of produc- 

 tion of the various Austro-Hungarian rubber factories last year, 

 and then to allot the relative proportion of goods to be pro- 

 duced by them under the new agreement. It is also proposed 

 to regulate prices, which are now considered too low as com- 

 pared with the cost of raw materials, though advances must 

 necessarily be limited, in view of the fact that the Austrian 

 tariff on imports does not now afford more than a moderate 

 protection, especially against the competition of German fac- 

 tories. There will be, however, a minimum price named for 

 the various articles of rubber manufacture, coming under the 

 provisions of this agreement. 



One of the objects of the combination is to specialize produc- 

 tion in the various factories, with respect to leading articles of 

 manufacture. For example, the Oesterreichisch-Amerikan- 

 ische Gummifabriks Aktiengesellschaft can enter into an agree- 

 ment with the Vereinigte Gummiwaaren-Fabriken Harburg- 

 Wien, whereby the latter secures the exclusive manufacture in 

 Austria-Hungary of rubber footwear, leaving to the former the 

 production of tires. It is understood, however, that no binding 

 agreements of this character have yet been entered into. Sev- 

 eral articles, including rubber balls, are not intended to be cov- 

 ered by such agreements. 



The Oesterreichische Actiengesellschaft fur Gummi-Indus- 

 trie, which was founded by the Vienna Union Bank, has been 

 bought by the combination, the funds being supplied pro rata 

 by the members. The company will go into liquidation, but 

 the factory will continue in operation. The company is cap- 

 italized at 1,600,000 crowns [=$324,800], the Union bank hold- 

 ing half the shares. The bank is also the principal creditor, 

 the indebtedness being 1,900,000 crowns [=$385,700]. The 

 purchase price was 1,050,000 crowns for the factory and 500,000 

 crowns for materials on hand. The capital for continuing the 

 factory will be supplied by Vienna banks for account of the 

 members of the combination. 



The competition in the industry in Austria has been further 

 lessened by the liquidation of the Prager Gummiwaren-Fabrik 

 Actiengesellschaft, at Vysocan, founded in 1897, and the fac- 

 tory of which has been acquired by Oesterreichisch-Amerikan- 

 ische company. 



NEW TRADE PUBLICATIONS. 



THE Diamond Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio) have issued a 

 new Mechanical Catalogue, which is particularly full and 

 complete in its descriptions and illustrations of the rubber 

 goods lines produced by this company. Besides, the contents 

 of the catalogue are well arranged, and the typographical de- 

 tails have been excellently executed. [5"X7". 128 pages.] 



Sections of this book are to be brought out as separate 



catalogues, each devoted to a single line, one of which, relating 

 to Belting and Packing, has reached us. It embraces numer- 

 ous practical hints on the selection of belts and their care when 

 put in use. The Diamond company make belts specially 

 adapted for conveyor use, the equipment of sugar factories, use 

 in oil wells, and other industrial requirements. These are all 

 suitably described, together with a varied list of packings, also 

 specially fitted for particular requirements. Prices are given. 

 f5" X 7"- 32 pages.] 



Boston Woven Hose and Rubber Co. (Cambridge, Mass- 

 achusetts) issue a series of well arranged and well made cata- 

 logues, each devoted to a single line of their products in me- 

 chanical rubber goods, or to the accessory lines. The excellent 

 illustrations and the succinct descriptive matter in these cata- 

 logues cannot fail to be most helpful to the company's custom- 

 ers, or to those who may contemplate becoming such. Three 

 new catalogues of the series are entitled : 



F Brass Fittings. (For Hose.) 



H Mats and Matting. 



L Insulating and Friction Tapes. 



The Brass Fittings catalogue deserves special mention for 

 the variety and evident character of couplings, nozzles, sprink- 

 lers, and the like that are listed in it. The catalogues are uni- 

 formly 5'4"X7>/".=— Another list from the same house em- 

 braces Rubber Bath Brushes for toilet use, which are offered in 

 great variety ; an attractive booklet. [6>s'X4". 12 pages] 

 ALSO RECEIVED. 



The Springfield Rubber Tire Co., New Haven, Connecticut. = [De- 

 scriptive price list of Springfield solid and cushion rubber tires.] 12 

 pages. 



The Akron Dental Rubber Co. , Akron, Ohio. = Arthur C. Squires's 

 Quick Curing Dental Rubber. [Price List] 4 pages. 



The Allen Manufacturing Co., Toledo, Ohio. = The Allen Fountain 

 Brush, Showing Portable Outfit in Use. Price List, June 1, 1904. 12 

 pages. 



RUBBER EXPORTS FROM PERU. 



THE British consul at Iquitos reports a growing interest in 

 the rubber trade there, which is the chief basis of com- 

 mercial life in the Peruvian departments having the Amazon 

 for their outlet. He gives details of the exports of rubber for 

 1903, with the exception of whnt was shipped from the river 

 Javary direct to Manaos, and the figures compare as follows 

 with details for 1901 and 1902, printed in The India Rubber 

 World of December 1 last: 



Grade«. 1901. 1902. 1903. 



Fine rubber kilos 478,119 500,134 651,018 



Entrefine 44.282 29.504 45.294 



Coarse 269,075 194,216 266.466 



Caucho slab 69.094 79, "5 57967 



Caucho ball 517,322 630,263 951,188 



Weak rubber. .. .. 4,019 8,636 18,052 



Total kilos 1,381,911 1,441,868 1,989,985 



Exports from the Javary to Manaos are not stated for 1903; 

 in 1901 the figure was 356,765 kilos, and in 1902 a little less — 

 336,218 kilos. 



