February i, 1904.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



147 



MR. PEARSON IN CEYLON. 



THE Ceylon newspapers report the arrival at Colombo on 

 December 7, of Mr. Henry C. Pearson, the editor of The 

 India Rubber World. The Ceylon Observer, after an inter- 

 view with Mr. Pearson, writes : 



" His views of the future of the rubber industry are of inter- 

 est. Mr. Pearson thinks that the danger of rubber being over- 

 produced is infinitesimal ; though there is little doubt that the 

 high prices so long prevailing have done much to encourage 

 planting extensions. Rubber is different, he argues, from such 

 a product as tea — for the uses of rubber are extending year by 

 year, and a limit of them is far from being fixed. The demand 

 therefore, is likely to keep pace with the supply for some time 

 to come. On the other hand, rubber is bound to become 

 cheaper as time goes on, and rubber manufacturers are only 

 waiting this time to be able to do more business in rubber than 

 they can with the high prices still ruling. Mr. Pearson holds 

 that the British planter is doing a great service to the rubber 

 trade all over the world by his enterprise in rubber planting." 



The Times of Ceylon, in the course of a lengthy interview with 

 Mr. Pearson, quotes him as saying : 



" An interesting point to all planters, and to all your readers, 

 is as to whether, if everybody puts in Hevea here, they are going 

 to give the world too much rubber. Now my belief is that, if 

 they actually tried to do that, and put all the money of Great 

 Britain into the enterprise, they could not do it. Why? Sim- 

 ply because the uses to which rubber is put are naturally mul- 

 tiplying themselves above the yearly output of crude rubber, 

 and, with an increase, nobody knows how much more the uses 

 will multiply. For instance, there is rubber tiling. There is 

 nothing in the wide world that equals rubber tiling. It will 

 outwear stone or glass. It is perfectly sanitary, and is one of 

 the pleasantest things to walk upon. If rubber were more 

 abundant, tons more would be used for this purpose yearly. In 

 my judgment, there is no earthly reason why you should not 

 go on planting just as much as you possibly can, and gathering 

 as much as, you can. - - - 



" Mr. Pearson once more made light of the idea that too much 

 rubber may be grown. ' Of course,' he remarked, ' prices will go 

 up and prices will go down, but in my lifetime or yours there 

 will probably never be a time when Pari rubber is not worth 75 

 to 80 American cents ( 3s. 4</.) ; that is fine, dry Pard rubber.' 



" • How is it that Ceylon rubber gets a better price than other 

 rubber ? ' 



" ' South American Pard rubber has from 12 to 18 per cent, 

 of moisture in it and yours has only from ^ to 1 percent. That 

 comes through allowing the water to remain and sending it in 

 that way, when the American rubber apparently has a greater 

 weight than Ceylon Para. Rubber importers in England and 

 America were accused of storing the rubber in wet cellars for 

 that purpose. A pound of your rubber means more real rub- 

 ber than a pound of South American rubber because the latter 

 is part water.' " 



Details were given of Mr. Pearson's plans for visiting typical 

 rubber estates in Ceylon and the Malay states and afterwards 

 for a trip to Manila and Yokohama, and return to the United 

 States across the Pacific. Dispatches received from Mr. Pear- 

 son indicate that his program is being carried out generally as 

 indicated. 



It has not been mentioned before in these columns, but Mr. 

 Pearson has been making a trip around the world to study the 

 progress of rubber planting, with a view to recording his ob- 

 servations for the benefit of The India Rubber World's 

 readers. 



NEW TRADE PUBLICATIONS. 



THE Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio) have 

 issued the most elaborate tire catalogue of the season. A 

 large amount of its space is devoted to illustrations, beginning 

 with a view of their plant, which is stated to be the largest in 

 the world devoted exclusively to the manufacture of solid rub- 

 ber tires, followed by views of their selling agencies in various 

 cities. Next come views of heavy commercial vehicles of va- 

 rious types, employed by nearly fifty firms in various parts of 

 the country, including wagons well known to all who are famil- 

 iar with the streets of New York and Chicago, all using Fire- 

 stone side-wire tires. There are also views of several large 

 pieces of fire apparatus in several cities, equipped with the 

 Firestone tire. Several pages are then devoted to testimonial 

 letters from business firms, fire department officials, etc., re- 

 produced in fac simile. The remaining pages are filled with 

 descriptions of the distinctive features of this tire, with suit- 

 able illustrations. [i2 // X9>^ // . 4° pages.] 



India Rubber Co. (New Brunswick, New Jersey) issue a 

 catalogue of the various types of tires which they are manu- 

 facturing, and which includes practically all the styles of rub- 

 ber vehicle tires now marketed. Relerence is also made to 

 single tube bicycle tires and bicycle sundries. [5#s"X8j£". 16 

 pages.] 



Merchants Rl bber Co. — William Morse, president (New 

 York) issue an illustrated catalogue of Rubber and Rainproof 

 Clothing, which they carry in connection with rubber boots 

 and shoes, dated January, 1904. It embraces a full line, and 

 is definite in the matter of descriptions, besides giving prices. 

 [5"X6^". 29 pages.] 



The B. F. Goodrich Co. (Akron, Ohio) issue a booklet en- 

 titled " Six Thousand Miles of Triumph for Goodrich Clincher 

 Automobile Tires," referring to the tour recently made by Dr. 

 H.Nelson Jackson from San Francisco to New York, over a 

 zigzag route and on roads often of the most trying character. 

 The two tires on the front wheels came across the continent 

 without change. Six Goodrich tires in all were used on the 

 two rear wheels. A number of half tone views of scenes along 

 the route are given. [5>s"X6#". 16 pages.] 



A very extensive and complete catalogue of rubber toys 

 (Gummi Fignren) is that of the H annoversche Gummi-Kamm 

 Campagnie, Actiengesellschaft (Hanover Rubber Co., 

 Limited), received through their American agents, George 

 Borgfeldt & Co., of New York. Here are shown in great va- 

 riety, dolls and figures of animals and birds — in greater va- 

 riety, in fact, than are made elsewhere than in Germany— and 

 also imitations of fruits and other objects, all colored in the 

 representation of nature. [io^"X'3>4 // - 21 double page plates.] 



The Diamond Rubber Co. (Akron, Ohio) have got out a 

 booklet with the title " The Greatest Thing in Motordom," de- 

 voted to recent records in automobiling in which " Diamond " 

 tires figured. It forms an interesting historical record. Be- 

 sides the automobile views, the illustrations include views of 

 the company's factory and nine of their branch stores, in as 

 many cities. [4)s"X5^" 32 pages.] 



Bowers Rubber Co (San Francisco, California) issue their 

 Catalogue No. 15. of Mechanical Rubber Goods, comprising 

 rubber and cotton hose for dredging, mining, fire department, 

 steam, air, oil, wine, and water conducting, including wire 

 wrapped and armored hose; rubber belting, concentrator belts, 

 sheet and piston pickings, rubber mats and tiling, and a variety 

 of molded specialties, together with the firm's patented reel and 

 other hose accessories. The catalogue is well illustrated and 

 includes prices. [S%"X7}{"- 7° pages.] 



