April 



1904. 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



223 



therefore, of the nature of things that a corporation to 

 come within the provisions of this law must be of a pub- 

 lic, or a semi public character. A common carrier, like a 

 railroad or an express company, doing business in many 

 states, cannot be permitted to form combinations to the 

 destruction of competition or the control of rates. While 

 those who are enthusiastic over the decision are now pro- 

 claiming that it means the prevention of such combina- 

 tions as the meat trust, the steel trust, and the oil trust, 

 this view is not borne out by the decision itself, and, even 

 if it were, it would require considerable stretching to ex- 

 tend the same ruling to India-rubber. 



There is no hypothesis that can make the ownership of 

 a number of rubber shoe factories by the United States 

 Rubber Co " an interference with free traffic between 

 the states." The rubber shoe business, and the rubber 

 tire business, or the hose business are not public in their 

 character. The goods manufactured can hardly be re- 

 garded as among the necessities of life. The cases are,' 

 therefore, not similar, the conditions are unlike, and even 

 if the government were inclined to "run amuck " against 

 all combinations, which the attorney general assumes is 

 not the case, it is hardly within the reach of imagination 

 to believe that any course would attempt to make the 

 Sherman law applicable to India-rubber. 



AN INCONGRUOUS SITUATION. 



Every now and then the question of " synthetic " rubber 

 comes up, and indeed is quite a " bugaboo," particularly to 

 those interested in rubber planting. Of course, the average 

 manufacturer would be perfectly willing for it to appear, par- 

 ticularly while the prices of crude gum are as high as they are 

 at present. As for the importers, they apparently do not care 

 either way as they have confidence that when the rubber mil- 

 lennium comes that they will be able to get their share of busi- 

 ness whether they supply gum from nature's laboratory or 

 man's. As a matter of good business, is not the time ripe for 

 some live insurance company to issue a line of policies to timid 

 planters and producers insuring them against the disaster to 

 their interest which they fear? Quite a business ought to be 

 done in this line and the profits would be in proportion to the 

 size of the premiums paid. Further than this, it is very doubt- 

 ful if such an insurance company would ever be called upon 

 to pay a single loss. 



There are many complaints of late to the effect that 

 Pontianak gum is not nearly as good as it used to be. No doubt 

 there are some who will say that it never was good for any- 

 thing anyhow, but in spite of this it has its use, and a very 

 large one. The trouble with the gum seems to be that the native 

 gatherers, in the process of coagulation, add an earthy mate- 

 rial, and that they are adding too much. If manufacturers and 

 importers would refuse to receive the gum containing over a 

 certain percentage of the adulterant, the evil would be stopped 

 in time, for once the native gatherers find that they have no 

 market for an inferior material they are likely to bring in 

 something better. 



With the beginning of the dry season, say January next, there 

 are a number of Castilloa plantations in Mexico that should 

 and doubtless will send cultivated rubber to market. How- 

 ever prepared it will sell. 



TO the Editor ok The India Rubber World: When 

 one studies the crude rubber situation in all its phases it 

 develops an amount of incongruity that would be absurd were 

 it not so serious. In the mechanical goods business, for ex- 

 ample, customers are retrenching and buying less and making 

 a bitter fight for lower prices, while the manufacturer is pay- 

 ing excessively both for cotton fabrics and crude rubber. This 

 might continue were the demand for rubber increasing, or even 

 if it were to continue as it has been during the past winter. 

 Such, however, is not the case. At least twenty of the great 

 mechanical concerns in America have rubber on hand sufficient 

 to allow them to fill orders up to the arrival of the new crop. 

 Further than this, the rubber shoe season is over, and one of 

 the largest buyers of crude in the American market will shortly 

 cease to be an active factor. Further still is the unquestioned 

 fact that the general German trade is only fairly good, while 

 that of England is going through a period of dullness. Added 

 to all this, the fact that the high prices will stimulate rubber pro- 

 duction the world over, it would seem as if a prediction for lower 

 prices might now be safely made, if ever. Frankly, there is no 

 shadow of equity to-day between the price of crude rubber and 

 the demand for it, and shrewd buyers are waiting to hear 

 " something drop." The argument to the high price believer, 

 treated with a bit of reductio ad absurdum, should be — 



Rubber is bound to be higher : 



Because, the shoe season being over, the United States Rub- 

 ber Co. and all of the other shoe companies will stop buying 

 rubber. 



Because, more than twenty of the leading mechanical rubber 

 companies have stocks large enough to last until August. 



Because, sales of mechanical rubber goods show a falling off 

 of about 15 per cent, overjast season. 



Because, the rubber business in Germany is barely normal 

 and that in England is dull. 



Because, the past high prices will, as they always have, bring 

 in quantities of extra rubber from all known sources. 



Therefore, say some, rubber will stay high and go higher. 



Sensible, isn't it ? D. C. 



March 20, 1904. 



A CARD FROM THE HYDE RUBBER WORKS. 



TO the Editor of The India Rubber World : We 

 notice an account in tne press of an action by the Dun- 

 lop Rubber Co. against the " Hyde Rubber Co." of Hyde. As 

 we have received numerous communications from our custom- 

 ers on the subject we should be obliged if you will kindly give 

 publicity to the fact that we have no connection with this con- 

 cern. 



It may be of interest to state that in November of last year 



we obtained an injunction against Walter Cheetham, trading as 

 the Hyde Rubber Co., to restrain him from carrying on busi- 

 ness under that name, or of advertising for sale any tire under 

 the title "Woodley" tire. Yours faithfully, 



THE HYDE RUBBER WORKS LIMITED. 



Woodley near Stockport [England] , February 29. 1904. 



[The action above referred to related to an alleged infringe- 

 ment of tire patents owned by the Dunlop company. In the 

 King's Bench division of the High Court, Mr. Justice Buckley, 

 on February 25, granted an injunction to restrain the defendant 

 company from making pneumatic tire covers with four thick- 

 nesses of cord in the edge, instead of wires as used in the Dun- 

 lop- Welch attachment.] 



