270 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[Febri 



The industry, however, continued one in wliich most 

 of the work of making up was done by hand. The knife, 

 die. roller and stitcher reigned supreme. For decades no 

 notable machine appeared that in any way altered the 

 solution. 



Wnh the sudden demand for tires, however, another 

 spirit was almost at once evident. Greatly increased pro- 

 duction was only to be reached by the help of machinery. 

 Machines, therefore, began to appear. 



In 1909 the records show 20 new machines jiroduced 

 for rubber use and in the following ten years the pro- 

 duction gradually increased until 200 new machines ap- 

 peared in 1919. These, as would be expected, were 

 chiefly for use in tire manufacture. 



At the same time, however, the impetus given to one 

 branch of the industry was reflected in the others, and 

 in shoes, druggists' svmdries and mechanical goods new 

 processes and new machines came into being. 



This growth in mechanics is not only phenomenal but 

 is one of the surest indications of the stability of the 

 business. It assures, more than anything else, its ability 

 to compete with all comers. All of the valuable machines 

 will without doubt be copied and used. But the ability 

 to create cannot be copied nor counterfeited and therein 

 lies the key to continual success. 



When the (mvei nnii-nt Kxik charge of ihe railroads' 

 it took to itself the task of rounding up and punishing 

 the thieves. More than 1,000 .freight car thieves were 

 arrested, over 500 were convicted, and 250 received 

 prison sentences. Judges on the bench showed no mercy 

 to this class of ofifenders, and for the first time in years 

 rubber in transit was safe. This is not, however, an ar- 

 gumc-nt for government ownership. 



CRIPPLE CREEK RUBBER. 



TEN YEARS AGO Dr. J. C. Ross discovered in the low- 

 grade gold ore of Cripple Creek a product "that was 

 high-grade caoutchouc." This is so because he said it 

 and the press of the country affirmed it. Even after wast- 

 ing a half score of years to welcome "Cripple Creek 

 rubber" we do not say the learned Ross was a falsifier 

 or that he was even mistaken. We, however, venture to 

 point out that the gold mine operators who claim that 

 excessive labor costs are likely to close their mines, may 

 be overlooking a valuable product. Why not mine the 

 rubber and sell the gold as a by-product? 



RUBBER STEALING STOPPED. 



ONE OF THE LEAST KNOWN ACCOMPLISHMENTS of 

 the Treasury Department and one for which 

 rubber manufacturers cannot be too grateful was the 

 campaign to break up the gangs that subsisted by the 

 systematic looting of freight from cars in the yards and 

 in transit. It is a disgraceful fact that shippers had most 

 to fear from railroad employes who helped themselves 

 liberally to goods entrusted to their care. The losses 

 paid by the railroads amounted to $120,000,000 in four 

 years, half of which was due to the railroad men's pilfer- 

 ings. Crude rubber was a favorite article of loot, being 

 easily disposed of and almost impossible to identify. A 

 law passed by Congress, called the Carlin bill, providing 

 heavy penalties for thefts of this nature did but little good. 



PLANTING FOR PLASTICS. 



GL'.M ELASTIC, once a wild product, is now one of the 

 most successful plantation products. Gum plastic, 

 in other words gutta percha, still continues almost wholly 

 a product oi the wild. This, too, in spite of the constantly 

 increasing commercial uses and abnormally high prices. 

 The great gutta producers, the Sapotads, are trees of 

 slow growth, found only in the real tropics. Capital could 

 not probably be secured to plant the Dicho/^sis. the 

 MiiiiHSo/^s or the .Ichras Safyota. 



There are, however, many shrubs in the tropics, sub- 

 tropics, and in the temperate zones that carry plastic 

 gums. Is not an examination of all of them about due? 

 Further, is it not perfectly possible that taken under 

 cultivation some of them might add notably to the 

 world's supply of gum plastic? 



CHEWING CHICLE. 



THE CHEWING GUM HABIT, in Spite of the efforts of the 

 fastidious, grows apace. The American troops car- 

 ried it to England and France where it seems to be estab- 

 lished. Now it is moving Westward, so much so that a 

 big factory is to be established on the Pacific Coast. 

 Soon it will move on to the Orient. Nor is this to be too 

 much regretted. There are worse habits. Tobacco or 

 betel nut chewing are more offensive. Moreover athletes 

 and aviators say gum is helpful, physicians say it cures 

 gout and dyspepsia, and (this has not been verified) it is 

 said that the Cockney Englishman with a wad of gum in 

 his mouth does no longer drop his h's. 



PNEUMATIC VS. SOLID TRUCK TIRES. 



IT IS BEco.MiNi; MORE .\ND MORE ExiDENT that the pneu- 

 matic tire is likely to oust the solid on the heavy 

 truck, just as it did on light vehicles. The first cost 

 is naturally heavy, and punctures unavoidable, but 

 the saving more than offsets both of these items. 

 Twice as much speed is possible without injury either 

 to engine or freight, and the weight of the chassis can 

 safely be reduced nearly one half. Big trucks are 

 equipped with "giant pneumatics" to-day. One won- 

 ders if in time these huge tires will be pigmies com- 

 pared with the tires of the future. 



