Al'KlL I, I908.J 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



209 



WPo^ 



Published on the 1st of each Month by 



THE INDIA RUBBER PUBLISHING GO., 



No. 395 BROADWAY. NEW YORK. 

 CABLE ADDRESS: IRWORLD. NEW YORK. 



HENRY C. PEARSON, 

 EDITOR. 



hawthorne hill, 

 associate:. 



Vol. 38. 



APRIL 1. 1908. 



No. 1. 



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COPYRIGHT, 1908, BY 



THE INDIA RUBBER PUBLISHINO CO. 



Entered at New York postofflce as mall matter of the second class. 



LIUKAR\ 



N€W VOWI 

 HOT A ' 



crystallized in the formation of the Wire Inspection 

 Bureau, and in its subsequent development, have 

 brought about an improved state of affairs, to attain 

 which the insulated wire manufacturers have worked 

 no less earnestly than the others in interest. 



But questions arose of an inconvenient nature, re- ,. 



OA(H 



suiting in a conference during the past month between 

 a committee appointed by the several manufacturers 

 of approved rubber covered wire and representatives 

 of the fire underwriters and other bodies. The point 

 in their discussion which is of special interest from our 

 standpoint is thus stated in the official report: 



On behalf of the manufacturers, it was explained that it would not be 

 satisfactory to many or all of them to admit into their works inspectors 

 exclusively under the employ of the Underwriters' Laboratories or any 

 other organization in the management or control of which they have no 

 voice. 



On the other hand, the inspection service stated that 

 it had no desire to force their system upon the manu- 

 facturers, and that they would go no further than to 

 offer such service as the manufacturers might desire. 

 The final decision was that "the manufacturers them- 

 selves can supervise the inspection and labeling of 

 wire, and that their united indorsement of any system 

 would answer every purpose." 



It is understood that the Laboratories will continue 

 to approve makes of wire that come up to certain re- 

 quirements, and to make the fact public. But the 

 manufacturer is to be left free to make his own goods 

 in his own way — the only proper basis for the conduct 

 of anv industrv. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS ON LAST PAGE READING MATTER. 



THE MANUFACTURERS SCORE. 



THE COST OF AMAZON RUBBER. 



THE rubber manufacturers in a very im]XTrtant 

 branch of the industry have scored a point re- 

 cently in connection with a disputed question 

 that deserves more than passing notice, particularly 

 because the decision that has been reached is right and 

 just. The question of the standardization of rubber 

 covered wires and cords for electric light and power 

 circuits has received much attention at the hands of 

 the National Board of Fire Underwriters and other 

 associations to whose members it is of special impor- 

 tance that every possible safeguard should be estab- 

 lished against losses by fire. The work that has been 

 done by the central agency through which these vari- 

 ous association cooperate, in regard both to establish- 

 ing and maintaining a high standard in rubber covered 

 wire production, has been mentioned at some length in 

 the pages of this journal. 



Of course no reputable firm, either of manufacturers 

 or contractors, has had any desire for other than high 

 standards of material and work, but so long as no 

 definite standards were recognized, and in view of the 

 keen competition at all times prevailing, it is undeni- 

 able that not a little wiring has been done that was 

 far from creditable to the trade. The efforts which 



NO question in connection with crude rubber is of 

 more commanding interest to-day tlian the prob- 

 able effect of a large production from plantations 

 upon ultimate prices of staple rubber grades. Five 

 years ago such a question would not have had respect- 

 ful attention outside the then narrow circle of rubber 

 planters. The rapid increase in the output of rubber 

 plantations of late, however, has made a marked im- 

 pression even in Stock Exchange circles in London, in 

 which city the leading financial journals give relatively 

 as much attention to rubber as to railway or mining 

 interests. 



It may be said, of course, that rubber planting com- 

 mands so much attention because it is the newest 

 marked success with which investing interests have 

 been concerned. But it has been proved that rubber 

 can be produced under cultivation with as much cer- 

 tainty as wheat or cotton, and the fact that the forest 

 product in recent years has been sold to factories at as 

 much as $3,000 per ton, while steel has been produced 

 at not above $3.30 for the same weight, has rendered 

 most alluring the possibility of cheapening the cost of 

 production of rubber without wholly upsetting the 

 long maintained price levels. In fact, it has been pos- 



