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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[June 1, 1916. 



A PIONEER ELASTIC WEB MAKER. 



William Rapp. one of the best known men in the liclcl of elastic 

 web manufacturing in this country died, at his home in Brockton, 

 Massachusetts, May 19, aged 82 years. 



Mr. Rapp was born in Staffordshire, Kngland, in 1833. His 

 father died two years later. There were no free schools there, 

 and the boy received but scant education. At an early age he 

 went to work in a webbing factory and by diligence and industry 

 rose to the position of foreman and later established himself in 

 the business in Leicester. In 1881, his factory was burned down, 

 and he decided to come to America. Locating in Chelsea, Massa- 

 chusetts, he joined forces with William and Thomas Martin, and 

 formed the Elastic Gusset Co. Two years later, he formed a 

 partnership with Albert Herbert, and built a webbing factory at 

 Brockton, Massachusetts. This concern later became the Hub 

 Gore Makers, with factories in Brockton, Rockland and Chelsea. 

 Massachusetts, Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Camden, New Jersey, 

 and is now a part of the more recently formed concern "Ever- 

 lastik. Inc." 



Mr. Rapp made his home in Brockton, and for many years 

 supervised the work at the factory in that city. He served as a 

 councilman in 1890, 1895 and 1896. He was a member of the 

 Commercial Club, and a prominent member of the Porter Congre- 

 gational church. 



His wife died a few years ago. He is survived by a son. eight 

 grand-children and four great-grand-children, 



AS ABLE EXECUTIVE, 



Aaron D. Weber, vice-president and general manager of 

 the Canadian Consolidated Felt Co., Limited, died at his resi- 

 dence in Berlin, Ontario, Canada, May 7, at the age of 43 

 years. He was born on a farm near Berlin in 1873. In 1900 

 he started work as a shoemaker in the Berlin rubber factory. 

 The following year he became a traveling salesman. When the 

 Merchants Rubber Co. was founded in 1903 he joined that 

 organization, and after the company passed under the control 

 of the Canadian Consolidated Rubber Co., Limited, he served 

 successively as assistant manager of the Merchants factory, 

 manager of the footwear department at the Toronto branch, 

 manager of rubber footwear production and sales at Montreal, 

 general manager of the Canadian Consolidated Felt Co. at Ber- 

 lin, and vice-president of the company. 



Mr. Weber's career is a splendid example of what ambition 

 and will-power can accomplish for a young man. Sixteen years 

 ago he started as shoemaker in a rubber factory and at his death 

 was vice-president and general manager of one of Canada's 

 great industries. 



His death is a distinct loss to the city of which he was a 

 worthy citizen, and to the industry of which he was general 

 manager. He is survived by his widow, father, sister, and two 

 brothers. 



or marketed by a company of that name when, as a matter 

 of fact, they were not. It was also contended that the word 

 "Empire" when used in a British possession would prima 

 facie convey a reference to the British Empire and lead 

 British subjects to believe that the goods were the product 

 of a British company. Consequently, the use of the mark 

 on the goods of the applicant would amount to a false trade 

 description. 



ORPHAN BRANDS NOT REGISTRABLE IN AUSTRALIA. 



A trade-mark decision of interest to those who are dealing 

 with Australia is that recently announced in the matter of 

 the National India Rubber Co., Bristol, Rhode Island, which 

 made application to register the words "Empire Rubber 

 Co." as a trade-mark for boots and shoes. There were sev- 

 eral reasons why the application was not allowed, one being 

 that it was printed in ordinary script and not displayed in 

 a distinctive manner, another because the word "Empire," 

 which is the principal feature of the trade-mark, was antici- 

 pated by prior registrations for the same kind of goods. 

 But the added reason, and the one most important as coming 

 within the provisions of the Australian trade-marks act, was 

 that it was not the name of a company, individual or firm 

 actually in existence and the law officer held that the use 

 of the words "Empire Rubber Co." would amount to a 

 representation that the goods were manufactured, packed 



STANDARDIZATION OF HOSE COUPLINGS. 



The Hose Coupling Committee of the National Fire Protec- 

 tive Association, in its report to that body at Chicago, states 

 that there is an encouraging growth in the movement toward 

 the general adoption of national standard hose couplings in 

 order to secure reliable and eiificient service in cooperation 

 between fire departments of neighboring communities. It par- 

 ticularly praised the activities of the Ohio State Fire Prevention 

 Association in its work of standardizing of hose couplings and 

 lire department equipment in cities within 55 miles of Columbus, 

 while similar work is in progress in and adjacent to other large 

 cities in that State. New editions of "Hose Coupling Specifica- 

 tions" and "Couplings Record" have been printed. The latter 

 shows a list of 2,222 towns, the equipments of which 894 are 

 standard, and 1,328 adaptable. The committee, which consists 

 of Howard L. Stanton, Norwich, Connecticut ; H. C. Henley, 

 St. Louis, Missouri ; George E. Bruen and F. M. Griswold, New 

 York City, suggests that the committee be enlarged by the crea- 

 tion of sub-committees selected from the membership of each 

 State Fire Association, whose duty shall be to collate hose 

 couplings and hydrant data for record, to urge the adoption of 

 the standard and to foster cooperation between communities, 

 and that the N. F. P. A. select one or more of its members to 

 attend the conventions of the State Fire Marshals' Association 

 to urge such coiiperation and standardization. 



ANOTHER SCHOLARSHIP IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING. 



In our May issue a brief announcement was made of the 

 establishment of a scholarship fund endowed by Dr. Victor 

 G. Bloede, of Baltimore, Maryland, the income of which, 

 approximately $500 a year, is to be devoted to financially 

 assisting deserving young men to obtain an education in the 

 held of industrial chemistry or chemical engineering, a,t any 

 institution in the United States which may be designated or 

 approved by the Chemists' Club of New York City. This 

 club has since announced the establishment of another 

 scholarship fund, the income of which, approximately $400 

 a year, is to be devoted to the same purpose. This scholar- 

 ship has been endowed by William F. Hoffmann, president 

 of the American Oil & Supply Co., Newark, New Jersey, and 

 one of the founders of the Chemists' Club of New York. 

 The benefits of both these funds w^ill be open to properly 

 qualified applicants without restriction as to residence, and 

 may be effective at any institutions in the United States 

 whicli may be designated or approved by the Chemists' Club. 

 The qualifications and full particulars regarding these 

 scholarships can be obtained by addressing the Bloede 

 Scholarship Committee and the Hoffmann Scholarship Com- 

 mittee of the Chemists' Club. 50 East 41st street. New York 

 City. 



THE STORAGE OF RUBBER GOODS. 



An anonymous writer in "Gummi-Zeitung" states that 

 light, high and low temperature, and moisture tend to shorten 

 the life of rubber goods. Blue and violet light rays are 

 particularly harmful. Red light is practically without effect. 

 He claims that the color of goods seems to have some 

 influence, bright colors acting in some degree as preserva- 

 tives, and that sulphur bloom may have a certain protective 

 effect. 



