THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[September 1, 1916. 



tires are returned to the depots of the respective army sectors, 

 special machines pare off the rubber remaining on the steel bases, 

 and the latter, together with the scrap rubber, are sold from time 

 to time, as quantities accumulate, to tire manufacturers and rub- 

 ber reclaimers, so that, all in all, waste is reduced to a minimum. 

 TWIN TIRES. 



I note that the subject of twin or dual pneumatic tires — which 

 is by no means new here— is attracting much attention in Ameri- 

 can automobile circles. 



Dually mounted pneumatic tires have been used here in France 

 for more than four years, and their use has greatly increased 

 since the outbreak of the war. 



Prior to the war twin tires were never recommended fot 

 light weight automobiles, being only of advantage on cars in 

 which the weight to be borne by each of the rear wheels was 

 in excess of 1,500 pounds per wheel, practically the limit weight 

 tliat can be borne, without excessive stra'.n, by current sized 

 pneumatic tires. On such cars it was found that the use of 

 these dual tires was of decided advantage. They required less 

 air pressure per tire than smgle tires carrying an equal weight 

 and they gave better mileage results. 



Under war conditions the use of twin pneumatic tires has 

 greatly increased, especially for ambulance work, and more 

 because of the increased security they afford — one tire can be 

 punctured without necessitating a stop for changing. Further, 

 twin fitments allow the use of repaired casings and tubes that 

 would never stand the strain were they mounted singly. 



The objection to dual tires is that they increase the traction 

 effort necessary to move the cars, therefore require more gasolene, 

 and have the bad habit of picking up rocks and throwing them 

 with no small force. 



TIRES IN PRIV'ATE VSE. 



We are so much absorbed by the war that I have, up to date, 

 failed to mention the fact that very large numbers of private 

 cars have been kept in commission in spite of the war and that 

 these consume considerable quantities of tires. This private de- 

 mand for tires has also been largely taken care of by our domestic 

 rubber manufacturers. 



LE.ATHER TRE.^DS. 



Our tire manufacturers have largely, not to say completely, 

 discarded the leather tread metal-studded anti-skid tires which 

 have so long been in almost universal use in Continental Europe. 

 They have continued to . make metal-studded casings, but the 

 studs are now embedded in the rubber tread and in the fabric 

 of the tire, instead of being anchored in a leather cover. 



It will be remembered that leather treads were made of 

 chrome-tanned cowhide and required leather taken from the 

 middle of the back of the animal. Chrome tanning made the 

 leather impervious to water and prevented it from softening 

 when wet. "■ 



Many attempts had previously been made to launch metal- 

 studded rubber tread tires on the market but these had always 

 failed, chiefly on account of lack of durability, which was due 

 to faulty methods of tire building. The scarcity and consequent 

 high cost of leather has led to great improvements in the making 

 of these rubber tread, metal-studded casings, but it has not as 

 yet been proven that this type will show itself to be equal, let 

 alone superior, to the time-honored leather non-skids. 

 RUBBER IMPORTS AND EXPORTS DURING 1915. 



Statistics for the year 1915 have been recently published. Al- 

 though the individual items of these statistics are not as well de- 

 fined as in normal times it is probable that those for rubber 

 represent more imports of rubber and rubberized clothing, foot- 

 wear, etc., than tires. It is, of course, true that in the first year 

 of the war large quantities of rubber tires were imported, es- 

 pecially solid tires for American motor trucks, which came 

 into this country in great numbers. 



The imports of manufactured rubber in 1915 amounted to 

 $4,928,000, as against $4,970,000 the previous year. 



F:xports of rubber goods, largely tires, amounted to $13,958,725 

 in 1915, as compared with $16,395,350 during 1914. 



SALES OF AMERICAN CHEWING GUM. 



An interesting development of the war times, though not ex- 

 actly a rubber item, is worthy of mention. 



American chewing gum has long been sold in Paris and other 

 centers, but almost exclusively to American visitors, for whose 

 convenience it was stocked by druggists patronized by them. 

 Since the outbreak of the war chewing gum has become popular 

 with native consumers, and it is now being sold in many parts of 

 the country, not only by druggists, but also by tobacconists and 

 other retail dealers. The gum is presented in American style, 

 but with French labels, and it is retailed at relatively the same 

 prices as in the United States. 



THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY. 



I have repeatedly mentioned to you the scarcity of chemicals 

 for the rubber industry and the necessity of importing much of 

 these from abroad. 



Conditions in our chemical industry have great'y improved. 

 War orders and the absence of German competition have made 

 this a really profitable industry, and it has developed to a remark- 

 able degree. The manufacture of chemicals, materials for ex- 

 plosives, medicines, antiseptic preparations or the treatment of 

 wounds, etc., has been developed along with the manufacture 

 of benzine, benzol, toluene and the like, and acids and coal tar 

 products, which were formerly imported from Germany, are now 

 being produced in excellent quality in France. 



Our rubber manufacturers are still importing many chemicals 

 and compounding ingredients, but the energy and skill of our 

 chemical manufacturers is achieving success and it will not be 

 long before almost all our requirements will be produced by 

 domestic manufacturers. 



SECOND SAMPLE FAIR .\T LYON. 



Beginning March 1, 1917, and continuing for IS days, the 

 Second Anntial Lyon Sample Fair will occupy the attention 

 of the commercial world. The first fair was 'opened on 

 March 1, 1916, and although there was scarce time to work 

 out the details of such a great undertaking, it proved, never- 

 theless, to be an immediate success and gave promise of 

 accomplishing its original purpose of establishing a sample 

 fair in France similar to the great Leipz<ig Fair held in 

 Germany. 



.\t the last Lyon Sample Fair, it will be remembered, rub- 

 ber companies of France, England, Spain and Italy were well 

 represented and all reported unexpectedly large sales. 



American rubber concerns should take advantage of this 

 opportunity to present their products to French buyers. 

 The total sales made in all merchandise from samples at the 

 last fair exceeded $30,000,000. 



TRADE NOTES. 



A severe fire resulting from a short circuit recently caused 

 damages estimated at more than $60,000 to the rubber factory 

 operated at Billancourt, near Paris,' by Arthur Gobert, manu- 

 facturer of friction tape, rubber solutions, and reclaimed rubber. 



The Societe Generale des fitablissements Bergougnan, Cler- 

 mont-Ferrand, well-known manufacturer of rubber tires and 

 general rubber goods, has issued 16,250 new shares of 500 francs 

 [$96.50] each, completely paid up by the reserve fund of 

 the company. This reserve fund amounts to 10,000.000 francs 

 [$1,193,000] and is wholly made up of funds derived from premi- 

 ums paid by subscribers on shares previously issued to increase 

 the company's capital. These new shares are to be distributed 



