OcroBEK 1, 19 16. J 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



1 



Ree. Dnlted States Pat. Off. Rsg. United Kingdom. 



Published on the 1st of each month by 



THE INDIA RUBBER PUBLISHING GO. 



No. 25 Wes* 45th Street. New York. 



Telephone — Bryant 2576. 



CABLE ADDRESS: IRWORLD. NEW YORK. 



HENRY C. PEARSON, Editor 



Vol. 55 



OCTOBER 1, 1916 



No. 



SuascRiPTiONs; $3.00 per year, $1.75 for six months, postpaid, for the 

 United States arid dependencies and Mexico. To the Dominion 

 of Canada and all other countries, $3.50 (or equivalent funds) 

 per year, postpaid. 



Advsitising: Bates will be made known on application. 



RlwiTTANcES; Should always be made by bank draft or Postoffice or 

 Express money order on New York, payable to The I.sdia Rubber 

 Pi;blishing Company. Remittances for foreign subscriptions should 

 be sent by International Postal Order, payable as above. 



Discontinuances; Yearly orders for subscriptions and advertising are 

 regarded as permanent, and after the first twelve months they will 

 be discontinued only at the request of the subscriber or advertiser. 

 Bills are rendered promptly at the beginning of each period, and 

 thereby our patrons have due notice of continuance. 



COPYRIGHT. 1916, BY THE INDIA RUBBER PUBLISHING CO. 

 Entered at the New York postoffice as mail matter of the second class. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS ON LAST PAGE OF READING. 



A PENSION PLAN FOR MUTUAL BENEFIT. 



ANOTHER large firm has adapted the pension sys- 

 tem in the belief that it will lienefit both em- 

 ])loyer and emploj-e. Realizing that the certainty 

 of a competence in old age offers a great incentive 

 to faithful and efficient work and also tends to mini- 

 mize unrest and discontent, the Crompton & Knowles 

 Loom Works, of Worcester, Massachusetts, and Prnvi- 

 dence, Rhode Island, which supplies eciuipment for rub- 

 ber manufacturers, has instituted a liberal, retroac- 

 tive plan to reward u])un retirement those of its 2,600 

 operatives who have grown old in the firm's employ. 

 The scheme is based proportionately upon the length 

 of service and the average monthly wages. An em- 

 ])loye whose earnings have averaged $60 monthh' tor 

 25 years prior to his retirement will receive annu;ill}- 

 the minimum ])ension, a sum equal to the income 

 from $4,500 at the usual 4 per cent savings bank rate 

 of interest, the principal obviously being equivaleni 

 to yearly savings of $180 for the 25 years. On thi- 

 basis a man with a record of 25 years' service will re- 

 ceive $180 annually: 30 years' S216: 35 years, S252 ; 



40 years', $288. When the average wages have been 

 greater than $60 monthly the pension principal will 

 lie increased proportionately. For example, average 

 earnings of $90 monthly for a period of 40 years will 

 increase the principal to $10,800 and the pension to 

 $432 annually; in other words, the retired employe will 

 derive the benefit corresponding to the income from 

 accumulated yearly savings of $270 for the entire 40 

 years. 



In its announcement the firm emphasizes particu- 

 larh- the advantages of long service on the part of 

 its operatives Ijy reminding them that many large 

 employers will hire absolutely nobody over 45 years 

 of age, however skilled, for a permanent position ; 

 also that as a physical examination is frequently re- 

 quired it will become increasingly difficult to procuj-e 

 emplo3'ment in new situations beyond that period of 

 life. The net result of the plan will doubtless be to 

 retain the most valuable operatives and to cause them 

 of iheir own volition to seek retirement when in- 

 caijacitated for further efficient service. 



RUBBER PROSPECTS IN FRENCH INDO-CHINA. 



'"P'ilE growing importance of plantation ruitber in 

 ■•• French Indo-China has led us to publish in 

 full the informing report of Lawrence P. Briggs, the 

 .\nierican Consul at Saigon. Beginning with a prod- 

 uct of 55 tons in 1909 it increased to 297 tons in 1915. 

 i'ur the present year, howexer, the increase is far more 

 rapid. The first quarter of 1916 shows a product of 

 1:^7 lolls, or nearl}- as much as was exported in the 

 whole of 1<)I5. .\nd that this growth is to continue is 

 shown by the conservative estimate of O. Berguet, 

 Ijresident in charge of the Association of Rubber 

 Planters of French Indo-China, wdiich is 4,000 tons in 

 192U. The product will doubtless far exceed this, for 

 rubber growing ha-- Ix-en found ^o inohiable and the 

 colony i^ so well represented by the Planters' Associa- 

 tii'ii. that much French, and no doubt American, cap- 

 ital is sure to be attracted to further Hevea planting 

 in French Indo-China. 



•IT SHINES FOR ALL" BUT THE RUBBER MEN. 



THE uniformly sage, sane and sensible "Sun," New 

 ^"ork, dropped a stitch in its news fabric .Sep- 

 tember 8. when it ijublished an article entitled "Arti- 

 hci.-il Rubber." etc. It was readable, — indeed, to the 

 uninitiated. |ilausible. — and is being copied by other 

 new sijapers. l)ul its inaccur.acies were so glaring that 

 we cannot forbear from gentle criticism. 

 h'or exam])le. the writer sa\s : 

 .\t tlie beginning of the w?r the Enrope;iii Governniciits 



