November 1, 1918.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



105 



Molded electrical insulation was on exhibit, the Hightensite 

 Co., Limited, of London, displaying Hightensite, which has a 

 dielectric strength withstanding a pressure of more than 20,000 

 volts per millimeter of thickness, is non-hygroscopic, non- 

 inflammable, and has a wearing surface equal to brass, not 

 carbonizing under sparking. 



Another insulation was shown by Messrs. Fleming, Birkby 

 and Goodall, of Liversedge, Yorks. It is heat and acid-proof, 

 ncit brittle, and has mechanical strength, chemical inertness, and 

 accuracy of molding. Certain grades stand heat up to 2,000 

 degrees F. The dielectric strength is 550 to 600 volts per milli- 

 meter. One grade is similar to amber without being brittle. 



The Damard Lacquer Company, Limited, showed many forms 

 of a material they call Formite, a soluble, fusible, amber-colored 

 resin, soluble in alcohol, ether, acetone, fusel oil, etc., with a 

 melting point of about 150 degrees F., which, when heated to 

 250 degrees F., changes polymerically into a hard, homogeneous, 

 amber-like product, no longer soluble or fusible at any tempera- 

 ture, with high insulation and good tensile strength. The makers 

 recommend Formite for heat and electrical insulation and also 

 as a substitute for amber and ebony. 



The Improved Solidite Co., Limited, of London, displayed 

 Erinoid, a substitute for the German Galalith. 



The British Rubber Manufactures, Limited, Acton, London, 

 displayed their flexible gas container, having on each of its four 

 sides a deep flap, the lower end of which is secured to the tray 

 by an outside fillet. They also showed Egyptian cotton in its 

 raw state, their material treated with five coats of rubber, the 

 finished material with an inner surface of 12 coats of Para 

 rubber, and with the outside separately coated. 



MISCELLANEOUS FOREIGN NOTES. 

 INCREASED PRICES ON SULPHUR IN BRITAIN. 

 'T'HE British Ministry of Munitions announces the following 

 '^ revised scale of prices : 



Per Ton. 



Flowers of sulphur £28 15 



Roll brimstone 22 10 



Thirds 17 IS 



Export is still prohibited. Sulphur will be supplied only in 

 lots of not less than five tons for use in approved trades and in- 

 dustries. A discount of 2j^ per cent will be allowed to sulphur 

 merchants and dealers known as such before the war. "Recov- 

 ered" sulphur can still be procured in the ordinary way from the 

 home producers. All applications to the sulphur committee are 

 to be accompanied by remittance of the price in full. 



MECHANICAL RUBBER GOODS FACTORY IN NORWAY. 



The Norwegian rubber factory at Mjondalen, Norway, known 

 as the Aktieselskabet Norske Galoge & Gummivarefabrik, it has 

 been ascertained since the publication of the note about this 

 concern in our issue of July 1, 1918, has been forced by war 

 conditions and the scarcity of rubber to limit its production to 

 articles which are absolutely necessary. It is now chiefly in- 

 teresting itself in experiments with rubber articles of every kind, 

 with a view to taking up the fabrication of mechanical rubber 

 goods as a regular line as soon as suitable materials are avail- 

 able. 



PROPOSED CHANGES IN BRITISH PATENT AND TRADE-MARK 

 LEGISLATION. 



Practically all of the belligerent countries have taken steps 

 toward mapping out plans and establishing administrative ma- 

 chinery to deal with the economic situation after the war. Great 

 Britain has probably made more progress than any other nation. 

 Among the numerous means being considered to meet altered 

 business conditions, the Board of Trade has introduced two 

 measures providing for far-reaching changes in the trade-mark 



and patent legislation, which are intended to eliminate some of 

 the abuses on the part of foreign, particularly German, concerns 

 under the existing law. The changes in the patent law include 

 stricter application of the working clause, greater facilities for 

 licensing, and a revocation of the patent for any abuse of patent 

 rights, such as failure to work the patent, or to grant licenses 

 on reasonable terms, whenever the public interest demands, or 

 unfair conditions imposed on the use or sale of the patented 

 article. 



RUBBER IMPORTS IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. 



The increase in rubber goods imported from the United States 

 into Australia from 1913 to 1917 is notable. The figures are 

 furnished by the statistician of the Australian Government, who 

 selects 1913 for the comparison because that year was the last 

 in which returns were reckoned from January through December,, 

 the change to the fiscal system having been made in 1914-1915, 

 and because that year can be taken as the latest normal pre-war 

 year. The value of the imports in 1913 was $623,928, and in 

 1916-17, $2,031,822. 



The comparison of Victorian imports for the first six months 

 of 1918 and for the corresponding period of 1917 is interesting. 

 For 1918 they were $1,398,125, and for 1917, $799,770. 



The value of New Zealand's imports of rubber tires for auto- 

 mobiles from the United States rose from $133,163 in 1914 to 

 $1,163,726 in 1917. 



RUBBER AND RUBBER PRODUCTS FOR DENMARK. 



A commercial and shipping agreement, similar to that between 

 the United States and two other Scandinavian nations, has been 

 concluded with Denmark. Foodstuffs, raw materials, manu- 

 factured goods and other essential commodities aggregating 

 352,895 metric tons annually are to be exported. Rubber and 

 rubber products appear in the list as follows : crude rubber, 

 130 tons ; bicycle tires, 100 tons ; rubber footwear, 100 tons ; 

 machine packing, 100 tons ; motor and motorcycle covers and 

 tubes, 250 tons ; other rubber manufactures, lOO tons, 



SWISS TRADE-MARK OF ORIGlM. 

 To prepare against attempts made to pass oflt German 

 goods as of Swiss origin, a national Swiss trade-mark hai 

 been instituted and a syndicate for Swiss exportation (Syndi- 

 cat pour I'Exportation Swiss) has been formed. The syndi- 

 cate, known as the S. P. E. S., consists of a body of 15 men, 

 and will have its head offices at Geneva. As owner of the 

 mark "S. P. E. S.," indicating Swiss origin, it will give its 

 members the right to use this mark for goods produced on 

 Swiss soil or by Swiss industry, and for goods which have 

 undergone in Switzeriand such treatment as to give them 

 a new character. Only native-born Swiss citizens and those 

 who have been naturalized for at least 10 years are eligible 

 for membership. 



ARTIFICIAL RUBBER IN GERMANY. 

 The Dye Factories Company (formerly Friedrich Bayer & 

 Co), of Leverkusen, is contemplating the building of large ex- 

 tensions in Leverkusen, for which it has already placed the con- 

 tracts. One of the building contractors has already invited 

 tenders for 30 million bricks. It is reported that artificial rub- 

 ber and gum will be produced therein. The company is already 

 extensively engaged in the production of these commodities. 

 ( "Vossische Zeitung.") 



DOMINICAN REPUBLIC RUBBER GOODS IMPORTS. 



During 1917 the Dominican Republic imported 84,266 kilos of 

 rubber goods, of which 76,479 kilos came from the United States, 

 6,949 kilos from Porto Rico, and the rest from Cuba, the United 

 Kingdom, France, Spain, and Japan. 



