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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



(September 1, 1919. 



and it is claimed that the profits of all other branches of the 

 leather shoe industry show similar increases during and since 

 the war. Suggestions to remedy the situation include rigid en- 

 forcement of the laws against monopolistic control of commod- 

 ities, legislation forbidding producers of hides to engage in the 

 tanning business, and the adoption of a scheme to acquaint the 

 consumer with the manufacturer's selling price. 



It is a significant and gratifying fact that in this arraignment 

 the Federal Trade Commission has found it unnecessary to 

 allude to footwear of any sort that is made in rubber mills. 

 Rubber and fabric shoes with fibre soles and rubber heels were 

 brought to a high degree of appearance, comfort and wearing 

 quality at exactly the right time to be of great service to the 

 public in combating the rising cost of living. For summer wear 

 they solved the problem, and to the fact that selling prices have 

 been kept as close to relatively low manufacturing costs as is 

 consistent with a fair margin of profit may be attributed in 

 large measure the success which has attended fiber-soled fabric 

 shoes since their introduction only a few years ago. 



GOVERNMENT RAW MATERIALS AND CHEMICALS FOR SALE. 



The War Department, through the Director of Sales, an- 

 nounces the surplus stocks of materials, which will be offered 

 for sale from time to time, generally under sealed proposals. 

 The Raw Material and Scrap Section of the office of the Director 

 of Sales, Munitions Building, Washington, District of Columbia, 

 will furnish information concerning any of the materials listed 

 as on hand July 10 in the schedule recently published. 



This list includes 582 tons of rubber, 4,004 feet of rubber belt- 

 ing and 11,565 feet of rubber hose. Of metals and chemicals 

 more or less in demand in the riibber industry may be men- 

 tioned: acetone, 56,748 pounds; acid, nitric, 42 per cent, 14,015,451 

 pounds; acid, hydrochloric, 20 per cent, 511,790 pounds; alu- 

 minum sulphate, commercial purity, 2,790 pounds; aluminum 

 sulphate, 17 per cent, 13,600 pounds; carbon bisulphide, 2,000 

 gallons; carbon tetrachloride, 99 per cent pure, 10,500 pounds; 

 glycerine, 100 pounds: lampblack, dry, 28 tons; lime, 48,163 

 pounds ; nitre cake, 36,000 pounds ; rosin, 125 tons ; sulphur chlor- 

 ide, 2,619 tons ; turpentine, crude, 9,670 gallons ; zinc. 40.003 tons ; 

 zinc, sheet, 13 tons. 



Besides these there are listed 109 tons of burlap, and 302,266 

 grommets, also 208 tons of grommcts. 



RUBBER AND ALLIED PROPERTIES SOLD BY THE ALIEN PROP- 

 ERTY CUSTODIAN. 



Definite oflicial information has been received from the Alien 

 Property Custodian regarding the disposal of the property of 

 firms that are of interest to the rubber trade. Final disposal 

 has been made in two cases : 



Merck & Co.— Eight thousand shares of the stock of this 

 company were offered for sale on May 9, 1919, for which the 

 McKenna Corporation, of 60 Wall Street, New York City, bid 

 the sum of $3,750,000. This bid has been approved and the 

 transaction closed. 



Robert Soltau & Co.— Eight hundred fifty shares of the 

 stock of this company were offered for sale on May 21, 1919, 

 for which the Bishop Gutta Percha Co., 420 East 25th Street, 

 New York City, bid the sum of $208,000. This bid has been 

 approved and the transaction closed. 



In three other cases the property has been sold but the neces- 

 sary formalities were not yet completed on August 14: 



Schaeflfer & Budenberg Manufacturing Co. — One thousand 

 twenty shares of the stock were oflfered for sale on June 12, 

 1919, for which R. B. Phillips, of the American Steam Guage 

 & Valve Manufacturing Co., Boston, Massachusetts, bid the sum 

 of $476,000. This bid has been approved, but final settlement has 

 not yet been completed. 



Polack Tyre & Rubber Co. — Two thousand ten shares of 

 the stock of this company were ofifered for sale on June 17, 



1919, for which Joseph Kaufman, 303 Jay Street, Brooklyn, 

 New York, bid the sum of $8,500. This bid has been approved, 

 but final settlement has not yet been effected. 



Roesslcr & Hasslacher Chemical Co. — Six thousand eighteen 

 shares of the stock of this company were offered for sale 

 on July 18, 1919, for which Coffin & Co., of 34 Pine Street, 

 New York City, and the American Aniline Products, Inc., of 

 80 Fifth Avenue, New York City, bid the sum of $3,039,090. 

 As yet no action has been taken on this sale. 



INTERESTING LETTERS FROM OUR READERS. 

 RUBBER LEATHER. 



To THE Editor of The lNni.\ RuBnER World: 



DEAR SIR — There is a rather interesting comparison of prices 

 to be made wliich might influence our big rubber manufac- 

 turers to a new field of endeavor, and I call attention to the 

 following : 



Hemlock sole leather $0.59 per pound 



Upriver fine Para rubber 55 per pound 



Ribbed smoked sheets rubber 41 per pound 



Perhaps my idea is a bit premature, but, nevertheless, I have 

 the very definite belief that rubber manufacturers can produce 

 leather substitute shoes in competition with the regular foot- 

 wear, and with considerable profit to themselves. 



The following are facts that are indisputable as regards rub- 

 ber manufacture and footwear: 



1. Machinery has already been developed for the produc- 

 tion of footwear made of canvas, rubber and leather. Very 

 little need be added to complete the necessary machinery for 

 turning out a real shoe. 



2. Rubber manufacturers are already producing, first, 

 (A), sole "leather" and secondly, (B), "leather" for all sorts 

 of hand baggage. 



(A) The first is a stiff firm leather substitute that 

 has already taken the place of real leather and has 

 proved itself, in many ways, more advantageous. 



(B) The second "leather" is a soft compound that 

 would seem, by all appearances, to be an excellent sub- 

 stitute for shoe "uppers." It is durable, soft and pliable, 

 and, in appearance, equals the best quality of leather. 



3. Here then, already exist the two necessary materials 

 tor making a shoe. No doubt, the quality can be improved 

 Ijy further experimentation and compounding of rubber, 

 balata, etc. Canvas interlining would lend a strength that 

 leather could never have. 



4. All the colors and shades of leather can easily be re- 

 produced. 



5. It is not even unlikely that many parts of the shoe 

 can be molded, thereby saving a considerable labor expense 

 that is impossible with leather. 



Considering the above, do you not agree that, with a trifle of 

 added experimentation, there is a very large new field of pro- 

 duction open to the rubber manufacturer? With the price of 

 shoes to-day, and considering the low cost of rubber by com- 

 parison, it would seem a most opportune time to start this new 

 enterprise. 



It might be said that the price of rubber, though low to-day, 

 may advance beyond a point where shoe production would be 

 profitable. But I do not believe that this need be a factor, and I 

 base my belief, first, on Ihe fact that rubber-tree growth is being 

 increased yearly, and, secondly, leather production has reached 

 its maximum if it is not already on the wane. Cattle require 

 grazing land, and this is gradually being absorbed into farm 

 land. Rubber-tree acreage, however, is not made otherwise use- 

 less because of the trees, but can also be profitably planted with 

 other useful flora between the trees. There is every reason to 

 believe that, in time, a substitute must be found for leather, and 

 the best material for the purpose would seem to be rubber. 



The idea has made me rather enthusiastic, and I hope that 

 some manufacturer will find it equally practicable. 

 Sincerely yours. 



New York Cit\'. Alfred C. Eccers. 



