Decf.mbkr 1, 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



153 



admitted in writing its inability to pay its debts. The petitioning 

 creditors, with the amounts claimed due, are as follows: Man- 

 hasset .Manufacturing Co., $3,432.07; Frank \. Cushing, $259.50, 

 and Blackstone Webbing Co., $479.13. The Cataract Rubber Co., 

 it is stated, is not connected with, and should not be confused 

 with the I ataracl fire ' o., at 49 Broad street, this city. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN CHICAGO. 

 By Our Regular Correspondent. 



THE rubber trade in this city has been in a rather uncertain 

 condition for the past month. In some respects general 

 business conditions have been favorable; in others thej have 

 been adverse. I he situation in the Far East has been subjected 

 to close and con, lain scrutiny hj tlie trade here. The rubber 

 men realize that the) must look in this direction for price con- 

 ditions, and thej are gauging their own plans by developments 

 in that quarter. 



Word of the sinking of the German cruiser "Emden" in eastern 

 waters recently caused a much easier feeling in the rubbet trade 

 here, not because of any sentiments which might be classed as 

 unneutral, but because this elusive man-of-war had been raising 

 ha Oi with rubber shipments out of Singapore and other eastern 

 ports. 



The mild weather has not been g I for the rubber clothing 



trade, and dealers handling these articles are in no better posi- 

 tion than they were a month ago when the situation was given 

 a :anvass. They are certain that real winter weather, with 

 plenty of snow, rain and slush, will cause a rapid improvement in 

 tlu situation, and they are also sure that such conditions cannot 

 1" far away. 



* * # 



The capacity of \V. H. Salisbury & Co.. Inc.. of 105 South 

 Wabash avenue, this city, was put to a sharp test one day re- 

 cently when representatives of the Union Stockyards & Transfer 

 Co. placed with them an order for 20,000 feet of rubber hose 

 of a specified size to be ready for delivery within 24 hours, all 

 cut into various designated lengths. The stockyards had been 

 closed on account of the hoof and mouth disease among the 

 cattle, ami this hose was needed to comply with government 

 orders, which were to disinfect every inch of the pens, including 

 the fences, posts and pavements. 



"There was a brief discussion," said Richard H. Geier, general 

 manager of the company, "and we decided that by keeping the 

 entire force on the job the greater part of the night we could 

 fill the order in the time required. I say with pride that all of 

 the hoys and some of the girls in our establishment volunteered 

 for the work with great enthusiasm, and an hour before the 

 stated time we were ready with the hose, cut into the proper 

 lengths. We felt that it was more or less of a patriotic matter 

 to use our best efforts in assisting to stamp out this dread dis- 

 which threatened for a time to seriously cripple the cattle 

 industry in the West." 



* * * 



Most of the repair work in the grain elevators is over for the 

 present and there is not the same amount of activity in the 

 rubber belting lines that there was a few weeks ago. However, 

 the strain placed upon some of the northwestern elevators in 

 handling tin great grain crop has resulted in more than the 

 usual number of hurry orders for equipment 



* # * 



Considerable discussion has been created among the mechan- 

 ical rubber men of the city by an announcement that the price 

 of narrow rubber belting containing cotton is soon to be in- 

 creased. There is little doubt in the minds of the local dealers 

 that the cost of a narrow belt is considerably more than half 

 that of a belt twice as wide; the proportion is nearer two-thirds, 



in the estimation of mechanical rubber men of this city. There- 

 to,, the change will meet with little protest from this quarter. 



* * * 



Rubber men here were enthusiastic on hearing early this week 

 of the plan which had gon< through at the trade uncling of 

 representatives of commcriial organizations held at Memphis, 

 Tennessee, to establish branch banks in South American coun- 

 tries for tin- encouragement of ,0111111000 with the Cniud St 

 This means that it will be po ibli for rubber manufacturing 

 firms in this country to establish trade with dealers in the south- 

 ern continent. The Chicago Association of Commerce was repre- 

 sented at tile meeting in Memphis, ami the rubber nun of the 

 city who belong to that enterprising body have taken .1 keen 

 interest in the proceedings. Establishing banks is the first move 

 in the campaign. It is believed that it will lie possible, now that 

 competition is less keen, owing to the war, to build up a satis- 

 factory trade out of Chicago. The route wili be by rail to New 

 Orleans, and from that point by steamer down along the eastern 

 coast or through the Panama Canal along the western seaboard. 

 The cost will not lie much greater than on shipments to points in 

 California under the present rates on roads running west out of 

 this city. 



A. Romain, the sales manager of the Quaker City Rubber Co., 

 which manufactures mechanical rubber goods, discussing the 

 situation, said: "In a business like ours we must look at ma 

 in a broad light, otherwise we cannot get the right perspective. 

 I regard the establishment of the Federal Re 1 , 1 Banking Sys- 

 tem as one of the most encouraging things that has hap; 

 to the rubber trade of this city in some time. The city has 

 been made the center of one of the big reserve banks, and that is 

 bound to attract and stimulate capital for all commercial enter- 

 prises to this point." 



# * * 



Manufacturers of pianos and piano player actions in this city 

 have put up a cry of distress on account of a feared shortage in 

 the particular grade of rubber tubing which they use in the 

 manufacture of their product. They have been paying advanced 

 prices without much complaint, and their fears were excited by 

 a letter sent out by a prominent supply house stating that an 

 unfavorable turn of affairs in the eastern theater of war might 

 result in the complete depletion of the supply of rubber available 

 for the manufacture of rubber tubing. The tubing used by the 

 piano men must be of a certain line quality; no other kind will 

 do. In the manufacture of player actions large quantities are 

 used, as it is necessary, on account of the bellows device, to 

 have conduits which will conduct the compressed air to the 

 points where sound is produced. Large manufacturers of pi 

 actions in this city are the Gulbransen-Dickinson Co., the Sonorus 

 Piano Player Co., and the Schubert Piano Co., the last named 

 concern also having an office in New York. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN TRENTON. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 

 A S a manufacturing center Trenton has come to be recog- 

 ■*»• nized as one of the most important thi ities of the 

 east, and its lines of production are both varied and extensive. 

 The manufacturers of the city are co-operating with the local 

 Chamber of Commerce for an exhibit of Trenton products at 

 the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, which opens in 

 San Francisco. February 20 next, and this display will prob- 

 ably give further recognition to the city and its industries. 

 There will be a "Trenton Day'' at the exposition, exten 

 advertised. The space allotted to the Trenton section is 

 close to the Court of Honor, in the Palace of Manufactures. 

 mg the rubber companies thai haw s,, far contracted for 

 space are the Home Rubber Co. and the Essex Rubber Co. 

 The exhibits are now being prepared and collected at the 

 Second Regiment Armory, where they will be on display from 



