226 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[January 1, 1915. 



RUBBER GOODS IN SPAIN. 



According to the reporl oi the Vustrian Consul at Barcelona, 

 the Spanish market affords a good outlet for rubber products, 

 rubber shoe imports having in 1911 represented $85,000, while 

 toys and stationers' sundries a nted to $80,000. The prin- 

 cipal part of the goods mentioned have come from Germany and 

 Austria- Hungary. 



SWISS TRADE IN RUBBER HEELS. 



When first introduced in Switzerland some years ago, the 

 demand for rubber heels was small. Few dealers carried them, 

 but those that did realized fair prices. This trade has now 

 been taken up by all leather and rubber goods dealers, so that 

 competition has eliminated much of the profit. The most pop- 

 ular style and quality is selling at Sd. (16 cents) retail. 



THE FRENCH IMPORT DUTY. 



A letter received from the Rubber Growers' Association, Lon- 

 don, in regard to the French import duty on indirect rubber ship- 

 ments, states that direct shipments of rubber to France are now 

 permissible, provided the bills of lading are made out to a dis- 

 tinct consignee in France— the exemption applying to products of 

 extra-European origin originally destined for France or Al- 

 geria and disembarked at British ports in consequence of the 

 war, but not to such products in general regardless of their 

 original destinal 



MADAGASCAR SUBSTITUTING MOTOR CARS FOR RAILROADS. 



The French authorities in Madagascar are said to have decided 

 to give up the operation of the local railways, on account of the 

 comparatively small number of persons using them, and to trans- 

 port passengers exclusively by automobile. For some years the 

 railways have been run at a great loss by the government, but 

 since the trial operation of automobiles the cost per passenger 

 mile has been greatly reduced. It is hoped to make the enter- 

 prise self supporting by the end of the year 1914. 



GERMAN NOTES. 



GERMAN and Austrian rubber manufacturers lr>vc been un- 

 to procure their usual supply of "M. R. X." since the 

 breaking ,u1 of hostilities. Proposals, however, have recently 

 an agent in one of the neutral countries bordering 

 on Germany for a large supplj of "M. R. X." for which there 

 can 1«- only "tie ultimate destination. The matter is yet under 

 negotiation. 



Berlin has had an interesting exhibition under the name 

 it the German Soldier Needs in the Field." The purpose 

 i enterpri en to show to the public in general and 



tc encoura ale of articles which might In- of use to the 



soldiers in the held. The German rubber industry was well 

 represented and a great variety of rubber goods was sold at 

 the exhibition, including waterproof coats and caps, rubber 

 bottles, waterproof sheets, rubber socks, gutta percha sheet, etc. 

 There has been a large demand for rubber boots, mainly those 

 with high tops, and for pneumatic cushions. 



The board of the United Harburg X Vienna I actories, at its 

 last meeting, decided to propose to the general meeting con- 

 templated fur November a dividend of 6 per cent. The net 

 nuts to $190,894, against $145,179 for the previous year. 

 To this there should be added the profits carried over of $85,231 

 After writing off large sums for depreciation and reserves, the 

 carrying forward of a further it amount is contem- 



plated. Since the outbreak of the war the departments working 

 for army requirements have been well occupied. On the other 

 hand, the difficulties of export trade have caused a reduced 

 outturn in the departments. 



M, i- of rubber coats and rubber clothing have sent 



out a circular informing their customers of a large advance 

 in the prices of rubber coats, vests, etc. The advance has been 

 made necessary by the high price of raw material in Germany 

 and by the demand for rubber for the manufacture of tires and 

 Other war material. 



The war has had a beneficial influence on the turnover of 

 retail shops specializing in rubber goods. While in ordi- 

 nary times a good deal of trade has been taken away from these 

 establishments by outfitters, shoe stores, etc., interest concen- 

 trate - now in specialties, and the dealers find that they can sell 

 not only bandages and surgical rubber goods, but also such arti- 

 cles as rubber coats, rubber shoes, etc. 



V cording to advices coming from Vienna, the price of raw 

 rubber has increased to about four times the value before the 

 war. This, of course, has caused a considerable advance in 

 practically all classes of rubber goods. 



The report that the Dunlop Rubber Co. of Germany contrib- 

 uted $5,250 to a British war relief fund is denied by the com- 

 pany. On the contrary, they contributed to the various Red 

 Cross stations in Germany $1,250 in cash. They also gave $1,250 

 worth of rubber goods for hospitals, 10,000 "helmet sponges*' 

 and an infirmary with 80 beds. They are paying their men who 

 are in the army 50 per cent, of their wages and they have also 

 donated two automobiles to the German Red Cross. 



The Continental Caoutchouc & Gutta Percha Co. has turned 

 one of its huge buildings into a thoroughly equipped hospital. 

 The chief executive is Dr. Gerlach, who is well known to many 

 manufacturers in the United States. The Continental company 

 states that in consequence of the advance in cost of raw ma- 

 terial, which amounts since the beginning of the war to from 

 60 to 75 per cent., it has been obliged to advance the price of 

 its pneumatic tires. The new price list (No. 124) dates from 

 August 24. 



Herr Heinrich Pfeiffer, for many years business manager of 

 the Eduard Frankenburg Rubber Factory, Hanover, has under- 

 taken since October 1 the direction of the rubberized fabric de- 

 partment at the Hanover-Linden Rubber Manufacturing Co. 



The Cable Works at Frondenberg, Ruhr, have been registered 

 for the manufacture of all descriptions of insulated wire, with 

 a capital equaling $16,500. Herr August Kohle is business man- 

 ager. 



The directors of Maschinenbauan stalt Humboldt, makers of 

 nil. her machinery, Koln-Kalk, propose a dividend of 6 per cent. 

 The trading profit was 6,144,049 marks [$1,462,284], A special 

 contribution to the reserve fund of 200.000 marks [$47,600] is 

 proposed, and the same amount is set aside for the benefit of 

 persons depending upon officials and workmen who have been 

 called upon for active service. 1.385,083 marks [$329,650] are 

 carried to new account. The dividend declared for the > ear 

 1912-13 was 8 per cent., from a trading profit of ^~'>3.573 marks 

 [$1,377,870]. 



Austria-Hungary has prohibited the export of insulated wire 

 to Belgium, France. Great Britain, Japan. Russia and Servia. 



The German auxiliary cruiser Cap Trafalgar, which was sunk 

 ,m September 14, had about 14,000 square' yards of rubber floor 

 ing, which had been laid by the Gummiwerke, Fulda. This 

 material had proved e!!ie;.eioiis in service and hael been adopted 

 by many other steam. 



Rubber news from Germ .try is difficult to get and often de- 

 I What crude rubber there is is held at a premium of about 

 one hundred per cent. Its use for individuals, as for motor tires, 

 has been prohibited. Factories such as the Continental, Dunlop, 

 Harburg- Wein and Metzler, are running, but on government 

 orders only. The great Zeppelins, for example-, tike much rub- 

 ber. A visitor reports seeing cloth for fifty of these craft being 

 coated in one of their factories. 



Every particle of rubber scrap in the country is being collected 

 and turned into reclaimed rubber. It is said '1 verified') that 



