256 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[ February 1, 1915. 



Some Interesting Letters From Our Readers. 



TOO MUCH ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY. 



TO tlif Editor oi The India Rubber Wos 

 re is one point which 1 think is now worth bringing to 

 the front, namely, that there fe every indication that the 

 well as the matter of chemical specifications. Rack in the '80s 

 the steel industry went through the same crisis— and came out 

 of it with the conviction that for the user of steel the best course 

 is to make his physical and service tests as severe as he chooses 

 but to leave the method of meeting these requirements to the 

 manufacturer. 



You will probably remember that fur a few years the Penn- 

 sylvania Railroad ordered its steel rails on a chemical formula 

 evolved by the late Dr. Charles I'. Dudley after a long and 

 exceedingly able series of investigations. 



There is very little left of that sort of thing now in the steel 

 business; but there is altogether too much cropping up in the 

 rubber business. As usual, tin Governments and Government 

 chemists are the chief offenders, for they in their contract work 

 necessarily set the pace. This is as it should be, but it would 

 be better if they confined to rigid specifications as to perform- 

 ance and left the means of meeting these specifications to those 

 who presumably understand the matter best. Chemist. 



[Coming as this docs from one of the ablest of American 

 rubber chemists, who from his residence in England has the 

 American trade in good perspective, this suggestion should be 

 very serii nsidered. — The Editor.] 



DIRECT SHIPMENTS OF RUBBER FROM DUTCH 

 EAST INDIES. 



SMALL quantities of the rubber product of the Dutch 

 Last Indian plantations arc now being forwarded direct 

 from Jura to New York, and the writer of the following letter 

 believes that arrangements tor such shipments in larger quan- 

 tities would he advantageous both to the producer and the man- 

 ufacturer of rubber goods. 

 To the Editor of The India Rubber World: 



We have shipped some rubber by steamship, now on the way 

 from Java to New York direct, and will continue to ship every 

 month; the regular service opened by the Dutch Colonial Line, 

 between the colonies and New York enables us to do so. And 

 you may be sure that many rubber producers will avail themselves 

 of that service and that considerable quantities will be shipped 

 monthly. 



I'ncler these circumstances the fact that England has prohib- 

 ited the export from England and its colonies to the United 

 State- look, Uss serious. I in,- East Indian colonies, which in- 

 clude Java and Sumatra, are becoming large producers of plan- 

 tation rubber, which will become evident to one who knows that 

 up to June 1. 1914, in all 512,852 acres were planted, of which 

 312.003 acres with rubber alone, the rest interplanted with catch 

 Although a great many of these estates are controlled 

 bj English, and some by French i n owners, the leasi 



hold of every acre belongs to Hutch companies, as none but 

 Dutch individuals or companies can have land rights in our I a I 

 Indian colonies. Therefore we think the shipments to Xew 

 York will grow more important the longer the English keep 

 their frontier closed to you. 



During the beginning of the war. after rubber had been de- 

 clared contraband, several Dutch producers shipped rubber to 

 England, because they could nol get the goo igh to Hol- 



land (our government has never interfered). But that "Great 

 Britain became tlii' only recipient of the whole of the Middle 

 East supply of plantation rubber," as a certain trade journal 

 puis it, is not a fact. It would be good if you would open the 

 eyes of your readers with respect to this, so that they will 

 know that the statements of this journal arc not true. 



We wonder why tin Americans do not plant more rubber in 

 in colonies, were it only to make themselves more independent 

 in the matter of supplies. In our opinion, no country in the 

 world cm compete in rubber planting with Sumatra, where a 

 price of 2s. per pound yields large profits. If you know of 

 people who would be interested in such planting propositions 

 \\ e should be glad to help them to excellent and well situated 

 land. Planter. 



NEW YORK OR LONDON? 



' I '( i the Editor of lin India Rubbeb Wcrld: 



*■ There are a few far-sighted prophets of greatness who 



affirm that ere long Xew York will be the center of the world's 

 crude rubber trade; further, that this should be so — that the 

 tax Great Britain forces us to pay for rubber is unnecessary, 

 exorbitant, etc. 



We do not agree. 



First, as to the likelihood — England owns most of the planta- 

 tion rubber, hence she is liable to market it at home. She. 

 through her shipping, gathers in the African crop; and it is her 

 boats that carry the Brazilian product. That means handling 

 marly the whole of the world's product through London if she 

 so elects. 



Second, as to the exorbitant tax we pay to England — she paid 

 .ill of the first cost of experimental planting, and later did the 

 financing of the great Far Eastern plantations. She furnished 

 the men. machinery, transportation and scientific oversight that 

 made Hevea planting a success. Why should she not get a good 

 fat profit on her investment? Why should America, who has 

 benefited enormously, even in thought, covet v hat belongs just!.- 

 to England? New York. 



BY RUBBER TUBE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. 



Utilizing the waterproof property of rubber. Charles William- 

 son, of Norfolk, Virginia, has invented a deep sea tube with the 

 ud of which it is possible to reach in comfort a greater depth 

 ih. m is accessible in a diving suit and to remain there for an 

 indefinite period without physical discomfort. The apparatus 

 he has devised for this purpose consists of a flexible tube, made 

 of plates or scales, hinged together and overlapping one an- 

 other and kept in place by rings or bands of malleable iron that 

 form the skeleton of the structure and prevent its collapse. 

 Over this is stretched a flexible waterproof covering of rub- 

 ber and fabric, the whole forming a flexible shaft, open at the 

 top and for its entire length and terminating at the bottom in 

 omy, circular working or observation chamber. This shaft 

 is provided with windows, from which, with the aid of an electric- 

 lamp lowered from above, a good view of the surroundings 

 maj be obtained. The occupant of the chamber can render 

 lable service in submarine operations, by making a careful 

 survey of the bottom, and it can also be used to advantage for 

 locating sponge growths, coral beds, pearl oysters, etc., or even 

 the condition and position of a wreck known to contain valu- 

 ables. It has been employed effectively in securing pictures of 

 submarine life for moving picture films. 



