27i i 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



L February 1, 1915. 



in Berlin in 1877, studied at Berlin I niversity and at Heidel 

 berg, and later was associated with some of the most famous Ger- 

 man chemists. He "as also the author of several notable boqkst 

 particularly "Caoutchouc and Its Test," published in 1910. 



A. W. BRUNN. 



V \Y Brunn, who for a nurnber of years lia<l been identified 

 with the rubbei tradi of New York, as a crude rubber mer- 

 chant, died January 23 at his home in Hackensack, New Jersey. 



COLONEL H. K. BIHLEY. 



By Our English Correspondent, 

 Colonel R; K. Birley, C. B., V. D., 1). 1... of the firm erf Charles 

 Macintosh & Co., Limited. Manchester, England, died of 

 ilex) on December Hi at his residence in that city, al the 



: 69 years. 

 lie was a -on n| the late Richard I'.irley. J. I'., I). I.., of Man 



Chester, and after leaving Winchester College he studied en- 

 gineering preparatory to entering the family business of (.'has. 

 Macintosh & Co., of which his father was a member. It is 

 understood that the late Col. liirley's wish was to enter the 

 Royal Artillery rather than to hecome a business man. This 

 desire descended to a later generation, and his son, Major R. A. 

 Birley, wounded and a prisoner in Germany, is a member of this 

 military body. 



Unlike most obituary notice- dealing with prominent rubber 

 manufacturers, it is not possible in the present case to point 

 to important developments or achievements in the domain of 

 science or technology. The lengthy obituary notices which ap- 

 peared in the press of his native citj dealt more or less ex- 



i rom the India Rubber Journal. 



COL. R. K. RlRLE'i 



haustively with the deceased's long connection with the volunteer 

 artillery, dismissing his business connection in a single line. 

 These military activities erkgCOS'Sed his attention for nearly half a 

 century and obtained tor him the Volunteer Decoration, the 

 Deputy Lieutenancy of the County of Lancaster and, last but not 

 lea-t. the Companionship of the \h,-t Honorable Order of the 

 Bath. 



I i a greater extent than any of his partners of thirty years 

 ago I 'oil! 1 Birlev took tin interest in science and it was 



on his initiative that the works' laboratory was founded on a 



- 



modest scale in lB84. Tn the late 70"- he paid a \ i-it to the United 

 roTrpanv with Thomas William-, who u ., - [{SI mans 



years engineer at the Cambridge street works. In the course 

 of this visit he gained an insight into American procedure, visit- 

 ing several of the rubber works. Other journeys abroad of a 

 business nature were to Brazil, and to Barcelona, where his firm 

 had a branch establishment for making up proofed cloth. He 

 had for many year- been a member of the Society of Chemical 

 Industry, lie was a regular read, i ,i I m Inhi.v Rubber World, 

 of which he always spoke highly as a technical publication. On 

 the formation of the India Rubber Manufacturers' Association 

 in 1899 he wa- elected the first chairman. 



Col. Birley took a lively interest in the rubber plantation move- 

 ment and was chairman of the Beaufort Borneo Rubber Co., as 

 well as director of Sablas-Xorth Borneo Rubber Co., the former 

 having been largely subscribed in the Manchester district. 



A man of commanding appearance, those privileged to enjoy 

 a close acquaintance found him possessed of a genial nature 

 and a kindly disposition. 



I he funeral was a military one, the interment being in the 

 family vault at Worsley Church, near Manchester. The firm 

 was represented by Sir Frederick Smith, Bart, (chairman of 

 directors), Colonel Hugh A. Birley, Philip A. Birley and J. 

 Harold Birley, directors, and L. Clay, secretary. James Tints 

 ili-well Rubber Co.) and William J. Henderson (Ancoats Vale 

 Rubber Co.) represented the India Rubber Manufacturers' As- 

 sociation. There were also present deputations from various 

 military organizations and hospitals in addition to relatives and 

 friends. 



ARCHIBALD C0LQTJH0UN. 



The recent decease of Archibald Colquhoun, editor of "United 

 Empire,'' is a source of sincere regret to those interested in his 

 able work for that publication and to his colleagues in the Colo- 

 nial Institute. Deceased, wdto was an earnest and logical ad- 

 vocate of imperial unity and possessed a wide know-ledge of 

 the world and its peoples, although so vigorous in his mentality 

 and decided in his opinions, was so kindly and considerate in 

 their expression as to gain friends on every hand. "L'nited Em- 

 pire '' personified his sincerity and intellectuality. 



Jacob Cordier, for over fifty years connected with the Ameri- 

 can Hard Rubber Works at College Point. New York, died De- 

 cember 30 tit the Flushing Hospital. He was born in France 

 in 1839. 



Samuel C. Kale, for the past 14 years in the employ of the 

 Faultless Rubber Co.. of Ashland, Ohio, died in that city on 

 December 15, of heart failure. He was 53 years of age and 

 is survived by his wife, a daughter and two sons. 



H. C. Bissell, for more than 20 years with the Habirshaw 

 Wire Co., of Yonkers, New York, died January 21 at his home in 

 that city, of pneumonia. 



RUBBER IN IND0-CHINA. 



According to the official statistics in the "Bulletin Eco- 

 nomique'' of Indo-China, the exports of crude rubber in 1912 

 represented $203,008, and in 1913 $151,809. The falling off 

 was caused by the decline of the article in value. 



Experiments with Hez/fp Brnsilicnsis reported from Cochin 

 China, show a distinct connection between the weights of the 

 Seeds planted and the height of the stems after twenty weeks' 

 growth. In four groups of seeds the results show average 

 weights of one-tenth, one-eighth, one-sixth and one-fifth of 

 an ounce; the average height attained within the period stated 

 being 10, 17, 22 and 26 inches. _One-.sev cnth of an Wince was. 

 considered the minimum weight tor insuring good result- 



