December 20,1932 INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING
falling short of requirements on the present $1 basis, in effect
Miscellaneous
Professional Service Business Opportunities
All Miscellaneous and For Sale advertisements are charged
ai (he rate of 5 cents a word with a minimum charge of $2.00
for each insertion, the address counting as dO words.
A BOOKLET for popular txse—"TESTING PRECIOUS METALS with
the TOUCHSTONE—practical methods for appraising old jewelry, den-
tures,
«uicB, white
w u i t o gold, solutions, platinum,
g g i a . DVIUUUUB, p i a t i u u i u , palladium, 50c *u
p a i i u u i u i u » uws i n 8ta>mp8.
sti
C. M . Hoke, Jeweters Technical Advice Co., 22 Albany Street, N e w York
City."
CHEMICAL· RESEARCH PERIODICALS. Complete sets, volumes or
single baok oopies of CHEMICAL A N D PHYSICAL MAGAZINES FOR
SALE. Please send us liât of Desiderata. We BITS' SCIENTIFIC MAGA-
Z I N E . Address "B. Login <fe Son. Inc.," 2 9 Easrt 21st St.. N e w York.
W A N T E D : One 6x12* differential rolls for plastic mixing; one 18 t o
20 ton hydraulic press, preferably \rith steam pl&tens; 1 set of molds for
standard test pieces of molded insulation; 1 arbor press; 1 Universal test-
ing machine; 1 laboratory size mixing machine; 1 hardness tester: 1
Charpy tester. Please state size, type and price. Address "Box 2 3 - T - 1 2 , "
care Ind. <fc Chem.» Easton, P a .
Financial News
Standard Trade and Securities, in its issue for December 2, 1932,
states that:
With sales volumes during t h e early months of 1933 expected t o show some
seasonal improvement, and with 1933 contracting prices for most products
satisfactory, operating records of major chemical factors during this interval
should b e moderately improved. In fact, i t is Quite definitely indicated
that most of t h e large units i n this field -will eontixrae to operate on a profit-
able basis. T h e industry possesses rapid recuperative powers, moreover,
and will share promptly in sustained betterment i n the general industrial
situation.
According to a compilation made by the New York Times, in
October, 1932, 240 stocks in twenty groups depreciated in value
$1,981,164,639 or 13 per cent, compared with a loss of $422,283,-
14S or 3 per cent in September. I n October, 1931, the same num-
ber of stocks gained $1,182,905,560 in values. The chemical
group, comprising nine companies, showed a loss of $164,700,937
in October, declines in du Pont and Union Carbide being par-
ticularly sharp and accounting for approximately 82 per cent of
the total loss in value. In September the chemical group
registered a net gain of $53,315,053. From the end of June to
September S the twenty groups had an appreciation of more than
100 per cent.
ABBOTT LABORATORIES. The board of directors of the Abbott
Laboratories has declared a quarterly dividend of 50 cents, pay-
able January 1 to stockholders of record December 19. Net
earnings for eleven months of 1931 are reported as sufficient to
cover present dividend requirements. The president of the
company announced a Christmas bonus to employees of 5 per cent
of November salaries. He stated that the increase in sales for
November, 1932, as compared with November, 1931, was due
in a measure to the demand for two new research products.
ATLAS POWDER CO. The Atlas Powder Co. reports a net
operating loss of $199,139 for the nine months ended September
30, 1932, or a net loss of $78,500 for the period, taking into con-
sideration other income. The company's surplus at the begin-
ning of the year was $4,564,487, and after payment of dividends
of $408,535 on preferred stock and $133,621 on common stock
was $3,893,830 on September 30, 1932.
CALCO CHEMICAL Co., INC. This company, a unit of the
American Cyanamid Co., has acquired, effective December 1,
the Noil Chemical <& Color Works, Inc., of New York, Ν. Υ.,
which for the past 15 years has specialized in the production of
direct, developed acid and chrome dyestuffs. Operations will
continue without interruption.
CELANESE CORP. The Celanese Corp. of America has de­
clared a quarterly dividend of $1.75 on the 7 per cent cumulative
prior preferred stock, and 50 cents on account of arrears on the
stock, both payable January 1 t o stock of record December 17.
Dividends of 87.5 cents were paid July 1 and October 1.
COLGATE-PALMOLIVE-PEET C O . Since July the sales of
Colgate-Palmolive-Peet have shown a steady increase and for
the four months ended October 31 were ahead of the correspond­
ing period of 1931. The company's plants are operating at
capacity in the principal departments, and maintenance of
November volume during December would probably bring the
total tonnage for 1932 about on a par with 1931. Present selling
prices, however, produce a minimum of earnings and the 1932
profit will undoubtedly be poor in comparison with 1931, possibly
CHEMISTRY 317
for the last two quarters. The company has effected substantial
reductions in operating costs, including a reduction of from 10 to
50 per cent in salaries and wages and placing operations on a 5-
day week. The December 31 balance sheet is expected to show
the company in a strong financial position.
E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS & Co. Operations at the du Pont
plant at Carrollville, Wis., have shown a material increase during
the past three months, according to the manager. Employment
is now 100 per cent over August 15 and production schedules do
not indicate any material change in conditions.
FREEPORT TEXAS CO. On Election Day the voters of Loui­
"***
"MÎSS siana decided to change their state constitution and abolish the
ad valorem tax on mineral deposits. As a result, the Freeport
Texas Co. has announced that it will proceed at once t o develop
the sulfur deposit about 50 miles south of New Orleans, lease on
which with option to develop was acquired some months ago.
Plans are now being made for the construction of a new plant
for sulfur production, building of roads, and the erection of a
village for workmen, as well as facilities on the river for loading
sulfur into ocean-going vessels, river barges, or railroad cars.
Production is expected to begin early in 1934. Texas imposes a
tax of 75 cents a long ton on production. Louisiana proposes a
27 cent tax, an increase of 15 cents a short ton from i t s former
tax, but the abolition of the tax of 0.02 per cent annually on the
estimated value of minerals underground. The Plaquemines
sulfur deposit, now to be developed, is estimated to be worth one
hundred million dollars.
TEXAS GUXP SULPHUR Co. The Texas Gulf Sulphur Co. in the
fourth quarter will ship the largest tonnage of any quarter this
year. The last quarter is usually the best, but improvement
this year has been somewhat more than seasonal. Earnings for
the period will be close to those of the third quarter, indicating a
net profit of from $2.30 to $2.35* a share for the full year. The
company's own deposit has been shut down for two months,
resulting in a decrease in inventory.
INDICATING CONTROLLERS
TEΠLEEDS & NORTHRUP CO., 4901 Stenton Ave., Philadelphia,
Pa., has developed a line of indicating controllers embodying
the Mieromax features of the recorders recently announced.
These instruments are adapted for controlling & wide variety of
conditions in process
industries, such as
temperature, pH of
solutions, concentra-
tion of reagents in
solutions, concentra-
tion of gases in a mix-
ture, pressure, liquid
l e v e l , etc. The in-
struments are com-
pact in construction.
A unique feature of
both controllers and
r e c o r d e r s of t h e
potentiometer type is
the self-standardizing
of the potentiometer
circuit, whereby the
instrument is made
c o m p l e t e l y auto- INDICATING CONTKOLLBIK
matic. With the high
sensitivity due to the Mieromax features, the temperature con-
troller can be adapted for unusually short or comparatively low
ranges, as well as the higher pyrometer ranges. The control tem-
perature setting is adjustable to any position in the range of the
instrument, and is indicated by a pointer on the scale. Another
pointer follows the control action and shows the existing tempera-
ture.
The potentiometer type of indicating controller i s the one
used for automatic regulation of pH in process solutions. It
may have whatever range is required for the type of electrode
most suitable for a given solution. For regulation of the con-
centration of solution constituents, the indicating controller has
an alternating-current Wheatstone bridge circuit for ose with a
conductivity cell in the solution.
FRICTION-FREE DIAPHRAGM VALVE
A NEW FRICTION-FREE DIAPHRAGM VALVE has been Announced
by the C. J. Tagliabue Mfg. Co., Park and Nostrand Aves.,
Brooklyn, NT. Y. The improved superstructure is mounted on
Tag V-port balanced valves, giving gradual opening character-
istics. Friction is cut to a minimum by reducing the diameter
of the spindle passing through the stuffing box. The spindle is
perfectly guided by its upper (large diameter) portion which
passes through two roller-bearing assemblies, each consisting of
four stainless-steel rollers.