Asbestos Magazine, 1928

Johns-Manville's notes

1. Jan. 1928, p. 10 summary p. 29

   Approved Contractors Take Over Johns-Manville Construction Work. J-M announces appointment on January 1, 1928, of their Approved Contractors for Heat and Cold Insulation Materials: H. W. Porter & Company, Inc., Newark, N.J., for Northern NJ and Nicely & Company, Philadelphia for Philadelphia and vicinity. Both H. W. Porter, president of H. W. Porter & Company, and T. J. S. Nicely, President of Nicely & Company, have been connected with Johns-Manville for a number of years, and are thoroughly familiar with contract work.

2. Jan. 1928, pp. 13-14 summary p. 29

   H.W. Porter & Co., Inc. - Article in conjunction with above. Recently formed/incorporated. Comprised entirely of J-M men.

3. Jan. 1928, pp. 15-16 summary p. 29

   Nicely & Company - Article in conjunction with above. Recently organized by J-M men to handle J-M's construction work.

4. Jan. 1928, p. 22 summary p. 29

   U.S. Bureau of Census - Making plans for next manufactures census for 1927. Hope asbestos materials are listed in a better form than they have previously been.

5. Jan. 1928, p. 43 summary p. 29

   "Pulmonary Asbestosis. An important Article on the subject appeared in the British Medical Journal of December 3rd, and the December 10th issue of the India Rubber Journal contained a digest of the article with slight alterations. A copy of the India Rubber Journal article is in our possession and will be lent to anyone interested."

6. Feb. 1928, p. 10 summary p. 29

   1928 production of Amosite disposed of in advance. Development work is proceeding in the hopes that output will be increased. Used for cloth, rope, cement shingles, insulating slabs, electrical goods, etc. "Its rapid growth, from neglect to popularity, is, we should imagine, unprecedented in the history of the Asbestos Industry."

7. Mar. 1928, p. 45 summary p. 29

   J-M announces move of its Newark District Office to another building.

8. Mar. 1928, pp. 46-47 summary p. 29

   U.S. Government vs. Asbestos Firms. Suit was filed in the Federal Court of New York City, on March 3, accusing seven corporations and four individuals of having created a monopoly in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust law and the Wilson Tariff Act in the sale of asbestos in the United States. The defendants are: The Asbestos Corporation Limited; Canadian Johns-Manville Company, Ltd.; Johns-Manville Corporation; Philip Carey Manufacturing Co.; Keasbey & Mattison Company; Dillon, Read & Co.; Clarence Dillon; DuVal R. Goldthwaite; Richard V. Mattison and George D. Crabbe. It is alleged that Goldthwaite (agent for Dillon, Read & Co.) and Dillon obtained contracts from the Canadian Johns-Manville Corporation, Quebec Asbestos Corporation and Keasbey & Mattison Company, which gave them the option to purchase the surplus supplies of these three producers for five years and that it was arranged that these contracts should be assigned by Goldthwaite to the Asbestos Corporation when it was organized. This assignment was made, it is charged, on November 30, 1925 and effectively consolidated the entire surplus supply of Canadian asbestos over the amount actually consumed in the manufacturing industries of the Johns-Manville Co., the Philip Carey Mfg. co. and the Keasbey & Mattison Company. It was also agreed, the complaint asserts, that the three American companies and their Canadian subsidiaries would purchase all the surplus required by them from the Asbestos Corporation during the five year period. It is charged that in November 1925, presumably at the time the contracts were signed the defendants agreed upon a schedule of enhanced prices affecting all grades of asbestos, said schedule to be in effect in respect to all sales of asbestos in the United States and elsewhere. The Government charges that the Asbestos Corporation was "an instrumentality created to carry into effect the purpose of the combination and conspiracy." The Government, it is stated, seeks a decree adjudging all of the defendants guilty of a violation of the anti-trust laws and asks for a nullification of the contract obtained by Dillon, Read & Co. and assigned to the Asbestos Corporation Limited. It also refrains from engaging in the business of importing asbestos into the United States and to prevent the American companies from making any agreement relative to the prices at which they would sell asbestos to the consuming public or keeping them in control of the asbestos importation into this country.

9. June 1928, pp. 18-20 summary p. 31

   Simplified practice is being taken up in earnest by the Johns-Manville Corporation, a simplification committee having been recently appointed to make a systematic study of J-M products. The Company is at the present time manufacturing over 2800 different items. The Bureau of Standards of the U.S. Government is encouraging and directing the work of simplification all over the country.

10. July 1928, p. 25 summary p. 31

    Asbestos magazine visited several firms and government bureaus interested in asbestos during a recent trip to Washington, D.C. Object of the visit was to become acquainted, "so that when anything came up in their work pertaining to asbestos they would remember us and send along the information to the Industry's magazine." Officials at the Bureau of Mines, Geological Survey, Bureau of Standards and Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce were all courteous and went "out of their way to give information of interest, discuss asbestos problems, etc."

11. July 1928, p. 25 summary p. 31

    Monthly News Bulletin No. 39 of the U.S. Department of Commerce notes a remark made by a Federal Trade Commission member: "Industries possessing strong trade associations are equipped for self-regulation in a degree which, if wisely directed, will effectively preclude govenmental interference by rendering it unnecessary."

12. July 1928, p. 44 summary p. 31

    J-M's Waukegan factory is now spinning yarn and weaving various asbestos textiles, having begun production in this new department on March 1.

13. July 1928, p. 45 summary p. 31

    J-M personnel notes: H. A. Kieselbach appointed Staff Mgr., Insulation Section, NY. F. J. Wakem promoted to Staff Mgr., Packing & Power Specialties Section, both replacing the retiring B. C. McClure.

14. July 1928, p. 46 summary p. 31

    J-M's Sales Engineer in South Africa, E.V. Anderson, is to visit the most important European countries to introduce J-M products to the markets there.

15. July 1928, p. 46 summary p. 31

    L.B. McMillan, Consulting Engineer of the General Industrial Department of J-M, has been appointed Chairman of the Committee on Heat Insulation of the National Research Council's Committee on Heat Transfer.

16. July 1928, p. 46 summary p. 32

    J-M's Eastern Div. has: (1) re-established an office in Jacksonville, Florida and (2) opened two new sales offices in Elizabeth, NJ and Paterson, NJ.

17. July 1928, pp. 48-49 summary p. 32

    A.C. Hoyt resigns as Treasurer of J-M.

18. July 1928, p. 49 summary p. 32

    J-M asbestos mines at Asbestos, P.Q. are installing new equipment to make the operations more efficient and reduce costs.

19. July 1928, p. 51 summary p. 32

    J-M's Acoustical Dept. applied its acoustical treatment in the Standard Mining Stock Exchange in Toronto. They have also installed the treatment on the San Francisco street cars.

20. July 1928, p. 51 summary p. 32

    The British manufacturers cannot obtain supplies of asbestos coming from their own dominions. Steps are being taken to remedy this situation.

21. Aug. 1928, pp. 44-45 summary p. 32

    The Raybestos Company, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, some time ago entered suit against the Johns-Manville Company for infringement of certain patents on clutch facings made from material other than woven tape. After an examination of the patents, their validilty was acknowledged and as a result, The Raybestos Company has granted licenses to the Johns-Manville Company, Multibestos Company, Russell Manufacturing Company, and the Manhattan Rubber Manufacturing Company under said Raybestos patents.

22. Oct. 1928, pp. 2-8 summary p. 32

    Amosite - Its Discovery and Early History. Amosite was first distinguished as a definite mineral in 1907, and the first mining of it dates from about the same time. The men who obtained, from the old Transvaal Chief Serocoeni, the concession to work the deposits, were Messrs. Wayne and Ward. They formed a small company called the Asbestos Mines of South Africa, and their mines were known as "Egnep" (the name of the farm "Penge" spelled backward) and "Amosa" (the initial letters of the company's name). Dr. Hall adapted the name of the latter mine to christen the new mineral. Amosite, like crocidolite, is a typical South African product, and the two occur together in the same geological series. Chemically they are very similar. Soda, which is very characteristic of crocidolite, is less in amount or entirely absent from Amosite. The color of Amosite varies from almost white through various shades of pale grey to a greenish tinge; its most distinctive property is the enormous length of the fibre, six inches being an ordinary length, while it is found up to fourteen inches. Asbestos occurs throughout a belt of the country upwards of one hundred miles from east to west, but serious work has only been found possible on three mines: "Egnep", "Amosa" and the Malips Drift mine on the Malips River, all owned by Cape Asbestos Company. Total production is from 450 to 600 tons a month, the output being steadily increased, and the supply practically inexhaustible. Recently a number of new companies have been floated in South Africa, particularly for exploiting the amosite occurrences in close proximity to the mines above mentioned. One mistake made by the original owners was to concentrate their attention on the spinning utilities of the fibre. Amosite compares quite well with "white" and "blue" as far as strength, fiberizing capabilities, resistance to heat and acids and non-conductivity are concerned, but its spinnability is poor. It can be produced very cheaply and in large amounts; therefore, its main use appears to be in construction work, asbestos building materials, etc. For this class of work, long fibre is a disadvantgage. For years, attempts have been made to chop the long fibre up into suitable lengths. Lengths of 3/4 inch are produced in quantity. If a 1/2 inch grade could be made, the demand would be measured by the thousands of tons instead of the present hundreds.

23. Nov. 1928, pp. 20-21 summary p. 33

    Amosite - Its Growing Popularity. The pioneers in the use of Amosite found a great many obstacles in their path. Its length and strength seemed to suit it admirably for spinning, and because of these two qualities (and probably also because the spinning qualities of Asbestos command the highest prices) those interested in the Amosite deposits did not at first attempt to find other uses. The peculiar harsh quality, however, made it very difficult to spin. Amosite began to come into its own when other uses were found. The firm most interested in the development of Amosite (Cape Asbestos Co.) discovered a method of carding and spinning it, which they patented in both England and the United States, and they were then able to place that material on the world's markets with satisfactory results. For uses other than spinning, such as a binder in Magnesia Pipe and Boiler covering, or for asbestos cement products, the extraordinary length was found to be a detriment. A machine for cutting the material to short lengths was evolved and has been in operation ever since. Later a treatment of the fibre was developed which made it possible to use the fibre without cutting in both Magnesia Pipe Covering and in Asbestos Cement Products. Amosite was first introduced into Europe and found more favor there than in the United States, principally because the spinning machines in Europe were much better adapted to the spinning of this peculiar fibre. Europe is at present using from 300 to 400 tons a month for spinning, asbestos cement products, rope filling, and Magnesia Pipe and Boiler Coverings. The United States is at present using 200 to 300 tons a month, a considerable part of this being spun, the balance going into Magnesia Coverings. The high cost of transportation rather militates against the use of Amosite in asbestos cement products in this country at the present. "It is entirely possible and highly probable that Amosite is only in the infancy of its usefulness, and as time and experimentaion go on, it will undoubtedly be found adaptable for many purposes and used in ever increasing quantities. The tremendous quantities of the material which exist in Africa make it even more susceptible to new adaptations, and we believe the future of Amosite is well assured but by no means to be taken for granted. The pioneers in this material have put a lot of energy, brains, and money into its development, and are not pausing in their effort to make Amosite readily marketable. Those who get into the game from now on should exert just as much effort to see that Amosite is still further developed and exploited."

24. Dec. 1928, pp. 36-37 summary p. 34

    Arizona Asbestos - Mining boom - interest predominantly from textile manufacturers. The recent acquisition of an asbestos property within the Indian Reservation by Keasbey & Mattison has given a new impetus to the desire of other asbestos textile manufacturers to make themselves independent as far as raw material is concerned. "The Arizona Asbestos Association, operating since 1914 and controlled by the Johns-Manville Corporation since about 1917, has been a regular and persistent producer, but little is known of their output as all of it is consumed by their own manufacturing plants." The Regal Asbestos Mines, operating since 1919, have probably been the most widely known Arizona producers since that time, and their product has been sold in this country as well as in Europe and Japan.

25. Dec. 1928, p. 48 summary p. 35

    J-M's Milwaukee Branch Mgr. is to visit various European countries to study their methods/practices.

26. Dec. 1928, p. 49 summary p. 35

    The Pacific Division of J-M has started a school for its asbestos shingle salesmen.

27. Dec. 1928, p. 49 summary p. 35

    J-M, after the recent West Indies and Florida hurricane, donated to the American Red Cross a carload of asphalt roofing paper.

28. Dec. 1928, p. 49 summary p. 35

    J-M's General Railroad Department acquired complete control of Truss Plate, a new type of steel flooring, said to be lighter in weight than other types of car flooring, a real advantage.

29. Dec. 1928, p. 49 summary p. 35

    Johns-Manville Corporation announces the purchase of the Celite Products Company - an important step in strengthening their position as an outstanding factor in the production and sale of insulating and allied materials. The Celite Company brings to J-M an annual business of over $3 million in net sales of diatomaceous earth high temperature insulation and allied lines. An even more important asset is the Celite deposit in California - the largest of its kind in the world, giving Johns-Manville a supply of this basic material for at least 50 years. The Celite Company was also a large producer of filtration material. This business will be rapidly developed and amplified by J-M.

30. Dec. 1928, p. 49 summary p. 35

    J-M Notice of Sales Division Personnel Changes/ Promotions