February JO, 1928
INDUSTRIAL
AND ENGINEERING
CHEMISTRY
5
World-Wide Chemistry London Letter B Y F. B . HAMER Editor. Chemical Age
(London)
IMPERIAL CHEMICAL I N D U S T R I E S A C Q U I R E S N E W COMPANIES
T h e special general meeting of the 7 per cent preference share holders of Imperial Chemical Industries, held here on December 29, 1927, for the moment effectually disposed of t h e expectations of some sensational announcement respecting Continental agree ments or t h e acquisition of Continental chemical interests. The meeting sanctioned the issue of £6,580,000 new preference capital, but Sir Alfred M o n d made it clear t h a t the purpose was t o form a fund for t h e acquisition from time to time of small businesses. He particularly emphasized t h e term "small" as if t o make it clear that nothing on a really important scale is contemplated, at least for t h e present. T h e acquisitions immediately sanctioned were four businesses —the Cassel Cyanide C o . Ltd.; Casebourne & C o . (1926) Ltd., a cement and chalk concern conveniently close t o Billingham; Oliver Wilkins & Co., a small but successful Derby firm manu facturing pigments; a n d the Union Acid Co., of Manchester. There had been persistent rumors about various other companies, but the above marks the extent of t h e present acquisitions. Incidentally, Sir Alfred Mond mentioned that t h e combine was nearly at the end of the first year, and he w a s glad t o state that the results were very satisfactory. RUMORS OF ANGLO-GERMAN AGREEMENTS U N F O U N D E D
A t a time when rumors are coming from Germany about Anglo-German negotiations respecting an agreement, I am assured that such negotiations or conversations as have been going on are o n the point of being discontinued. A t present there is n o prospect of any agreement between the chemical in terests of this country and Germany, whether as regards dyes or chemicals generally, a n d it is becoming clearer daily that Im perial Chemical Industries will concentrate on the markets of the British Empire. I t has been noted for some time past that the reports concerning international understandings and the perfection of n e w German processes came mainly from Berlin and Cologne, a n d the popular theory is that they were intended to facilitate the floating of German loans. Some of these, like the German potash loan, h a v e considerably appreciated in value since their issue, but t h e Berlin 6 per c e n t loan, issued recently in London at £ 9 8 , has fallen t o about £ 9 4 . D E A D S E A CONCESSION
The question of the Dead Sea Concession has been definitely settled b y the grant of the concession t o Mr. Novomeysky, a native of Palestine, a n d Major Tulloch, a British engineer, who has spent some time in exploring t h e area, it is understood that t h e y are in touch with important chemical interests who will be equal to the financial, chemical, and engineering tasks, but no names have been disclosed. The unsuccessful applicants in cluded T . H. Norton, technical editor of Chemicals, N e w York, representing the Palestine Salts Corporation. I N F R I N G E M E N T OF P A T E N T C A S E A P P E A L E D
I recently drew attention [News Edition, 5, 8 (September 10, 1927) ] t o a prolonged patent action, the hearing of which lasted seventeen days s in t h e Chancery Division of the H i g h Court, brought by Sharp & Dohme, Inc., a well-known American con cern, against Boots Pure Drug Co., for infringement of a patent respecting "improvements i n and relating to t h e manufacture of alkyl resorcinols." M r . Justice Astbury then gave judgment for Boots. The plaintiffs, Sharp & Dohme, are appealing against this decision a n d the hearing has just been begun in the Appeal Court. This, like the original hearing, promises to be a long and costly trial. J U B I L E E CELEBRATIONS
The celebrations of the jubilee of the Institute of Chemistry of
