202 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[April i, igo". 



advance which has occurred within two years past and 

 is still maintained. There is, for example, "speculation" 

 in cotton, but mere speculation cannot long maintain a 

 material at a high price level if consumption is not keep- 

 ing pace with production. This whole projiDsition has 

 been illustrated fully in connection with the gradual ad- 

 vance in rubber prices to the present standard. 



Some other features of Mr. I'rice'< circular merit at- 

 tention here. He asserts that no other single product 

 of labor is so essential to civilized humanity as cotton, 

 and the increase in the demand for it is coextensive with 

 the spread of civilization, industry, and wealth ; no other 

 article of commerce is so promptly and easily exchange- 

 able for gold. During 50 years past the "units of labor" 

 involved in cotton production have remained practically 

 unchanged, while labor-saving machinery has reduced 

 the cost of production of most other conunodities. But 

 of late the value of "labor units" — /. c, a day's work — 

 as expressed in terms of gold, has increased. In other 

 words, the purchasing power of gold has become greater. 

 In 1906 there was produced twice as much gold as in 

 1896, which fact must not be lost sight of in considering 

 the advance in cotton prices in the same period, 



Mr. Price predicts that in time an American cotton 

 crop twice as large as at present will be viewed without 

 alarm as no more than equal to the world's require- 

 ments, and already we seem to be nearing the time when 

 15,000,000 bales will be a necessity. And with the con- 

 tinued large production of gold, cotton at 20 cents a 

 pound may yet seem reasonable. 



In the above consideration no regard has been had to 

 the production of other than American cotton. As our 

 readers know, the culture of cotton is being encouraged 

 by the European powers in all their colonial possessions 

 which seem in any way adapted to it, but as we have 

 shown recently, while progress is being made, it is slow. 

 Meanwhile the use of cotton goods is on the increase in 

 regions where formerly they were little known. Doubt- 

 less considerable cotton will be grown in West Africa 

 within the coming decade, but a large production will 

 be needed to offset the growing demand for cotton goods 

 there. Great Britain alone exported to West Africa in 

 1904 cotton goods valued at £1,706,186 [=$8,303,154]. 

 and in 1906 valued at £2,034,152 [=$9,899,200], 



We should be pleased, of course, to .see the cotton 

 situation work out more favorably for the rubber trade 

 than the foregoing considerations indicate, but the trade 

 will lose nothing by being prepared for a permanent high 

 level for this commodity. 



GROWING USE OF RECLAIMED RUBBER. 



the .production of raw rubber has increased steadily from 

 the beginning, the total amount available is hardlv suffi- 

 cient to afford material for all tlu- rubber goods required. 



Without the help of the reclaiming processes, the 130,- 

 000,000 pounds or more of rubber that enters into con- 

 sumption in the world in a year would have to be thrown 

 away after once having rendered a service, whereas now 

 ])ractically all ruljber is capable of being used over and 

 over again. The extent of the reclaimed rubber industry 

 cannot be stated with accuracy, but careful estimates in 

 the trade of the production of the il reclaiming plants 

 in the United .States point to the use in this country of 

 two pounds of reclaimed stock for every pound of raw 

 rubber. It is several years since the estimate was ac- 

 ce])ted that an equal amount of reclaimed and raw rubber 

 was used. Since then improved reclaiming methods have 

 come in, and wider uses found for the product. 



The use of reclaimed rubber in other countries, though 

 beginning later, has become very extensive. There is 

 reason to believe that the collection of waste rubber in 

 Europe is as general as here, not being confined to the 

 10,000 tons or more exported in a year to America. Most 

 of the larger rubiier factories abroad reclaim more or less 

 rubber for their own use, in addition to the product of 

 several important independent reclaiming plants. 



At present prices the collection of every kind of waste 

 rubber is worth while, and the pressure of the demand 

 for reclaimed rubber makes it uncertain when lower 

 prices will prevail. 



T^llE most important developn-ent in the rubber in- 

 dustry, since the discover^- of the vulcanization 

 process, has been in the reclaiming of rubber from scrap, 

 or worn-out goods. Indeed, without reclaimed rubber, 

 the industrv as we know it to-dav could not exist. \MiiIe 



TO IMPROVE CONGO CONDITIONS. 



/^N the eve of his departure for the Congo, to begin 

 the work of exploiting the rubber concession 

 granted recently to an American company, the general 

 manager of the company is reported to have stated that, 

 as soon as any center for their work was located, the 

 first care would be to arrange for "the proper housing, 

 feeding, and in general the health and comfort of the 

 natives" they expect to employ. This statement is en- 

 titled to weight, not only from the fact that the company 

 command practically unlimited capital, enabling them to 

 carry out plans without regard to expense, but because 

 their manager has had several years of experience in 

 Central Africa and is familiar with the character of the 

 natives, and with the local labor conditions. 



In the opinion of the gentleman quoted, a great trouble 

 with the employment of labor in Africa has been that the 

 natives have been left too much to themselves, and, being 

 improvident, they have never made provision for a sea- 

 son ahead, which doubtless renders their labor on the 

 whole less effective than it might be otherwise. The 

 American manager does not hope to change the nature 

 of the natives, but, by fair treatment, to so gain their 

 confidence as to bring their work under more systematic 

 supervision than has prevailed hitherto. 



We do not doubt that both in the Congo and the rub- 



