364 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[September i, 1907. 



AMERICAN WASTE RUBBER TRADE. 



THE growth of imports of waste rubber into the United 

 States during the past 20 years has been a matter of com- 

 mon knowledge in the trade, particularly as detailed statistics 

 regarding the same have been available in official statements 

 of American commerce. It may be of interest, however, to 

 have brought together a summary of such imports and of the 

 declared import value from the year when waste rubber first 

 figured separately in the customs returns. These details relate 

 to fiscal years, ending June 30. 



American Imports of Waste Rubber. 



Ye.\r. Pounds. Value. 



1890-91 488,163 $19,448 



1891-92 1,841,786 66,775 



1892-93 910,543 25.633 



1893-94 1,774,008 55,803 



1894-95 2.032,563 63,112 



1895-96 3,874,677 123,068 



1896-97 3,653-945 113,722 



1897-98 9,488,327 339.374 



1898-99 10,513,604 462,044 



1899-00 19,093.547 1,249,231 



1900-01 15,235,236 988,316 



1901-02 22,894,900 1,437,690 



1902-03 24,659,394 1,516.137 



1903-04 20,270,070 1,164,785 



1904-05 15,575,214 953.439 



1905-06 24,756,486 1,721.578 



1906-07 29,335,193 2,608,987 



In the first year for which figures are given above, slightly 



more than 50 per cent, of the waste imported came from Great 



Britain, 22 per cent, from Germany and 15 per cent, from Canada, 



with the rest scattering. In the fiscal year 1905-06, Great Britain 



contributed but 16 per cent, of the whole, Germany 21 per cent., 



Canada 15 per cent., Russia 32 per cent., and the remaining 16 



per cent, mostly from Europe, including large quantities from 



France and Sweden. 



* * * 



The exportation of reclaimed rubber has constituted an in- 

 creasingly important feature of the customs returns for a num- 

 ber of years past, this product going to every country in which 

 rubber factories exist, .though recently rubber reclaiming has 

 been carried on extensively abroad. More recently an export 

 trade in waste rubber has also grown up, in larger quantities 

 probably than some in the trade would suppose. Only values 

 of waste rubber exports can be given, for five fiscal years, as 

 follows : 



.American Exports of Waste Runr.ER. 



To — 1901-02. 1902-03. 1903-04. 1904-05. 1905-06. 



Great Britain... $172,757 $215,904 $272,021 $103,329 $195,846 



Canada 143.276 129.216 195.792 41.507 52.747 



Germany 16,688 19,425 44.696 10,532 28.017 



France 7,775 13,932 6,495 12,081 23,588 



All other 32,225 26,109 15.046 37,496 30.309 



Total $362,721 $404,586 $534,500 $204,945 $339,507 



The figures for value of exports of rubber waste for the fiscal 

 year 1906-07 are $548,695, showing that shipments of this class 

 are not decreasing. Quantities are stated for the first time for 

 this period — 4,756.621 pounds. This is almost one-fifth as much 

 as the quantity of imports for the same period. 



It has been considered possible, by some in the trade, that 

 the returns of "rubber waste" exported might, for one reason 

 or another, include shipments of "reclaimed rubber." The India 

 Rubber World inquired at the customs office in New York on 

 this point, to which it was replied: 



This office possessing views similar to those expressed by you concerning 

 the exports of old scrap rubberj held telephonic communication with the 

 shippers before tabulation, in which the question if not "reclaimed rubber" 

 was met with an emphatic denial, and with the assertion that the mer- 

 chandise was old scrap rubber as described in the maniftst. 



The same question was laid before the chief of the bureau 

 of statistics at Washington, who communicated with the various 

 collectors of customs, all of whom asserted that the exports 

 through their respective ports had been manifested correctly. 

 Besides, several officials enclosed memoranda from local ex- 

 porters, who for the most part knew of no rubber scrap ex- 

 ported. A memorandum from Boston stated that the only ex- 

 ports of scrap from there had been made by one company. But 

 while the above details serve to confirm the government statistics, 

 they fail to locate the actual shipments of rubber waste. 



* * * 



Correspondence was then opened with some important houses 

 in the trade, one of the largest of which responded: 



We beg to say that we are entirely in the dark in regard to the matters 

 referred to in your letter and therefore regret that we cannot enlighten 

 you. 



Another letter ran : 



At times there is a better market abroad for some grades than here 

 fNew Vorlcl, and at such times there are no doubt fairly heavy shipments 

 to the Continent. Usually, however, the condition is the reverse of this. 



A letter from the English trade said : 



To my mind the import of waste rubber from the United Stales to this 

 country is infinitesimal as compared to our exports to America. 



* * * 



Still, waste rubber is exported from the States. One Euro- 

 pean firm of waste rubber merchants informs The India Rubber 

 World that they import from this side 200 to 300 tons per 

 annum, and several other firms known to them buy considerable 

 quantities in America. "What I import mostly from America," 

 says the writer, "are ebonite waste, ebonite turnings, and certain 

 kinds of mechanical rubber waste; sometimes, automobile tire 

 waste also. In fact, I believe there is no grade of rubber scrap 

 which, at one time or another, cannot be bought to advantage 

 on your side and sold in Europe. It is also possible that at 

 times old india-rubbia boots and shoes are bought by European 

 mills and reclaimers, but we have only half a dozen mills which 

 use this stock. When the market is low on your side it is not 

 unlikely that some shipments are brought over here." 



Still another correspondent expresses the opinion that, while 

 there are certain grades of rubber waste, such as floating stocks 

 and compounded inner tubes, for which there is no sale in 

 America, and which heretofore have had a good sale in Europe, 

 in his opinion the principal export consists of American boots 

 and gloves, which, for reclaiming purposes, are superior to those 

 of European makes. 



It may be added that, in the lists of rubber shipments printed 

 in the Iiidia-Rtcbber Journal, the Northwestern Rubber Co., 

 Limited, of Liverpool, appear as very large importers of rubber 

 waste, though no indication is given of its source. This is an 

 e-xtensive reclaiming plant, using the same grades of waste as 

 are used in America, and it is possible that their consumption 

 will account for a considerable portion of the scrap exported 

 from the States. 



CARE IN HANDLING RUBBER CEMENT. 



THE handling of rubber cement in the shoemaking room re- 

 quires constant care, in order to prevent waste, and to pre- 

 serve a neat appearance of the premises. A device for keeping 

 cement from being spilled on the floor when taken out of the 

 tank and put into the cement pot by the workmen is described 

 as follows : The tank is put on a sort of platform and boarded 

 up on three sides, leaving one side open for the tank faucet to 

 extend out. This platform has a drawer that pushes under it. 

 This drawer is longer than the platform box, so that when 

 pushed in as far as it will go the cement pot cannot be placed 

 directly under the tank faucet, for this drawer extends out in 

 the way of it. To set the cement pot under the cement faucet, 

 the drawer must be pulled out and the pot set inside of it. 

 Then, if there is any spilling of cement, or any running over 

 out of the tank before the faucet is shut oflf, it runs into this 

 extended drawer and not on to the floor. 



