136 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[September i, 1903. 



REVIEW OF THE CRUDE RUBBER MARKET. 



THE market lias been only moderately active of late, but 

 very firm, and an advance in prices is again to be noted, 

 as compared with our last previous report. With re- 

 gard to the further course of the market, opinion is 

 divided, but there is not apparent any widespread expectation 

 of an early material decline. The " statistical position," indeed, 

 points strongly the other way, though this is not an infallible 

 guide. The rate of consumption for more than a year has been 

 equal to the world's total production, and the visible supply of 

 rubber of all kinds is smaller than for years. But consumption 

 is not a fixed quantity and the high prices now prevailing may 

 reasonably be expected to result in time in a larger output of 

 the raw material. Neither decreased requirements, however, 

 nor larger receipts of rubber seem near at hand. 



In the United States, the demand for rubber goods of every 

 kind continues active, and the recent rate of expansion in this 

 respect might come to a stop without by any means indicating 

 a stagnation in industry. Labor troubles in certain quarters 

 that were regarded with some apprehension appear to have 

 passed without disturbing business; the liquidation in the 

 stock market resulting from overcapitalization and excessive 

 speculation' seems to have crippled only the manipulators of 

 the "deals'"; and the proceeds of the heavy new crops will in- 

 sure a good buying capacity for another season. For the pres- 

 ent the only obstacle in sight to the continued activity of the 

 rubber industry is the check that may come to the buying of 

 its products if the cost of rubber — and of cotton — should con- 

 tinue to advance. The condition of the industry in Europe is 

 favorable generally, with the help of exports to the non manu- 

 facturing countries, a field which the rubber trade in the United 

 States has neglected owing to the pressure for goods in an 

 enormous and profitable home market. 



The high price of rubber may be expected to stimulate a 

 larger production first in the Amazon states, where two favor- 

 able conditions may be noted : Partial recovery from the finan- 

 cial depression of Brazil, and a better state of affairs in the rich 

 rubber districts on the Acre river. But any increase of output 

 could hardly be realized for months to come, and factories sup- 

 plied with orders must secure rubber now, regardless of price. 

 With regard to other than Pard grades, there appears no prom- 

 ise of increased supplies from the existing sources, and new 

 fields in Africa are developed more slowly than was the case a 

 few years ago. For awhile the combined production of other 

 grades exceeded that of Pard rubber, but for three years past 

 the Para output agafn has amounted to more than 50 per cent, 

 of the whole, the African supply having become absolutely as 

 well as relatively less. 



Arrivals at Para from July 1 to August 26 amounted to 2250 

 tons. The arrivals for the first two complete months of the 

 preceding crop year were 2660 tons, and for July-August, 1901, 

 there were 2550 tons — all inclusive of Caucho. July receipts at 

 Manaos were 614 tons in 1903; 642 in 1902; and 755 in 1901. 

 The Antwerp auctions on August 25 again resulted in an ad- 

 vance, although qualities ruled poor and buying lor American 

 account was light. 



London prices on August 21 : Para old hard cure and new 

 Bolivian, 4.1. id. © 4*. 2y 2 d. [ = $i.oi^j @ $1.02^]. August and 

 September delivery. One lot Ceylon "Para" sold at 4s. 6d 

 [—$1.09%]. Sheet Balata unsorted, 2s. $d. [ = 59 cents.] 

 Liberal transactions in Balata reported lately. 



Following is a statement of prices of Paid grades, one year 

 ago, on January 1 last, and on August 29— the current date: 



PARA. Sep. 1, '02. 



Islands, fine, new 7i@72 



Islands, fine, old 75@76 



I'priver, fine, new 75@7& 



Upriver, fine, old 7S@79 



Islands, coarse, new 47(848 



Islands, coarse, old @ 



Upriver, coarse, new 60(861 



Upriver, coarse, old 62(863 



Caucho (Peruvian) sheet 52@53 



Caucho (Peruvian) ball 56@57 



The market for other sorts in New York, in which there 

 likewise is an advance to be noted this month, is as follows: 



AFRICAN. Ikelemba 85 (586 



Sierra Leone, istqualityS6 (887 Madagascar, pinky 82 (883 



Massai, red 86 ©87 CENTRALS. 



Benguella 70 (§71 Esmeralda, sausage. . .73 ©74 



Cameroon ball 64 ©65 Guayaquil, strip 64 (065 



Gaboon flake 45 (§46 Nicaragua, scrap .. . .72 ©73 



Gaboon lump 48 (0)49 Panama, slab 56 ©57 



Niger paste Ig @20 Mexican, scrap 72 (0)73 



Accra flake 25 ©26 Mexican, slab 56 (0)57 



Accra buttons None here Mangabeira, sheet. .. .54 ©55 



Accra sirips None here EAST INDIAN. 



Lopori ball, prime. .. .84 (8)85 Assam 83 ©84 



Lopori strip, do ....82 (3183 Borneo @ 



Late Para cables quote : 



Per Kilo. Per Kilo. 



Islands, fine 6$ioo Upriver, fine 6^750 



Islands, coarse 3$30o Upriver, coarse 5^050 



Exchange, izfed. 

 Last Manaos advices: 



Upriver, fine 6l$75o/4$850 Upriver, coarse 48850 



Exchange, I2/ S rf. 



NEW YORK RUBBER PRICES FOR JUNE (NEW RUBBER). 



1903. igo2. 1901. 



Upriver, fine 8g@g3 70@72 8/@go 



Upriver, coarse 7o@74 55@5° 62(864 



Islands, fine 8s@8g 68@70 84(887 



Islands, coarse 54@57 45@46 47@53 



Cametri, coarse ... 56(3160 48(852 54@58 



NEW YORK RUBBER PRICES FOR JULY (NEW RUBBER). 



1903. 190a. 1901. 



Upriver, fine g4@g6 70(872 84 (887^ 



Upriver, coarse 74@76 55@5°}£ 61 ©63 



Islands, fine 8g@g2 67(§6g 82 (885 



Islands, coarse 56@sS 44@4& 46^(848% 



Cameta, coarse 58(860 46@48 50 ©55 



Rubber Scrap Prices. 



New York quotations — prices paid by consumers for carload 

 lots — in cents per pound ; old shoes are a trifle higher ; other 

 items not changed [in cents per pound] : 



Old Rubber Boots and Shoes— Domestic. ii{ (8 6% 



Do — Foreign 6 @ &l| 



Pneumatic Bicycle Tires 4 (8 4}^ 



Solid Rubber Wagon and Carriage Tires 7 



White Trimmed Rubber gj^ @ gj^ 



Heavy Black Rubber 4"^ 



Air Brake Hose 2,% @ 3 



Fire and Large Hose 2)4 



Garden Hose 1)4 



Matting 1 



Bordeaux. 



Prices in francs per kilogram, August 10 : 



Sierra Leone sorts: Madagascar 5-75@g. 



Niggers, red I. .. .9 40(89 50 Colombia scraps 7.4c@i3.25 



Niggers, white. . . .g.25(8g.3o Colombia slabs 6.40(87.15 



Niggers, red II.. .7.39(87.50 Java 7-75@8. 



Twists 7.85@g.io New Caledonia 8. (88.25 



Cassamance 410(88. Mayumba 5.85(86. 



Bassam lumps 5.20(85.75 Congo flakes 2.50(83.50 



