380 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[September i, iyc6. 



THE GERMAN RUBBER INDUSTRY. 



OWING to the fact that the shares of so many of the 

 German rubber manufacturing companies are listed 

 on the stock exchanges, the number of such companies 

 making public reports of their condition is larger than in 

 any other country. A summary of the most recent re- 

 ports made by the leading German rubber companies 

 iudicatesa marked improvement of conditions ascompared 

 with those existing only two or three years ago, when 

 many industries in that country were more or less de- 

 pressed. We have before us figures relating to 15 rubber 

 companies, the latest dividends of which compare with 

 tlie dividend of the preceding year as follows : g com- 

 panies show an increase. 4 companies no change of rate, 

 and 2 small companies a decreased dividend. Taking 

 the 15 companies together, the average increased divi- 

 dend rate is nearly 30 per cent. The average rate is not 

 yet as high as in some former years, but a marked ad- 

 vance has been made since tlie period of depression. 

 Nor are the bour.se quotation for shares as high as in 

 certain other years, though when considered in relation 

 to the dividend rate, share prices are higher than two 

 years ago. This would indicate, first, popular confidence 

 in the soundness of the rubber industry, and secondly, a 

 higher price level for shares generally. 



A second indication of the improved condition of the 

 German rubl^er industr\- is the increasing rate of imports 

 of raw rubber. Germany is becoming more and more 

 important as a distributing market for rubber, .so that 

 the imports alone do not afford a measure of consump- 

 tion within the country, but indications are not lacking 

 that the amount of raw material consumed is steadily in- 

 creasing. The importance of Germany as a rubber mar- 

 ket is illustrated by the growing direct im])ortatiDn of 

 rubber from primary .sources, as from Brazil, which 

 doubtless is proving advantageous to the manufacturers 

 here. 



Finally is to be mentioned the growing export trade in 

 German manufactures of rul)l)er. There is to-day no 

 important consuming market for rubber goods in which 

 German manufacturers are not capably represented. 

 Practically every line of rubber goods is included in 

 these exports, while in some lines the Germans hold first 

 place in the matter of international trade. 



These lines are written, of course, without prejudice 

 to the rubber industr}' in any country ; it is necessary in 

 any study of the world's rubber trade to take account of 

 the growth which has taken place in Germany and with- 

 in a few years placed her among the three leading rub- 

 ber manufacturing nations, whether second or third not 

 being easy as yet to determine. The causes which have 

 contributed to this development deserve the consideration 

 of the trade in every competing country. 



sections of the vine into rude hammocks, which were none 

 the less comfortable on account of the tendency of the mate- 

 rial to stretch. The vine, indeed, was ela.stic, containing a 

 high percentage of rubber, "so strong that, on breaking the 

 wood, the rubber still holds." In other words, it is not nec- 

 essarj' to e.\tract the elastic material to make it of service to 

 man ; tlie vine in a state of nature is a good rubber cord, 

 which, we feel sure, the ingenuity- of our inventors will turn 

 to many practical uses. It .should be further noted that 

 " in the new vine there appears to be a total absence of es- 

 sential oil ami rosin," though we are surprised at an admis- 

 sion that tlie vine lacks any element contained in any other 

 plant. As for a practical application, a section of the 

 Mexican vine, bound around a vehicle wlieel, iiiij;lit make a 

 good elastic tire: it would at least be cheap, and jiiiiicture 

 proof. 



NrT i'i,.\NTix<; IN THK UNITED STATES is an interest rep- 

 resented by two periodicals known to us, and a number of 

 books liave been printed for that interest. There are any 

 miiiiber of advertisers of seeds and plants and nut planters' 

 requirements. Besides, there are associations of nut ])laiit- 

 ers in several states, and a national association, all of which 

 apparently maintain an active existence in the promotion of 

 the scientific culture of pecans, " Ivnglish "walnuts, and 

 the like. Apart from these indications, a reading of the 

 journals referred to shows that nut planting, properly pur- 

 sued, is distinctly profitable. Measuring the returns from 

 nuts, besides which is to be considered the value of the 

 timber and the advantages from the reafforestation of certain 

 sections of the country. One point of interest in this con- 

 nection is that nowhere do planted nut trees begin to jicld 

 nearly so soon as do rubber trees, which would suggest that 

 the length of time required for a rubber plantation to become 

 productive is not necessarily a controlling objection to plant- 

 in? rubber. 



The RLlSIiER BUSINESS WILL BE REVOLUTIONIZED AC.AIN 



when the facts become more generallj' known regarding a 

 vine reported to have been discovered in a remote part of 



The i-riends of good public service have reason to feel 

 encouraged by the efforts making at Washington, under re- 

 cent acts of Congress, for improving the consular sjstem 

 and its working. We have no sj-mpathy with the profes- 

 sional critics of the consular service. Too much has been 

 expected of the consuls, especially in the way of ojiening new 

 channels for trade-work which belongs to nianufaeturersand 

 merchaiit.s. .\t the same time, the consuls are in a position 

 to be helpful in trade expansion of the country lliej' repre- 

 sent, and many members of the service have acipiitted them- 

 selves creditably in this regard. As for the pending re- 

 forms, the first step is reorganization of the system — if 

 something which has grown up much by accident can be 

 called a system — with a view to better defining the duties 

 of the consuls and their relation to other branches of the 

 public service ; in other words, to decide just what the con- 

 suls should do. This matter has been taken out of "practi- 

 cal politics " b3' referring it to aboard composed of members 

 of the consular force of long experience and proved capacity. 

 The next step will be a system of inspection, bj' means of 

 which Washington can better keep in touch with the con- 

 suls, so that a man in the service at a remote post is less 

 likely to be forgotten, and will have less opportunity to de- 

 teriorate and become useless, if not worse"than useless. The 

 good faith of the government in respect of bettering the con- 



