344 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[July i, 1909. 



rubber has not been produced elsewhere, it is not un- 

 likely that this grade will yet outrank the best plantation 

 rubber in the matter of prices. 



Malaysian planters may produce rubber at a low cost, 

 but they cannot meet the world's demand for quantity, 

 nor supply everything that is needed in the way of qual- 

 ' ity. All of which being true, the world must pay enough 

 for Brazilian rubber to make its production interesting to 

 the seriytgueiros. 



AERIAL NAVIGATION AND RUBBER. 



WHILE the india-rubber industry, a half century ago, 

 though still new, seemed to its founders to have 

 reached very large proportions, its output in America 

 was still confined chiefly to articles of footwear and 

 abroad, related mostly to waterproof garments. Both 

 these branches have been developed greatly meanwhile, 

 but the growth of the industry on the whole has been 

 due vastly more to newer applications of rubber. Drug- 

 gists' sundries alone call for more rubber than sufficed 

 for the whole needs of the world at the period first re- 

 ferred to. But how small is the consumption in this 

 branch compared with what goes into belting, packing 

 and hose. The most spectacular, by far, of the newer uses 

 of rubber has been for tires, the demand for which ap- 

 parently grows larger in proportion to the world's popu- 

 lation every year. While absolutely less rubber is con- 

 sumed in another new branch, electrical insulation, it is 

 doubtful whether any other use of the material is growing 

 at a relatively greater rate. These uses alone of the raw 

 material appear to grow more rapidly than the world's 

 existing capacity to produce it, not the least indication 

 of which is the vast absorption of reclaimed rubber — 

 something which Goodyear nor Macintosh nor Hancock 

 appear to have dreamed of. 



It the catalogue of the uses of rubber were now com- 

 plete, doubtless consumption would long keep pace with 

 production, but while the world continues to make in- 

 dustrial progress it is probable that inventors and manu- 

 facturers will still find new ways in which to make rub- 

 ber useful. To-day the most interesting illustration in 

 this line is in the field of aeronautics, concerning which 

 every newspaper daily reports progress, though rubber 

 may not be brought much into public notice as a com- 

 ponent part of balloons and flying machines. Rubber is 

 of importance in this connection, however — perhaps not 

 less essential than in the equipment of automobiles 

 and other vehicles. 

 ', ,.,It would be idle to ignore the definite progress which 

 has been made of late in the navigation of the air, and 

 whether this will eventually become of most importance 

 in its military aspect or for commercial uses, or merely 

 for purposes of pleasure, there cannot fail to be very 

 many aerial vehicles made and sold, and it seems likely 

 that the rubber industry will be called upon to contribute 

 largely to their construction and equipment. 



The crowing practice of the rubber producers of the Amazon 

 region in stocking their properties with cattle might be worth 

 while imitating by some planters of rubber a good deal farther 

 north. 



W^E COMMEND TO THE NOTICE OF "Uncle Sam" the example of 

 Germany, in laying a transatlantic cable to Brazil, as indicating 

 that her statesmen do not hold to the idea of waiting for an im- 

 portant trade with another country to exist before providing 

 facilities for such trade. 



Has any one suggested that the present regime of high prices 

 of rubber would afford an opportunity to accumulate a treasury 

 reserve in those Amazon states which tax the exports of this- 

 material so heavily? 



About the only reference to rubber so far in the prolonged 

 debates on the tariff at Washington has been that by a senator 

 from Iowa — in whose state there is no rubber factory — in relation 

 to wool lined rubber boots, of which there are no imports into 

 the United States. 



The listing of the shares of an American rubber manufactur- 

 ing company on the Paris bourse, if it should lead to a large in- 

 terest abroad in the company's issues, will not prove a bad adver- 

 tisement, since the holders of the shares will naturally think of 

 buying the products on which their dividends depend whenever 

 they require goods in that field. 



In viev/ of all that has been printed regarding "the Ameri- 

 can crisis," which was mentioned particularly at so many com- 

 pany meetings in the rubber interest abroad, it may be worth 

 while to remark that no failure of any company with any standing 

 in the rubber industry in this country occurred during the period 

 of depression, while it would appear that dividends have been 

 inaintained at the usual rates. 



It would seem in order for the rubber shoe manufacturers to 

 promote the settlement of Alaska — the one region of the United 

 States where there is "rubber weather" every winter. In any 

 event they might do more to promote the sale of rubber boots 

 in that interesting territory, a special opportunity for studying 

 which is afforded by the Yukon exhibition now in progress at 

 Seattle. 



And now rubber planting companies are looking to con- 

 sulting chemists to aid them in producing "the best rubber pos- 

 sible." If things keep on at this rate it may come about that no 

 one connected with rubber in any way need hesitate to consult a 

 chemist for fear of its seeming a confession of ignorance of his 

 own business. 



While the American rubber industry depends very slightly 

 upon the export trade, it is an indication of better business condi- 

 tions worth noting that the volume of exports is showing an 

 improvement. 



Before the last advance in crude rubber a London broker of 

 recognized standing asserted at a meeting of shareholders of a 

 planting company that his firm had offers for rubber for delivery 

 up to the end of this year at $1.36 per pound. This doesn't prove 

 that we may not see cheaper rubber, but at least it is a straw 

 which shows the direction that rubber prices are taking. 



If "synthetic rubber" is ever to be developed commercially 

 it ought to be when crude is quoted at present figures. 



We may expect to see this the banner year for the organiza- 

 tion of rubber planting companies. 



