January i, 1905] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



117 



THE INDIA-RUBBER TRADE IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



By Our Regular Corrtspondent. 



ONCE more the rise in price of raw rubber has put manu- 

 facturers under the stern necessity of adjusting quota- 

 tions to correspond with the altered conditions. Un- 

 like cotton, there are no estimates of the rubber crop 

 to hand, showing figures indicative of a fall of prices in the im- 

 mediate future. The decision to raise the price 

 RISE IN jjf eoods was come to with remarkable unanimi- 

 GOODS. ty '" 'he trade, there being, I understand, only 

 two dissentients who could not bring themselves 

 to see the necessity or advisability of the move. To say that 

 these two are instances of selfishness would be too strong an 

 expression, as it might easily provoke the retort that the action 

 of the majority is by no means based on altruistic principles. 

 All the same it is permissible to express one's regret that com- 

 plete unanimity could not have prevailed in a case the justice 

 of which in the light of all the facts can surely not be disputed. 

 The rise of 10 per cent, took effect on December 6, and applies 

 to all manufactured goods, with the exception of thread, fine 

 cut sheet, proofing, shoes, and asbestos goods, which, it is 

 stated, are being separately dealt with. If proofing be except- 

 ed, it will be seen that the manufacturers of the other exempted 

 goods are but few in number, and no doubt it is a comparatively 

 easy thing for them to efTect a combination for the purpose 

 of regulating prices. Such a combination has long been in ex- 

 istence as regards elastic thread ; with regard to the other 

 classes of goods I am not at the moment in possession of 

 any details, but it is evident that some sort of combination has 

 been effected or is imminent? Of course in this matter, with 

 a 10 per cent, rise agreed to by British manufacturers, for- 

 eign firms with houses in London find themselves in a strong 

 position. They can either follow the lead of the British, in or- 

 der to maintain a sound condition of business, or they may take 

 advantage of the altered situation to cut in at a less rise than one 

 of 10 per cent. The particular condition of the trade in the 

 particular country represented will of course largely determine 

 which procedure is to be adopted, though to judge by the pes- 

 simistic tone of the continental trade generally, it would cer- 

 tainly seem advisable forthe foreign agencies to fall in line with 

 the British manufacturers. 



This company, whose works are situated in Gibbon street, 



Bradford, Manchester, stands in rather a curious position with 



regard to its competitors in the rubber manu- 



BROADHURST facjuring trade. A year or two ago the com- 



Sc CO., LTD. , ., . , ■ ■ 



pany failed, after an active existence of many 

 years. The principal creditors were firms who had supplied 

 raw material, and it was decided among them, on the repre- 

 sentation of a firm of raw rubber brokers who were the princi- 

 pal creditors, that the concern should continue to be worked 

 for the benefit of the creditors. This has since been done, Mr. 

 Middleton, a Manchester accountant, being the practical head 

 of affairs. Under the new regime the company seems to have 

 done well, and apparently as long as they can keep going the 

 shareholders do not agitate for dividends. Of course I am not 

 suggesting that everything is not fair and square in the present 

 state of affairs, but from sundry grumbles which I have heard 

 it would seem that approval of the course pursued is not gen- 

 eral among the firm's competitors. It is argued that the non- 

 necessity for the payment of a dividend puts the firm in an ad- 

 vantageous position in quoting for rubber goods. Whether 



this is so or not I cannot speak from inside knowledge, but I 

 might suggest that the firm has a more decided advantage in 

 being largely in the secrets of the rubber market by reason of 

 its present constitution. 



So far as the rubber card is concerned, the manufacturers 

 are grumbling a good deal at the high price of rubber. There 

 is not that unanimity in this particular trade 

 which is necessary to obtain a rise in price, so 



CARD CLOTH 

 MANUFACTURE. 



the consurners have not been troubled by the 

 receipt of notifications of advance. Of course the price of rub- 

 ber is all in favor of the progress of the cement card, which 

 contains no rubber. I am probably not far from the truth in 

 saying that that two-thirds of the output of card cloths to-day 

 are of the cement variety. These are cheaper than the rubber 

 cards, and for general purposes answer their requirements. In 

 certain cases, however, the rubber card is still a necessity, and 

 as far as one can judge its manufacture will continue to be car- 

 ried on, whatever the price of rubber. As a sort of side issue 

 of this manufacture it may be mentioned that the recovery of 

 naphtha from the spreading machines is much more largely 

 practised than in the case of the waterproof trade. The recov- 

 ery plant is in regular use in all the works where it has been es- 

 tablished, an average recovery of 80 per cent, of the solvent 

 used being effected, a figure which must be considered very 

 satisfactory. With regard to regular rubber works, the decline 

 in importance of the rubber waterproof trade has caused naph- 

 tha recovery schemes to be left in abeyance. 



As an appendix to the last topic a word or two with regard 



to the solvent naphtha market may be added. As practically 



the rubber works are the only customers of the tar 



PRICE OF (jistiiiers for this product, it is not surprising that 



NAPHTHA. V > K s 



the latter are rather upset by the state of the water- 

 proof trade, which has caused such a serious diminution in the 

 demand for naphtha. In the ordinary course of tar works pro- 

 cedure, where crude naphtha is distilled for a variety of prod- 

 ucts, a certain amount of solvent naphtha is of necessity pro- 

 duced, and has to be sold at the best price obtainable. From 

 \s. id. to IS. \d. per gallon was the price about a decade ago, 

 whereas to-day naphtha of similar quality can be bought for 

 less than half these figures. The ordinary specification is for 

 90 per cent, of distillate at i6o' C, though some rubber firms 

 have a special specification to which they require rigid adher- 

 ence on the part of the tar distiller. I think myself that too much 

 importance is often attached to distillation figures ; the temper- 

 ature at which the last 2 or 3 c.c. come over, is in my opinion, 

 an important point which the ordinary specification rather ig- 

 nores. The figures obtained serve, of course, an indication of 

 the presence or absence of heavy oil which is so undesirable in 

 the majority of uses to which the naphtha is put. The use of 

 shale spirit is almost completely confined to Edinburgh, which 

 is in the immediate neighborhood of the chief shale distillation 

 works. The penetrating smell of this spirit betrays its use at 

 once. I was once asked by a Scotch waterproofer how I knew 

 that he used shale spirit instead of ordinary solvent ; my reply, 

 of course, was that I smelt it some time before I arrived at the 

 works. The smell is certainly a penetrating and to most peo- 

 ple a disagreeable one, but barring this there seems nothing to 

 be said nowadays against the product, as it is regularly sup- 

 plied free from the heavy oil it used to so generally contain. 



