September i, 1905.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



417 



RUBBER GOODS IN COMMERCE. 



EXPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES. 



THE following is an official statement of values of exports 

 of manufactures of India-rubber and Guttapeicha for 

 Seven li:scal yeais, ending June 30: 



[ (a) Included in " All Other" pri_r to July i, 1899 ] 



The number of pairs of rubber footwear exported during the 

 past six years has increased as follows : 



l899-0'i. 1900-0I. lgol-02. 1902-03. 1903-04. 1904-0.S. 



762.016 I,46q,ioo 2,594.688 2,307 40t 2,310,808 2,390,539 



SHIPMENTS TO NON CONTIGUOUS TERRITORIES. 

 [Not Included in the Preceding Table,] 



Drstinatiov 



Alaska : 



1902-03 . 



1903-04 . 



lqo4-05 . 

 Hawaii : 



1902-03 . 



iqoj-04. . 



Iq04-05.. 

 Porto Rico : 



1902-03. . 



1903-04. . 



1904-05.. 

 Philipf<ines . 



1902-03. . 



1903-04. . 



1904-05. . 

 Totals : 



1902-03. . 



1903-04 . 



1904-05 . 



Belting, 



P.ickini.'. 



and Huse. 



$30,278 

 37.730 

 44,732 



$29,396 

 36,761 

 23,285 



$4,855 

 9,085 

 9.79' 



$20,692 

 32.835 

 29,548 



$ 85,221 

 116. 4'I 

 107.356 



Boots 



and 



Shoes. 



(S 90,050 



85.367 

 166,643 



$ 7.436 



I 1.679 



6,891 



$ 



1,386 

 254 

 251 



$ 2,3q6 

 4.553 

 7,419 



$101,268 

 101. 8|;'? 

 181,2, 4 



All 



other 



Rubber. 



$15,654 



15.739 

 22,846 



$27,483 

 32,508 

 36,560 



$12,445 

 16,797 

 20,212 



$35,773 

 36,402 

 30,696 



$ 91.355 

 loi .446 



110,314 



TOTAI 



$135,982 

 138,836 



234,221 



$64,315 

 80,948 

 66,736 



$18,686 



26,136 



30,254 



$58,861 



73.7qo 

 67,663 



.1277,844 

 310,710 



3q&,674 



IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED STATES. 



1902-03. 



India-rubber goods $665,972 



Gutta-percha goods 225,198 



Total. 

 Reexports. . . 



Net Imports 



$891,170 

 8.656 



•'?582,5i4 



1903-04. 

 $ 821,562 

 335.4fco 



$1,157,042 

 4.704 



$'.'52 338 



1904-05. 

 I1.38q.064 

 117.735 



|l,506,7qq 

 12,522 



$1,494,277 



AMERICAN RUBBER SHOES IN TURKEY. 



CONCERNING the importation of India-rubber goods in 

 Turkey, the consul of Austria-Hungary at Saloniki em- 

 bodies the following remarks in his last annual report: 



" The importation of rubber elastic for garters is fairly im- 

 portant, as is likewise that of ready made hose supporters, for 

 men and women, as well as of suspenders, impregnated rubber 

 shields, and elastic cloth for shoes, all of which articles are 

 mostly imported from Austria-Hungary. As has been fre- 

 quently remarked before this, the consumption of rubber shoes 

 made in Austria Hungary is continually decreasing, as these 

 goods are being more and more supplanted by the lighter and 

 cheaper American product. While the sale of rubber shoes 

 from Austria-Hungary during the preceding year amounted 



to nearly 50 per cent, of the total import, it has decreased to 

 30 or 35 per cent, during the year covered by the report. 



" It is true that the Austrian goods still continue to be fa- 

 vorably known for their quality, but by far the larger part of 

 the purchasing public prefers the American product on ac- 

 count of its reasonable price and attractive shape, although 

 it is much lighter and consequently less durable. Prices of 

 American rubber shoes are slightly higher than during the pre- 

 ceding year, on account of the rise in the price of the crude ma- 

 terial, men's shoes being quoted at 90 to 95 cents ; boys' and 

 women's shoes at 70 to 75 cents; and children's shoes at 60 

 to 65 cents American currency, per pair, delivered at New 

 York, packing free. It will be well to note that these goods 

 are packed in boxes, one pair to a box, which makes them 

 especially salable. In waterproofs there is a strong demand 

 for the product of Austria-Hungary, especially in the medium 

 grades, but England, with its cheap grades, still ranks first in 

 the amount of its imports, while Germany principally furnishes 

 goods of higher qudli'j ." 



STANDARD THREADS FOR FIRE HOSE NOZZLES. 



Xl WRITING in Firt and Water Engineering (New York) 

 • » Mr. F. W. Shepperd advocates the adoption of stand- 

 ard hose threads for fire department equipment, a question 

 which has been under discussion for the past thirty years. It 

 appears that the National Fire Protective Association has re- 

 ported in favor of a T^ thread to the inch, and this has been 

 endorsed by the American Water Works Association. Two 

 other associations are yet to be heard from on the subject — 

 the New England Water Works Association and the Inter- 

 national Association of Fire Engineers. The United States 

 department of Commerce and Labor is said to have expressed 

 an interest in this subject, and, it is expected, will endorse the 

 standard thread that may be approved by the greater number 

 of the associations interested. In a certain report quoted by 

 Mr. Shepperd, it is shown that in a total of 1339 cities and 

 towns using 2>^ inch inside diameter, with outside diameters 

 ranging from 3 to 3>g inches, and threads from 7 ', to 8 per 

 inch, 70 per cent, of the equipment may be changed to the 

 adopted standard at very little expense. Mr. Shepperd's paper 

 is accompanied by expressions of opinion from various sources, 

 including letters from a number of rubber manufacturing com- 

 panies, one of which reads : 



We would state, first, that we have no preference for any particular 

 thread. Secend, it would make no dilTerence to us should a standard 

 thread be adopted. 



The meaning of this statement, which voices the sentiment 

 of a number of other manufacturers, doubtless is that orders 

 received by rubber manufacturers are based upon definite 

 specifications, and one is concerned little about what the speci- 

 fications are sent to another factory. The letter continues, 

 however : 



On the other hand, we should like very much to see a standard thread 

 adopted, as it will enable us to carry couplings for fire hose in stock, 

 which would be a great convenience, as well as prove a material saving 

 both in time and money. 



It may be added that one of the arguments for the adoption 

 of a uniform fire hose coupling throughout the United States 

 is that any city fire department, when called upon, could lend 

 aid to another — an argument which had a practical illustration 

 on the occasion of the recent great fire in Baltimore, when the 

 friendly services offered by neighboring cities might have been 

 more efficient had all the hose in use been provided with a uni- 

 form coupling. 



