March i, 1903.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER ^VORLD 



187 



ing five years have been compiled by M. Collet as follows [the 

 figures referring to values in silver] : 



1895. 1896. 1987. 1S98. 1899. 



Imports. ...$2,408,048 12,572,567 12.979,439 .$5,645,277 13,799.427 



Exports 5,068,217 3.455.Q05 5.g-19>56o 7,295,596 10,14-', 457 



While these figures are only of a relative value, account must 

 be taken of the fact that they refer to one special product, 

 whose only market is Singapore, and that the same coincidence 

 of largely increased exports over imports repeated itself con- 

 secutively and regularly. It is impossible to form an exact idea 

 of the prices of Gutta-percha. For each kind of Gutta-percha 

 there exists a scale of prices for the designations " good," " me- 

 dium." and " ordinary." According to the variety, prices range 

 from $5 per picul [=i33j pounds] for Gutta-jeletong (known 

 in Europe by the name of Dead Borneo) up to $450 for the Bila 

 prime red, or $600 per picul for the fine Pahang red, in passing 

 through the whole series of Sumatra, Borneo, Pontianak, etc. 

 It is impossible to establish an average. 



A DUTCH CONSUL ON GUTTA-PERCHA. 



The importation of Gutta-percha at Singapore in 1901 was 

 much smaller than in 1900, according to the Dutch consul gen- 

 eral at that port, Heer J. C. T. Reelfs. The imports are stated 

 thus [weights in piculs of 133'/} pounds] : 



From — 1900 1901, 



Tringanu 539 708 



Java 4.254 624 



Dutch archipelago 397 402 



Various 1,022 1.347 



Total 74,066 59.330 



In pounds 9.S75.467 7,910,667 



From — 1900. 1901. 



Sumatra 3S.799 28. 134 



Dutch Borneo. . . 13,911 17,061 



Sarawak 5,053 3,747 



Sula islands .... 211 1,966 



Penang 6,078 1,843 



Brit. N. Borneo. . 1,756 i,6Si 



Pahang 909 904 



Labuan I,I37 853 



In accounting for the disposition of this material. Consul 

 General Reelfs gives only partial details. He mentions ex- 

 ports to Great Britain in 1900 of 77.465 piculs [=10,328,667 

 pounds], and in 1901 of 55,777 piculs [ = 7,436,933 pounds], or 

 an amount equal to the total imports for the two years. But 

 there were also dispatched to France in the latter year 7793 

 piculs, to Germany 5383 piculs, and to the United States 2797 

 — a total of 71,750 piculs [=9,566,667 pounds] or 12,420 piculs 

 more than the total imports for the same year — not to mention 

 some minor exports to other countries. 



There is also imported into Singapore, principally from 

 Dutch Borneo, besides Gutta-percha proper, a large quantity 

 of " inferior gutta," part of which, he says, is treated at Singa- 

 pore, but which mostly is shipped in its original state. Of this 

 material the import increased from 117,628 piculs in 1900 to 

 149,396 piculs in 1901. Exports of " inferior gutta " during the 



two years were as follows : 



1900. 1901. 



To United States //irj</j 59,059 121,303 



Germany 3>383 11.17b 



France 6,152 Q1655 



Great Britain 24,945 9,487 



Total /;<-;(/j 93,539 151,621 



These figures alone, while not conclusive, do go to confirm 

 the contention of M. Collet, in the foregoing paper, that more 

 alleged true Gutta-percha is shipped from Singapore than is 

 imported there. That guttas do gain an enhanced value at 

 Singapore is further indicated by the following official state- 

 ment of values (silver) for two years : 



I.MrORTS. 1900. igoi. 



Gutta-percha $10,929,327 $ 9,889,583 



Inferior gutta 1.025,513 1,109.015 



Total $11,954,840 $10,998,598 



Exports. 



Gutta-percha $14,359,263 $14,427,589 



Inferior gutta 790,224 1,406,919 



Total 815.149,487 $15,834,508 



Heer Reelfs finds it difficult to compile prices of Gutta- 

 percha, owing to the innumerable grades or qualities oflfered. 

 Published quotations are practically the same all the time. 

 Their range during 1901 was [in silver dollars per picul of 133/3 

 pounds] : 



Months. ist. Quality. Medium. Lower. 



January... $400@$6oo $300@$450 $50@$200 



February 460(0)600 300(8450 50® 200 



March-May 430@ 570 270(g 420 40(2) 190 



June-July 420® 560 260(0)410 40® 180 



August-November 475@ 600 300® 450 50® 200 



December 450(^ 550 300(^450 50(0)200 



The report concludes with a favorable review of the efforts 

 of the various governments in control of the Gutta-percha pro- 

 ducing districts to conserve the native trees. 



A RELIABILITY CONTEST FOR TIRES SUGGESTED. 



By S. Bradford Coggeshall. 



THE recent reliability contest of the Automobile Club of 

 America, from New York to Boston and return, as 

 everybody knows, proved a tremendous success. From 

 all sides congratulations and commendations poured in 

 upon the club and its committees. One of the changes in the 

 regulations, and one which was heartily approved by every 

 one, was a new rule which placed all stops caused by tires on 

 the list of stops to which no penalty was attached, and allow- 

 ing all time lost by tire causes to be deducted. 



The tire itself being no part of the propelling equipment, 

 there is certainly no reason why the record of the motive' power 

 should sufTer for tire troubles. But since the tires are neces- 

 sary to the operation of the vehicle, and the leliability of the 

 tires an essential feature, it would seem reasonable for a report 

 on a reliability run to cover every detail instead of only a report 

 on reliability of t+ie motive power. The object of the run obvi- 

 ously is to give the intending purchaser of an automobile — 

 whether he be one of the interested public or an enthusiast in 



search of a better machine — an idea of the relative ability of 

 machines to do various kinds of work. Certainly the tires are 

 essential to the proper performance of this work. It is harder 

 for the novice to judge of a set of tires than of the vehicle it- 

 self. He is forced to take the advice either of his dealer, which 

 is liable to be prejudiced by considerations of price, or of some 

 friend, whose experience must necessarily be limited, both as to 

 makes of tires and the number of sets of each make that he has 

 become familiar with. 



Where more than one brand of tire was used by any one 

 kind of vehicle, these data would, of course, be most valuable. 

 In cases where a difference in the kinds of vehicles somewhat 

 varies the conditions, the classification of the vehicles by 

 weight makes this difference a small factor. The care used by 

 the individual operator of the vehicle in starting and picking 

 his road, as well as his control of the speed, has more influence 

 on the wear on the tires than a difference of several hundred 

 pounds in the total weight of load. Tires, therefore, used on 



