438 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May 1, 1913. 



KUBBER FLUCTUATIONS. 



The Credit Colonial and Commercial, of Antwerp, the company 

 which is continuing the business of the old firm of L. & W. Van 

 de Velde, has issued a valuable chart, showing the fluctuations in 

 rubber prices since 1893. Several comprehensive statistical tables 

 deal, moreover, with the world's production and consumption 

 during that period. 



Gustav F. Hiibener, of Hamburg, has published a large chart 

 showing in graphic form the fluctuations in rubber prices since 

 1902, with a table going bacl< to 1883 ; thus indicating thirty years' 

 results. 



PROPOSED GERMAN COLONIAL UNIVERSITY. 



Since 1908 Germany has had a "Colonial Institute" at Hamburg 

 in which a certain number of young officials in the Colonial Ad- 

 ministration have received instruction in the languages, ethnology, 

 zoology and botany of the varous colonies for which they are 

 destined. It is now proposed to estaUish a regular colonial uni- 

 versity at Hamburg, which will regard all outlying nations and 

 civilizations as separate entities of the human race. This uni- 

 versity will have chairs in colonial history, languages and sci- 

 ences, and will work in harmony with the Colonial Institute. 



CAPITAL IN STOCKS OF RUBBER. 



German rubber manufacturers are said to have a large amount 

 of capital invested in stocks of crude rubber. In the case of 

 one leading concern, their stock of rubber in the crude state 

 and in process is said to represent upwards of $400,000. Few 

 other branches have to carry such large amounts of valuable 

 raw material. This fact is quoted as illustrating the financial 

 importance of the rubber industry. 



STATISTICS OF JAPANESE TRADE. 



KTOW that the effects of the new Japanese tariff are being 

 ^ ~ fully experienced, the statistics of Japanese imports for 

 January, 1913, are of special interest, as compared with the re- 

 turns for the three months ending January, 1912: 



Month of Three months to 

 January, 1913. January 31, 1912. 



Dental rubber $2,770 $432 



Soft rubber— Rods and buds 4,779 6,978 



do Plates and sheets 2,110 3,905 



do Tubes 4,182 4,223 



do Belts and belting 



(machinery) 2,800 904 



do Thread 790 4,074 



do Erasers 1,270 1,734 



do Supplies 917 51 



do Other goods 5,212 3,822 



Other — Lumps, bars, rods, plates 



and sheets - 4.882 1,174 



Other forms 8.856 3,266 



Cycle tires 28,669 26,647 



Insulated wire (other than submar- 

 ine, telegraph and telephone)... 178,120 60.288 



Cords (other than flexible) 8,393 34,310 



Rubber boots 1.964 72 



Overshoes 902 1,310 



Waterproof tissues 1.522 2,394 



Elastic webbings, etc 2.968 2,193 



Insulating tape 3,275 3,341 



Totals $264,381 $161,118 



Bearing in mind that the figures referring to 1912 are for the 

 three months ending January 31, which those of 1913 are for the 



niiinth of January alone, it will be seen that a marked advance is 

 taking place in Japanese importations. In soft rubber tubes the 

 imports for the month of January are alone about equal to those 

 for the three months ending January, 1912. The total for Janu- 

 ary, 1913, in the 19 divisions quoted is $264,381 as compared with 

 $161,118 for the three months ending January, 1912. 



Taking one-third of the last-named amount as representing the 

 amount for the month of January, 1912, the result is about $54,000 

 or one-fifth of the amount shown for January, 1913. The pur- 

 chases made in anticipation of the tariff of 1911 have evidently 

 been used uP; and the Japanese import trade is returning to a 

 position of normal activity. 



Japan is making progress in the export of insulated electric 

 wires. The figures of January, 1913, equalled $5,060, against 

 $3,166 for the three months ending January, 1912. 



NOTES FROM BRITISH GUIANA. 



(By Our Regular Correspondent.) 



"\Y7'E.\THER conditions are still conducive to the successful 



'' prosecution of the balata industry. Scarcely a day 

 passes but that there is a fairly heavy rainfall, and there 

 are abundant indications that the long rainy season is upon 

 us. The result is reflected in the exports, which for the first three 

 months of the year are 198,888 lbs., against 23,810 lbs., for the 

 same period last year, when industry generally was in a paralyzed 

 condition owing to the parching of the earth by the drought. 



The annual session of the legislature has now closed. The 

 financial chamber has sat in Committee of Ways and Means and 

 fixed the taxes for 1913-14. It will be some relief to those in- 

 terested in the balata industry to learn that there has not been 

 a whisper as to the revival of the export tax on balata. It will 

 be recollected that when last year this export tax was taken off 

 in response to a fairly whole-hearted protest, some members of 

 the combined court held out the threat that the abolition of the 

 tax must only be regarded as a temporary measure, that sooner 

 or later the industry must be compelled to contribute more largely 

 to the revenue. Since then the report of the Balata Committee 

 has been issued, in which it was clearly demonstrated that the 

 government is in reality heavily in debt to the balata industry. 

 That probably has in itself been sufficient to scotch any proposal 

 as to reviving the tax. In addition, the industry is certainly not 

 in such a position that it can afford to pay any further imposts. 

 On the contrary, it requires the most careful attention of the 

 government, which it has not received at this session. The prom- 

 ised bill is still apparently in course of preparation. In the mean- 

 time the fact that the combined court has cheerfully consented to 

 meet the deficit that is expected to accrue at the end of the finan- 

 cial year by drawing on the surplus fund, would appear to indicate 

 that the balata industry need not fear any new raid from the 

 tax-gatherer for some time to come. 



The annua! report of the Director of Science and Agriculture 

 for 1911-12 has just been issued. Professor J. B. Harrison says, 

 in the course of a comprehensive review of the condition of agri- 

 cultural industry in the colony, that the rubber industry continues 

 to expand. A total of 2,259 acres is now under rubber, of which 

 1,8(X) acres are estimated to be under Para rubber. Prof. Harri- 

 son says, "Tapping has been continued on two estates and has 

 been started during the year on another. The quality of the 

 rubber has been good, and the yields are reported to be satisfac- 

 tory. The growth of Para rubber trees continues to be satisfac- 

 tory when they are planted in suitable situations. It has been 

 free from any serious pests or diseases during the year, and 

 Para rubber does not appear to have been very adversely affected 

 by severe drought. The rate of growth was considerably reduced 

 during the drought, but the plants remained in a vigorous con- 

 dition, except in wind-swept situations in the coastal regions." 



The speech of the new governor at the session of the legisla- 



