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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[July 1, 1913. 



RUBBER TRADE IN JAPAN. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



TOY RUBBER BALLOONS. 



THE Japanese factories specially devoted to the manufacture 

 of rubber toy balloons n'linber about 30 in Tokio and 12 

 in Osake. Several hundred factories, however, make this article 

 as a supplement to their regular production. Crude rubber is 

 used to the aggregate extent of about 250,000 pounds a year, 

 the principal descriptions employed being Para sheet and biscuit, 

 in addition to Borneo rubber. 



Imports of toy balloons ceased some years ago, the domestic 

 production having been so placed as to exclude foreign com- 

 petition. The makers of toy balloons have been working under 

 the Japanese patent No. 8785, issued in May 1905 to Mr. A. 

 Fukumori, the inventor of the process thus patented. 



Briefly described, the process consists in the rolling of Para, 

 Indian, Borneo, or other grades of rubber, after mixing, through 

 rollers at a high temperature. After being dissolved with volatile 

 oil, the needed coloring substances are added. These rubber 

 solutions are each kept in a metal or glass box, closing tightly, 

 10 prevent volatilization. 



Various kinds of molds have been tried in succession, metal, 

 china, and glass molds having been made. From being at first 

 round, their shape has now changed to oval, like the top of a 

 small spoon. The mold has a long handle, by which it is dipped 

 into a solution of chloride of sulphur to facilitate vulcanization. 



Dipping the mold into the rubber solution produces a mem- 

 brane of rubber on the surface of the glass, this membrane at- 

 taining a suitable thickness after having been several times im- 

 mersed. When the mold has been kept for three hours in a 

 clean room to dry, the membrane is vulcanized by dipping it into 

 a solution of chloride of sulphur for one second, this solution 

 being on the basis of one ounce of chloride to half an American 

 gallon of volatile oil. When the vulcanization is concluded, the 

 rubber membrane is peeled from the glass mold and a seamless 

 rubber toy balloon is thus turned out. 



Such are the principal features of Mr. Fukumori's patent, of 

 which he claimed that the process of Mr. K. Ogata and the late 

 Mr. R. Kotake was an infringement. 



In 1905 the lowest grade of foreign toy balloon was sold at 

 SO yen (25 cents) a gross ; the same thing being now produced 

 in Japan at 15 sen (about 7^ cents) a gross. The Japanese 

 manufacturers who then went into the production of toy bal- 

 loons made large profits and became wealthy in a few years. 



Owing to its simplicity, the patent of Mr. Fukumori of 1905 

 was infringed by a number of manufacturers. He attached the 

 factories of 20 in Tokio and 7 in Osaka, and 7 succeeded in ar- 

 ranging for a royalty in every case except one, in which a com- 

 promise was effected. In many instances, however, the manu- 

 facturers did not pay the stipulated royalty, and Mr. Fukumori 

 was forced to take further steps. In 1907, being tired of thirteen 

 years' litigation, he gave up his patent rights, since which time 

 they have been open, w^ith the result that the industry has freely 

 developed. The method has been applied to nipples, finger cots, 

 water pillows, etc. 



Toy balloon factories employ many female hands. Among 

 their manufacturing economies is the dipping of 100 molds at 

 one time into the chloride of sulphur solution, each containing 

 a membrane of rubber. 



The average daily wage of the women balloon makers is 20 

 sen (10 cents) for ten hours. Other female hands get the same 

 or a little more. The average daily rate of rubber manufactur- 

 ing hands (male and female) is 50 sen (25 cents) for ten hours. 

 This low rate of hand labor is calculated to encourage foreign 

 manufacturers contemplating the establishment of factories in 

 Japan, in the same way as has been done by the Dunlop Rubber 

 Co. Far-East, and the Ingram Rubber Co. of Japan. 



Toy rubber balloons are principally manufactured from Sep- 

 tember to February, and to a lesser extent between March 

 and August, vulcanization during the latter period being more 

 difficult. The same manufacturers produce a rubber toy operated 

 by blowing, in which, however, only Para rubber is used. 



Out of the forty toy balloon manufacturers in Japan, three 

 arc of importance and finance the smaller makers. They 

 buy the product of the latter for distribution in the cities, 

 towns, and villages of Japan, Corea and China. These three 

 are: C. Kaniijo, Sckiya Rubber Branch, and T. Nishimura; 

 all of Tokio. 



It is reported that in order to profit by the cheap labor in 

 Japan, a company will be established to export this article. The 

 project is said to have the financial support of a foreign oil 

 company. 



J.\P.\XESE RUBBER IMPORTS. 



Comparative statistics published of the Japanese crude rubber 

 imports for 1911 and 1912 show some interesting facts. The 

 figures are as follows : 



J.\p.\NESE Crude Rubber Imports. 



1911. 1912. 



From Pounds. Pounds. 



British Straits Settlements 1,223,071 1,214,485 



Great Britain 426,013 242,620 



British India 121,160 167,063 



Dutch India 132,173 124,904 



French India not specified 3,805 



United States 112,170 158,176 



Germany 4,588 25,600 



Mexico not specified 113 



Other countries 35,689 66,977 



China not specified 267 



Total pounds 2.054.864 2,004,010 



While the net average reduction equals about 2J.-2 per cent., the 

 difference varies in the cases of different countries. W"hile 

 there is a diminution of about 40 per cent, in the imports from 

 Great Britain, there is a si.xfold increase in the quantity from 

 German}', and that from "other countries" is nearly doubled. 



In one respect the two years show a like result. The British 

 Straits Settlements in each case supplied about 60 per cent, of 

 the total Japanese crude rubber imports. 



That, notwithstanding the development year by year of the 

 Japanese rubber industry, the imports of crude rubber should 

 show a decrease, is a fact which has been attributed to several 

 causes. Japanese manufacturers used in 1912 an increased 

 quantity of reclaimed rubber, of their own reclaiming or pur- 

 chased in that condition. Another cause was the reduced 

 consumption of "tabi" soles, used by the Jinrikisha men. The 

 development of automobile and electric railway traffic was felt 

 in the reduced demands of these men for the soles named. Still 

 another reason was the general mourning for the late Emperor 

 of Japan, which checked jinrikisha riding. While reclaimed 

 rubber is the principal compound of "tabi" soles, a certain pro- 

 portion is crude rubber, so that the imports of the latter were 

 to a certain degree affected by the above-named cause. Some 

 of the "tabi" manufacturers, however, turned to making rubber 

 soles for Chinese sandals, and thus to a certain extent oflfset the 

 falling oflf in the demand for their products. 



RUBBER JINRIKISHA TIRES FOR MANCHURIA. 



Solid rubber tires are said to have good prospects in Manchuria. 

 Last spring forty pairs were imported from France, at Hoten, 

 the capital of Hoten-Sho, where all the jinrikishas in the city 

 have changed from iron to solid rubber tires. For this purpose, 

 2.000 pairs were imported from Japan. 



