April i, 1901.] 



LtiE. INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



209 



JOTTED DOWN AT RANDOM. 



CLOTHING experts say that the day of the cheap mackin- 

 tosh has f»one forever. It certainly looks as if their state- 

 ments were true, as at present only high grade goods are called 

 for. If the cheap mackintosh is really a thing of the past, it 

 will help the sale of high class double textures and also shower- 

 proof goods. We may also look for a decided revival of the 

 surface clothing trade. 



* * * 



Rubber shoe weather in Canada has not been altogether 

 satisfactory during the past winter. Except in the province of 

 Quebec there has been little snow, and in that region it has 

 not been of a kind that called for rubber footwear. There was 

 plenty of it to be sure, but it was dry and light, and for several 

 months there was not a sign of thaw, so that leather or wool 

 goods were better and more comfortable than lubbers of any 

 kind. 



* -if -X- 



Intemperance in the use of Pontianak is sure to bring 

 about its own rebuke. Many of those who have used Pon- 

 tianak in small quantities successfully are so encouraged that 

 they believe that it can do almost anything. For example, it 

 has been used alone in strapping for coats, the result being 

 that before a great while it oxidizes and lets go. Another 

 trouble with it is that during its oxidation it throws out a very 

 decided bloom which, in diagonals, for example, often will come 

 right through the cloth. One thing should be kept in mind 

 wherever Pontianak is used, and that is, that it should be kept 

 away from the air. Some manufacturers are so particular 

 about this that whenever a lot is received they keep it under 

 water until washed, and then they mix it in compounds that 

 are not exposed to oxidation, or else combine it with mate- 

 rials that keep the air from coming in contact with the gum. 

 In that way it is very valuable. 



* * * 



A LETTER to The India Rubber World from St. Paul, 

 Minnesota, on the rubber trade situation in the northwestern 

 states, says : " The mackintosh trade is very much reduced 

 and excepting a few staple styles of garments for men and 

 women, will cut very little figure in the rubber business in this 

 section. It never was large here as our season is too short. 

 We have frost from September to May. As to mechanical 

 goods and sundries there is a demand for better grades, and 

 this increases as population and manufacturers grow." 



-:<- * -:<• 



It is not long since rubber manufacturers felt that if they 

 were to get good white effects they must use foreign made ox- 

 ide of zinc. To-day, however, American zincs are very largely 

 used and with as good, if not better, results than those that are 

 made abroad. 



* * * 



That " Mineral Rubber " is going to have a most important 

 place in insulation, particularly under water, seems to be an 

 accepted fact. Either mixed with Gutta-percha or without, it 

 absolutely refuses to absorb any water- — a most valuable and 

 necessary qualification. 



-^ * ■/■- 



The plant of the now defunct London Rubber Co. (Ashta- 

 bula, Ohio) was sold recently to be used for the manufacture 

 of ranges. This plant, it will be remembered, was run by Mr. 

 South wick, who first brought out the wine colored rubber coat. 

 For some little time he was the only one who was able to get 

 the right shade in red coats, and as a result he made consider- 

 able money. Eventually, however, other rubber manufacturers 



were able to get as good a color, and before the garments went 

 out of fashion prices had been cut so that there was not much 

 money in them. The London company were never able to 

 bring out another paying specialty, and eventually went out of 

 business. 



CANADA IMPORTS MORE RUBBER GOODS. 



THE value of imports of manufactures of India-rubber and 

 Gutta-percha into Canada during the fiscal year ended 

 June 30, 1900, as otTicially stated, shows an increase both in the 

 imports from the United States and in the total : 



United 

 Imports, States. 



Boots and shoes. $ 4(1,869 



Belting 33.519 



Clothing and water- 

 proof cloth 64,138 



Hose 47.778 



Packing and mats. 35,871 



Sheeting 1,969 



All other 171,723 



Great 

 Britaiti, 



Other 

 Countries. 



Total 

 Value. 



Dutiefi 

 Collected. 



$ 



58 

 688 



88,426 

 929 

 877 



$ 46,927 $ 11,641.34 

 34,207 8,503.00 



227 

 41 



573 



27,133 18,242 



152.791 



48,748 



37.321 



1,969 



217,098 



45.614 73 



16,948.87 



12,900.58 



51300 



52,885.34 



Total $401,867 S118, III $(9,083 $539,061 $149,006.86 



Total, 1899 $359,037 



Total, 1S98 255,525 



Total, 1867 209,776 



Total, 1896 217,536 



§£19.523 115,130 1463,690 1134,717.69 



(a) 147.706 403,231 112,688.41 



(a) 110,127 313.903 .... 



(a) 139,745 357.281 



(rt) Included in " OtherCouniries." 



There may also be noted the imports of the following arti- 

 cles, not classified by the Canadian customs as " rubber goods," 

 but having a relation to the industry : 



United Other Total Duties 



Imports. States. Countries. Value. Collected. 



Webbing, elastic and non elastic. $ 78,697 §61,323 $139,750 125,177.04 

 Stockinettes, for rubber boot and 



shoemakers 47,9^4 15,774 63,738 8,873.41 



Duck, for rubber belting and hose 119,864 19 119,883 free. 



Rubber thread, elastic ... 1,968 .... 1,968 free. 



The exports of Canadian rubber manufactures were also 

 somewhat larger than in any former year, as follows : 



To— Value. To— Value. 



Australia $27,565 St. Pierre $ 58 



Newfoundland 16,407 United States 108,811 



Great Britain '4.392 



Hongkong 1.909 



Germany 4S3 



France 477 



Switzerland 211 



Chile 135 



Total $170,488 



Total, 1899 133,332 



Total, i8g8 77.68s 



Total, 1897 26,121 



Total, 1896 30,879 



The exports of such goods to the United States for the pre- 

 ceding fiscal year amounted to $85,084. 



The Canadian statistics of imports for the fiscal year ended 

 June 30, 1900, show these details relating to crude rubber and 

 related materials : 



Classification. Pounds. Value. 



Guttapercha 2,252 $ 1.713 



India-rubber 3.002,576 2,026,769 



Rubber recovered ; rubber substitute, and 



hard rubber in sheets 1,523,834 



Rubber powdered and rubber waste 563,118 



219.779 

 66,038 



Total 5,091,780 S 



The total is much larger than for any previous year, 

 following comparative table, figures refer to pounds: 



India-rubber and Recovered Rubber 

 Years. Gutta-percha 



In 1894-95 1,402,844 



In 1895-96 2,155.576 



In 1896-97 2,014,896 



In 1897-98 2,457,321 



In 1898-99 2,211,593 



In 1899-1900 3,004,828 



The imports of rubber from the United States amounted to 

 2,910,903 poutids and of recovered rubber, 2,077,758 pounds. 



and Substitute. 



611,745 



643,169 

 1,061.402 

 1.316,494 

 1,036,446 

 2,086,952 



312,299 



In the 



Total. 

 2,014,589 

 2,798,745 

 3,076,298 



3.773.815 

 4,148,039 

 5,091,780 



