34 



THE INDIA RUBBER "WORLD 



[November i, 1901. 



THE STEALING OF CRUDE RUBBER. 



THE theft of crude rubber from manufacturers and impor- 

 ters still interests the rubber trade, and the action of the 

 New England Rubber Club, as shown in the following circular, 

 IS, without a doubt, a wise and progressive move. It is to be 

 hoped that the trade will take pains to place all the informa- 

 tion at their disposal before the committee, and that the ulti- 

 mate result will be that, no market being found for stolen rub- 

 ber, theft will cease. The circular sent out, requesting replies 

 to be sent to the secretary of the club, follows : 



October 15, 1901. 



Gentlemen : The stealing of rubber from importers and manufactur- 

 ers, and its sale by unscrupulous persons, is an evil from which the 

 whole rubber trade has long suffered. The New England Rubber Club 

 has therefore appointed the undersigned a committee to investigate and 

 report at an early date, and recommend remedial action. 



That we may be more fully acquainted with facts upon this important 

 subject, we respectfully ask the cooperation of the whole trade in answer- 

 ing the questions that appear on the enclosed postal card. The commit- 

 tee would also be glad to receive in detail any suggestions that may oc- 

 cur to you on this subject. 



Probably the most practical way of remedying the evil is to prevent the 

 thief from finding a market for stolen rubber, and with that idea in view, 

 the committee will doubtless recommend — 



First. That every dealer or broker of rubber be asked to subscribe to 

 agreements that he will carefully investigate the title of every lot of rub- 

 ber he offers for sale ; 



Second. That every purchaser be invited to report any lot of rubber 

 offered by any person not a recognized dealer ; and 



Third. That a suitable committee be chosen with authority to employ 

 a public detective agency to trace out the title of suspicious lots. 



The fact that rubber is freely exposed in factories calls for cooperation 

 and mutuality on the part of every dealer and manufacturer, and the 

 undersigned will be happy to receive from you any communication on 

 this subject, but request particularly that you will answer the questions 

 on the enclosed postal card. 



Thanking you in advance, we are. Yours very truly, 



F. C. HOOD 1 



A. W. STEDMAN j 



c. H. ARNOLD Kommittee. 



H. C. PEARSON J 



The questions on the postal card are : 



1. Have you reason to suppose that, at any time in the past, crude 

 rubber has been stolen from you, either in transit, in storage, or during 

 process of manufacture? 



2. Have you had rubber offered to you, by other than regular dealers 

 or importers? 



3. What would you suggest as the most effective means of guarding 

 against the stealing of rubber? 



CRUDE RUBBER THEFTS IN HAMBURG. 



The Gummi-Zeititng of October 14 says: " The well known 

 rubber firm of Weber & Schaer, Hamburg, have come on the 

 track of a great many thefts of crude rubber, especially through 

 the fact, that repeatedly great differences in weight were dis- 

 covered, especially with shipments going abroad by steamer. 

 In the interest of all parties concerned, the matter had been 

 handed over to the criminal section of the police department. 

 The investigations made have had the satisfactory result so far, 

 that a number of thieves and receivers of stolen rubber have 

 been locked up. As those thefts were beyond doubt aided 

 through the fact, that thieves and middlemen could find means 

 to sell those goods to manufacturers, the said firm found it ad- 

 visable to send the following circular to all German rubber 

 manufacturers : 



It unfortunately has been evident, for some time past, that robberies 

 have been committed, at an increasing rate, from cargoes of raw rubber, 



stored here, shipped from, or transhipped via Hamburg. There has 

 been, particularly, a considerable trade in so called samples of rubber. 

 The local criminal police, in whose hands the matter now rests, have al- 

 ready arrested and hold for examination a number of perpetrators of 

 these thefts. They have rendered possible by the fact, that the thieves 

 have succeeded in selling the stolen goods by the intermediary of dealers 

 in commercial products generally and other middlemen. 



We therefore respectfully ask all rubber manufacturers not to buy 

 small consignments of so called sample rubber from Hamburg firms not 

 known as raw rubber dealers or importers. 



At the same time we express to those, who, during the last year have 

 received such shipments from purveyors not known as rubber dealers, 

 our courteous wish that they supply us as soon possible with the names 

 of the sellers and the details of such consignments, to enable us to in- 

 vestigate their origin here. 



"It would be most desirable in the general interest if this 

 procedure of the firm of Weber & Schaer should find support, 

 providing them with any material which may in any way aid in 

 the clearing up of this affair." 



EXPORTS OF AMERICAN RUBBER GOODS. 



THE values of exports from the United States of goods 

 classed as " manufactures of India-rubber" during the 

 first eight months of 1901, compared with former years, are 

 stated officially as follows : 



(a) Included in "All Other*' prior to July i, 1899. 

 [Exports to Hawaii and Porto Rico not included.] 



There were exported in August 260,709 pairs of rubber foot- 

 wear, against 221,021 pairs in August, igoo.and bringing the to- 

 tal exports for the present calendar year up to 895,046 pairs. 

 Exports of reclaimed rubber, from January i to August 31 have 

 been : 



1899. 1900. 1901. 



Value $285,817 



$373,605 



$230,246 



RUBBER FROM THE BENl RIVER. 



ACCORDING to a report from the Belgian minister to 

 Chile, in relation to Bolivia, there were granted in the 

 department of La Paz, during 1900, forty-five concessions for 

 the extraction of rubber, embracing a total of 1707 estradas — 

 approximately 256,050 rubber trees. 



The exports of rubber through the custom house at Villa 

 Bella, at the junction of the rivers Beni and Mamore, are re- 

 ported to have been as follows (in kilograms) : 



Years. Fine. Medium. Total. 



1895 684,422 78,485 7*>2,907 



l8g6 741.341 69,910 811.251 



1897 ..669,125 68,564 737,689 



1898 774,449 96,114 878,563 



1899 725,310 89,122 814,432 



1900 (six months) ••343,536 38,607 382,143 



It is intimated that perhaps as much more rubber has been 

 smuggled past the custom house. 



New Caledonia.— The exports of rubber from this colony 

 during the first six months of 1901 amounted to 4292 pounds. 

 The exports during the whole of 1900 were 52,983 pounds. 



