38 



THE INDIA RUBBER ^VORLD 



[November i, 1901. 



Paras are always weighed and tared, but Centrals, Africans, 

 and East Indian rubbers cannot be, as is obvious; hence esti- 

 mates are made based upon the original tare, and buyers are 

 fair in meeting any errors which may occur in this respect. 



Next, and last before settlement, is the question of quality, 

 to be passed upon by buyer. The rubber is opened and exam- 

 ined by the buyer, or his superintendent or compounder, and, if 

 bought "as per sample," compared with the sample, but as, in 

 this instance, " Fine Para Upriver " was to be delivered, the 

 buyer decides whether it is, first, " Fine"; second, if " Up- 

 river." If not, then the buyer looks to the seller to replace 

 either the whole lot or that portion of the lot that is inferior, 

 but the seller has the right to insist on the whole lot being re- 

 placed if he so desires, the buyer not to exercise his own option 

 and pick out the best in the parcel. The seller, however, 

 should be required to provide the buyer with rubber to replace 

 at once — but in no case can the seller consider that the buyer, 

 by his act of refusing rubber not up to grade, as a cause on 

 his part to refuse to replace the lot or part of the lot, nor can 

 he decide that he can take the lot back and call the refusal of 

 the lot a cancellation of the contract, but is required to fill 

 contract with " Upriver Fine Para Rubber " and not in whole 

 nor in part with an inferior grade. 



VI. Nor can the buyer use a subterfuge and, by claiming 

 that the quality is not right, refuse the opportunity to the seller 

 to examine and or replace the lot or part of the lot com- 

 plained of, nor can he or they, because the market has dropped, 

 say, 2 cents, require the seller to take the rubber back and can- 

 cel contract because a couple of cases are defective. 



VII. Wouldn't it be a good idea to adopt, for the settlement 

 of differences the method used in England — Arbitration ? The 

 very fact of a difference which cannot otherwise be adjusted 

 could be by that fact a case for arbitration and a committee to 

 be selected by outside parties (in England by the Board of 

 Trade) would look into the questions and rubber in dispute, 

 and the losing party would pay the small fee required, and the 

 decision should be final. This method is easy and the expense 

 nominal. 



Here the disputants " sulk in their tents" and enough time 

 and good feeling is used up, in addition to lawyers' fees, to pay 

 any gain or loss. Good " horse-sense," practically applied to a 

 contract, goes a great way, and arbitration is applied horse 

 sense. 



VIII. Over and under deliveries of a contract should be 

 avoided. Mr. A. buys " about 5 tons " of rubber. In the rub- 

 ber trade a ton is the gross ton — 2240 pounds, or about 1000 

 kilograms, 5 tons being 11,200 pounds. The seller perhaps de- 

 livers 10,850 or 1 1,750 pounds, if in casks, or 200 to 300 pounds 

 over or under, if in cases, and if in bales, one bale over or under 

 would be about correct, although sometimes from one to three 

 tons are delivered or cancelled by sellers without an under- 

 standing with the buyer, but many times the seller overdelivers 

 on a rising market, to equalize one on a falling. 



Weighers sometimes make mistakes and, as they at times 

 have hundreds of cases to weigh, and a 5 ton lot is about 32 cases 

 of 350 pounds. But suppose he weighs up 32 cases and finds 

 that they average 360 pounds ; there would be an over delivery 

 of 320 pounds. Again, if they should deliver a dry lot and the 

 market was advancing — 32 case year store cases average weight 

 of 332 pounds making 10,624, or a shortage of 576 pounds. 

 When the weigher gets back to his office and figures up he 

 finds these differences, but the rubber has been forwarded and 

 it is too late to make the corrections. They sometimes err to 

 the amount of 1000 or 2000 pounds. 



If a contract is made to take a certain lot of about 5 tons to 



arrive, and it turns out 4 tons or 6 tons, it has become the 

 custom to call the contract filled, and the buyer takes any 

 excess and the seller does not expect to make up to 5 tons if it 

 falls short. Any difference of quality is usually adjusted on the 

 dock or at the factory upon arrival. 



IX. If the seller of rubber in the contract cited, under para- 

 agraph II., fails to deliver or tender delivery of the rubber on 

 or before the last week day of the month specified, without a 

 mutual arrangement for delay, the buyer should enter the mar- 

 ket at once and fill his wants up to the amount covered by said 

 contract at the best prices and terms, and for seller's account 

 and charges, and any loss to be chargeable to seller. 



If the buyer waits a week or a month before covering his 

 contract, and the price should then have advanced 2 or more 

 cents a pound since the first, then the buyer can only recover 

 on the basis of the price on the first of the month, and not the 

 full advance. bay state. 



October 7, 1901. 



NEW PHILIPPINES TARIFF. 



THE revised " Customs Tariff of the Philippine Archipel- 

 ago," as enacted by the United States Philippines Com- 

 mission, has been promulgated officially, to go into effect on 

 November 15. Its promulgation at this time may be regarded 

 as an indication of the faith entertained by the war depart- 

 that the supreme court will take the same view in regard to the 

 constitutionality of revenue relations with the Philippines as 

 it did in the case of Porto Rico. 



The principal provisions in regard to rubber are contained 

 in the following paragraph — " N. W." denoting net weight : 



352. Caoutchouc and Gutta-percha manufactured into any kind of 

 article not otherwise provided for : (a) Rubber hose and piston pack- 

 ing, N. W., kilo, $0.03 ; (b) hard rubber articles, not otherwise men- 

 tioned, N. W., kilo, $0.50 ; (<r) boots and shoes of rubber, N. W., kilo, 

 $0.25 ; (<^) all other articles, except hose of rubber and textile, N. W., 

 kilo, $0.20 ; (e) hose of textile and rubber, N. W., kilo, $0.10. 



Other provisions are contained in the paragraphs following : 



[Cotton Schedule]. 135. Waterproof or Caoutchouc stuffs on cot- 

 ton textiles, or elastic textiles manufactured with threads of gum elastic, 

 N. W., kilo, $0.15. 



[Linen Schedule]. 160. Waterproof or Caoutchouc stuffs on tex- 

 tiles of linen or other vegetable fibres, except cotton, or elastic textiles 

 manufactured with threads of gum elastic, N. W., kilo, $0.25. 



[Silk Schedule]. 175. Waterproof or Caoutchouc stuffs on silk tex- 

 tiles, or elastic textiles manufactured with threads of gum elastic, per 

 centum ad valorem, 40. 



248. Apparatus and appliances (not machinery) for electric lighting 

 and power : (a) - - - insulating coils ; and all insulating materials not 

 elsewhere expressly provided for, N. W., 100 kilos, $3.00 ; - - - 

 Only articles used exclusively in the generation and distribution of 

 electric currents for light or power shall be classed under this number. 



339. Combs: (a) Of horn or India-rubber, N. W., kilo, $2.00; 



In the free list appears: 



395. Submarine telegraph cables. 



The following calculation gives the equivalent rate of duties 

 in gold, per 100 pounds, net weight, on the articles referred to 

 in the preceding classification : 



Rubber hose and piston packing. .. % 1.35 



Hose of textile and rubber 4.55 



Rubber boots and shoes 11.36 



Hard rubber combs 90.90 



Hard rubber, not otherwise specified 22.73 



Other rubber and Gutta-percha 9.09 



Goods in cotton schedule 0.86 



Goods in linen schedule 11.36 



Insulation for light and power plants '35 -45 



