84 



THE INDIA RUBBER V/ORLD. 



[December i, 1901. 



Domaine prive. for which privilege it has been necessary to 

 makea liberal division of profits with the government. What 

 IS meant by the recent suppression of the Abir's privileges, 

 and their proposed reijstablishment, referred to in La Gazette 

 Coloniale,xtf\^\rt% further explanation. Certainly there has been 

 seen, from this side of the Atlantic, no decline in the amount 

 of Caoutchouc handled by the Soci^td Abir. 



The last India Rubber World reported from Antwerp 

 that "on October 7 a large transaction was concluded for the 

 United States," covering about 332 tons of Lopori sorts. Ac- 

 cording to La Gazette Coloniale, this rubber belonged to the 

 Societe Abir. On September 7 the %\.^3.m^x Philippeville, from 

 the Congo, arrived at Antwerp with 810 tons of rubber, of 

 which 265 tons were credited to the Abir. The total arrivals 

 at Antwerp for the Abir, during twelve months past, according 

 to The India Rubber World's record, have amounted to 

 822 metrical tons, or 1,809,277 pounds of rubber. These fig- 

 ures, however, have not been as large as had been predicted. 



A Brussels newspaper in February, 1900, reported that "the 

 company will henceforth produce 100 tons of rubber monthly, 

 which would make, at 6 francs profit per kilogram, 7,200,000 

 francs." But rubber was selling at a high price then. In 

 July, 1900, it was supposed, on the Brussels bourse, that the 

 Abir had received and sold during the preceding six months 

 about 800 tons of rubber, with an average profit of four francs 

 per kilogram [35 cents per pound], which would give a profit 

 of 3,200.000 francs profit for the half year. It may be stated 

 that trading in the shares of this, and other African rubber 

 trading companiei, on the bourses of Antwerp and Brussels, is 

 influenced by the amount of rubber handled by them, and also 

 by fluctuations in the price of rubber. Thus a report in regard 

 to " Abir " in May last : " It is announced that a shipment of 

 800 tons of rubber for this powerful company is imminent [but 

 it never came to hand], and it seems probable that the shares 

 will be subject to an important increase in valuation." 



The profits of the Societe Abir, based chiefly on rubber, but 

 also to some extent on ivory, have been, for two recent years : 



For 1898 2,482,697 francs = 248 per cent. 



For 1900 41873,356 francs=487 per cent. 



At the beginning of 1900 shares in Abir were quoted at 

 14,500 francs, or 29 times the nominal value ; at the beginning 

 of 1900 the quotation was 17,600 francs, or 35 for one ; by Sep- 

 tember, 1900. the figure rose to 28,925, or practically 60 for one; 

 at the beginning of this year the rate was 25,075, or 50 for one. 

 During the year there has been a steady decline, in keeping 

 with generally falling values on the Belgian bourses, the rate 

 on October 25 being only 15,050 francs. 



It may be of interest to quote here from The Speaker — the 

 London journal already referred to : " So far as the present 

 writer is aware, no allegations of ill treatment of the natives 

 have ever emanated from the districts where the Societe Abir 

 conducts its operations." And a note in La Gazette Coloniale 

 says: " The relations between the agents and the native popu- 

 lation have always remained satisfactory." 



Another statement in the last named journal is that the com- 

 pany has engaged largely in the planting of rubber creepers 

 {Landolphia), to provide against the exhaustion of the supply 

 of rubber. 



About importations of rubber articles into Russia, it is 

 officially reported from Kiew : " Rubber goods for surgical pur- 

 poses, which previously came exclusively from Germany, are 

 now also manufactured of equally good quality within this 

 country." 



EXPORTS OF AMERICAN RUBBER GOODS. 



THE values of exports from the United States of goods 

 classed as " manufactures of India-rubber" during the 

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

 stated officially as follows: 



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

 [Exports to Hawaii and Porto Rico not included.] 



There were exported in September 471,276 pairs of rubber 

 footwear, against 137,844 pairs in September, 1900, and bring- 

 ing the total exports for the present calendar year up to 1,366,- 

 322 pairs. 



Exports of reclaimed rubber, from January i to September 30 : 

 18915. 1900. 1901. 



Value $324,604 $415,285 $263,195 



AMERICAN IMPORTS OF RUBBER GOODS. 

 The value of the imports of India-rubber and Gutta-percha 

 goods during the first nine months of the three past calendar 

 years has been as follows : 



India rubber goods $333,986 



Gutta-percha goods 109,386 



Total Imports $443,372 



Reexports 57.848 



1900. 



$432,907 



210,576 



iSol. 

 $363,254 



86,575 



$643,483 

 13.319 



$449,829 

 9,980 



Net Imports $385,524 $630,164 $439,849 



NEW TRADE PUBLICATIONS. 



THE Boston Woven Hose and Rubber Co. have issued 

 a "Catalogue of Marine Rubber Goods," comprising 

 hose (fire, suction, steam, wash-deck, and ash-sprinkling), hose 

 pipes, couplings, and strainers, of special design, best suited 

 to and approved for use in merchant or government vessels ; 

 also packings, gaskets, mattings, and tiling required aboard 

 ship. The reason for the preparation of a special catalogue of 

 this character lies in the fact that the quality and general con- 

 struction of hose and appurtenances for marine purposes differ 

 in many instances from goods for kindred uses ashore. This 

 pamphlet is designed, therefore, to afford assistance to pur- 

 chasers in determining the quantity, quality, sizes, and lengths 

 of hose required by steam vessels, together with the most suit- 

 able nozzles, etc., not only for merchant steamers as required by 

 law governing such equipment, but as specified for the United 

 States navy. In addition to the illustrations of the goods de- 

 scribed, the booklet is embellished with full page half-tone 

 views of the more notable vessels in the American navy, 

 [5^"X9"- 44 pages.] 



B. F. Sturtevant Co. (Boston) have issued their Catalogue 

 No. 1 14—" The Sturtevant Steam Hot Blast Heating and Dry- 

 ing Apparatus and Dry Kilns." It is attractive in appearance, 

 interesting as reading matter, and illustrated in a manner that 

 will compel attention. [6>^" x 9^". 86 pages.] The Sturtevant 

 catalogues ought to prove iuteresting reading in the oflSce of 

 every rubber factory, 



