562 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[July 1, 1914 



AN ENGLISH VIEW OF RECLAIMED RUBBEH. 



An estimate by W. F. de Bois Maclaren places the world's 

 annual collections of old rubber goods at 400,000 tons and the 

 total of scrap rubber at 280,000 tons. This quantity would yield 

 140,000 tons of recovered rubber compounds. On the basis of 40 

 per cent, of actual rubber in the compounds, the quantity of crude 

 material they would displace would be only 56,000 tons. 



Plantation rubber, it is urged, would suffer no more from the 

 use by manufacturers of a certain quantity of reclaimed rubber 

 than it now does from the 150,000 tons of mineral fillers used as 

 loadings in the manufacture of rubber goods. "Why," it is 

 asked, "should any one be alarmed if rubber manufacturers use 

 less of mineral loadings and use recovered rubber compounds 

 largely in place of them?" 



TENNIS BALLS IN BRITISH TOURNAMENTS. 



Announcement is made in an official journal that the Council 

 of the British Lawn Tennis Association proposes annually to 

 authorize such makes of balls as it is satisfied are suitable for 

 use at open meetings, matches or other competitions. Manu- 

 facturers who desire to have their tennis balls authorized have 

 been invited to make application to the secretary of the Lawn 

 Tennis Association, enclosing with such application a list of 

 tournaments, matches or competitions at which their make of 

 ball has been used during the last two or three years. The 

 number of makers thus authorized will not be definitely limited, 

 though it must necessarily be restricted to the leading manu- 

 facturers. Having given the hallmark of authority to these 

 makers, liberty of action to tournament and club committees 

 will be given to choose the ball they may deem best among 

 those officially sanctioned. 



NEW RUBBER COMJPANT AT LEICESTER. 



The Leicester Rubber Company has been registered with a 

 capital equaling $100,000, to carry on the business of J. C. Burton 

 and H. H. Burton in that city as manufacturers of thread, cord 

 <nd tires. 



RUBBER GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. 



The council of the above association now includes about fifty 

 members, the chairman being John McEwan, and the vice-chair- 

 man George Croll. Among the other members are ; Sir John 

 Anderson, Sir Edward Rosling, Sir Frank Swettenham, Sir Wil- 

 liam Treacher, as well as Arthur Lampard. Richard Magor, 

 Noel Trotter and Herbert Wright. 



LECTURES ON RUBBER IN LONDON. 



A course of ten lectures on rubber has been organized by the 

 London County Council. In taking the chair at the first lecture 

 (by Mr. W. T. Gibson), Mr. Herbert Wright congratulated the 

 council on the step taken, which he suggested might be repeated 

 in Manchester, Edinburgh and other industrial centers, where 

 there are notable rubber manufacturing and machinery firms. 

 He added that he believed increased supplies of rubber would 

 create improved demands for that product, especially if the public 

 were brought to "think" rubber and take an intelligent interest 

 in its uses and general advantages. It was, he considered, high 

 time for the British government to stipulate for the use of plan- 

 tation rubber when inviting public tenders for manufactured 

 articles. 



MOTORCYCLES FOR RURAL POSTMEN. 



The British post office department is preparing to experiment 

 in the use of motorcycles on rural delivery routes, starting with 

 twenty machines having side car attachments. It is thought 

 that in this way two deliveries a day can be made in country 

 districts where only one is now possible. Motorcycle manu- 

 facturers predict that within a year the lower cost of upkeep 

 will have led to the complete displacement of the horse by the 

 motorcycle in the postal service of the United Kingdom. 



BRITISH CONSULAR REPORT ON TRADE OF PARA. 



A BRITISH Consular Report, recently published, deals with 

 the trade of Para for the years 1910-12 and part of 1913. 

 Though its contents are in great part of a general character, 

 they deal specially in various points with rubber. The report 

 emanates from Consul G. B. Michell. 



Para, as it is well known, is of capital importance as a receiv- 

 ing and distributing center for northern Brazil. Until the rubber 

 boom of 1909-10, the collection and export of rubber was only 

 one of the industries of Para, but the inflation which resulted led 

 to the practical abandonment of every other activity, all minds 

 being absorbed by rubber. The panic caused by the fall in the 

 price of rubber is a matter of trade history. Most of the money 

 gained during the days of great rubber profits was taken to 

 Europe. Some was invested there, but very little remained in 



Brazil. 



PARA IMPORTS. 



The oversea imports into Para reached the following quantities : 

 1911—283,613 tons; 1912—275,383 tons; 1913—221,000 tons. Of 

 these quantities coal represented: 1911 — 154,045 tons; 1912 — 

 154,810 tons; 1913—125,000 tons. 



A comparison of the imports of other goods from various 

 countries shows the following : To 



Oct. 31, 

 From— 1911. 1912. 1913. 



United Kingdom to}is 32,229 21,953 23,000 



United States 26,012 32,708 24,000 



Portugal 17,718 16,862 14,000 



Germany 17,188 15,222 13,700 



Portugal sends to Brazil, principally, wine, onions, olive oil, 

 brandy, preserved provisions, fresh fruit and vegetables. 



PARA RUBBER RECEIPTS. 



A comparative table of entries of rubber from the Amazon 



Valley into Para shows : To 



Oct. 31, 



From— 1911. 1912. 1913. 



State of Para tons 9,049 7,072 5,243 



State of .^mazonas 11 80 .... 



State of Matto Grosso 61 125 112 



Acre 6,209 8,291 6.358 



Bolivia 2,390 2,758 3,170 



Total 17,720 18,326 14,883 



MAXAOS EXPORTS. 

 The quantities of rubber exported from !Manaos, of all grades, 

 were: In 1911—20,187 tons; 1912—18.690 tons. 

 CAUSES OF DEPRESSION. 

 Among the causes assigned by Consul Michell for the present 

 conditions at Para and Manaos are: (1) Eastern competition; 

 (2) Corner in Europe; (3) High sea and river freights; (4) 

 High cost of living and consequently of production. 



COST OF PRODUCTION. 



While rubber costs the original gatherer nothing, being wild, 

 and the appliances used primitive, it has to supply an expensive 

 living to many hands before reaching the consumer. Advances 

 to the rubber gatherer carry various burdens, to cover the credit 

 and other risks. Another item of cost is constituted by the 

 fact that the state government requires all rubber to be packed 

 in boxes of a certain size, the wood for which is imported from 

 the L'nited States, although the Amazon district contains vast 

 forests. 



The report includes many interesting tables, which, though 

 mainly affecting Para, cast a side light upon Brazilian conditions 

 in general. 



The Olympia Automobile Show, London, will take place this 

 year, November 6 to 14. 



