I >l i EMBER I, IQOg.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



73 



Some Rubber Interests in Europe. 



REPORT OF THE HARBURG-VIENN A COMPANY. 



THE directors of Vereinigte Gummiwaaren-Fabriken Har- 

 hv.rg- \\ ien (vormals Menier — J. N. Reithoffer), Aktien-' 

 -1 iellschaft, reporting for the thirty-seventh business year 

 of the company, ended June 30, 1909, call attention to the un- 

 favorable trading conditions of the preceding year, which to a 

 certain extent have continued. Particularly, the weather was not 

 such as to favor the sale of rubber footwear. On the whole, 

 the sales from their three manufacturing plants were 15 per 

 cent, less in money value than during the previous year. The 

 profits, however, were larger, due to the fact that most of the 

 manufacturing difficulties encountered since the disastrous fire 

 [see The India Rubber World, December 1, 1905 — page 55] had 

 been fully recovered from before the beginning of the vear 

 under review. They were, moreover, able to make goods for 

 part of the year from raw materials which had been purchased 

 at comparatively low prices. The Austrian Kartell (trade agree- 

 ment ) operated satisfactorily, although prices in the dual mon- 

 archy still suffered through foreign competition. The report 

 contains some interesting particulars regarding the "participa- 

 tion" of the Harburg- Vienna company in other corporaii 115 : 



r. Internationale Galolith-Gesellschaft Hoff & Co.. Harburg and Pans. 

 — This company started in the beginning of the business year manu- 

 facturing operations in all the departments of the new Harburg works, 

 located near the wharves. The generally prevailing unfavorable business 

 conditions likewise affected the company's business to some extent, and 

 the total sales consequently have not reached last year's figures. However, 

 the business produced satisfactory results, because the improved technical 

 arrangements exerted a favorable influence on the profits. Although ample 

 contributions were made to the sinking fund, the dividend declared for 

 the current book year again amounted to 10 per cent. Business showed 

 increased activity during the present year, and the outlook for the com- 

 pany's business may consequently be considered favorable. 



II. The Compania Explotadora de Caucho Mexicano, of Mexico, was 

 this year again unable to declare a dividend, the output of guayule rubbe r 

 having been smaller than last year, in consequence of the necessity of 

 stopping the manufacturing plant on various occasions. The adoption of 

 a new chemical process failed to produce the expected results, and the old 

 process has consequently been used exclusively. In view of there circum- 

 stances, we consider it necessary to contribute a considerable amount to 



the sinking fund of the Participation Account, and 



propose that 200.000 marks [= $47,642] of the profits 



carried forward to new account be used for that 



purpose. 



III. Kautschuk-gesellschaft Schon & Co., Harburg. 

 — On account of our participation in this company, 

 we have paid into the said concern, up to July 1 

 of the current year, the sum of 490,000 marks 

 [=$116,722.90]. The works have been in operation 

 for the past five months, and as they are making a 

 product of good quality, we consider the outlook of 

 this company to be favorable. 



IV. Harburg and Vienna India Rubber Co. (of 

 Great Britain), Limited. — This company, into which 

 our former London agency has been converted, has 

 likewise suffered from the generally prevailing un- 

 satisfactory business conditions, as appears from the 

 decrease in sales. The company's operations, never- 

 theless, produced satisfactory results. 



It will lie remembered that last year the 

 company paid no dividend, but devoted the 

 year's profits to strengthening their position 

 in various ways made desirable by the result 

 of the fire and the consequent interruption of 

 trade. This year the net profit is 541,220.90 

 marks [=$128,816.57], and is dealt with as 

 shown in the next column, including divi- 

 dends aggregating 6 per cent, on the entire 

 capital. 



The company's assets on June 30 amounted 

 to 20.769.301. S; marks [=$4,943,093.85.] 



Net profit this year M 541,220.90 



Dividend 5 per cent, on the entire capital 300,000.00 



Less 10 per cent, commission to the directors. 



Dividend 1 per cent, on the entire capital. 



M 241,200.90 

 24,122.00 



M 217,098.90 

 60,000.00 



Balance to 1909-10 M 157,098.90 



i he report concludes : "The business done by our works 

 showed in a general way a slight improvement during the first 

 few months of the current business year. Our orders for ex- 

 port, more especially, again showed an increase, and we may 

 expect, therefore, that sales will not fall below last year's figures. 

 We are meeting, however, with considerable difficulties due to the 

 abnormally high prices of crude rubber. Fine Para has advanced 

 to 9 shillings per pound, and there has been a proportional ad- 

 vance in the medium grades. We consider it doubtful whether 

 there will be within the c mparatively near future any material 

 decline from the present abnormally high rates, inasmuch as the 

 world's consumption of rubber, which last year amounted to 

 62,376 tons, was 71,989 tons during the year covered by our 

 present report, having consequently increased by about 9,600 tons, 

 while the world's production was increased only from 66.379 

 tons to 70,587 tons, the increase being, therefore, about 4.200 

 tons. In accordance with these figures, the world's supply shows 

 a material decrease. On June 30, 1909, the total supplies 

 amounted, in fact, to only 5,024 tons, while they were 8,035 tons 

 on June 30, 1908. To what extent we shall succeed in adapting 

 our selling prices to the prevailing rates asked for the crude 

 material will depend on the success of our efforts to establish, 

 in conjunction with our more prominent competitors, adequately 

 advanced selling prices for the staple goods having a large 

 consumption. It would, however, at all events be impossible to 

 establish advanced prices for a number of articles before Janu- 

 ary 1, 1910." 



VIEW OF A GERMAN RUBBER WORKS OFFICE. 



Tut illustration on this page shows the interior of the private 

 office of the managing director of Vereinigte Berlin-Frankfurter 



"FINE 

 fManaging Director 



UPRIVER PARA" AT A GERMAN RUBBER WORKS. 

 Spannagel, of the Vereinigte Berlin-Frankfurter Gummiwaren-Fabri- 

 ken, at the right.] 



