June 1,-1910.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



323 



THE FRENCH-RUSSIAN INDIA-RUBBER FACTORY "PROWODNIK," AT RIGA, RUSSIA. 



be intensely interested in all the manufacturing lines, and 

 remained about four hours in the different parts of the 

 works. Having completed his tour of inspection, Prince 

 Henry, in company with the gentlemen of the Continental 

 company, proceeded once more to the residence of Herr 

 Tischbein, where he dined. Later the Prince returned to his 

 hotel. 



RUBBER PROFITS IN AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. 



The two principal rubber works of Austria-Hungary will pay 

 the same dividends for the last business year as previously. 

 The Oesterreichisch-Amerikansche Gummifabrik Aktiengesell- 

 schaft has declared 28 kronen and Ungarische Gummiwaren- 

 Fabriks Aktiengesellschaft 25 kronen per share. Both com- 

 panies are capitalized in shares of 400 kronen [=$81.20], and the 

 rate of dividend paid this year is respectively 7 per cent, and 

 6}4 per cent, for the two companies. 



GERMAN RUBBER PROFITS. 



The dividend of Frankfurter Asbestwerke Aktiengesellschaft 

 (vormals Louis Wertheim), at Frankfort o/M., for their twelfth 

 business year — 1909 — was 4 per cent., against 6 per cent, in 1908 

 and 7 per cent, in 1907. 



At the last annual meeting of shareholders of the Mittzel- 

 deutsche Gummiwaren-Fabrik Louis Peter A.-G. (Frankfort 

 o/M.) it was decided to increase the capital by 2,000,000 marks, 

 making the total 5,000,000 marks [=$1,190,000]. The company 

 are very large producers of rubber tires as well as general rub- 

 ber goods, having an important export trade. Their dividend 

 for the last business year was 25 per cent., and for the preceding 

 year 22 per cent. 



The gross profit of Deutsche Kabelwerke, A.-G., at Rummels- 

 burg, near Berlin, for 1909 was 1,244,005 marks, from which there 

 remained after all deductions a net profit of 474,244 marks 

 [=$112,870], against 402,158 marks for the previous year. The 

 dividend is 7 per cent., against 6 per cent, last year. 



The dividend of Aktieselskabet den Norske Remfabrik, of 

 Christiania, Norway, for 1909 is 6 per cent. 



LESS COTTON FROM THE WEST INDIES. 



\V7HILE cotton continues to be grown in many countries 

 »" besides the United States, the results to date do not 

 encourage any hope of an early increase in the world's pro- 

 duction such as to bring prices to a lower level. The United 

 States consul in Barbados reports that the total shipment 

 of cotton from the British West Indies for the calendar 

 year 1909 amounted to 2,242,289 pounds. "This was a decrease 

 of about 500,000 pounds from the preceding year. From the 



best information obtainable, the crop for 1910 will show 

 a still further decrease. The cotton was nearly all sea island. 

 The cultivation of sea-island cotton first became a factor 

 in [Barbados in] 1902. There was a steady increase in acre- 

 age up to 1907, when it reached its maximum. Since that 

 year there has been a decrease in acreage in nearly all the 

 islands." 



RETURN OF THE BICYCLE. 



THE bicycle in the United States appears to have regained 

 A much of the popularity which it lost a few years ago in the 

 period when the great bicycle manufacturing combination went 

 to smash. Writing on this subject, The Bicycling World (New 

 York) intimates that the demand for bicycles never did decline 

 to the extent supposed by many persons. This paper says that 

 there have been few years since the establishment of the industry 

 when less than a quarter million bicycles have been produced in- 

 the United States alone; that there are still factories in this 

 country which produce annually 40,000 or more bicycles each ; 

 and that during the present season some of these factories have 

 not been able to cope with the enlarged demand that has arisen. 



As for the bicycle interest abroad, it appears never to have 

 fallen off in any year. The exports of bicycles alone — motor- 

 cycles not included — from four leading countries last year are 

 stated to have been of the value of $25,000,000. The Bicycling 

 World estimates the total value of the production of bicycles at 

 $100,000,000 a year, and the production of motorcycles at $50,- 

 000,000. With the production of these vehicles at such a rate 

 it is evident that the demand for tires, which is helping to keep 

 up the price of raw rubber, is not due to automobiles alone. 



Speaking of motorcycles, the rapidly growing rural free de- 

 livery branch of the United States postal service seems to open 

 a new field for the use of these vehicles. There are already about 

 40,000 rural letter carriers, and the number has been increasing 

 rapidly of late. The motorcycle is stated to have been used with 

 wholly satisfactory results by a number of carriers. The ma- 

 chines are not expensive, the cost of upkeep is slight, they are 

 convenient to use, and make good time. 



According to the Detroit (Michigan) Free Press, the Mexican 

 Crude Rubber Co. in 1909 made 2.500,000 pounds of guayule 

 rubber, which realized for the company an average of 35 cents 

 a pound, or a total profit of $341,000. For 1910 the production 

 is estimated at 3,000,000 pounds of rubber, already sold at an 

 average of 54 cents a pound, amounting to a profit for the year 

 of almost $800,000. 



