July 1. 1921 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



-!7Z 



francs, in 1920, against 4,513 quintals, value 16,247,000 francs, the 

 year before; rubberized clothing: only 775 quintals, value 5,044,000 

 francs, in 1920, as compared with 3,508 quintals, value 22,802,000 

 francs, in 1919; rubber footwear: 4,725 quintals, value 8,505,000 

 francs, in 1920, and 6,120 quintals, value 11,016,000 francs, in 1919; 

 tires, tubes, covers: 49,153 quintals, value 132,713,000 francs, and 

 80.553 quintals, value 217,493.000 francs, in 1920 and 1919, re- 

 spectively, 



EXPORTS 



Exports of crude ruhlicr and gtitta percha amounted to 106.994 

 quintals, value 84.739,000 francs ($5,844,069), in 1920: 103.150 

 quintals, value 81.695.000 francs ($11,191.0%), in 1919 and 166.870 

 quintals, value 75,537.000 francs ($14,578,641), in 1913. 



The totals for manufactured goods during the same years were : 

 187,849 quintals, value 462,309,000 francs ($31,883,380); 111,597 

 quintals, value 273.941.000 francs ($37,525,890) ; and 69,300 quintals, 

 value 100,288.000 francs ($19,355,584). There was a noteworthy 

 increase in the exports of footwear which jumped from 1,148 

 quintals, value 1.952.000 francs, in 1919 to 15.479 quintals, value 

 26.314.0(X) francs. Figures for rubber clothin,g nearly doubled in 

 1920. being 5,018 quintals, value 29,004,000 francs, against 2,559 

 quintals, value 14,790,000 francs, the year before. Exports of 

 tires, tubes, covers, increased from 85,138 quintals, value 217,101,000 

 francs in 1919. to 138.645 quintals, value 353.545,000 francs the fol- 

 lowing year. 



TRADE DISTRIBUTION 



The share of different countries in this trade during 1920 was 

 as follows : Great Britain exported crude rubber valued at 126.- 

 435.000 francs ($8,719,655), manufactures to a value of 160,873.000 

 francs ($11,094,690) ; United States came next with manufactures 

 totaling 59.422.000 francs. ($4,098,069) ; Belgium sent crude rubber 

 to a value of 2.175.000 francs ($150,000) and manufactured rubber 

 valued at 10,535,000 francs ($726,552). In exchange France sent 

 to Great Britain manufactures amounting to 82,147,000 francs 

 ($5,665,310) and crude rubber for 21,931,000 francs ($1,512,483) ; 

 United States took crude rubber worth 19.337,000 francs 

 ($1,333,586) ; exports to Germany were 19.251.000 francs ($1,327,- 

 655) worth of manufactures and crude rubber valued at 13,886,000 

 francs ("$957,655) ; to Switzerland went manufactures amounting 

 to 33,151,000 francs ($2,286,276) and to Belgium, manufactures 

 and crude rubber valued at 58,236,000 francs ($4,016,276) and 

 7,042,000 francs ($485,655) respectively. As will be noted trade 

 with Gemiany is beginning to assiuiie sizable proportions. 



According to statistics issued by the Ministry of Labor, based 

 on the inspection of factories situated in different regions of 

 France, there were in pre-war days 524 rubber and paper factories 

 employing 41,909 workers, male and female. In August, 1914, this 

 number had decreased to 287 factories employing only 19,107 

 hands ; how-evcr, in October, 1920, it was found that there were 

 504 factories employing 47,365 persons. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN EUROPE 



By Our Regular Correspondent 



FRANCE 



THE Societe Industrielle des Telephones not only manufactures 

 electrical articles, but also rubberized fabrics, pneumatic 

 tires, electric apparatus, etc. Bef.ore the war, profits were 

 between 2,600.000 francs and 2,800,(X)0 francs. During the last 

 years, however, the .hgures showed considerable lluctuations. In 

 1914 net profits rose from 1,792,000 francs to 5,103,(X)0 francs 

 in 1916 and 8,831,000 francs in 1917. In 1918, tlicy dropped to 

 6,670,000 francs, then to 5,000.000 in 1919 and to 4,120,000 francs 

 in 1920. During the same time the dividends rose from 15 francs 

 per share to 30 and then 40 francs. 



For the last two years the dividends were 35 francs. In general. 



the company has not exactly spent money freely and at last the 

 directors have decided to renew the equipment in use since the 

 foundation of the firm in 1893. For this purpose, the capital is 

 to be increased from 18 to 36 million francs. 



The Etablissements Industriels E. C. et A. Grammont has 

 placed on the market 32,000 "B" shares. Up to the present only 

 28.000 ".V" shares have lx;en negotiated. This company has a 

 capital of 30,000.000 francs, and factories at Lyon, in the Isere 

 and in the Var, where it manufactures wires and cables for tele- 

 graph and telephone, submarine cables, and all kinds of elec- 

 trical goods and apparatus. It has wire-drawing establishments 

 and also produces rubber goods, particularly tires, tubes, belting, 

 etc. 



The comjiany has progressed durinj; the last few years. Before 

 the war business amounting to 20,000,0(X) was reported, but in 

 the latest report, that of 1919-1920, transactions amounted to over 

 100.000,000 francs, and this in spite of the increased costs of labor, 

 materials and coal. The gross profits were 17,478,0C)0 francs 

 and the net proceeds were 2,055,000 francs. The dividend was 

 fixed at 50 francs per share. The reserves exceed 78,000.000 

 against liabilities of 47.000.000. 



The Societe Repneu of 1 bis, rue Trayon. Paris, is in volun- 

 tary liquidation. 



The Societe Fran(;aise du Caoutchouc d'OuIlins has been 

 formed at Lyon with a capital of 3,000,000 francs. The firm will 

 engage in the manufacture and sale of rubber goods and similar 

 products. 



It is learned that tlie Societe de Pontoux et Cie. has been 

 changed into the Societe Le Caoutchouc Industrial, with a capital 

 of 800,000 francs and offices at Rue Saint-Regis (Belle-de-Mai), 

 Marseilles. 



GERMANY 



.\ correspondent relates, in the C\i\]\mx-7.cxtung. his experience 

 concerning the rubber goods trade in the occupied parts of 

 Germany. He states that foreign salesmen are taking the place 

 of Germans. It seems that they are mostly Belgians, some 

 French, but very few English or Americans, who offer local 

 merchants all kinds of rubber goods at prices below those quoted 

 by German manufacturers in unoccupied Germany. The terms 

 of the foreigners are severe, but in spite of this they succeed 

 in capturing the orders. Patriotism is not proof against lower 

 prices, and on both sides of the Rhine there is a demand for 

 foreign goods. The most important German firms stock quantities 

 of French, Belgian, English and American rubber goods. In 

 Frankfort-on-the-Main, goods are advertised or offered for sale 

 under French names ; thus, sticking plasters have become 

 "cmplatre caoutchoutee," nipples, "tetines," etc. 



Of course, the presence of foreign troops necessitates the carry- 

 ing of foreign goods and the using of foreign terms. Never- 

 theless, the correspondent is much exercised over what he has 

 found and sees in everything a sign of the Allies' determination 

 to ruin Germany's trade and even to win over to themselves the 

 occupied territories. 



Rubber goods may now be exported freely from Germany 

 without the export permits that were formerly recjuired. It is 

 said that this measure is a direct result of the "Sanctions" of the 

 Entente which created a very difficult economic situation here. 



A new rubber article has appeared in the shape of suspenders 

 made entirely of red rubber with the exception of the strap- 

 loops. At first they were made from auto-tire waste, but the 

 pieces thus obtained were not always long or wide enough, and 

 now producers of these suspenders buy sheets of smooth red 

 rubber about 0.7-meter (one meter equals about 39 inches), wide 

 and 2 millimeters thick, from which strips of the necessary size 

 are cut. It seems that the new suspender is meeting with a 

 good demand and can compete with the usual kind of suspender 

 as far as price is concerned. 



