August 1, 1921 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



853 



GERMANY 



Tariff reform seems to be the order of the day all over the 

 world, and Germany, too, apparently intends to revise her tariff, 

 and that upward. So far as the countries of the Entente are 

 concerned, Germany is bound by the provisions of the treaty of 

 Versailles. But with regard to other countries she is in a more 

 favorable position. Tariff obligations with Austria have already 

 ceased and recently the German Government notified the Swiss 

 Government that the tariff convention with Switzerland would 

 terminate July 1, 1921. 



.•\propos of tariffs, German exporters have been more or less 

 perplc.xed by contradictory statements made in the Reichstag 

 with reference to the refunding by the German Government of 

 the Rhein duty leviable by the Entente. On May 20, it was 

 announced that the Government would refund to exporters the 

 amount of duty leviable by the Entente and that payment would 

 be made in paper marks. On May 31, a semi-official statement 

 was published stating just the contrary and giving German busi- 

 ness men the impression that the Government considered that 

 trade interests should look after themselves. However, the latest 

 report is that the Chancellor confirmed before the Reichstag the 

 first declaration, adding that payments in paper marks would 

 begin after certain necessary preliminaries had been gone through. 



From an item in the Giimmi-Zeitung of June 3, it seems that 

 certain exporters are trying to shift the burden of the Entente 

 duty onto the importers and are quite frank about it. At any 

 rate, offers have been received in Sweden, with prices subject to 

 change, as the amount payable to the Entente had not yet been 

 li.xed. Xaturally, Swedish importers are highly indignant at this 

 procedure and declare that as soon as they can get the required 

 goods from England, France and the United States, they will no 

 longer look to Germany for them. As they say with truth, they 

 owe the Entente nothing, and do not see why they should be 

 required to pay Germany's debts. The writer .of the article 

 warns German business men of this attitude and seems to be as 

 disgusted with their methods as are the Swedish importers. 



A NEW HOLE IN THE WEST 



The new ''hole in the West" through which large quantities 

 of goods are entering Germany, is causing anxiety in certain 

 German circles. Rubber goods also find their way into the 

 country and in the first ten months of this year the quantity of 

 these articles, chiefly tires, amounted to 18,900 quintals — one 

 quintal equals 220.46 pounds. 



The impression got abroad that Germany, long starved for 

 rubber goods, was a good field for export. .And now, in spite 

 of the prohibition of the importation of rubber manufactures, 

 tires to a value of millions of marks are finding their way on the 

 German market, much to the alarm of those iiUereslcd. 



Dealers are bitterly reproached for their lack of patriotism 

 which not only permits them to sell the foreign tires, but also 

 to advertise them. Among the foreign tires that are found in 

 many parts of Germany are the "Engelbert" tires, made in Bel- 

 gium. Dealers are urged to be more patriotic and to refuse to 

 sell any but German-made goods. 



NOVELTrES IN RUBBER GOODS 



The local fad for colored tire casings seems to be threatened 

 by the lu.xury ta.x. It is an odd thing that while white, gray and 

 black tires do not come under the class of goods subject to the 

 lu.xury tax, the colored tires, which come in yellow, red, green 

 and violet shades, and which are really no better in quality than 

 their soberer compeers, should be considered luxuries. The 

 coloring of tires is simply a mode of advertising as is the fashion 

 of making marbleized or striped covers. 



.\re hard rubber high heels to take the place of those usually 

 made of wood or leather? The Gummi-Zeitunf^ thinks that this 

 would be practicable ; heels of this kind would have a more even, 

 durable and handsome polish than the ordinary heels. They 



could be made with a soft rubber layer at the bottom. Hard 

 rubber soles with inserts of soft rubber are also suggested. 



NEW FIRMS 



West-Deutsche Holsatia-Gummi-Gesellschaft m. b. H., Diissel- 

 dorf. This firm will have exclusive selling rights for the 

 "Holsatia" rubber soles and heels manufactured by the Gummi- 

 fabrik Friedrich Wilop, Hamburg. 



A. Mitsche & Co., Leipzig ; representation ; sale of rubber goods. 



Rheinische Gummitnanufaktur, G. m. b. H., Mainz ; manufac- 

 ture and sale of rubber heels and soles of the trade-mark "Maxos." 

 Capital, 200,000 marks. 



Siiddeutsche Gummiindustrie, Weissach-Wiirttemberg, Karl 

 Seutter, Weissach (Wiirttemberg) ; wholesale dealers in tires and 

 accessories for bicycles and automobiles, also rubber shoes and 

 other rubber goods. The firm will also manufacture material for 

 packing and leather floor cloth. 



"Edigo" Gummiwaren-Vertrieb, Edgard Goldstein, Berlin ; sale 

 of rubber goods. 



Gummigesellschaft Colonia, Bruno .\schenbach & Co., Koln- 

 Kalk. 



The Gummiwarenfabrik Hagufa, e. G. m. b. H., Harburg, has 

 been changed to Gummiwarenfabrik Levante, G. m. b. H. 



Gummiwarenfabrik "Imperator," Jander & Lemcke, Berlin- 

 Tempelhof, has been dissolved and a new firm has been founded 

 by Gustaf Lemcke, known as Gummiwarenfabrik Birkenwerder, 

 Gustav Lemcke, located in Birkenwerder (Bez. Potsdam). 



The Kolnische Gummifaden-Fabrik, formerly Ferd. Kohlstadt 

 & Co., Koln-Dcutz, reports net profits of 531,527.44 marks for the 

 past year. A dividend of 14 per cent was declared. It was 

 proposed to double the capital by issuing 1.500,000 marks' worth 

 of original sliares and 1,500,000 marks' worth of preferential 

 shares. 



RUSSIA 



Owing to the chaotic condition of exchange it has been im- 

 possible to supply Russia's need for rubber. If credit and ex- 

 change could be arranged, Russia would probably take 10.000 to 

 15,000 tons of rubber immediately. The difl'iculties of the position 

 are illustrated by the recent proposal that London firms should 

 export to Russia 20,000,000 pounds of tea, for which payment 

 of 25 per cent should be made in cash and for the remainder by 

 twelve months' bills accepted by the Russian cooperative societies 

 and endorsed by the Russian Foreign Trade Department. 



FOREIGN TARIFFS 



SWITZERLAND 



The new provisional customs tariff of Swi 

 July 1, 1921, includes the following items o 

 rubber industry. 



tzerland. effective 



f interest to the 



Rate of Duty 



Former, Revised, 

 Tariff Articles Fr. cts. I-"r. cts 



No. per 100 Kilogs. 



G. India Rubber and Gutta Percha. 

 India '■libber and piitta percha, pure or mixed: 

 Without internal layers of metals or tissues: 



516 In blocks, bulbs, and neRroheads (raw rubber): 



"Patentplatten," not vulcanized: india rub- 

 ber and gutta percha waste 1.00 2,00 



517 In strips, sheets, plates, plugs, moulded ar- 



ticles, threads, halls, rods, etc 1.00 5.00 



518 Ilose. lubes, pipes 5.0(1 10.00 



519 Threads for niakine elastic tissues 5.00 5. CO 



520 (Tarpets for rooms and passages, mats, etc. . 20.00 30.00 

 With internal layers (.i metals or tissues: 



521 Plates, rinss, balls, strips, bands, etc 5.00 10.00 



522 Tubes and pines S.OO 20.00 



523 Transmiisiiin belts 20.00 40.00 



524 Carpets for rooms and passages, mats, etc... 20.00 40.00 



525 (hummed tissues for industrial use, stuffs for 



cards, covers for printing cylinders, insulating 



materials 3.00 5.00 



526 Rubbered stuffs (double stuffs) for cart tilts, etc.. 30.00 80.00 



527 Elastic tissues of all kinds, of rubber combined 



with cotton, wool, silk, etc 40.00 80.00 



528 Rubber and gutta percha, applied on tissues or 



other materials; waterproof fabrics for sanitary 



purposes, rubbered on one or both sides 30.00 80.00 



529 Articles of rubber and gutta percha not elsewhere 



specified 25.00 60.00 



