December 1, 1911.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



105 



yarns, which had become depleted through long absten- 

 tion from purchases. For a short time it seemed as if 

 spinners would profit by the fall in cotton prices, to make 

 up for past losses, but in this anticipation they were dis- 

 appointed. Yarns fell in the same proportion as cottons 

 had done, while there was no diminution in the cost of 

 manufacture. 



At the time of Herr Kuffler's letter, the European spin- 

 ning industry was looking forward to still lower prices 

 for cotton, in the hope of an equilibrium being thus estab- 

 lished. The subsequent crop reports would seem to have 

 modified these expectations as to an abundant crop, so 

 that, in Herr Kufifler's words : 



"The question, whether after years a sufficient pro- 

 vision of cotton will be available, has not yet been an- 

 swered in the affirmative. The industry must come to see 

 that its rehabilitation does not lie in fluctuations of the 

 price of cotton, but only in the adjustment of production 

 to demand. As long as full occupation of its machinery 

 is regarded as the principal object, the American cotton 

 planter has nothing to fear with regard to his prices. 



"In view of the impossibility of finding an outlet for 

 the entire product on the basis of the recently advanced 

 cotton prices, a continuance of the present losses in the 

 cotton industry must be anticipated." 



AMERICAN EXPORTS OF LEATHER AND RUBBER 

 FOOTWEAR. 



T^HE October number of The India Rubber World 

 •*■ contained an editorial commenting on the fact 

 that during the decade ending with last June the man- 

 ufacturers of belting, packing and other rubber goods 

 had outstripped the makers of footwear in the develop- 

 ment of their export business. 



While that is quite true, there is anotlier comparison 

 that places manufacturers of rubber footwear in a dis- 

 tinctly favorable light. The Bureau of Statistics, of the 

 Department of Commerce and Labor, has compiled 

 figures covering the exports of leather boots and shoes 

 for ihe decade ending with December, 1910, showing 

 that during those ten years the exports of American 

 leather shoes increased from a little over 3,000,000 

 pairs to a trifle over 7,000,000 pairs, or 133 per cent. 

 During that same time the exports of rubber boots and 

 shoes increased from 767,104 pairs for the year ending 

 June 30, 1900, to 3,791,084 pairs for the year ending 

 June 30, 1910, or an increase of close to 400 per cent. 



So here is a comparison not at all disagreeable for the 

 rubber men to contemplate. The government's statis- 



ticians estimate that for the present calendar year the 

 exports of leather footwear will equal 8,000,000 pairs. 

 The rubber exports during the same twelve months 

 will undoubtedly pass the 4,000,000 mark. In other 

 words, we will send out this year one pair of rubbers 

 for every two pairs of leather shoes, which, considering 

 the more limited field and less general use of rubbers 

 when compared with leather shoes, proves that the 

 manufacturers of rubber footwear, however they may 

 compare with other rubber makers, are certainly more 

 alert to export possibilities than the leather men. 



THE MOST INTERESTING THING IN RUBBER, 



IF one were to ask a dozen rubber men to name the 

 most interesting feature of the rubber industry, 

 each would probably name the particular line with 

 which he was personally connected. That is human 

 nature. But if asked what was the next most inter- 

 esting thing he would doubtlessly reply : "The future 

 rubber supply." Taking the industry in its entirety, 

 the future rubber supply is undoubtedly the most en- 

 grossing question. Many minds are speculating on 

 it, and statisticians are continuously busy with figures 

 and comparisons. 



In our October issue, in an article entitled "Rubber 

 Progress in the Malay States," we cited the cheering 

 prophecy of Dr. Henry N. Ridley, Director of the Botanic 

 Gardens of Singapore, that in 1916 the rubber production 

 of the Malay peninsula would amount to 130,000,000 

 pounds. In our November issue, there was a very 

 carefully prepared survey of 193 individual com- 

 panies in the Malay peninsula, which indicated that by 

 1915 these companies will have an aggregate output 

 of 81,000,000 pounds. At the rate of increase shown 

 by the figures presented in this article, it would cer- 

 tainly be safe to say that by 1916 the yield would 

 amount to at least 30,000,000 pounds more. Therefore 

 when the English rubber statistician, Mr. Herbert 

 Wright, is quoted as saying that "within five or six 

 years Malaysia and Ceylon together should produce 

 more rubber than the whole of Brazil and Central 

 America yielded last year," he seems to be treading 

 on conservative ground. 



Taking the concensus of expert opinion Ceylon and 

 the Malay peninsula may certainly be safely looked' to, 

 barring unforeseen disaster, for 60,000 tons of rubber, 

 — which would be equal to three-quarters of the pres- 

 ent world's supply — within five years from the present 

 time. 



