374 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May 1, 1912. 



The Rubber Industry and the Census of 1909. 



ALTHOUGH complete figures are not yet available for the 

 United States Census of 1909, The India Rubber World 

 is enabled (through the courtesy of the Bureau of the 

 Census) to present general results of an approximate character. 



Table A shows the comparative figures for the three census 

 years 1899, 1904 and 1909, under the three main divisions : 

 belting and hose, woven and rubber ; rubber boots and shoes ; 

 and rubber goods not elsewhere specified. The figures are 

 shown for the number of establishments and hands, as well as 

 for the principal elements of cost and the value of products. 



In the aggregate the 1909 production of the three above- 

 named distinctive forms of the rubber industry represented 

 $202,886,000, against which may be counted: Wages, $25,620,000; 

 salaries, $8,205,000; materials, $126,274,000; general expenses (es- 

 timated), $10,000,000. These four items make a total of $170,- 

 099,000. 



These figures would show an aggregate difference of $32,787,000 

 between cost and net value, or about 19j4 per cent, on the outlay. 



Making a rough approximation of the separate amounts, the 

 following results are obtained (in millions of dollars) : 



Difference estimated S'A 7yi 20 33 



Equalling about 27% 17% 18j4% 1954% 



The compilation of results shown by the census tables, 

 makes no allowance for interest on capital, and is necessarily 

 of an approximate character, being founded on returns made in 



a more or less exact manner to the special visiting agents of the 

 census authorities. 



While it is as yet uncertain whether any closer tabulation will 

 be presented of the 128 million dollars' worth of unspecified rub- 

 ber goods, it is to be hoped that the importance of the rubber 

 industry will be regarded as meriting such consideration on the 

 part of the census authorities. 



^Meanwhile, apart from 'the distinctive rubber industries, in 

 which rubber is used to a large extent, there are a number of 

 industries in which that material is more or less employed, which 

 also call for reference, although the proportion of rubber they 

 use cannot be exactly stated. The aggregate production of these 

 accessory industries is shown in table B as $126,404,000; a propor- 

 tion of which requires to be added to the total for distinctive 

 rubber industries in table A ($202,886,000) to arrive at the im- 

 portance of rubber manufacturing as an element of national 

 industry. 



Taking the grand totals of the direct and accessory branches 

 of rubber manufacture, the following results are obtained for the 

 census years 1899, 1904 and 1909: 



Value of Products. 



1899. 1904. 1909. 



Table A (direct rubber 



industries) $100,598,000 $129,132,000 $202,886,000 



Table B (accessory in- 

 dustries) ." 49,212,000 80,848,000 126,404,000 



Progress all along the line thus marks the development of rub- 

 ber and kindred industries during the three census periods of 

 which the results are presented. 



A dissection of the figures of production by States is being 

 prepared and will be dealt with at a later date. 



Table A. 



SUMMARY OF CENSUS RESULTS OF DISTINCTIVE RUBBER INDUSTRIES. 



Number of 

 Establishments. 



Capital. 



Horse Power. 



Wage Earners 

 (average number). 



Belting and Hose (woven and rubber) 



Rubber Boots and Shoes 



Rubber goods not elsewhere specified 



1899. 



25 



22 



261 



Total 



1899. 



308 

 Wages. 



1904. 



1904. 

 39 



22 

 224 



285 



1909. 



1909. 

 46 



22 

 227 



295 



1899. 

 $6,020,000 

 33,668,000 

 39.302,000 



1904. 



$15,909,000 



39,442,000 



46,298,000 



1909. 



$24,260,000 



43,905.000 



98.507,000 



1899. 



5,612 

 25,017 

 40,835 



1904. 

 13,491 

 26,084 

 48,381 



1909. 

 20,547 

 25,903 

 79,062 



1899. 



2,025 

 14,391 

 20,404 



1904. 



4,390 

 18,991 

 21,184 



$78,990,000 $101,649,000 $166,672,000 71,464 87,956 125,512 36,820 44,565 

 Salaries. Cost of Materials. Value of Product. 



1909. 



6,319 

 17,612 

 26,521 



50,452 



1899. 



1904. 



1909. 



1904. 



$ 



1899. 



1904. 



1909. 



Belting and Hose (woven 



and rubber) 982,000 2,057,000 2,956,000 



Rubber Boots and Shoes 6,427,000 8,867,000 8,544,000 



Rubber Goods not else- 

 where specified 8,082,000 9,412,000 14,120,000 



380,000 

 597,000 



984,000 1.384,000 4,528,000 10,787,000 14,505.000 6,886,000 17,791,000 24,729,000 

 874,000 1,415,000 22,683,000 32,000,000 29,577,000 41,090,000 48,345,000* 49,721,000 



216.000 2,857,000 5,406,000 33,482,000 38,512,000 82.192,000 52,622,000 62,996,000 128,436,000 



Total 15,491,000 20,336,000 25.620,000 3,193,000 4,715,000 8,205,000 60,693,000 81,699,000 126,274,000 100,598,000 129,132,000 202,886,000 



•Estimated. 



Table B. 



VALUE OF PRODUCTION OF PRINCIPAL ACCESSORY INDUS- 

 TRIES IN WHICH RUBBER IS USED. 



1899. 



Insulated wires and cables $21,292,000 



Buttons 7,696,000 



Dentists' materials 3,721 ,000 



Hand stamps, stencils and bands 2,611,000 



Pens (fountain, stylographic, etc.)... 1,706.000 



Steam packing , 3,494,000 



Surgical appliances and artificial limbs 4,682,000 



Toys a'Ad gaiiieS?'.'.' •.' 4,010,000 



1904. 

 $34,520,000 

 11,134,000 

 7,810,000 

 2,811.000 

 2,774,000 

 8,952.000 

 7,269.000 

 5,578,000 



1909. 



$51,625,000 



22,708,000 



10.836,000 



3,673.000 



4,739,000 



12,160.000 



12,399,000 



8,264,000 



Total $49,212,000 $80,848,000 $126,404,000 



HOW THE CENSUS WAS TAKEN. 



The United States government took great pains to obtain the 

 fullest possible information from every manufacturing plant in 

 the country. A carefully prepared schedule was drawn up, spe- 

 cially dealing with the items affecting manufacturing costs. This 

 schedule was sent in advance to every factory, and in due time 

 a corps of special agents (selected by competitive examination) 

 was set to work, calling on the various factories, explaining the 

 questions asked and seeing that the answers given were fairly 

 accurate. These agents were men of local knowledge and sta- 

 tistical experience, not merely "enumerators." The results shown 

 l)y annexed figures may therefore be considered reliable. 



