April i, 1904.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



253 



ANOTHER ADVANCE IN RUBBER SHOE PRICES. 



THE news of chief interest of the month in the rubber 

 footwear branch was the announcement, on March 18, 

 by the United States Rubber Co., of a revision of their 

 discounts, with the result of advancing the net prices of 

 boots and shoes about 7 per cent, over the rates in effect since 

 February 1. The official announcement follows : 



New York, March 18, 1904. 



Because of the advance in cost of crude rubber since our February an- 

 nouncement, on and after this date our prices are advanced as follows : 



The first discount will be 25 instead of 30 per cent, off, and on Colo- 

 nials we drop one discount of 5 per cent. , other discounts remaining the 

 same, but all subject to future changes. On Tennis we change the dis- 

 count from 12 1 2 to 8 per cent. If you have heretofore received from 

 retail dealers actual regular detail orders exceeding your detail order to 

 us, your case, upon satisfactory proof, will receive our careful consider- 

 ation. UNITED STATES RUBBER CO. 



The following table will snow at a glance the different sched- 

 ules of discount in effect since last summer, the first line of 

 figures after each brand giving the discounts of June 1, 1903, 

 the second line those announced February 1, 1904, and the 

 third line the existing rate: 



I 35@5@3 



First quality (except Woonsocket and Meyer) -j 30@5@3 



( 25@5@3 



Woonsocket and Meyer brands. 



Second quality (except Rhode Island) 



35@ 5@5@3 

 30@io@5@3 

 25@io@5(*3 



35@io@5®3 

 30® 5@5@3 

 25® 5@5@3 



Rhode Island brand. 



Colonial brand 



( 25@io@5@5@3 



( 50 



] 45@5@5 



( 45@5 



The comparative statement which follows will give an idea 

 of the fluctuations in net prices of rubber footwear for seven 

 years past. The prices are given of plain sandals and of short 

 boots, both list and net, under the discounts ruling at the 

 various dates in the table. 



DATES. 



Apr. 1, i3q7. . . 



Oct. 1, 1897. .. 



Apr. 1, 1898. . . 



Nov. 1,1898... 



Apr. 1, 1899. . . 



Nov. 1, 1899. . 



Apr. 1, 1900. . . 



Nov. i, 1900 . . 



Jan. 3, 1901. . . 



Feb. 1, 1901 



PLAIN SANDALS. 



List. Net. 



$0.70 SO. 50 



.70 .53 



.85 .61 



.85 .64 



.90 .64 



.90 .68 



.88 .63 



.88 .66 



.88 .63 



.88 .51 



Apr. 1, 1901 88 .49 



Jan. 1, 1902 95 .54 



Jan. 1, 1903 92 .52 



Jun. 1, 1903 92 .55 



Feb. 1,1904 92 .50 



Mar. 18, 1904 92 .64 



SHORT BOOTS. 



List. Net. 



$3.00 $2.14 



3.00 2.25 



350 2.49 



3.50 2.63 



3.80 2.71 



3.80 2.85 



4.20 2.99 



4.20 3.15 



4.20 2.99 



4 20 2.46 



4.20 2.33 



4.50 2.55 



4.30 2 44 



4.30 2 58 



4.30 2.77 



4.30 2.97 



At the beginning of the season it was intimated that one 5 

 per cent, discount from each brand was to be dropped on June 

 1, as usual, and it is not stated that the increase in rates going 

 into effect on March 18 will obviate a further advance in June. 



The other rubber shoe manufacturing concerns have revised 

 their prices practically to correspond with the action of the 

 United States Rubber Co. Herewith is the formal notice to 

 their customers of the Apsley Rubber Co.: 



However much we regret it, we are obliged with others, on account 

 of the still further advance in crude rubber , to advance our prices again. 

 The conditions warrant this advance and it is absolutely necessary if we 

 are to maintain the quality of our goods. 



The discounts from this day, subject to change without notice will be : 



Apsley Brand, 25, 5 and 3. 



Hudson Brand, 25, 5, 3 and 10. 



Middlesex, 45, 5, 8 and 8. 



Terms and conditions of sale remain the same. Very respectfully, 



APSLEY RUBBER CO. 



The Hood Rubber Co. and the Beacon Falls Rubber Shoe 

 Co. have issued, under date of March 19, new net price lists, to 

 be in effect until May 31, 1904, the same involving a rate of ad- 

 vance corresponding to that made by the other companies. 



* * * 



" The sales of the United States Rubber Co. this season have 

 been the largest in its history," said an official of that corporation 

 to The India Rubber World. President Colt made the state- 

 ment a short time ago that the sales for 1903 amounted to $30,- 

 000,000 which was $3,000,000 more than for 1902 and §5,000,000 

 more than for 1901. Since the first of the year the sales have con- 

 tinued to grow. This was especially true during January, for 

 there was of course some falling off in February. I say of course, 

 because the prices on all ourgoods were advanced about 7^ per 

 cent, on February 1 , and the trade, having every reason to know 

 that advances would be made on that date, rushed in large orders 

 in anticipation. Orders are now coming in at a lively rate, and 

 most of our factories have enough business ahead to keep them 

 going for four months, and apparently they will be busy all 

 summer. [Another advance has since been made.] 



" In regard to stocks, it is no exaggeration to state they were 

 probably never more thoroughly depleted at this season. In 

 the hands of the manufacturers there is practically nothing, all 

 sold out so that not even emergency orders can be filled. Our 

 salesmen give us to understand that the jobbers are no better 

 supplied. They have even got rid of any old goods that in 

 some instances were carried over. Many of them have been 

 obliged to curtail the orders of their customers because they 

 did not have enough goods and could not get them. It is also 

 pretty well understood that the retailers are sold out, and this 

 is evidently the impression of the jobbers from their inclina- 

 tion to purchase increased amounts for the coming season. 

 Taken all together, the rubber shoe people can bless the winter, 

 not only for favors past but for favors that are to come. Four 

 months of continuous wet and snow compels people to use 

 rubber footwear. This year the business of this company will 

 undoubtedly show a big increase in the money value of its sales, 

 because we shall probably sell more goods, and we shall sell at 

 advanced prices. But this does not mean that the company 

 will make any more profit. In fact it may not make as much, 

 on account of the advance in the cost of crude rubber and cot- 

 ton duck. The cost of all materials is higher, we think, even 

 higher than the ratio of our advance." 



* * * 



Mr. William Morse, president of the Merchants Rubber 

 Co. (New York), was also optimistic as to the situation. " The 

 past season," said he, " has been the greatest ever known. 

 Everybody sold everything they could get hold of. Four 

 months of hard winter made the people buy of the retailers, 

 forced the retailers to reorder of the jobbers, compelled the 



