October i, 1903.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



31 



THE TEXTILE GOODS MARKET. 



OCTOBER finds the textile goods market, as related to the 

 rubber trade, in a somewhat waiting attitude. At this 

 time last year most of the rubber manufacturers had made 

 their arrangements for cotton duck covering the entire twelve 

 months, and both the seller and buyer knew where they stood. 

 The market for raw material at that time was steady, the 

 manipulators in the Cotton Exchange had not commenced 

 their operations, and the prospective dearth of the staple had 

 not dawned upon the market. Consumers who were averse to 

 covering their requirements for the year at a stipulated figure 

 saw no impediment to their going ahead on the principle of 

 buying their ducks and sheetings as their needs dictated, al- 

 though it was made very plain later in the season that they 

 had made a mistake, and a costly one, for they could have con- 

 tracted for all the fabric they needed for the year at ly'/i cents 

 per pound, whereas they have been paying at intervals from 20 

 to 24 cents. It is a reasonable deduction that those who con- 

 tracted for the year realized greater profits upon their rubber 

 goods than did those who paid the higher price for cotton 

 goods. 



Considering the status of the market for cloth, it is hardly 

 necessary to state that rubber manufacturers who covered their 

 requirements for the year have taken up to the maximum of 

 their contracts. Few of them dreamed that they would require 

 so much duck to carry them through the year, but there was 

 nothing to be lost in making the outside limit of their takings 

 large enough to meet any emergency, and that it was a very 

 wise move on the part of the rubber people is shown by the 

 fact that they have not only called for every pound of duck 

 that was coming to them, but in some instances their requisi- 

 tions have been from a dozen to a hundred bales in excess of 

 what was due. The business acumen of these manufacturers is 

 to be commended, but it failed in its purpose, for the duck 

 mills charged up the extra supply on the basis of 22 cents, in- 

 stead of allowing it to go in with the amount called for in the 

 contract at \y% cents. The duck people claimed that they 

 were already losing too much money by making 17^ cent duck 

 out of 12,'i cent cotton. So much for the season just closing. 



In regard to business for the coming year both the rubber 

 manufacturers and cotton goods people are all at sea. The un- 

 settled condition of the staple market has made it next to im- 

 possible for them to get together on the price question. Both 

 factions are agreed that cotton is to rule higher, but how much 

 higher is the question. The mills are now paying 13)^ cents 

 for cotton, and are selling duck on the basis of 22 cents for reg- 

 ular, and 24 cents for some special yarn goods. Rubber man- 

 ufacturers are not willing to renew contracts on this basis, and 

 the duck mills are unprepared to come to a settlement on a 

 lower level. New business is therefore at a standstill. Of 

 course the rubber mills have sufficient duck to carry them 

 along for awhile, but in the meantime there is some close fig- 

 uring going on between buyers and sellers. It is safe to say 

 that scarcely a contract for the coming year has been put 

 through yet, and when anything wiil be done in this direction 

 depends entirely upon how soon the cotton market settles 

 down. Colonel Henry G. Hester, secretary of the New Orleans 

 Cotton Exchange, gives the total visible supply as 1,132,623 

 bales against 1,766,667 last year. There is very little reason to 

 believe that the cotton duck mills will be able to cover their 

 requirements for the next year with cotton at less than loyi or 

 perhaps 11 cents against Z'/ 2 and 9 cents last year. During the 

 past week there have been many representatives of rubber 

 manufacturers in the market, endeavoring to get some idea as 



to outlook for the next season, but they have been disappointed. 

 Emissaries of the duck sellers are also visiting the rubber 

 people for a like purpose, and both factions arc patiently en- 

 deavoring to reach an understanding. This is very necessary, 

 for the market for rubber goods is permeated with activity, 

 and the consumption of goods for the next season will doubt- 

 less be heavy. 



Following are the prices of cotton middling uplands spots at 

 the ports of New York, New Orleans, and Liverpool on the 

 dates given : 



New Vork. New Orleans. Liverpool. 



September 5 12^ cents 11 Scents b.^od. 



September 12 12 cents 10^ cents 6.52^. 



September 19 11% cents 10^ cents 6 48d. 



September 26 n % cents 9^ cents 6.co</. 



The market lor cotton sheetings is affected in a similar way, 

 although as a rule, this class of fabrics are bought more on the 

 hand to mouth principle, by the manufacturers of rubber foot- 

 wear. During the past month there has been rather a quiet 

 demand, consumers preferring not to cover their needs any 

 farther than actually necessary, on account of the firmness of 

 the market. The mills are not in possession of large stocks of 

 sneetings, and the outlook is for higher priced goods for the 

 coming season. As will be seen by the subjoined table, some 

 tickets have changed in price, influenced by higher priced cot- 

 ton. Sellers, however, have impressed upon buyers the fact 

 that the prices at whicn ducks and sheetings are now being 

 sold must not act as a factor when it comes to renewing con- 

 tracts for the next season. 



Felt mills throughout the country have had a fair demand 

 for goods, although prices have been firm at a higher level than 

 formerly, owing to the statistical position of the wool market. 

 The advance in the price of all classes of raw textiles will cause 

 prices on finished goods of every description to seek a higher 

 level. 



TRICES CURRENT FOR SHEETINGS FOR THE RUBBER TRADE. 

 Yds. to Lb. 



36" Household Favorite, 56x60. 4.00 5^ cents. 



40" Household Favorite, 56x60, 3.60 5 J^ cents. 



36" Henrietta, L. L., 48x52. 4 CO 5 cents. 



39" Henrietta, 68x72. 4.75 („ e t) 5 cents. 



38^-" Henrietta, 64x64, 5.15 accents. 



40" Henrietta. 48x40, 2.S5 (part waste) 6J^ cents. 



■$b" Florence C, 44x44.6.15 4 cents. 



36" American L., 64x64, 5.00 (net) 4^ cents. 



40" Majestic C. C, 48x48,2.50 7% cents. 



40 // Majestic B B. B., do 2.70 6% cents. 



40" Majestic B. B., do 2.85 61^ cents. 



40' Elcaney, do 3.60 5^ cents. 



36" India, do 300 5- 5 4 "nts. 



Sheetings. 40" Selkirk. . . . 7>^c. 40 shamrock. .. 9 c. 



40" Highgate . . . 5?/c. 40" Sellew 7#c. Duets. 



40' Hightown. ..6 c. 48" Mohawk. ...10 c. 40" 7 oz. Cran- 



40" Hobart 6j^c. 40" Marcus. .. 5}4c. ( ™ A <" / - 



40" Kingstons. ..7>^c. 40" Mallory 5 c. 



%%c. 



^~ »». & ...~ - >.. ^ v H&wuaivik. ,.,iu \.. 40* 7 oz. Cran- 



40" Hobart b%z. 40" Marcus. .. 5j£c. ford. ... „ 



40" Kingstons. ..7J^c. 40" Mallory 5 c. 40* 8oz. Chart- 



39" Stonyhurst...5^c. 36" Capstans. . ..4 c. res 8%"c. 



3)' Sorosis 5 c. Osnaburgs. 40" Iooz Carew. II 



— -/*-* 



Jv — .„ — j -. „..«..._.£.,. 40 Iooz Carew. 11 c. 



40' Seefeld 8 c. 40" Iroquois. ... 9 c. 40' 11 oz.Carita.12 c. 



A writer in the daily press from Brisbane, Australia, men- 

 tions casually the wonderful gum cement that the natives 

 know how to make, and which they use in fastening their 

 shields together. Will some Australian reader give further 

 light concerning this, particularly if it is a rubber cement ? 



Filler for Auto Tires. — A well known automobilist 

 claims that the following filler for tires acts as an anti-leak 

 substance very successfully in cases of ordinary puncture: 

 Glycerine, 92 parts; gluten, 8 parts. Heat the glycerine in 

 water bath, add the gluten, and stir until thoroughly mixed. 



