204 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[March i, 1904. 



AMERICAN IMPORTS OF RUBBER GOODS. 



AS will be seen from the table in the center of this page, 

 there has been of recent years a material increase in the 

 values of imports into the United States of manufac- 

 tures of India-rubber and Gutta percha, as officially 

 reported by the government authorities by calendar years. In 

 connection with this showing The India Rubber World has 

 obtained some interviews with the trade which are of interest, 

 though the investigation as yet has not been extensive enough 

 to explain fully the reason for the increase in imports. The 

 rubber trade in this country is so diversified in the matter of 

 lines of goods embraced, and the number of dealers and number 

 of ports of entry, that a complete summary of the import trade 

 could hardly be expected from interviews with the trade in a 

 single city. The matter herewith, though not complete, doubt- 

 less will be found to contain information which will be found to 

 be new to many of our readers. 



HARD RUBBER. 

 A representative of The India Rubber World in- 

 quired at the office of the American Hard Rubber Co. for an 

 expression of opinion as to whether 

 there had been any important in- 

 crease in imports of hard rubber 

 goods. "We can see no increase 

 in the quantity of hard rubber goods 

 bought abroad," he was told. " In 

 fact, practically everything that is 

 needed in this line is now made 

 here, and the foreigner has a very 

 small chance to undersell anybody. 

 Some German combs are imported, 

 but mostly of novel designs, and 

 they are usually bought at a price 

 which cannot make the transaction 

 much of an object to the foreign 

 manufacturer. Probably there were 



imported last year more than $50,000 worth of hard rubber 

 goods, all told." 



A similar report was obtained at the office of the Vulcanized 

 Rubber Co. Mr. Theodore E. Studley said : " I know of noth- 

 ing in the way of hard rubber that is imported to any extent, 

 except German rubber combs, and the total of these is not 

 large. Now and then a foreign factory that is overstocked offers 

 a lot at a price that is attractive to the American buyer. Some 

 hard rubber syringe parts are also brought over and assembled 

 here, but that trade is not important. I doubt whether the 

 total imports of hard rubber goods last year were materially 

 larger or smaller than in previous years." Mr. Studley named 

 $50,000 as probably covering the total value for the year — the 

 same sum that, unknown to him, had been mentioned in the 

 preceding interview. 



Mr. Lehmann, of Messrs. Borgfeldt & Co., who is quoted more 

 fully in another place, said : " We have imported more combs 

 during the year, and some other goods in hard rubber, though 

 the whole trade is not extensive. The competition in this line 

 is great, and while we believe that in finish the German article 

 is far superior, the high duty [35 per cent.] gives the home prod- 

 uct the advantage. The foreigners, however, keep things mov- 

 ing by devising novelties and packing their goods in attractive 

 shapes. These novelties compel trade, and it is usually some 

 time before the American gets in with his copy, but it always 



comes. By that time the German has got something new. The 

 increase in these lines would not cut much of a figure in swelling 

 importations, but would help a little." 



There are no American statistics relating to hard rubber 

 goods specifically, but the following figures compiled from the 

 German imperial statistical office may be of interest. The Ger- 

 man exports of hard rubber goods to the various countries are 

 reported in metrical weights, with the value of the whole stated 

 in one sum. Estimating the value of such exports to the United 

 States at the average value of all exports in the same class, with 

 the other details given in the official report, the following com- 

 parison may be made : 



Weight (kilos). Value Value Exports 



Year. Total. U. States. Per Kilo. to U. States. 



1900 897,700 58,200 8.5 marks. $117. 739 



1901 821,400 51,100 9 " 109456 



1902 990,700 62,600 8 " 119,190 



1903 1,190,600 93.700 8 " 178,409 



These values, of course, are only approximate, but measured 

 on the same basis year by year they show an increase, while the 



weight of German hard rubber 

 goods exported to the United States 

 has increased in four years from 

 128,040 pounds to 206,140 pounds. 

 TIRES. 

 The importation of automobile 

 tires is now controlled by two New 

 York houses, agencies forthe " Con- 

 tinental " and Michelin tires, res- 

 pectively. These are both new con- 

 cerns, and claim to be without de- 

 tails as to the importation of these 

 tires in the past, before the business 

 had become systematized. They 

 express confidence, however, in 

 the future demand in America for 

 these two well known European makes of tires. There is a 

 certain demand for these tires from the ownersof imported au- 

 tomobiles, for replacement when the original tires become ex- 

 hausted. It may be mentioned that tires imported on vehicles 

 are not entered as " rubber goods," but only tires imported sep- 

 arate. While no figures were given out at the above agencies, 

 enough was said to suggest that enough foreign tires have ar- 

 rived of late to augment appreciably the imports of rubber 

 goods. 



Whether this trade will increase, however, is another ques- 

 tion. The manager of the New York branch of an important 

 tire manufacturing company said: "A great many French 

 automobiles have been imported within two years, and hitherto 

 American tires have not been made to fit the rims of these ve- 

 hicles. Now. however, several of our factories are making tires 

 on metrical measurements, and I expect their product to sup- 

 plant foreign made tires even on imported automobiles — not 

 only as a matter of convenience, in many cases, but because 

 automobilists are learning that our tires are as good as any 

 others, and even better. Then the foreign tires cost more; 

 they can't be made abroad cheaper than here, except in the 

 item of labor, for the same materials are used, and there is an 

 import duty of 35 per cent. When the owner of a foreign ma- 

 chine, in need of new tires, finds that he can get home made 

 ones just as good, more conveniently, and cheaper, why should 



