September i, 1904. J 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



417 



INDIA-RUBBER GOODS IN COMMERCE. 



AMERICAN exports of rubber goods continue to grow, 

 but not at the same rate recently as imports of foreign 

 manufactures of India-rubber and Gutta-percha. According 

 to the customs returns, values for two years past have been 

 as follows, showing the United States to have become actually 

 less able to supply its own requirements in these goods: 



1902-03. 1903-04. 



Value of exports $4. I 76,35 I $4,435,590 



Value of imports 891,170 1,157,042 



Excess of exports $3,285,181 $3,278,548 



Consideringthat the rubber industry, in most of its branches, 

 had its origin in the States, and that no article of manufacture 

 of rubber can be imported without a substantial duty, levied 

 for protective purposes, the question seems to be in order. 

 Why should the Americans be going backward in the manner 

 indicated by the above figures? 



EXPORTS FROM THE UNITED STATES. 



The following is an official statement of values of exports of 

 manufactures of India-rubber and Gutta-percha for six fiscal 

 years, ending June 30: 



[ (a) Included in " All Other " prior to July t, 1899.] 



The number of pairs of rubber footwear exported during the 

 six years has increased as follows : 



1898-99. 1899-00. 1900-01. 1901-02. 1902-03. 1903-04. 



486,586 762,016 1,469,100 2,594,688 2,307,401 2,310,808 



Exports of reclaimed rubber amounted in value to $534,500 

 for the last fiscal year, as against $404,586 for the preceding 

 year, and $362,721 two years ago. 



SHIPMENTS TO NON CONTIGUOUS TERRITORIES. 



IMPORTS INTO THE UNITED STATES. 



1901-02. 



India-rubber goods $449,756 



Guttapercha goods 127,780 



Total $577,536 



Reexports 13,173 



1902-03. 

 $665,972 

 225,198 



891,170 

 8,656 



1903-04. 

 $821,562 

 335,480 



$1,157,042 



4,704 



Net Imports $564,363 $882,514 $1,152,338 



American imports of rubber goods were treated at length in 

 the issue of this Journal for March i, 1904 (page 204). 



AUSTRIA-HUNGARY— OFFICIAL RETURNS. 



The customs returns for January-June. 1904, permit the fol- 

 lowing comparison to be made of the value of imports and ex- 

 ports of rubber cjoods for the first six months of four years past, 

 values being converted into United States money : 



1901. 1903. 1904. 



Imports $692,390 $643,287 $734,823 $ 800,514 



Exports 765,789 790,693 977,250 1.270,250 



It will be seen that the exports, already larger than imports 

 in 1901, have grown more rapidly in the succeeding years. No 

 special line of imports can be mentioned as having shown a 

 steady increase in values. But there has been a marked in- 

 crease in values of exports of hard rubber goods, shoe elastics, 

 rubber footwear, and some other lines. 



EXPORTS OF RUBBER FOOTWEAR, BY WEIGHT. 

 {First Six Months of Three Years.] 



To— 1902. 1903. 1904. 



Germany kilos 70.600 49,100 70,400 



France 19,700 24,800 10,900 



Great Britain 17,600 31,000 42,400 



Turkey 3,300 7, 400 29,700 



British East India 27,900 72,100 78,900 



Egypt 1,200 3,900 6,200 



Other lands 2S.200 19,700 22,200 



Total 168.500 208,000 260,700 



Value $136,822 $168,896 $211,688 



EXPORTS OF HARP RUBBER GOODS, BY WEIGHT. 

 To— 1902. 1903- IO04- 



France kilos 19,200 31,200 28,100 



Germany u.Soo 17,000 27,500 



Great Britain 19,100 39.700 21,300 



Hamburg free port '7.500 16,700 36,500 



Turkey 1.300 8,100 30.400 



Switzerland 8,100 8,Soo 16.000 



Other lands 3'./Oo 35.000 36.400 



Total 108,700 156,500 196,200 



Value $176,547 $254,156 $318,629 



VALUES OK EXPORTS OF ELASTIC FABRICS. 



1902. 1903. 1904. 



Shoeelastics $85,588 $81,484 $108,402 



Other goods 115,826 121,922 112,320 



Total $201,384 $203,406 $220,722 



RUBBER NEWS FROM COLORADO. 



THE American Crude Rubber Co. (Colorado Springs, Col- 

 orado), according to the Denver Republican, announce 

 that no less than ten factories will be operating within 18 

 months, extracting rubber from the native rubber shrub, with 

 a daily capacity of 2000 pounds each. The cost of such rubber is 

 estimated at 30 cents per pound and the selling price at 90 cents, 

 promising a daily profit from the ten factories of $12,000. One 

 factory is reported to be already in course of erection at Buena 

 Vista, Colorado, where the company have a franchise to erect 

 also an electric plant and street railway. A show window on a 

 Denver street has contained lately a number of specimens of 

 rubber in the form of boot heels and other molded goods, made 

 from the product of the company named above. 



The Colorado Rubber and Improvement Co. was mentioned 

 in this paper last month as having been organized by citizens 

 of Columbia City, Indiana, to operate at Buena Vista, Colo- 

 rado. The Columbia City Mail reports that the work of the 

 new company has been stopped, on account of the rivalry of 

 the two Colorado companies already in the field, each claiming 

 a monopoly of working the rubber shrub, under patents. The 

 Indiana paper says: " The Columbia City gentlemen who are 

 interested in the concern believe that there is lots of profit in 

 the enterprise, and they are strengthened in the belief by the 

 fight the other companies are making for a monopoly." 



