THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



The Rubber Trade in Great Britain. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



THK ACTIVITIES of tlic Rubber Growers' Association in the way 

 of. finding new outlets for the use of rubber can hardly 

 be considered superfluous in view of the fact that despite 

 the general European demand the stocks in England are larger 

 than at any previous period. It has been difficult to find storage 

 room for all the rubber arriving, and Liverpool and Manchester 

 stores are lieing utilized, in addition to the London headquarters. 

 The fact that ships have had to wait as long as four weeks at 

 Liverpool to discharge has not troubled the rubber manufac- 

 turer, though it has proved annoying to associated interests. 

 Fine hard Para at 2s. 6rf. per pound continues to show an in- 

 crease of 7d. per pound when washed, over its plantation rival, 

 and the fact remains that this premium continues much the same 

 as was the case ten years ago despite all the efforts that have 

 been made by plantation interests to show that there is no solid 

 grounds for the belief in its superiority. 



RATES OF EXCHANGE. 



A main topic of discussion with regard to foreign business is 

 the rates of exchange, the present position of affairs not having 

 been generally foreseen. Although the European countries are in 

 the worst position, the state of affairs is not favorable to Ameri- 

 can exporters. At the time of writing a conference called by 

 the United States Chamber of Commerce is discussing in New 

 York the proposed standardization of rates of exchange, and a 

 leading part in the conference is being played by Marshall 

 Stevens, M. P., chairman of the Xylos Rubber Co., Limited, 

 Traffard Park, Manchester. 



TRADE CONDITIONS. 



Trade generally is brisk, nearly all departments of the rubber 

 industry reporting themselves busy. At the same time competi- 

 tion is keen and more goods of inferior quality are being made 

 than has been the case during the last few years. The prevail- 

 ing labor unrest is responsible for a matter which is proving of 

 considerable annoyance to those dealers placing large contracts. 

 I refer to the clause now general in contract that prices may be 

 raised before delivery. The clause is generally as follows : 

 "Our price is based on the present rates of labor and material 

 ar.d is subject to our confirmation on receipt of order. Should 

 any increase come into effect before completion of the order our 

 contract price to be increased accordingly." The buyer in some 

 cases may be excused for an uncomfortable feeling that the 

 "accordingly" may prove to be somewhat excessive as he has no 

 means of checking the calculations. Still if these terms are not 

 complied with there is but little chance of the business maturing. 

 The proofing trade keeps busy and difficulty has been experienced 

 in obtaining a sufficient number of hands. Owing to the high 

 price of other outer coats and umbrellas the waterproof is being 

 more generally worn than used to be the case, though it is a poor 

 substitute for a great coat. One does not naturally see much of 

 rubber and fiber soles for boots, but I was told by a manufacturer 

 specializing in this material that he was bombarded with orders. 

 An article for which there is a great demand at present on the 

 Continent, particularly in France, is card clothing for cotton mills. 

 The mills have to be set going again and the British supplies of 

 card clothing are not bothered with the new French import tax 

 on rubber goods as they sell by special arrangement to a depart- 

 ment of the French Government which is financing the mills. 



WOMEN IN RUBBER MILI^. 



.\s stated in The India Rubber World of September 1, 1919, 

 it certainly seems to be the fact that women workers in the rubber 

 industry — I refer especially to those taken on during the war — 



arc less seriously aflfected by the peace than was thought would 

 be the case. In recent visits to rubber factories I have noticed 

 women still at work on the rolls, wet mixing mills, spreading 

 machines, etc., work which was formerly done exclusively by 

 men. It would appear that where an old hand does not claim 

 his job the woman is allowed to go on. 



LEYLAND & BIRMINGHAM RUBBER CO.. LIMITED. 



At the annual meeting of the Leyland & Birmingham Rubber 

 Co., Limited, held in September, with R. T. Byrne in the 

 chair, a dividend of IS per cent was declared out of the dispos- 

 able balance of £83,936; £10,000 was put to reserve, mak- 

 ing it £75,000, and £46,543 was carried forward against last 

 year's £28,933. In discussing the state of affairs at the various 

 works at Leyland, Glasgow, Pierton and Mitcham, and at the 

 foreign branch depots, the chairman spoke seriously on the labor 

 position. After mentioning the considerable advances in wages 

 and the system adopted of a bonus on output, he regretted to say 

 that in common with many other industries in the country, they 

 had suffered by the pernicious and suicidal policy of limitation of 

 output which was still being pursued in many directions. He did 

 not mind 47 hours or high wages, but he did ask for production 

 and in a great many departments they were not getting it by a 

 long way. It was seriously to be hoped that the operatives would 

 realize the inevitable result of that disastrous policy before home 

 and foreign trade was more seriously affected. 



At an extraordinary general meeting a resolution was passed 

 authorizing alteration of the articles of association so as to 

 enable the directors to increase the capital of the company in 

 view of the suggested capitalization of the reserves. 



A NEW AMALGAMATION. 



Tlie United Rubber Producers, Limited, has been formed 

 with a capital of £250,000, to acquire works for the pro- 

 duction of rubber goods for the cycle, motor and allied 

 trades. One works already acquired is the New Turco Rub- 

 ber Co., Limited, of Clayton, Manchester, and another one is 

 being negotiated for as a going concern. The Turco company is 

 sole owners of two processes for the manufacture of rubber, 

 which are expected to cause something of a revolution in the 

 industry. The rebuilding of tires is to form a prominent part 

 of the new company's business, this being a branch of the trade 

 not hitherto taken up in England, though I understand it is well 

 developed in America. It is stated that the rebuilt tire can be 

 retailed at about one-third of the price of a new tire. In this 

 connection I may remark that. the government tires which were 

 offered to reclaimers as scrap rubber had been purposely cut 

 through. Whether this was to prevent them being rebuilt I 

 cannot say. Rubber sponges are also to be an important article 

 manufactured, Louis Alexander, the chairman of the new com- 

 pany, having been closely related with Mr. Leeson, formerly of 

 the New Turco company, in the formation, a few years ago, of 

 the Sorbo Rubber Sponge Products, Limited, whose works are 

 near London. 



COHEN & WILKS EXONERATED. 



The name of this Manchester firm of waterproofers was 

 adversely referred to in a recent report of the Parliamentary 

 Committee inquiring into alleged defections in the Women's 

 Royal Air Force. A Court of the Air Force was subse- 

 quently appointed to inquire into this and various other asper- 

 sions and the result of their findings is that Messrs. Cohen & 

 Wilks and Mr. Cohen, a member of the firm, are completely 

 exonerated from charges in connection with contracts for coats 



