610 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[June 1, 1920, 



is a considerable market for high-priced tires. The Swedish 

 prefer hand-made tires. The increased sale of motor cars in 

 recent months causes the demand for accessories and spare 

 parts to e.xcccd the supply. In 1916 the imports of tires from 

 Great Britain amounted to $151,500, from France to $106,680 

 and from the United States to $34,690. 



NORWEGIAN TIKE DIMENSION REGULATION. 



A new regulation proposed in Norway, relating to the dimen- 

 sions of tires for use on trucks in that country, provides for the 

 use of pneumatic tires on trucks smaller than 2-ton capacity, 

 such as IH- and 1-ton capacity, particularly for use on country 

 roads. It is also proposed that the tread of tires used on country 

 roads shall be not less than five inches. This legislation is being 

 put forward in the attempt to prevent the spoiling of the roads 

 which, otherwise, is looked for within two years. 



A BIT OF HISTORY. 



On the back of an interesting trade catalog of the year 1830, 

 reproduced in facsimile by the Antwerp "Bulletin des Planteurs 

 de Caoutchouc," and which antedates not only the Belgian pos- 

 session of African territory but the establishment of the present 

 KJngdom of Belgium, are printed the conditions of an impending 

 rubber sale: 6,407 pairs of shoes of gum elastic which came by 

 the good ship Matilda are to be sold, as well as 161 pairs that 

 arrived previously by the ship Diana. They are of three standard 

 sizes and are packed in barrels and the brokers who handle them 

 are firms, some of which are still in the rubber business, namely. 

 Grisar & Co., Oldenhoven, de May, Chantrain and Ch. Franck & 

 Co. The sale was limited to bona fide residents of Antwerp. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN JAPAN. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 



THE LATEST OFFICIAL STATISTICS indicate that imports of crude 

 rubber into Japan amounted in 1919 to 24,132,838 pounds 

 valued at $8,682,098, an increase of 7,771,936 pounds and $2,- 

 207,979 over the 1918 imports. The rate of the increase is 48 

 per cent in quantity and 34 per cent in value, showing that the 

 rubber manufacturing industry in Japan is continuing the re- 

 markable progress made during the war. This is chiefly at- 

 tributable to the increase of investors in the industry. Notwith- 

 standing the increase in Japanese rubber goods exports, the 

 manufacture of automobile and bicycle tires, rubber cloths and 

 mechanicals, also industrial rubber goods for home demands, was 

 materially increased. 



IMPORTS OF CRUDE RUBBER INTO JAPAN. 



1919. 



British India . 

 Straits Settlcm 

 Dutch East In 

 Great Britain . 

 United States 

 Other countrie: 



Pounds. 



526,168 

 15,248,181 



274,716 



148,552 

 94,465 

 68,720 



Value. Pounds. Value. 



$234,307 507,147 $21)6,306 



5,938,066 22,782.949 7,936,457 



73,775 95,593 21,841 



126,281 545,885 357.803 



81,160 173,368 151,629 



20,630 27,896 8,062 



Totals 16.360,902 $6,474,119 24,132,838 $8,682,098 



IMPORTS OF RUBBER MANUFACTURES INTO JAPAN. 



Value. Pounds. Value. 

 $9,656 155,429 $29,062 

 54,097 33,497 85.053 



102,651 78,617 123,743 



98,473 162,800 94,034 



31,074 71,681 63,869 



6.254 273.053 



3,105 



1,820 



3,325 206,584 35.707 

 3,821 131,956 72,920 

 35,108 900,862 89.042 

 6.764 396,862 164.619 

 79,798 25,006 26,759 

 138,559 



1,923 



In addition to the above imports of rubber goods, automo- 

 biles and parts (including tires) were imported to the value of 

 $5,641,150 in 1919 against $3,830,906 in 1918; and bicycle tires 

 and parts to the value of $1,289,775 in 1919 against $750,364 in 

 1918. 



In 1912 rubber goods imports reached their highest mark, but 

 as the Japanese rubber manufacturing industry developed, foreign 

 goods imports gradually decreased. Automobile and bicycle tires 

 are now well made in Japan and supply most of the demand. In 

 1919 automobiles were imported largely and are in large demand 

 for business purposes, but not as a luxury. 



EXPORTS OF RUBBER MANUFACTURES FROM JAPAN. 

 1918. 1919. 



Pounds. Value. Pounds. Value. 



Kubber toys and balloons $383,270 $671,883 



Rubber tires 3,261,324 2,253,469 4,808,244 3,557.018 



Insulated wires 12,742,382 4,162,167 12,501,023 4,205,850 



Other rubber manufactures 612,600 1,255,171 



Totals $7,411,506 $9,689,922 



There were also exported 2,609 jinrikishas, valued at $110,085 

 in 1919 against of 2,651 valued at $71,133 in 1918, and 5,660 

 bicycles and parts (exclusive rubber tires) valued at 1,690,911 

 in 1919, against 7,408 valued at $2,161,334 in 1918. 



The total values amounted to $2,156,091 in 1915; $2,934,940 in 

 1916; $4,002,592 in 1917; $7,411,506 in 1918, and $11,490,918 in 

 1919. Jinrikishas for China, Hongkong, Straits Settlements and 

 British India showed a gradual decrease, for they were exported 

 as parts, not as completed vehicles. But the works have been 

 erected in these districts to supply the parts and, on the other 

 hand, the competition between jinrikishas and automobiles is 

 beginning to be felt. 



Owing to the interruption of trade during the war, Japanese 

 rubber goods exports are increasing year after year, for the 

 Japanese rubber industry is capable of supplying the lack of 

 European and American goods in China, Manchuria, Malaya, 

 British India, South Indies and Australia. Even now, after the 

 restoration of peace, the Japanese rubber industry is still holding 

 its gains during the war period. 



NOTES FROM JAPAN. 



Japanese rubber manufacturers have received enormous orders 

 from Siberia. The Mitado, Toyo, Nippon and Meije factories 

 have formed a combination to compete against the Dunlop 

 establishment at Kobe. 



In preparation for the expansion of automobile traffic, Japa- 

 nese business men are about to form the Oriental Road Con- 

 struction Co., with a capital of 10,000,000 yen. (One yen equals 

 $0,498.) Besides the bad roads, the weak bridges are a hin- 

 drance to motor traffic, and to the hoped for development of 

 Japan's motor industry. 



In 1918, Japan imported 6,454,696 pounds of crude rubber and 

 gutta percha, of which 5,920,521 pounds came from the Straits 

 Settlements. 



198.842 250,430 234,425 

 $973,913 $1,696,019 



THE RUBBER AND COTTON TRADE OF THE 

 NETHERLANDS. 



THE RUBBER TR.\DE of the Netherlands was virtually at a com- 

 plete standstill during the year 1918. There were no imports 

 or exports of rubber, and only a very small quantity of the stock 

 on hand was delivered to manufacturers. During the first half 

 of the year trade between the Dutch East Indies and the United 

 States was insignificant. When business later picked up and 

 prices increased, the European situation and American import 

 restrictions brought the trade to a sudden end. Very little busi- 

 ness was done between the Netherlands and her colonies. 



For the two periods from March to August, 1918, and from 

 September, 1918, to February, 1919, the distribution of crude 



