274 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[March I. 1916. 



Belting, hose and packing were sent out in slightly 

 reduced amounts. The comparative figures are : $2,- 

 012,556 in 1915, $2,098,506 in 1914 and $2,486,843 in 

 1913. 



Under the classification of all "other rubber manufac- 

 tures" in which druggists' sundries and insulated wire 

 and cables play an important part, the exports in 1915 

 amounted to $5,100,959 against $3,016,098 in 1914 and 

 $3,767,554 in 1913. 



Scrap rubber exports show material losses. The ex- 

 ports for the year were $356,350, which is about $52,000 

 less than in 1914, and less than half as much as in 1913. 

 Reclaimed rubber also exhibits a slight decrease, although 

 during 1915 it was exported to the value of $830,836. 



The statistics represent a condition that is exceedingly 

 gratif) ing. Whether the high record of the present year 

 will equal or exceed that of 1915, is yet to be determined. 

 The countries to which the greatest amount of rubber 

 goods was sent in 1915 are placing their factories in 

 condition to supply more and more of their war require- 

 ments. Money in Europe is being spent less freely than 

 a few months ago, and unless American rubber manu- 

 facturers make a strong effort to increase their export 

 trade in markets other than European, it would not be 

 surprising to see the 1916 figures smaller than those for 

 1915. 



that is unusual. His pioneers long ago explored and 

 reported upon the sources of wild and planted rubber 

 in tropical America and the Far East, and have kept 

 in touch ever since. When, therefore, the question 

 of rubber preparedness really comes to the front, the 

 head of the world's greatest rubber organization will 

 be amply fitted to handle it. 



Welcoming the new president should not lead to 

 forgetfulness of the very capable gentleman whom he 

 succeeds. For more than two years, Mr. Hodgman 

 has lived with and for the Rubber Club. His con- 

 centrative attention to detail, his courtesy, his full 

 appreciation of the work of others have left an im- 

 press for good upon the association that will not 

 soon be efl'aced. Xnne the less sincere because un- 

 spoken, he has the confidence and thanks of the whole 

 trade. 



THE RUBBER CLUB'S NEW PRESIDENT. 



T^HE rubber trade is to be congratulated upon the 

 •'■ the election of Harvey S. Firestone to the presi- 

 dency of The Rubber Club of America, Inc. Here- 

 tofore, the chief executives of the association have 

 been eastern men drawn from the rubber centers close 

 to Boston or New York. Mr. Firestone comes from 

 Akron, the greatest rubber city in the world. Ac- 

 customed to big things accomplished with the speed 

 of magic, he is not likely to be too much hampered 

 by precedent or controlled by convention. 



He is also a self-made man who has known the day 

 of small beginnings. He has fought his way upward, 

 not by pulling others down, but by helping them up 

 with him. Today, as the head of one of the great 

 rubber companies, he is the same capable, friendly, 

 unassuming gentleman that he w^as at the beginning. 



A wonderful organizer, he has surrounded himself 

 with young enthusiastic "live wires," and this same 

 faculty is sure to be of value to the Rubber Club. 



Finally, he is fortunate in having a breadth of view 



CRUDE RUBBER DISTRIBUTION. 



BASED on the estimates of the distribution of crude 

 rubber that appeared in our February issue, a com- 

 parison between 1915, a war year, and 1913, a peace year, 

 shows some very interesting facts. 



England in 1915 received S3yj per cent more rubber 

 than in 1913, Germany and Austria 82 per cent less and 

 France 22 per cent less. Russia showed an increase of 

 39 per cent and the United States and Canada together 

 gained 90 per cent. The world's total crop in 1915 was 

 38 per cent larger than in 1913, a most satisfactory in- 

 crease. 



Statistics are very useful as an aid in determining prob- 

 abilities if all important factors are obtainable. If not, 

 deductions made are not only useless, but sometimes lead 

 to absurd conclusions. For example, suppose one should 

 take the percentages of increase or decrease above as a 

 means for calculating the distribution of rubber in 1925. 



Figured thus, England would consume over 100,000 

 tons of crude rubber, Germany and Austria, by the 

 same process, would distribute two-thirds of a ton be- 

 tween them, and France's apportionment would be 2,000 

 tons. Russia would get about 80,000 tons, Italy, 50,000 

 tons, and 128,000 tons would be divided between Japan 

 and Australia. The United States and Canada, by the 

 same reasoning, would obtain 2,216,000 tons, about 

 25 times the 1915 receipts. 



The percentage of increase in plantation and wild rub- 

 ber for the two years shown above is 38 per cent, which 

 would give for a world product in 1925 (perhaps) 730,000 



