Janl-ary 1, 1916.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



The India Rubber Trade in Great Britain. 



Ri-i^ular Correspondent 



FOR some time most o\ our large cable works have 

 been on the list of controlled works under the Ministry 

 of Munitions. Now, in addition, some of the large rubber 

 works— notably, the Dunlop Rubber Co. and the North British 

 Rubber Co. — have been added to the list. This means that 

 government work and demands have priority over private busi- 

 ness and, further, that strikes are not allowed, and 

 that work-people who lose time or transfer their 

 services elsewhere are to be dealt with by the local munitions 

 tribunal and not by the management of the rubber firm. Again, 

 with regard to recruiting such men as are considered indis- 

 pensable to the business of the controlled works ; they are 

 "starred," as unavailable for enlistment. Outside the above, 

 the rubber firm maintains its individuality and carries on its 

 business as usual, with the exception of having more or less 

 prolonged visits from government officials on much the same 

 lines as have long been laid down in the government specifica- 

 tions for rubber goods. 



Certain firms making necessary chemicals for the trade have 

 also been recently put on the controlled list. The effect of 

 this has been to increase the difficulties previously experienced 

 by rubber works not engaged on government work in getting 

 their supplies; or, if they get them, it is at an increased cost. 

 It does not appear that the fact of being controlled is looked 

 upon in the light of a hardship. It is rather the other way, as 

 the firms have less to apprehend from the natural and neces- 

 sary visits of the recruiting officers as regards depletion of staff. 



With regard to the general volume of business being done, 

 one hears but little in the nature of complaint. The transit 

 difficulty, however, is still acute, abnormal time being required 

 for the delivery of raw materials and finished goods which have 

 not the right of being labeled "on government service"; and 

 there is no present prospect of a better state of afifairs. 



The main feature with regard to raw rubber has been the 

 rapid rise towards the end of November to is. lYzd. per pound. 

 This rise is due to the shortage of rubber for immediate de- 

 livery, combined with an uneasy feeling among manufacturers 

 as to impending greater difficulties at the docks and on the 

 seas, and it is generally expected that a 3j. level will be main- 

 tained for some time. There has been considerable activity 

 lately in obtaining permits in London for direct shipments of 

 rubber from the Far East to .America, both by the New York 

 and San Francisco routes. With the collapse of the German 

 export trade and the restrictions which hamper the French out- 

 put, it is not surprising that British manufacturers have re- 

 ceived inquiries and orders on a greatly increased scale from 

 practically all over the world. To such an extent is this the 

 case with some of the more prominent firms that new business 

 is not keenly welcomed. In fact, some important orders have 

 only lieen accepted on the terms that cash must be paid before 

 delivery and that no complaints can be considered if the good.s 

 do not come up to expectations. The principle of attending 

 to the wants of old and regular home customer? first is l)eing 

 strictly adhered to, as it is well recognized that the panic buy- 

 ing from new customers abroad is only because the latter cannot 

 get the goods elsewhere and that in the future they will revert 

 to their old channels of supply. With regard to sporting 

 requisites, although the home demand has certainly fallen off, 

 I am informed that the business done for abroad shows little 

 diminution, so that the rubber manufacturers are not suffering, 

 whatever may be the case with the home shops and stores which 

 specialize in the retail sale of such goods. .-\ud although it 

 may be a fact, stated in The Tniha Rl'bbf.r World for Sep- 



temlier, that England has lost half her export rubber trade, the 

 very satisfactory state of business reported all around shows 

 that the loss is not felt. 



KECI..\IME1) RfHHEK. 



.\11 permits to ship reclaimed rubber to Sweden were with- 

 drawn in October, but from negotiations which are now pro- 

 ceeding, it is considered probable that this restriction will be 

 shortly withdrawn. 



K\\ interesting and informative article — as far as the general 

 public is concerned — on reclaimed rubber appeared in "The 

 Engineer," of London, on November 5. Attention is drawn to 

 the fact that by the introduction into England of the alkali 

 process as worked on a large scale in America, the British 

 reclaiming industry has now developed very largely and is a 

 much more important and progressive business than was the 

 case 20 years ago. 



GOLOSHES. 



The winter has set in exceptionally early this year in Great 

 Britain, and to judge by reports, severe weather has been very 

 general on the Continent at an unusually early date. We have 

 bad heavy snowfalls, and skating on the deep Cumberland lakes 

 in November, so that the prospect of a good season for such 

 goods as goloshes and overshoes is assured. With regard 

 to the source of overshoes, competition is keen between the 

 home-made article and the imported .\merican, which has strong 

 adherents, not altogether due, I must confess, to its having been 

 longer in the field. Overshoes are now generally stocked by 

 shoe stores, as well as by the shops which deal in rubber goods 

 only, and in nearly all cases both the British and American 

 makes are on sale. Similar sizes and makes for men cost S.f. 

 for American, or "Bostons," as they are usually termed, and 

 only Is. \\d. for British. In women's goloshes, the prices are 

 3.f. 6rf. and 2s. \\d. .\ popular make for women is that furnished 

 by the Bay State Rubber Co. at is. 6d. It is somewhat lighter than 

 the British and, like other Boston makes, can be obtained in half 

 sizes. This matter of half sizes, which seems to have been 

 ignored by British makers, is undoubtedly in favor of the sale 

 of "Bostons," both for men and women. 



HOT-WATER BOTTLES. 



So as to neutralize any possible further straining of the 

 present relations between Great Britain and .America, which 

 might be apprehended from the remarks on goloshes, I now 

 refer to an article in which the trend of public opinion is in 

 the reverse direction. This is the hot-water bottle which, after 

 being under a cloud for a few years, seems to have quite re- 

 gained its former popularity. This is in a large measure due 

 to the prevalence of hospitals, both military and Red Cross, up 

 and down the country. .Although some of our largest rubber 

 manufacturers still announce that while their bottles are of the 

 highest quality, they give no guarantee against bursting, others 

 have modified their attitude in this respect and plenty of I)Ottles 

 are on sale bearing guarantees. The retail prices range from 

 4.?. 6d. to 6s. 6d.. according to sizes of 8 x 6 inches to 12 x 10 

 inches. Lower-priced bottles are not guaranteed. The rubber 

 stores complain that discredit has been brought upon the goods 

 owing to druggists nutting them in the windows until decay is 

 setting in and then getting rid of them quickly by lowering the 

 price. This sounds quite probable, but there has also been care- 

 lessness on the part of purchasers, both in using boiling water 

 and leaving them lying about anywhere. Instructions are now 

 issued by the retailers with regard to proper use and storage. 

 The complaint about the .American hot-water bottles is with 



