THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[August 1, 1916. 



fillers available that no especial hardship has been felt 

 by its absence. 



Of course, our export trade has been entirely de- 

 stroyed. The few airships that venture forth cannot af- 

 ford to carry freight, the mails alone taking all available 

 room. 



In the meantime the non-resistants are holding meet- 

 ings and advocating the offer of a huge indemnity to 

 the enemy to call the fight off. As if it were not dis- 

 grace enough for us to have been forced to pay the huge 

 sums for the safety of New York, Philadelphia, and 

 Washington, followed by the destruction of the latter 

 city because a civilian wounded a soldier. No, the rubber 

 trade are not for peace at present, but after this war is 

 over, they and hosts of others are going to be strong 

 for PREPAREDNESS. It is a bitter, costly lesson, but 

 we had it coming, and believe me, it is one that will be 

 thoroughly learned and long remembered. Sincerely, 



X . 



RUBBER PRICES WHEN PEACE IS RESTORED. 



""pHE question of rubber prices, after the European 

 •*• war, is of interest, not only in producing, but more 

 emphatically in consuming countries. Our British con- 

 temporary, the "India Rubber Journal," is of the opinion 

 that there is a definite danger of violent price fluctuations 

 once peace is declared. The war period has brought new 

 influences to contend with, but there will be still another 

 factor to be reckoned with, when peace is really in sight. 

 Then speculators are likely to come forward under the 

 unusual and almost certain demand. Austria and Germany 

 will want 40,000 tons of raw rubber, or its equivalent in 

 manufactured rubber goods, within a year of peace being 

 declared, while the allied countries will be large buyers 

 at the same time. 



The Journal believes that therefore the demand on ac- 

 count of the enemy and other countries is likely to be 

 formidable, and so insistent that prices may run wild; 

 the rise in price may be checked by London and New 

 York agents holding their hands for a little time until 

 stocks have accumulated. If either side becomes too 

 powerful we shall see prices which will be unreasonable, 

 and which may affect not only spot sales, but forwards, 

 for many years to come. 



Further, our contemporary states that; 



While commercial groups convene to discuss trade de- 

 velopments after the war it has heard of no steps being 

 taken to check any irrational development during the 

 peace phase referred to. Growers alone would never do 

 anything which would in any way affect the law of supply 

 and demand, and any action, to be successful, would have 

 to secure cooperation of buyers' and sellers' agents, an 

 almost impossible arrangement. This will be the most 



vulnerable period and the possibilities are so great as to 

 demand timely consideration. No one wishes Germany 

 and Austria to get their rubber cheap, especially since the 

 major part of the plantation supplies comes from British 

 possessions. liut, on the other hand, no one wishes home 

 trade to be penalized hy the activities of agents who 

 will be out for produce so long denied by our navy. 



While there is much theorizing regarding prices at that 

 time, and later, it seems well worth considering that the 

 Eastern plantations will raise this year, or next, that 

 40.000 tons extra needed by Germany and Austria, thus 

 in no way interfering with the normal demands of the 

 rest of the world, while, if this amount is not sufficient for 

 the period under consideration, England can throw into 

 the market some of the raw rubber she is now storing 

 for the very purpose of preventing it from getting in the 

 possession of nations fighting against her. It looks as if 

 the whole question of preventing unwise speculation is 

 quite largely in the hands of the British themselves, either 

 in London or in the Far East. 



THE EMPLOYERS' PATRIOTIC DUTY. 



WHEN the orders came for the militia to proceed 

 to the frontier, many thousand men answered the 

 call of duty, leaving their stores, offices or workshops to 

 serve their country. What is more, they left their homes 

 and families, and probably, in many cases, they left their 

 families but meagerly provided for, or totally without 

 means of support during their absence. 



These patriots are doing their duty to the country 

 at a tremendou.s sacrifice. Are those who stay at home 

 doing their duty? Are they also sacrificing? Many em- 

 ployers, in fact a large proportion of them, are carrying 

 the' absent soldiers on their payrolls. Thus they are en- 

 abling the soldiers to continue to support their families. 

 Such a course cannot be universal, but the more general 

 it becomes, the nearer will employers come to bearing 

 their just burden, and doing their full share of sacrifice 

 for the nation. 



The most significant feature of the Rubber Club 

 outing this year was not the attendance, the sports, nor 

 the dinner. They were all of the biggest, the most en- 

 thusiastic, and the best. It was the special train that bore 

 the guests from distant centers, and returned them 

 speedily and comfortably when the day was done. It 

 showed that the club was no longer local even as far as 

 New York is concerned. 



It has long been predicted that motor trucks 

 would in time outnumber pleasure cars. The new de- 

 tachable flanges that adapt motor truck wheels to rail- 

 road tracks will be a potent factor in increasing the use 

 of trucks. Possibly the flanged wheels for the rails will 

 be rubber shod, in time giving rail speed equal or greater 

 than road speed. At all events every truck, whether 

 fitted for railroad use or not, is equipped with the regu- 

 lation rubber tires and ever will be. 



