October 1, 1916. | 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



41 



that the gravitometer made by Eimer & Amend, New York 

 City, and featured in Mr. Pearson's book, "Rubber Machinery," 

 is in regular use at one of our largest works. So far I have 

 not heard of its being in use at any of our rubber factories. 



SOME FOREIGN RUBBER INTERESTS. 



'T'HE American Consul-General in Sidney, .\ustralia, reports 

 * that an American .salesman visiting his post stated that he 

 had secured orders for $300,000 worth of rubber tires in 

 Australia. 



According to a report by the British trade commissioner in 

 Australia the total imports of rubber goods into that country 

 during the first three months of 1916 amounted to £278,474 

 [$1,355,194], of which il30,245 [$633,837], more than 45 per 

 cent, were from the United States. The balance was shared 

 as follows: British Possessions, £85,437 [$415,779]; Great 

 Britain, £62,167 [$302,536], and Japan, £625 [$3,042]. 



* * * 



The French Guvernment has recently placed an export embargo 

 on talc. 



The Russian Minister of Finance has decided that the certifi- 

 cates of origin now required for nearly all articles imported into 

 Russia may be dispensed with in the case of samples of no com- 

 mercial value. Such samples are exempt from import duty. 



* * * 



The American Consul at Saloniki, Greece, reports that several 

 lines of American goods have been recently introduced there 

 and that the Municipal Hospital has placed an order for $100 

 worth of American rubber gloves. 



* * * 



According to a recent report of the Ameiican Vice-Consul at 

 Singapore, Straits Settlements, there is a great future for auto- 

 mobiles and motor trucks in those states. 



The country is at present in a fme financial condition, due 

 to the high prices for rubber and tin, the two leading exports. 

 The greatest drawback to the rapid growth of the automobile 

 trade is the lack of ocean tonnage. 



Rubber tires cost approximately 15 per cent more than in 



America. 



* * * 



The Swedish War Trade Law of April 17, 1916, made it illegal 

 for an importer in Sweden to furnish an exporter in Great 

 Britain with information as to the disposal of goods. 



The British exporter was therefore often obliged, in reply 

 to challenge of the British Customs, to admit that he was unable 

 to furnish the evidence required from him and was thus ex- 

 posed, through no fault of his own, and simply by the operation 

 of the Swedish law, to heavy penalties. 



These circumstances led the British Government to issue a 

 Royal Proclamation prohibiting the exportation to Sweden of 

 all commodities, and now, apparently as a result of the British 

 export embargo the Swedish Government has placed an export 

 embargo on the following articles containing rubber : 



"Hose, transmission and conveying belts, whether sewn or not, 

 heddles and other cotton articles containing rubber ; tissues and 

 other textiles not containing silk, impregnated or covered with 

 rubber, or attached by means of rubber solution or layers of 

 rubber." 



RUBBER SEED OIL. 



According to advice from the Far East, the Government of 

 the Federated Malay States has decided that no export duty 

 will be imposed in respect to rubber seed oil or products for 

 a period of ten years from June 9, 1916. The object of this 

 decision is to encourage the local industry of extracting oil 

 from rubber seed and the preparation of this oil and residues 

 or other products of the seed for the market. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN GERMANY. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 

 /^ ENER.'VL conditions are better than one would expect under 

 ^^ the circumstances. Many factories are working over- 

 tune, and a number of concerns have greatly enlarged their plants, 

 while others have entirely changed the character of their prod- 

 ucts, adding new machinery and adopting new processes to meet 

 the demands created by the war. 



Labor conditions, generally speaking, continue excellent. Tlie 

 machine and metal industries have beeen specially favored by 

 the military authorities on account of the importance of having 

 skilled mechanics in those shops which are working on war 

 contracts. The same applies to certain branches of the rubber 

 industry. 



There is a scarcity of skilled and also of unskilled labor in 

 some districts, where the industries are not suited to the em- 

 ployment of women and disabled soldiers, and where war 



.\rsTRi.\N Army Transport Motor Truck. Note the Worn- 

 State 0I-- Solid Rubber Tires. 



prisoners are not available. I'or a time the government allowed 

 furloughs to soldiers needed for work at home, but of late the 

 pressure at the battle fronts has become so formidable that this 

 ci.urse can no longer be followed. 



There is plenty of money in circulation, and the financial situ- 

 .itiiin is far better than conditions would lead one to expect. 

 Savings deposits show an increase. 



Manufacturers of aeroplanes, motor vehicles and electrical 

 supplies continue very busy with war contracts, and in produc- 

 iii.u stocks to be held in reserve in anticipation of a demand 

 ior cars upon the cessation of the war. 



The building trades are most severely affected by the war. 

 No new work is started, architects and builders being occupied 

 with the slow completion of old contracts and a few factory 

 extensions mentioned above. 



The brewing industry, which lias always been a large pur- 

 cliaser of rubber goods, is sufTering from the lack of raw ma- 

 terials and' the restrictions placed on the consumption of its 

 liroducts. 



INCRE.'XSED CO.ST OF LIVING. 



-Xotwithstanding the fixing of maximum prices for foodstuffs 

 liy the authorities, the regulating of the consumption of such 

 products and the control of distribution by the system of sales 

 against supply cards, furnished monthly to each inhabitant, the 

 cost of living in our large cities and industrial centers has in- 

 creased more than 50 per cent within the last year. This is 

 chiefly due to the poor crops in 1915. This year, owing to care- 

 ful fertilization and the more al)undant supply of labor, afforded 

 by war prisoners, together with more favorable climatic con- 

 ditions, more abundant crops Iia\e been produced, and it is 



