420 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



Al'RlL 1. 1917. 



In addition to the above imports of riiblier jroods for 1915 and 

 1916, autoMiolpilcs and parts t including tires) were imported to 

 the value of $356,743 in 1916 against $82,633 in 1915 and liicycles 

 and parts (exclusive of tires) to the value of $238,807 in 1916 

 against $156,501 in 1915. 



These, including increased imports of submarine telegrapliic 

 and telephonic cables, rubber boots, and overshoes, have not 

 been made in sufficient quantity, nor as well, in Japan. The de- 

 mands for reclaimed rubber have been gradually increasing. Waste 

 rubber produced in Japan in 1916 amounted to about 50,000.000 

 pounds [$175,000). 60 per cent being used for 300,000 pairs of 

 bicycle pedals IS.50.000], 2.000.000 pairs of "Zori" soles [$120,0001 

 and 1.000,000 pairs of "Tabi" soles [$150,000), and the remaining 

 40 per cent for other goods. 



KXPORTS OF MANUF.\CTI;RED KLIiliKR GOOD.S. 

 1915. 1916. 



Pollrds. X'alue. Pounds. \'alne. 



Insulated -wire 1.930,654 $449,776 2.070.491 $562,816 



Rubber tires 2.512,969 1,706,315 2,789.632 2,038.139 



Druggists* sundries unknown ■• 333,985 



Totals $2,156,091 $2,934,940 



Jinrikishas were also exported to the number of 9,465 [$170,- 

 7-13] in 1916 against 7,931 [$129,564] in 1915. and bicycles and 

 parts f exclusive of tires) to the value of $806,815 in 1916 against 

 $277,.326 in 1915. Moreover, in 1916, there were exported rubber 

 dolls, balls and balloons to the value of about $500,000 and 1,- 

 200,000 valves for bicycle and automobile tires to England, United 

 States and .'Australia. A new line of exports to Singapore con- 

 sisted of 6,145,796 [$110,247] porcelain latex cups and 1.565,621 

 [$32,492] glass latex cups. 



Japanese manufacturers were hampered by double the normal 

 price of coal and four or fivefold increases in the prices of 

 ingredients, but their troubles were lessened by large production 

 and some firms were able to declare dividends of 10 to 40 per 

 cent. Makers of druggists' sundries, toys and balloon fabrics 

 exported their goods to England, British India, Canada and the 

 United Stales mostly through Japanese traders in Yokohoniu or 

 Kobe. Rub1)er tire makers consumed about 1,800,000 valvet, 80 

 per cent of this number of tires being exported. Home demands 

 increased 30 per cent above the 1915 consumption. Mechanical 

 rubber goods production was about double that of the preceding 

 year, consisting for the most part of hose and packing. 



Several small companies were organized during 1916 and most 

 of the well-established firms enlarged their factories to increase 

 capacity. The Kono Rubber cloth works at Tokio, which was 

 burned last summer, has been rebuilt during the winter and 

 The l'"ujikura Electric Wire Co., Limited, also in Tokio, and 

 one of the largest electric wire works in Japan, which was de- 

 stroyed by fire in the winter at a loss of about $150,000, will also 

 probably be relniilt under the new factory law which went into 

 effect September 1, 1916. 



DUNLOr FAR E.\ST CO. REORG.WIZES. 



The Dunlop Rubber Co. (Far East), Limited, of Japan, 

 held a meeting of creditors at the company's offices, Waki- 

 nohania, Kobe, on February 16. The company was placed in 

 voluntary liquidation for the purpose of transferring the liusi- 

 ness to a new corporation to be organized under the laws of 

 the Empire of Japan. The new corporation, which will have 

 the title of The Dunlop Gomu Kabushaki Kaisha Corporation, 

 will take over all the assets and liabilities of the old company 

 and continue the business under the same management. 



J.\P.\NESE POT.ASSIUM CHLOR.\TE INDUSTRY CROWS. 

 Since the outbreak of the European war the number of firms 

 manufacturing potassium chlorate in Japan has increased from 

 one to at least eight, and production has increased from 300 to 

 over 3.500 tons a year, much of it being exported to China, Rus- 

 sia and the South Sea Islands. Firms manufacturing this product 

 must have the permission of tl>e government in order to export it. 



BRAZILIAN NOTES. 



THE competition of Eastern rubber is one of the gravest ques- 

 tions which Brazil is to-day called upon to face. The tre- 

 mendous increase in the production of plantation gum, and it.^ 

 steadily diminishing cost of production places this country in the 

 position which necessitates a similar decrease in the expense of 

 gathering and forwarding this country's product. The Para ani 

 the .\mazonas state governments recognize this necessity, and 

 arc encouraging agricultural expansion, w'ith the object of pro- 

 ducing at home the various food materials which are now im- 

 ported at high cost. 



The financial crisis, whicli commenced prior to the European 

 ontlict. liut which was undoubtedly heightened by that conflict, 

 appears to have diminished in effect and steadily improved condi- 

 tions are confidently predicted. 



lELKCR.M'Il CO.\IP.\.\V PROSFKKS. 



The Amazon Telegraph Co., whose lines extend more than a 

 thousand miles up the Amazon, has had a successful year, its net 

 profits showing a gain of £6,886 over that of 1915. The line is 

 now double the entire distance from Para to Manaos, each being 

 on a separate route, thus lessening the liability of failure of com- 

 munication through freshets, w'indfalls. or interference by the 

 natives. It is now very seldom that both lines are simultaneously 

 out of commission. 



Mr. Keith's position as chairman and managing director has 

 been filled by the appointment of F. E. Nosworthy, who was in 

 complete control of the company's .\mazon business, and who 

 made the survey for the second line in 1907 to 1909 and superin- 

 tended the completion of that project in the two following years. 

 He predicts a brilliant outlook for the company's business the 

 present year, largely based on the prosperity of the rubber and 

 cocoa production of the .Vmazon basin. 



A GROVVIM; BKAZILIA.X Kfl'.nER FACTORY. 



.\ well-equipped rubber factory employing 30 workmen and 

 pioducing a variety of mechanical goods is one of the industries 

 of Sao Paulo, Brazil. It was founded four years ago, is owned 

 by Theodoro Putz & Cia., and represents a capital investment 

 of $35,000. 



The factory, located at 179 .Abilio street, is equipped mainly 

 with British and German machinery consisting of the usual 

 washers, mixers, calenders, vulcanizers, etc., all driven by electric 

 power. 



The principal manufacture consists of solid tires of several 

 kinds for auto trucks and heavy vehicles. A large variety of 

 mechanical goods is manufactured. Car springs, electrical arti- 

 cles, hose, tubing packings, cylinders for coffee and rice ma- 

 chines, heels, etc., in fact, almost ever}' kind of rubber goods 

 except tire casings, inner tubes and fabrics. The crude material 

 is mainly mangabeira rubber, produced in the State of Sao 

 Paulo, and Amazon grades, shipped direct from Para. 



TRINIDAD RUBBER SHIPMENTS INCREASING. 



For the month of Januarj-, 1917, shipments of crude rubber 

 from Trinidad totaled 1.164 pounds, all of which was sent to 

 the United Kingdom. During the same month in the years 

 1912, 1913. 1915 and 1916 no shipments are recorded, and in 

 January. 1914. only 105 pounds were exported. 



RUBBER EOOTWEAR DUTIES IN COLOMBIA. 



Duties on merchandise imported into Colombia are levied on 

 the gross weight (so much per kilo = 2.2 pounds), which in- 

 cludes paper, cartons, and the case, bo-x or crate in which the 

 goods are packed. Shoes wdiolly of rubber are dutiable at $1 

 per kilo ; cotton duck upi)ers, with rubber soles. $1.50 per kilo, 

 and linen uppers with rubber soles, $1.70 per kilo. 



