June 1, 1917.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



505 



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Cum-ftB^ 



Reg. United State* Pat. Off. Reg. United Kingdom. 



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HENRY C. PEARSON, Editor 



Vol. 56 



JUNE 1. 1917 



No. 3 



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TABLE OF CONTENTS ON LAST PAGE OF READING. 



THE RUBBER INDUSTRY BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR 

 AND NOW. 



TN entering the European war the United States has 

 1 reached another great turning point in her na- 

 tional career. The part she is about to take in \.h>: 

 struggle for world democracy surpasses even her stand 

 against slavery and secession, far reaching as were 

 the effects of our Civil war. But America is in- 

 finitely better prepared to do its bit today indus- 

 trially, if not at once in a military wa}', and. happily, 

 that meets the first needs of our allies. 



Because of the necessity for rubber in warfare a 

 comparison of the facts then and now. is of the great- 

 est interest. 



In 1860 the value of rubber goods manufactured 

 ' in the United States was $5,642,700. The capital in- 



vested in 27 companies totaled $3,534,000; the cost of "^ 

 raw material $3,056,360; the number of factory hands 

 employed was 2,768, and their annual wages amounted 

 to $794,570. The industry was then centered in the 

 eastern states'' and 40 per cent of the entire product 

 was made in Connecticut. New ' Jersey, New York. 

 Massachusetts and Rhode Island ranked next in or- 

 der. 



Factories have since sprung up in half the States 

 of the Union. New England still continues to be the 

 rubber footwear center, but the development of the 

 motor car has built up a still greater center in the 

 Middle West devoted to tires and miscellaneous rub- 

 ber goods. In 1914, after 54 years, the rubber industry 

 has increased approximately 100 times. The value of 

 manufactured rubber goods for that year was $300,- 

 994,000. The capital invested in 342 establishments 

 totaled $267,671,000; the cost of raw material $163,- 

 035,000; the number of factory hands emj)loyed was 

 74,022 and their annual wages amounted to $44,168.- 

 000. To this should be added 14,712 salaried officers 

 of corporations and employes who receive $16,278,000 

 annually, making a total of 88,734 persons receiving 

 $60,446,000. 



As the population of the United States at the out- 

 break of the European war had about trebled since 

 1860 and our exports of manufactured rubber goods 

 had increased approximately ten times, while the total 

 value of our rubber products had multiplied nearly 

 one hundred fold, it is evident that not far from 70 

 per cent of the increased business has been due to 

 new applications of rublier, notably tires, and more 

 general use of rubber articles of many sorts. 



Of course, the figures given represent only the 

 manufacture of rubber goods and do not show its re- 

 markable growth vmder the stimulus of the war. They 

 do not include the many importers of crude rubber, 

 or of foreign manufactured goods which amounted 

 to $1,415,362, the scrap dealers and reclaimers, who 

 did a $12,500,000 business, the fabric, chemical, ma- 

 chinery and other firms entirely dependent upon the 

 rubber industry for an outlet for their product, nor the 

 armv of retailers engaged in the distribution and sale 

 of rubber goods. The statement has been made that 

 1.000.000 persons depend upon the rubber industry 

 for a livelihood, and while the number is startling -the 

 infinite ramifications of the industry make it seem 

 plausible. 



Statistics show that exports of domestic rubber 

 manufactures for the fiscal year 1916 amounted to 

 $35,180,096, or nearly three times those of 1914. 

 Crude rubber imports during the fiscal year 1916 were 

 slightly over 70 per cent in quantity and 100 per cent 

 in value greater than in 1914, so that if the value of 

 American rubber products for 1914 was $300,994,000 

 it might be conservatively estimated at $600,000,000 for 

 1916 with every indication of a substantial increase diu-- 

 ing the present year. 



