June 1, 1917.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



563 



Boots and Shoes. This material has received fair attention 

 and while the actual business transacted has not been large, 

 the market tone has been firm and prices have advanced about 

 % cent per pound since our last report. This is doubtless due 

 to orders from the Government and the Allies for rubber foot- 

 wear that is now considered necessary in every soldier's equip- 

 ment. 



Tires. The call for tires has been limited to small lots, the 

 business done being of a routine character, with the greater 

 interest centered in standard mixed grades. Prices have been 

 firm, ranging from 7 to 7j4 cents delivered. White G. & G. 

 tires have been featureless, sales being recorded at 7J4 cents 

 delivered. Bicycle tires have experienced a fair demand at firm 

 prices unchanged from last month's quotations. 



Tlie scarcity of standard cotton fabrics has driven tire manu- 

 facturers to use Peeler fabrics with the result that the quan- 

 tity of unguaranteed tires now being manufactured will be 

 greatly increased in the future. 



Inner Tubes. There has been limited call for this material 

 and prices are unchanged, 25J4 cents delivered being the quo- 

 tations on No. 1 tubes. Just what effect the greatly increased 

 use of unguaranteed tires will have on tubes remains to be seen. 

 That the supplies of tubes will be augmented thereby is un- 

 questioned. 



Mechanicals. The general industrial activity has increased 

 the call for mechanical rubber goods and the mills are very 

 busy. The movement in mechanical scrap has been good dur- 

 ing the month, garden hose, air brake hose and cotton hose 

 being in particular demand and at about % cent advance over 

 last month's prices. 



London and Liverpool imports of waste and reclaimed rub- 

 ber for March were 114,600 pounds, compared to 38,000 pounds 

 for February. Reexports for March were 55,900 pounds, com- 

 pared to 63,600 pounds for February. London and Liverpool 

 exports of waste and reclaimed rubber manufactures of the 

 United Kingdom for March were 815,300 pounds. 



NEW YORK QUOTATIONS FOR CARLOAD LOTS DELIVERED. 

 MAY 2S. 1917. 



Prices subject to change without nstice. 



Per Pound. 



Boots and shoes $0.09 li«l 



Trimmed arctics ; .07 ' '^ i5 



Untrimmed arctics ,06 J4 @ 



White tires, Goodrich and Goodyear .0754'^ .07^ 



Auto tires, standard white .07 'A @ .07 H 



standard mixed .07 @ .07 '/^ 



stripped, unguaranteed .05^^ @ .06 



Auto peelings, No. 1 .10 @ 



No. 2 08Ji@ .09 



Inner tubes. No. 1 .25!^(ffi .26 



No. 2 1254@ .13 



red 12^5@ .13 



Irony tires .02',4@ 



Bicycle tires 04%@ .OS'A 



Solid tires .06 @ .06 >^ 



White scrap, No. 1 ISyi® .14 



No. 2 10 ® 



Red scrap. No. 1 10 @ .11 



No. 2 08 @ 



Mixed black scrap. No. 1 .ftA'/^m .05 



No. 2 04 @ 



Rubber car springs .04^2 @ .OS 



Horse shoe pads .04 34® .05 



Matting and packings .01^@ .01?^ 



Garden hose 02 @ .0254 



Air brake hose 05J4@ .06 



Cotton fire hose .02 J/4 @ 



Large hose OlJ-Sca .0254 



Hard rubber scrap, No. 1, bright fracture .26 @ 



Battery jars (black compound) .02'^ @ .03 



lubulated wire stripping .03^4 @ 



■Kubber heels 03}4@ 



THE MARKET FOR COTTON AND OTHER FABRICS. 



Copyright 1917. 



NEW YORK. 



AMERICAN COTTON. Early in the month the market was 

 decidedly unsettled and nervous, owing to the reports of re- 

 duced acreage and the uncertainty of domestic demand for cotton 

 manufactures. On May 1, spot middlings were selling at 20.70 

 cents but lacked support and the market declined with minor fluc- 

 tuations until May 11, when 20 cents, the lowest price of the 

 month, was recorded. Influenced by more reassuring reports, the 

 market sentiment changed and prices took an upward trend that 

 persisted until May 26 when spot middlings were quoted at 21.95 

 cents in one of the most active days the market has experienced 

 in months due to the belief that the coming Government report 

 will forecast a short crop. 



Egyptian Cotton. The general market condition has not im- 

 proved during the month and stocks are very low and prices are 

 high, ranging from 60 to 66 cents. The shipping situation has 

 been relieved in a measure by the shipment of 15,000 bales direct 

 to America and which is still afloat. From recent reports it ap- 

 pears that the prospects for the new crop are good and that the 

 acreage is somewhat larger than last. 



Sea Island Cotton. The crop of Islands has all been sold 

 and the new crop will not be marketed before October. The 

 market for Georgias and Floridas has been quiet with limited 

 offerings. The unsold portion of the crop is estimated at 2,000 

 bales that are firmly held at prices varying from 71 to 72 cents, 

 according to quality. 



It is reported that the planters of the British West Indies, 

 influenced by the present attractive prices, have resumed the 

 planting of Sea Island cotton, 2,000 acres being recently planted 

 in Nevis. The planters of Montserrat, Anguilla, Antigua, St. 

 Croix, Barbados, St. Kitts, and St. Vincent will doubtless in- 

 crease their acreage of Sea Island cotton to meet the present 

 extraordinary demand. 



Tire Fabrics. The demand for all grades has been quiet for 

 the past month with the interest centered on prompt deliveries. 

 Buyers have not been particularly interested in futures, pre- 

 ferring to await developments. The scarcity and high prices 

 of Sea Island and Egj-ptian tire fabrics have resulted in unprec- 

 edented offering of Peeler fabric. While the blending of long 

 staple Peeler with the standard yarns has been practiced and 

 17;4-ounce combed Peeler fabric tried out, the results of these 

 experiments are still indefinite. There is no doubt that staple 

 cotton under Ijg-inch will be more extensively used in fabrics 

 for unguaranteed tires to meet the increasing demand. Prices 

 on standard Sea Island and Egyptian building fabric have not 

 changed ; 17J4-ounce. combed Peeler fabric has advanced 10 

 cents a square yard and carded Peelers are S cents higher than 

 a month ago. 



Mechanical Duck. The general industrial activity and the 

 speeding up of factories, mills and mines is requiring large 

 quantities of mechanical rubber goods and the demand for 

 mechanical, hose and belting duck has been very active. This 

 is primarily due to Government orders that will require, it is 

 estimated, 50 per cent of the duck produced in this country. 

 Hose and belting duck have advanced about 1 cent a pound 

 during the month. 



Sheetngs, Osnaburgs, Enameling Duck. Tlie demand has 

 been unprecedented, spot stocks have been completely cleaned 

 up and seconds and odd lots are promptly taken when offered. 

 Government orders are so heavy for these fabrics that the sup- 

 ply may not be equal to the demand. Prices have all advanced 

 about 1 cent a yard. Drills are very active and scarce, but 

 prices have not yet advanced. 



The mills are now complaining of scarcity of labor, high price 

 of coal, shipping difficulties and a general increase in operating 

 expenses that would indicate still higher producing costs and 

 further price advances to the consumer. 



