October 1, 1918.1 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLi. 



49 



RUBBER AND RUBBER GOODS FOR SWEDEN. 



L mlei- the term.' oi the new commercial treaty, recently signed 

 by the Allies and Sweden, rubber and rubber goods, foodstuffs, 

 and numerous other materials necessary for Sweden's economic 

 life, are to be exported to Sweden by the Allies in return for 

 400,000 tons of deadw^eight shipping, 2,000,000 tons of iron ore, 

 and other Swedish goods, on suitable credit terms during the 

 continuance of the present unfavorable monetary exchange. 

 This pact amounts to a virtual acceptance by Sweden of the 

 Allied blockade, and is expected to diminish greatly the sending 

 of supplies to Germany. 



MICANITE MANUFACTURED IN SWEDEN. 

 John R. Rettig & Co., Stockholm, Sweden, has begun the 

 manufacture of micanite, an electric insulating material con- 

 sisting of mica cemented together under pressure with an india 

 rubber compound. Before the war Sweden imported all mica- 

 nite from Germany and England. 



DUTCH FIRM CHANGES NAME. 



Carel and Jacques Kan, Doetinchem, Netherlands, have taken 



over the business in rubber goods and allied articles from their 



father, who traded as Kan & Co. The firm will henceforth be 



known as Kan & Kan. 



RUBBER IN GERMANY. 

 . A correspondent of the "Times Trade Supplement " submits an 

 interesting analysis of advertisements in the principal German 

 newspapers during the first three months of this year. 



In general, rubber appears to be seldom advertised, and then 

 only in the form of rings for mineral water bottles. In January 

 some offers of Para rubber appeared in a dentistry paper, the 

 price being about $71.75 a pound. In April, an advertiser asked 

 for: "One or two dozen new or second-hand tennis balls. High 

 price given." 



RUBBER SHORTAGE AFFECTS GERMAN GAS MASK SUPPLY. 



Recent press dispatches from Edwin L. James, with the Ameri- 

 can Army in France, state that Germany is having trouble in 

 supplying troops with gas masks because of the rubber shortage. 

 Leather as a substitute for rubber in the face mask is unsatis- 

 factory. Indeed. Germany is finding gas warfare a terrible 

 boomerang. 



GERMANY TO RECEIVE RUBBER FROM FINLAND. 

 .\n Amsterdam dispatch states that under a commercial agree- 

 ment with Finland, Germany is to receive, among other much- 

 needed materials, old stocks of rubber. Obviously, these stocks 

 must be so small, however, that the German rubber shortage 

 will remain --elatively unchanged. 



BOLIVIAN RUBBER TRADE CONDITIONS. 



The British vice-consul at Riberalta, Bolivia, reports that on 

 accoant of the depression in the rubber trade, the Beni district 

 is passing through a crisis. It seems that the rubber year which 

 ended March 31, 1918, was very unsatisfactory. Although in nor- 

 mal times prices would have afforded a margin of profit, under 

 present circumstances they resulted in loss. Local quotations 

 ranged from 60 cents to 64 cents per pound for fine rubber, and 

 from 32 cents to 36 cents per pound for caucho. As a result of 

 this acute situation, the largest firm of exporters of rubber from 

 the Beni district recently received instructions from its London 

 headquarters to withhold the balance of its export until more 

 favorable times return. 



During the quarter January-March, 1918, German firms ap- 

 pear to be continuing business under increased difficulties, their 

 greatest handicap being the securing of sufficient supplies of 

 clothing, foodstuflFs, etc., for the workers on their rubber estates 



Althougli the possession of quantities of old stock enabled the 

 the Germans to maintain themselves for some time, it appears 

 from reports of the larger allied commercial houses here, that 

 the financial position of enemy firms is now precarious. 



As to the internal trade of Bolivia, which is receiving more 

 attention because of restricted imports, this is at present con- 

 trolled by a combination of German firms whose monopoly is 

 practically complete in the territory through which the river 

 Mamore provides the means of communication. 



A freight and passenger service has just been inaugurated, 

 connecting Guajara Mirun, at the terminus of the Madeira- 

 Mamore railway, with the port of Santa Cruz, in opposition to 

 the transport services provided by two German firms. It il 

 believed that the new enterprise will help to break the German 

 monopoly. 



THE NETHERLANDS INDIES RUBBER GOODS FACTORY, 

 BANDONG. 



This enterprise was begun in March, 1917, and gradually ex- 

 panded so that whereas only a few workmen were employed at 

 the outset, their number was 80 at the end of the company's first 

 year. Production increased proportionately, and a reasonable 

 profit is expected for the coming year. A second and third series 

 of shares were issued, amounting to about $80,000, to finance 

 necessary expansion and a good stock of supplies. The labor 

 consists of natives who have shown themselves apt pupils, but 

 rather prone to absent themselves from the factory as soon as 

 ihcy receive promotion. 



The South .African Rubber Manufacturing & Tyre Co.. Lii 

 ited. Johannesburg, maker of mechanical rubber goods, has i 



ORv (IF liiK .SdiTii African Rubber M.\nufac- 



TURING & TVRE Co., LIMITED. 



quired a large block of land adjoining the Howick Falls in Natal, 

 together with the power rights, and will erect a rubber factory 

 on the site. The height of the falls is 364 feet and they are at 

 about two hours' railway journey from Durban. 



The Singapore Rubber Works (Nederlandsche Gutta-Percha 

 Maatschappij), 95 Anna Pavlowa street, The Hague, Nether- 

 lands, is planning to purchase in America, rubber machinery, 

 chemicals, and other supplies. J. P. M. Keuls, a representative 

 of the company, is now in America for this purpose and will 

 continue his trip to Soerabaya. 



