590 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[July 1, 1919. 



Miscellaneous Foreign Notes. 



MARSEILLES CRUDE RUBBER IMPORTS INCREASING. 



SOME years ago tiie quantit)- of rubber imported through Mar- 

 seilles into France was negligible. French factories imported 

 their African and South American rubber through Bordeaux, 

 Le Havre and Antwerp, while their plantation rubber came through 

 London. But, since the war started, there has been a great in- 

 crease in the Marseilles imports, with a corresponding decrease 

 of imports through the other ports mentioned. In 1916 Marseillei 

 rubber imports already amounted to 6,019,640 pounds and they 

 increased in 1917 and 1918, but the French Government no longer 

 publishes the exact amounts. 



CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ESTABLISHED IN PERSIA. 



Under the auspices and with the financial support of the Per- 

 sian Government, a chamber of commerce has been organized in 

 Teheran, to consist of not less than six nor more than eighteen 

 members, one-half to be appointed by the Minister of Commerce 

 and one-half by the merchants of the city. Sub-chambers may 

 be organized in other Persian cities. The object of the organiza- 

 tion is to strengthen and extend commercial relations with the 

 United States, and to this end American trade catalogs and pub- 

 lications are desired. They should be addressed to the Chamber 

 of Commerce, Teheran, Persia, and will be available to those 

 interested, at a reading room maintained by the Chamber. 



NORWEGIAN-AMERICAN EXHIBITION IN CHRISTIANIA. 



September 10-24, 1919, has been set as the dates between which 

 the Norwegian-American Exhibition will be held in Christiania, 

 Norway. 



MARKET IN SWITZERLAND FOR TIRES AND TUBES. 



It is expected that after the peace treaty is signed there will 

 exist a large demand in Switzerland for rubber tires and tubes. 



NEW ZEALAND IMPORTS OF RUBBER BOOTS AND SHOES. 



A comparison of available figures for the years 1914 and 1917 

 covering the imports of the chief classes of rubber footwear into 

 New Zealand and the countries of origin shows that while the 

 United States has not even held her own in some of these 

 specialties, Japan has made considerable gain. Canada, also, has 

 increased her trade, particularly in rubber boots. This is partly 

 due to the difference in tariff and the improved quality of 

 Canadian rubber footwear of the present day. 



Articles and Countries 



of Origin. 



Molded rubber and cork sole 



From United Kingdom . . 



Canada 



Value. 

 $5,329 



Totals 



Galoshes, rubber overshoes, gymna- 



From^United Kingdom 24, 167 



Canada 3.160 



Japan 



United States 

 Other countries 



2,850 

 405 



$65,722 

 24,955 

 5.621 

 16,585 



Totals 30,582 $128,466 



Rubber boots: 



From United Kin| 

 Canada . . . 

 Australia . . 

 United Stat. 



Totals 



50,563 



$82,760 



Fnither figures comparing the value of the imports of rubber 

 go.>>U other than tires show that during the month of January, 

 1915, ihese amounted to only $12,652 as against $13,621 for the 

 mo.tli of December, 1918. 



The consul at Auckland states as his opinion that if favorable 

 adjustment were made of the duties imposed on the importa- 

 tions of these goods, American business could be considerably 

 increased in New Zealand as American goods are well received 

 and sell readily in competition with other makes of similar 

 quality. 



SIAMESE TRADE IN RUBBER GOODS. 



According to a report issued by Vice-Consul Carl C. Hansen 

 at Bangkok, the exports of crude rubber from Siam to foreign 

 countries for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1918, amounted 

 to 24,000 pounds, against 23,123 pounds in 1916. These figures 

 also include rubber substitutes. 



The customs reports for the past five years show an increasing 

 demand for rubber goods, the following figures representing 

 the total imports through the port of Bangkok: 



Pounds. Values. 



1914 158,782 $119,509 



1915 143,206 103.702 



1916 157.601 127.507 



1917 189,061 165.081 



1918 194,226 166,800 



This covers automobile, cycle, and all other tires and also 

 rubber manufactures. 



The origin and declared value of rubber goods, landed at 

 Bangkok during five fiscal years ended March 31, 1918, are 

 given below : 



United Slates 

 France 

 German- 

 Italy .: 



1913-14. 

 s....f.Va/ji 129,928 



1915-16. 1916-17. 1917-18. 



.312 



Singapore 2I,U/5 



United Kingdom 95.827 



Cycle tires 34,934 



United States 



Belgium 



Gem'kny "I'.'.'.l'.'.'.'.'.'.W " 7;577 



Italy 



Japan 



Singapore 11.024 



United Kingdom 16,131 



All other tires 51,320 



United States 



France 48 



Germany 299 



Japan 75 



Singapore 1,974 



United Kingdom 48,924 



All uther rubber goods... 106,812 



United States 504 



China 



France 220 



Germany 14,408 



Hongkong 1,853 



Japan 1,191 



Singapore 46,249 



United Kingdom 40,965 



Totals 



. 644,276 559,655 

 United States 



A NEW SUBSTANCE RESEMBUNG RUBBER. 



"The "Bulletin de I'Office Colonial," volume XI, Nos. 127- 

 128, Melun, France, 1918, contains an article by F. Heim, 

 giving the results of an investigation made by the director 

 of the "Service d'Etude des Productions Coloniales" to de- 

 termine the commercial value of a rubber-like substance from 

 North Kamerun, Africa, samples of which were submitted. 

 These samples were in the form of small bars and in large 

 pieces and blocks in loaf form. 



The product is rose-colored with a slightly darker surface 

 which can possibly be attributed to oxidation. The dark red 

 or black particles easily separate from the substance when 

 heated and are of the quality of rubber. The substance seems 

 to have properties between caoutchouc and gutta percha. The 



