October 1, 1914.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



45 



Some Rubber Interests in Europe. 



THE LATE MR. JOSEPH FRASER. 



Till funeral took place at Allenvale Cemetery, Aberdeen, 

 Scotland, on September 1, of Mr. Joseph Fraser, aged 62, 

 long a prominent figure in the Ceylon planting community. 

 Ihv original experience had been in the application of fertilizers 

 tu tea, the large increase "t yield per acre of late years having 

 been largely due to his individual efforts. Subsequently he inter- 

 csted himself in rubber cultivation, in connection with which he 

 repeated thi ^iccessful re-.ult^ he had achieved with tea. Mr. 

 Fraser was a director in fifteen companies operating in rubber, 



ffee and cocoanut cultivation, including some of the most 



successful plantation concerns. 



MR. C. A. LAMPARD ON SYNTHETIC RUBBER. 



The ever-recurring subject of synthetic rubber was dealt with 

 li> Mr. C. A. Lampard at the recent meeting of the Rubber 

 Plantations Investment Trust, Limited. He quoted the recent 

 statement of an eminent rubber chemist to the effect that both 

 of them would be in Heaven, or elsewhere, before the question 

 assumed a practical shape. Mr. Lampard had taken up the posi- 

 tion that as a commercial proposition it was impossible on the 

 basis of cost. He likewise remarked that there was a distinct 

 decrease in the receipts of the lower grades of wild rubber. 



CONTINENTAL TIRES AND ENGLISH CUSTOMERS. 



Soon after the declaration of war the Prowodnik Co. was 

 obliged to call in its stock of goods in England. The tire made 

 by this Russian company had made some headway in the British 

 market during the last year. 



The war has interfered with the receipt of new supplies by 

 the Michelin English depot, but a fair business is reported by 

 that company and other concerns in sales from stock. Owing 

 to the partial stoppage of its French factory, the Hutchinson Co. 

 has been unable to obtain further supplies from that quarter. 

 They report having a supply of tires on hand sufficient for half 

 a year's trade. Two of the directors are with the French army. 



German tire manufacturers have been gradually depleting their 

 English stocks. Disputes have arisen with some English cus- 

 tomers as to the validity of their contracts with foreign houses, 

 they claiming that their engagements are cancelled by the declara- 

 tion of war. These discussions have been in most cases settled 

 by the acceptance of the goods. 



The Pirelli Co., of Milan, is in the fortunate position of having 

 a good stock in London, while its manufacturing facilities are 

 about to be increased by the opening of its new cable works at 

 Southampton. 



AFRICAN RUtBER IN THE LONDON MARKET. 



The following information regarding the recent sales in African 

 rubbers in the London market, has been sent to us by one of the 

 prominent London rubber dealers. 



"The African market here has been fairly steady during Au- 

 gust and the beginning of September, 55 tons being sold during 

 August and up to September 4. Assinee sheets and Strings were 

 sold at 2s. [4S.65 cents] per pound, Elobez Ball at Is. 3d. [30.41 

 cents] per pound, Selected Gold Coast Lump at Is. Id. [2 

 cents] per pound, Niger Gutta at 9d. [18 cents] per pound, and 

 Accra Paste at 8J4@9<£ [17.50 to 18 cents] per pound. Nine tons 

 of Lahon Cake was taken up by a dealer here last week at Is. 

 7]/id. [39.53 cents] per pound, which had been in store for some 

 considerable time. The reported destination was Russia. There 

 is at present very little rubber offering in the African market, 

 only two or three small parcels of old Benin and Lagos Lumps 

 being offered, for which Is. 3d. [30.41 cents]@U Ad. [32.43 

 cents] per pound, is asked. Heilbut's bid of \s. 2 l / 2 d. [29.39 cents] 

 for 5 tons was refused. 



LONDON AUGUST RUBBER STATISTICS. 



i don rubber imports for the eight months ended August 31 

 showed an increase as compared with last year from 19,699 to 

 27,274 tons, while the last two months exhibited a falling olf 

 from 3,418 tons in July to 3,091 in August. The last figures are 

 chiefly of interest, because there is usually an increase of quan- 

 tity at that period. Deliveries had, however, likewise fallen back 

 from 3,225 tons in July to 2,810 tons in August, or to a some- 

 what larger extent than receipts. Meanwhile the total deliveries 

 for eight months had grown from 18,723 tons a year ago to 



-' tons, being in a larger proportion than the receipts. The 

 London plantation stock had risen from 3,242 tons at the end 

 of July to 3,523 at the end of August. The last named figure is 

 said to be the largest since April last. 



RUBBER GOODS OPENING LN IIA1Y. 



In a report on the commercial conditions in Venetia, Consul 

 James Yernor Long, stationed at Venice, states that football and 

 lawn tennis, as well as other outdoor sports, are largely indulged 

 in in that locality and that if American manufacturers could 

 compete with the prices of other foreign houses and would give 

 credit to dealers, they might find an opening for athletic acces- 

 sories in the Italian market. He also believes there is an opening 

 for the sale of rubber bedding for use in the hospitals on Sacca 

 Sessola and La Grazia Islands. 



The import duty is high, however, being $15 per hundred 

 pounds, and prices must meet those of the Italian articles in 

 order to compete. Samples submitted should be accompanied by 

 quotations which include all charges, in Italian currency, and 

 measurements based on the metric system. 



TRADE OPENINGS IN AUSTRALIA. 



The opening of the Panama Canal and the war afford oppor- 

 tunities to American exporters for the extension of their 

 Australian trade. In 1903 Australian imports of American 

 merchandise amounted to $28,886,278, of which $24,347,732 was 

 imported direct. The total imports from the United States in 

 1912 were $52,384,257, of which $45,986,239 went direct from 

 American ports. 



In 1912 Australia imported rubber manufactures to the amount 

 of $4,840,951, of which the United States only supplied $551,832. 



BUSSIAU RUBBER EXPORTS TO THE UNITED BTATES. 



Reports from the various American Consular Offices in 

 Russia show the following exports from that country to the 

 L nited States during the last two years: 



1912 1913 



Balloons $2,110 



Reclaimed rubber $26,347 536,974 



Shoes 14,164 



Sponges 8,446 8,548 



Tires 20,977 78,367 



Waste 510,846 242,722 



Reports from the Odessa consular district state that Amer- 

 ican automobiles are becoming popular in southern Russia, where 

 about 500 cars were sold in 1913, most of them at prices from 

 $1,288 to $2,318. Sixty American cars were registered last year 

 in the city of Odessa, where seventy-five cars were sold during 

 I ear. 



Should be en every rubber man's desk — Crude Rubber ana 

 Compounding Ingredients ; Rubber Country of the Amazon ; 

 Rubber Trade Directory of the World. 



