December 1, 1914] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



175 



Review of the Crude Rubber Market. 



THE present crude rubber market is certainly a most inter- 

 esting one. It is safe to say that never before was it 

 surrounded by so many elements of uncertainty. Will 

 the English actually retain all the plantation rubber from Kritisli 

 lial ports, and if tiny do, what will they do with receipts of 

 tons, during the ni months? Can England use it? 



the Allies together use it? It is six times as much rubber 

 as England used in the corresponding six months a year ago. 

 Then again, will the English be able to get plantation rubber or 

 will the Turks succeed in bottling up the Suez Canal? Will the 

 Eastern planters continue to ship niM/cr to England under the 

 risks involved or will they conclude to open a new chapter in 

 Eastern exportations and ship their rubber direct to the Ul 

 States by way of the Pacific, as some has already come? 



Then again, how about the American rubber manufacturers? 

 Will this much-heralded and often banqueted Prosperity put in 

 an early appearance, so that home orders will call for a large 

 supply of material, or will the American manufacturer have to 

 look to the military needs of the Allies for export orders to 

 terbalance a decreased home o n, and in that event, 



how much crude rubber is he going to need? 



It really is rather a puzzling situation and it is not to be won- 

 dered at that manufacturers find themselves in something of a 

 quandary and that the crude rubber importers are by no means 

 all of one mind as to the outlook. 



The Xew York market during the first half of the month was 

 very steady, and it was not until the trade learned of England's 

 absolute embargo on all British-controlled rubber that a feeling 

 of nervousness began to appear. Fine hard Para opened the 

 first of November at 66c, and during the first two weeks varied 

 from 63c. to 66c. not going beyond 67c. until the 25th. On the 

 27th it reached 71c and on the 28th was quoted at 70@71c. 



Plantation rubber shows a marked gain for the month. First 

 Latex opened on the first of November at 61(0;62c and had ad- 

 vanced by the 5th to 66c Then, upon the destruction of the 

 "Emden." it fell again on the 14th and 16th to 60c, from which 

 point it rose steadily until it was quoted on the 28th at 75c, with 

 smoked sheet at 80c 



The receipts of rubber from Para during the month amounted 

 to 1,200 tons, with 400 tons more now afloat for December ar- 

 rival. The receipts of plantation rubber amounted to 2,583 tons. 

 It is estimated that there is now afloat from Ceylon to London 

 about 700 tons of plantation, in three boats, namely — the "St. 

 Egbert," "City of Delhi" and "Kabinga" ; but under the present 

 embargo of course none of this will reach the New York market. 



About 250 tons of guayule were received during November, 

 but of Pontianak there has been no receipt since September 20. 

 About 400 tons of Pontianak are now on their way from the 

 East to London, part of this amount being on the "St. Egbert" 

 and part on the "Kazendi." 



Advices from Germany are to the effect that all the crude rub- 

 ber in that country is now being used for tires and other mili- 

 tary equipment. The price of Plantation has reached $1.40@ 

 1.50 a pound. 



What the market will do in December is anybody's conjecture. 

 The answer would be easy if one only knew what the British 

 Government had in its mind. 



New York Quotations. 



Following are the quotations at New York one year ago, 

 one month ago, and November 30, the current date : 



Para. Dec. 1. '13. Oct. 31. '14. Nov.30/14. 



Islands, fine, new 66 50@52 60@61 



Islands, fine, old 52@53 62@64 



Upriver, fine, new 76 



Upriver, tine, old 



Islands, coarse, new 29 1 /i@30 



l"pri\ i , new 



I Jpriver, coarse, old 48 



eta 



Caucho, upper 37; 



Caucho, li 'wer 46 17 



Plantation Ceylon. 



Fine smoked sheet 65 @66 



near-by 1 



forward | 58 @59 



Fine sheets and biscuits 

 unsmoked 56 @57 



Fine pale crepe 



CENIi: 



Corinto 



Esmeralda, sausage 40 @41 



Guayaquil, strip 



Nicaragua, scrap 37 @39 



Panama 



Mexican plantation, sheet 



Mexican, scrap 37 @38 



Mexican, slab 



Mangabeira, sheet 



Guayule 



Balata. sheet 63 @64 



Balata, block 44 @45 



African. 



Lopori, ball, prime 47 @48 



Lopori, strip, prime 



Aruwimi 37 @38 



Upper Congo, ball red 45 @46 



Ikelemba 



Sierra Leone, 1st quality.... 45 @46 



Massai, red 



Soudan Niggers 



Cameroon, ball 33 §40 



Benguela 



Madagascar, pinky 



Accra, flake 20 @22 



East Indian. 



Assam 



Pontianak 



Borneo, IT. or 2nd 



6 (a I 



I i 1 -• 



37 (a 39 



- 



51@52 



4.V-/44 



45@46 



52@53 



: _ 55 No supply 



No supply 



No supply 



No supply 



No supply 



No supply 



54@58 No supply 



No supply 



44 5 4= 4S@. . 



31@33 34@. . 





28@.. 



S4@58 



8@ 9 



40®. 



Neiv York. 



In regard to the financial situation, Albert B. Beers (broker 

 in crude rubber and commercial paper, No. 68 William street. 

 New York"! advises as follows: "The market for Commercial 

 paper has improved very much during November, with de- 

 clining rates, which during the early part of the month were 



2 per cent, for the best rubber names and 7@7'/2 per 

 cent, for those not so well known, but towards the end of the 

 month these rates declined to about 5^2@5|^ per cent, and 



per cent., respectively." 



NEW YORK PRICES FOR OCTOBER (Xew Rubber). 



1914. 1913. 1912. 



I'priver. fine $0.64<S0.66 $0.73(30.83 $1.0401.11 



Upriver, coarse 43 l§ .47 .47 @ .49 5 .86 



Islands, fine 49ftf .53 .67 @ .72 .99@1.06 



Islands, coarse 26W .28 .28@ .29 .53® .56 



Cameta 29@ .36®. 38 .56®. 61 



