March 1, 1915.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



UB*AR 



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Published on the 1st of each Month by 



THE INDIA RUBBER PUBLISHING GO. 



No. 25 West 45th Sheet, New York. 

 CABLE ADDRESS: 1RWORLD. NEW YORK. 



HENRY C. PEARSON, Editor 



Vol. 51. 



MARCH I, 1915. 



No. 6 



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COPYRIGHT, 1914, BY THE INDIA RUBBER PUBLISHING CO. 

 fclntered at the New York postoffice as mail matter of the second class. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS ON LAST PAGE OF READING. 



AN EVEN HUNDRED MILLION AMERICANS. 



A GREAT deal has been written lately about the 

 ■* *• possibilities of our foreign trade. This is a 

 timely subject and one of extreme importance, for 

 our foreign trade should certainly receive a great im- 

 petus from present conditions abroad. In fact some 

 financial prophets predict that the present year will 

 see a balance of trade in our favor of $1,000,000,000. 

 But it might be remarked that the home market is also 

 constantly and rapidly increasing. 



The last census, that of 1910, gave the United States 

 a population of 91,972,266, and the government ex- 

 perts, basing their figures on the increase shown by 

 that census over the census of ten years before, have 

 been trying to estimate at just what date the popula- 

 tion would cross the 100,000,000 mark. One statisti- 

 cian connected with the Census Bureau believes that 



the mark was crossed late in January; another places 

 the date early in April. Taking an even course be- 

 tween the two — which is a wise procedure when ex- 

 perts disagree— il may safely be stated that the 

 lm.oOO.OOO mark will he reached about the first of 

 .March, or just about the time this publication i 

 ceived by the greater number of its readers. 



This population is equal to the combined population 

 of the United Kingdom and France with Denmark, 

 Norway, Sweden and Portugal thrown in; and what 

 i> more to the point as far a- rubber goods are con- 

 cerned, these 100,000,000 Americans have a greater 

 buying power, even in normal times, than the com 

 hined population of the six countries named together 

 with all the other people in Europe. 



THE REFORM WAVE REACHES THE TIRE. 



IX the past the tire has been the object of considerable 

 *■ objurgation on the part of the car owner, and perhaps 

 with some little reason. It was not so much that he ob- 

 jected to the price he had to pay as it was the fact that 

 when he mentioned, with some little show of pride, that 

 he had got a 40 per cent, discount on his tire from the 

 little dealer down the street he found that his neighbor 

 had secured a 45 per cent, discount on the same tire from 

 the same dealer. These experiences are always rather 

 humiliating. 



But the last month has seen the introduction of a much- 

 needed reform (mentioned in more detail elsewhere in 

 this issue) in the selling of tires. Now, when the con- 

 sumer goes into the tire market to get a new- casing he 

 will no longer be confronted with a highly inflated list — 

 which will be generously deflated for his particular benefit 

 — but he may carry with him the net lists issued by the 

 manufacturers and know in advance just what he should 

 jiay for his tire, with the added comforting assurance that 

 there will he no subsequent discovery that his neighbors 

 have paid less. This is a most salutary change and will 

 help the tire to assume the distinguished place in public 

 esteem to which its great usefulness entitles it. 



Another development of the past month gladly wel- 

 comed by the car owner was the reduction, amounting on 

 an average to about 20 per cent., in the retail price of the 

 tires most in demand. On comparing present prices with 

 those that ruled four and five years ago, during the period 

 of high crude rubber costs, it will be found that tires now- 

 offered at about S19 then cost the consumer $45 to $50. 

 In other word-, there has been a reduction during the last 



