April 1. L91S.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 





PAVE \ SYNTHJ I ti RUBBER. 



Though possibly Messrs. Muller St i o., the sole selling agei 

 as also the agriculturists of Tipperary, may have given up this 

 commodity as a bad job, I understand that Mr. Roberts and his 

 chemist are still working at this problem, on the prin 

 that what has been done once can be done again. This of course 

 raises the point as to whether it lias been done once. Mr. Rus- 

 sell the patentee, is -till working with Mr. Roberts, while Mr. 

 Meti Ifi iated himself from the enterprise and is now 



making reclaimed rubber at his Gloucestershire « 



RUBBER i HEMICALS. 



hi prici i i- of rubber chemicals published in recent numbers 

 of The India Rubber World, though by no means a new feature 

 in American trade journalism, are somewhat of a novelty to 

 British eyes, and those dealers in chemicals who keep their doings 

 as quiet as possible are not over-anxious for the novelty to be 

 emulated on this side. Of course, compared with thirty years 

 ago, there are today very lew specifics or chemicals sold under 

 fancj name- on the rubber chemical list— large profits on chem- 

 icals being .1 decided exception rather than the rule now-a-days. 



The reference to the possible shortage in barytes in America 

 does not seem well grounded, though certainlj in regard to tin- 

 article England must certainly hold a stronger position than any 

 other country, her output having increased while other countries' 

 outputs have declined. A tew month- ago I gave some statistics, 

 which 1 may perhaps now be permitted to supplement by more 

 recent figures. The United States output, which was 50,000 tons 

 in 1 ( >09, fell to 34,877 tons in 1911, and to 34,000 ton- in 1912 

 On the other hand. Great Britain's output has shown an in- 

 crease from 45.000 tons in 1912 to 50,000 tons in 1913. What 

 effect the war iias had upon the United Slates production 1 do 

 not know, but it has certainly increased the British output and 

 has caused activity at Canadian deposits. Continental figures 

 remain much as they have been for years, except that the Belgian 

 output rose considerably in 1912. As the total production of 

 Germany — practically all from Bavaria— was 27,000 tons in 1912, it 

 seems obvious that the large business done by Germany in the 

 various barium compounds depends to some extent on imported 

 raw material obtained from France and Belgium. 



Passing on from this topic, the fact that sulphur and golden 

 sulphide of antimony is now absolute contraband means that 

 our rubber chemical dealers are put to the trouble of applying 

 for special permit- in order to do business out of the Kingdom. 

 I onking generally at the list of American prices it is noticeable 

 that the high price of flowers of sulphur is much the same as 

 here, despite home production in America. 



THE WORLD'S RUBBER PRODUCTION FOR 1915. 



According to an acknowledged authority on the rubber mar- 

 ket, the world's production of the commodity during the pres- 

 ent year is not likel; eed that of 1914. Last year's figures 

 approximately as follows: 



Plantation, 71,977 tons; Brazil, 37,000 tons; rest. 12.000 tons; 

 total, 120.977 tons. Percentage of increase 11.5 per cent 



For 1915 the estimate in question is: 



Plantation, 85,000 tons; Brazil, 30,000 tons; rest, 5,000 tons; 

 total 120,000 tons. Percentage of decrease, 08 per cent. 



There are. however, so many elements of uncertainty in con- 

 nection with the production of crude rubber that an estimate. 

 however carefully compiled, may well prove to be wide of the 

 mark by as much as 15,000 tons. For example, in view of the 

 "ion- area with rubber in the Middle East 'luring 



1910, and therefore now coming into bearing, there is bound ti 

 l» ii ise in the plantation outturn this year. The 



above authority gives tin surplus as rather more than 13.000 

 tons, but it may quite easily run into 20,000 tons or mi n 



Then again, there is the unknown factor, Brazil. Notwith- 

 standing an extraordinarily fluctuating market South America 



(lurim i i fully uniform 



produ i ther the hi o) thi boom period nor the 



subsequent -lump se< av< had much influence upon the 



outturn of Brazil. For 1910, when price- were at the high-water 

 mark, the ti tal production of Para rubber was 40,800 tons, and 

 in 1913, when the price pendulum swung to the opposite extreme, 



otal crop was 39,370 tons. Brazil is the m..st disconcerting 

 and illogical factor in the crude rubber position, and it i- just 

 as likely to produce more, in a time of adverse market con- 

 ditions, as less One would suppose that if anything were cal- 

 culated to upset the Amazonian industry it is the present I 



i i ii It might reduce the production by as much 

 as 50 dds are that it will not. The abovi 



titnate indicati i falling , i«K» tons from this source, but 



while the crop i- just as likely to be equal to that of 1914. nobody 

 would be -in prised if it wire 10,000 tons less. 



As to tin production of the rest of the world, there is bound 

 to be a substantial reduction, and that is all one can say about it. 

 However, it may be generally conceded that although individual 

 items in the foregoing estimate may prove wide of the mark, the 

 total, much on a par with that of 1914. is most in accordance 

 w ith the pri ibabilities. 



UlsCI.OSED PERCENTAGES IN RUBBER GOO US. 



Touching the question of plantation versus Para rubber, a 

 suggestion of considerable interest to the trade has recently- 

 been broached. It is pointed out that the user of rubber goods 

 has no guarantee whatever as to the quantity of crude rubber. 

 if any, contained in the articles he purchases. In connection 

 with many other manufactures, definite guarantees are g 

 and it is contended, with some show of reason, that in : 

 days of reclaim, rubber substitutes and what not, the pun h 

 of rubber goods is entitled to know a little more about tin 

 article he is buying. In view of the British public's large finan- 

 cial interest in the plantation industry, there is no doubt that, 

 so far as this country is concerned, rubber goods endorsed with 

 the legend "Made from pure plantation rubber," would com- 

 mand a better sale than similar goods unmarked. Assuming 

 also that up to a certain point the more virgin rubber used in 

 it- manufacture the better the article, it is urged that manufac- 

 turers might go further and gi\e the actual percentage of rub- 

 ber contained in the goods From the standpoint of plantation 

 rubber producers, at least, the suggestion has much to recom- 

 mend it. When prices of fine hard and plantation are on a 

 par the user of the former is in reality paying approximately 25 

 per cent, more for his raw material, making allowance for loss 

 in washing, than the buyer of plantation rubber. It is obvious, 

 therefore, that the former could not compete with the latter on 

 equal terms if the respective percentages of raw rubber in the 

 manufactured goods were disclosed. I am convinced that there 

 is a good deal in this suggestion, and that the trader adopting 

 it would ultimately be well repaid for his enterprise. In tin- 

 first instance, however, it would be necessary to educate the 

 public by judicious advertising, explaining the relationship be- 

 tween the per cent, of pure rubber used and the quality of the 

 goods. 



PLANTATION AUCTION SALES. 



Prior to the war plantation rubber had always been sold by 

 public auction. When hostilities developed this system bi 

 down and importers have had to resort to sale by private nego- 

 tiation. This method has proved so satisfactory that it is now 

 freelj stated that the public auctions will never be resumed. It 

 must be Said, however, that market conditions are by no m 

 normal, and consequently the comparison of the tw 

 is scarcely permissibli '< ing to the congested state o) 

 London docks, an unconscionable time is taken to unload rub 

 ber for the market, resulting in much greater delays than usual 

 in receipt of supplies It is therefore a question whether -ell 



