JUARKET VALUES OF RUBBER 



95 



Market Values. — Fine hard Para rubber from South 

 America forms the market standard of value, and during 

 the last few years its price has fluctuated very widely. 

 From 1906 to 1908 the selling-price of fine hard Para 

 in London varied from 25. 9d. to 5s. 5d. per lb., but 

 during 1909 and 1910, the years of the rubber boom, 

 the price rose considerably, and a record of 125. 6d. 

 per lb. was reached in April 1910. Since the latter 

 date, however, the price has graduallj^ fallen to a nor- 

 mal level. The fluctuations in the value of fine hard 

 Para in London since 1906 are shown in the following 

 table, which gives the highest and lowest quotations 

 during each year, together with similar figures for plan- 

 tation Para : 



It will be seen from these figures that during the above 

 years fine plantation Para usually realised a slightly 

 higher price than fine hard Para. It must, however, be 

 remembered in this connection that plantation Para is 

 placed upon the market in an almost dry condition (con- 

 taining only 1 or 2 per cent, of moist lu-e), whereas fine 

 hard Para contains from 10 to 20 per cent, of moisture. 

 If this fact is taken into consideration it will be found 

 that the price of dry fine hard Para was a little above 

 that of dry plantation Para, 



The following diagrams, based on the figiu-es given in 

 Messrs. Gow, Wilson & Stanton's reports of the London 

 rubber auctions, show the fluctuations during 1911 and 

 1912 in the values of fine hard Para and plantation 

 Para. 



