Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-12
RECORD RUBBER IMPORTS.
Value This Year 10 Estimated at $4o,
100000.

Value This Year 10 Estimated at 49,
100000.
Washington, Dec. 1.-THE recent ad-
vance in prices of and demand 1or IN
dia rubber lends especial interest TO
some figures Just prepared by the De-
partment Of Commerce ana LABOR
through its Bureau Of Statistics, winch
show the quantity and value OF rubber
imported into the United States during
the current year and in a term of
earlier years. These figures show
that in both quantity and value the
imports Of the year about to end will
probably exceed those of any earlier
year. The largest importation in any
complete fiscal year is ssh million
pounds in the fiscal year 1851, and the
highest value in any earlier year is 81
7O1 $50 in 1890 In the calendar year
about to end, however. the indications
are that the quantity imported Will
reach so million pounds and the value
more than 30 million dollars. In the
ten months ending with October the
quantity of crude rubber imported IS
practically 80 million pounds. or. to be
exact, 1851 .32s pounds, and the value
was $34,315,13O.
In the latest month for which figures
are available, October. the quantity
imported was 5.3s7 ,9s1 pounds. and the
value $3,450. $40; so that if the figures
Of Octobe: are an index to the prospec-
tive figures for November and Deem
Der, It seems likely that the total
quantity OF India rubber imported dur
ing the calendar year will reach 6o mil
lion hounds. and the value exceed 40
million dollars.
In addition to this. sundry substi-
tutes for crude rubber are, in very re-
cent years, being brought in in large
quantities. "Gutta jOolatong, or
East Indian gum" product OF
Borneo, which is used in conjunction
with India rubber in certain lines of
manufacture. has in recent years been
imported in rapidly increasing quanti-
ties. The rapid increase in its use Is
indicated by the fact that the quantity
imported into the country had been so
small that the Bureau OF Statistics
made no separate record OF its prior
10 1899, when only 100000 pounds We're
recorded as having been imported. In
1900 the quantity was S,101,753 pounds:
in 1903, 10, 9S4, 8l7 pounds. and in the ten
months Of the present calendar year
for which figures are available the
quantity imported was 12,265, S9l
pounds.
Under modern methods much OF the
india rubber used in shoes. garments
and otherwise may now be recovered
ard by certain processes made nit for
further use. and the extent to which
this is now being done is indicated by
the fact that the importations of 'old
and scrap rubber fit only for remain
ufacture," which announced in 1894 to
less than 1000, 900 pounds. were. in the
fiscal year 1904. over 2O.OOO.OOO pounds.
While Brazil furnishes a much
larger share Of the rubber imported
into the United States than does any
other country. the share that country
COnti ibutes of the grand total of our
imports of that article is probably not
30 large as generally supposed. The
figures of the Buerau of Statistics show
that of the 1851. 500 pounds of crude
india rubber imported into the United
States during the ten months ending
with October. 1904. 2S2S2.456 pounds
came from Brazil, while Africa, Central
America, certain other of the South
American countries and the East In
dies supplied the remainder. Practi-
cally all of the rubber which originated
in Africa came by way Of Europe. be-
ing accredited TO various European
countries. though of course in no case
produced in those countries.
The reports of the Bureau of Sta
tistics credit the United Kingdom with
over 100000 pounds, and other Euro
pean countries with over 100000
pounds, none Of which. Of course. was
produced in those countries, since in
dia rubber is solely tropical product
Most of the II 900. 900 pounds credited
to Europe comes from the African COL
Onies Of certain European countries,
though In some cases from colonies in
the East Indies.
The rapid growth in the importation
and use OF india rubber in the United
States Is shown by the following table,
which gives the quantity and value of
rubber imported at five-year intervals,
from 1874 to 1904.