The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-12
AlDRICH EARNESTLY DEFENDS
ATTITUDE ON RUBBER TARIFF

standing with any company or persons
with reference to any manufactured
product or rubber, or the price of any
such product.
1.-The Inter Continental Rubber COM
pany is not in any sense. nor Of any
kind-good or bad-a rubber trust. 1t
was never. and no one connected
with 1t was ever in combination, or
agreement or arrangement with any
body with reference to the production
or control or attempt to control the
price of crude rubber, or of any manu-
facture of rubber. The only rela-
tlons 1T ever had with any rubber man
ufacturing concern have been solely
with reference to the sale and de
livery of its crude products. 1t had
at one time serious differences with
a subordinate company of the United
States Rubber company with reference
to the quality, of rubber delivered,
These were afterward reconciled to
mutual satisfaction. but the arrange
ment' of these differences in new
contract involved no new subjects, and
is the only arrangement of any kind
that we have ever had with this com
pany or any other.
With reference to my personal in.
terest In the matter, ] will say that for
ested, financially and otherwise, in the
development of plans for extracting
crude rubber from shrubs, vines and
trees by scientific, chemical and me.
chanical processes, instead of the old
fashioned tapping method now in gen
eral use
Has Worked in the Open.
"The formation of the companies to
which | have alluded was for the neces-
sary organization of this business in
various parts of the world. There has
no hnnp al .,,t
| on my part, or any reason for conceal
ment of my deep interest III this de-
velopment.
"The measure of success which has
been achieved by the young men who
have had the management of the com
panies has been n source of satisfac-
tion and oG pride to me.
Among other things accomplished is
the yearly production in Mexico by
our company, from the guayle shrub,
of about ten millions of pounds of
crude rubber, other companies produc.
ing in Mexico about an equal amount,
To accomplish this an entirely new in.
| dustry was established. Fifteen years
ago guayle shrub on the Mexican
plains and the lands on which it grew
were practically valueless We expect
In time to accomplish approximate re-
suits in other countries. / have no
apology to make, for my part (Which
has been unimportant) in this work.
"In the success attained the tariff
of the United States has. played no
part whatever. The price of crude
rubber is fixed in the markets of the
world by the ineXorable law of supply
and demand. 1t is governed by auction
sales at London and Antwerp. The
great increase in the price in recent
years is undoubtedly owing to the
enormous increased demand for automo-
bile tires and for electric and other
industrial uses, with no corresponding
increase in the ayailable supply. The
| change in our tariff of 5 per cent on n
very limited number of the manufac-
lures of rubber. in August, 1909, had
as little TO do, with it as has had the
movement Of the tides.
"In 1902 the price of fine para was
10 cents pound; in April, 1910, the
price had reached So a pound, the
pound. If the price has been affected
at all by the product of the Inter
| Continental Rubber company and other
| kindred rubber producing companies, it
| has been to impede the advance by
furnishing a new source of supply
Why Rubber on Free List.
"Crude rubber is, and has been on
the free list of our tariff, and there
has been no movement or suggestion
from any source to place it on the
dutiable list. If this important raw
material, which competes with no
domestic product, should be placed
upon the dmtiable list the duty would
clearly be added to the cost of the rub
ber to the manufacturer or the con-
sumer, and would not affect the pro-
ducer, whose price would clearly be con
trolled by the market of the world,
"Of all the ridiculous statements
made by the Kansas senator, none is