The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-05
DETECTS PLAN HERE
TO CORNER RUBBER
..Statist" Says Chief Buying
Now Is for American
Account.
EXPECTS ANOTHER COUP

The London Statist Of November ~
has a study OF the continued rise In the
price Of rubber. in which " IL sara
that apparently the chief buying mas
h.en for American account and that en-
terprising Americans may be trying
To encc, what mounts to n corner OF
! the available supply. 1t is recalled that
an American group made a Dig cup
on rubber several years ago. The Stdt-
list says: g..
year by year up to early in 1919 Tor
nearly five years the price OF ruooeI
fol- and except for "A short period or
recovery early in 1911 the fall was
throughout persistent until the begin
Ming OF this year. Prices in April, 1917.
wen, to AN inflated level. plantation
touching I2s. IOd. and wild grown Para
lbs. Cd. per pound. The fall brought
down quotations by January, 1910. 10
-. and -. id. per pound fresent
J prices show a ecovery to 3s. ana - f"'
respectively and the feature or piahta.
ton rubber at "A higher price IMAM Win
Para. A,
.Thc recovery In price lately has led
! /, much discussion of the position ana
| probabilities of the future. Also IL IL
asked what has been the Impulse that
has moved the market to the extent Oh
"A total recovery of 80 per cent since
January last. Apparently the chiet puy-
Ing has been for American account. out
t-ansatlantic friends are understood to
have been to the fore not only Tor &c.
auiring rubber for prompt deliNery' pu'
in buying for forward positions. with
delivery arranged to AZ far as the END o'
1916. In the produce market 1t Is as
a..,.I chair ttir.blSnS Of late nave ~
| ceeded 80 per cent. of the total business
! done. II the main business has beer
for this quarter the question arises; Wh!
! are the purchases made? Ii IL known
tina; there are big foreign orders placed
I'm the United States for rubber goods
also an increasing growth In the nome
demand and insufficiency OF Stocks
| There are also, doubtless. other fea'
sons. including possibly the desire &c
acquire control of the rubber market II
like manner as a few years < .\meri'
! can operators temporarily effected.
"Somr American market operators love
big co,ps in articles such as wheat
I lard. cotton. copper. sc. They made q
big coup ian rubber years ago. and az the
moment they may consider there ~ httit
risk of "A setback. but the possibility oil
an appreciable further rise in prices
Both from their point OF view and IT
general il is felt that whlle thcre II
war the demand will continue to be
heavy. II an early peace occurs there
Will for "A period be a large demand
for rubber for the rehabilitation of army
and navy requirements. and also gen.
orally. The Central Powers especially
would require immense quantities, botf
for governmental M commercial I've
uuiremeHts. Any apprec!able control o.
supplies and an accumulation of stock:
for a period by the Americans would
enable a combine to exact its own price
IF n desire of such character he
! entertained IL is worth glancing at th'
magnitude of the value Of the rubber
output. At current prices the csai'
mated rubber production OF the worl'
in 1915 and 1915 would represent equa
as to 1913 to about 40 per cent. and AZ
To- 1916 over 80 per cent. of the value
of the worlds gold output of, say, f92,
600, 600 "A year