The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-04-05
AMERICA TAKES
70 Per CENT. OF
WORLDS RUBBER

Rubber consumption IN the Unlted
States in 1917 was so per cent.
greater than in 1916, double that of
1915, three times as much in 1914,
and six times as much a decade ago.
The demands of American manufac-
turers have more than kept pace with
the rapid increase in world produc-
ton.
A compilation by the National City
Bank of New York discussing world
and United States consumption of
India rubber in the last decade shows
that while world production increas-
ed from $4,000 tons in 1907 to 257,-
900 tons in 1917, United States con-
humption grew from 10000 tons in
1907 to $4,000 tons in 1917. World
production quadrupled in the ten-year
period and United States consump-
ton sextupled in the same time In
1917 the United States took A per
cent. Of the worlds output, and in
1917 II per cent. A billion dollars
of American money has been sent to
other parts of the world in the de
cade ending with 1917 for the pur-
chase of the 100000 tons Of rubber
brought into the United States in that
period, in part from Brazil, but
chiefly in recent years from the
Orient.
The banks statement shows that
the worlds output of "plantation"
rubber has increased from 1000 tons
in 1907 to 100000 tons in 1917, while
meantime the wild" rubber output
Of the world decreased some $4,000
tons in 1907 to $4,000 tons in 1917.
|. 1t was only a decade ago that the
rubber plantations established in the
Orient by European capital about
1900, came into "bearing'' condition,
the worlds output of plantation rub
Der having been in 1900 but four tons;
in 1905, las tons; 1907, 1000 tons,
and from that on a very rapid in
crease showing for 1917, 204,34S tons
according to the latest estimates of
, the highest world authorities. Mean
time Brazilian rubber, produced from
forests, showed little change in the
quantity produced, the production in
1907 having been $4,000 tons and in
1917, 1880 tons, according to the
! estimate of the highest authorities.
The other producers of forest rubber,
| chiefly Central America, Mexico and
the Congo Valley, have reduced their
output from about 10000 tons in 1907
| to $4,000 tons in 1917, leaving the
United States more and more depend
ent upon the plantations Of the Orient.
| AS a result the importation into the
United States of plantation rubber
from the Orient has grown from about
$4,000 tons in 1914 to approximately
n in 1917 a1thO11Oh
have in the meantime continued to
take a very large proportion of the
rubber output of our South and Cen
trail American neighbors. Plantation
rubber now forms about 80 per cent.
of the worlds rubber output.
Even the very rapid increase in
world production of rubber from So
900 tons in 1907 to $4,000 in 1917,
has not kept pace with the demand
of the United States for while our
imports of rubber in 1907 form Al
per cent of the worlds output, they
were in 1912 81 per cent, in 1916
So per cent. and in 1917, II per cent
Of the entire rubber product of the
world.
Rubber imports into the United
States in the calendar year 1917 were
the largest in the history Of that trade
both in quantity and value, the guam
tity imported for consumption having
been approximately $4,000 tons
against $4,000 tons in 1916, the
former high record year, and the
value in 1917 $233,O00.o0O against
$3.50, 100000 in 1916. Meantime oul
expectation of manufactures of rub
Der has grown from 100000 a de-
cade ago to $S5,OOO,0OO in 1917, while
we also re-exported in crude form
nearly s6,oO0,O00 worth of the rubber
imported in 1917.
Practically all of the plantation
rubber produced in the world is thu:
far grown in the Orient. The planta.
lions occupy about 100000 acres, Of
which approximately 100000 are il
the Malayan Peninsula, q half mil
lion in the Dutch East Indies and the
remainder distributed through Cey
lon, India, Burma, Cochin China anG
Borneo, and a comparatively small
acreage in the Philippine Islands
where experimental work has giver
reason to believe that the rubber pro
ducing possibilities are very great
The amount of capital invested in the
rubber plantations of the Orient /!
estimated at approximately 100000,
900, chiefly British, except that in the
Dutch East Indies, which is largel!