New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-04-09
Asst INCREASE IN
/ USAGE OF RUBBER
Bnited States Takes II Per Cent.
! Of World Production

New York, April s.-Rubber con-
r691y was SO per cent greater than in
1915, double that Of 1915, three times
as much in 1914. and six times as
rluch a decade ago. The demands of
American manufa cturers have more
than kept pace with the rapid in
crease in world production.
"A compilation by The National
City bank of New York discussing
world and United States consum ption
of India rubber in the last decade
shows that while world production
Increased from $4,000 tons in 1907 to
$500 tons in 1917 United States
consumption grew from 10000 tons
in 1907 to 1872. 1000 tons in 1917. World
production quadrupled in the ten
year period and United States con-
sumption sextupled in the same time.
In 1907 the United States took "A per
cent of the worlds output, and in
1917 II per cent. A. billion dollars
CT 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
@reriod, In part from Brazil, but chief
ly in recent years from the Orient.
The banks statement shows that in
the worlds output of "plantation"
rubber has increased from | 900 tons
IN 1907 to 2O4 900 tons in 1917, while
meantime the wild" rubber output
nF fhn
Stcns in 1907 to $4,000 tons in 1917,
It was only q decade ago that the
rubber plantations established in the
Orient by European capital about
1900, came into "bearing' conditions,
the worlds output of plantation rub
Der having been in 1900 but 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 39,370 tons, according to the
estimate of the highest authorities
The other producers of forest rub
Der, chiefly Central America, Mexico
their output from about SOC tons
in 1907 to 1900 tons in 1917. leav-
ing the United States more and more
dependent upon the plantations of
the Orient. AS a result the importa-
ton into the United States of plan
tatton rubber from the Orient has
grown from about $4,000 tons in
1914 to approximately 1900 tons in
1917, although we have in the mean
time continued to take a, very large
proportion Of the rubber output of
our South and Central 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 60
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 4
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 quantity imported for con-
sumption having been approxima tely
$4,000 tons against 117,000 tons in
1915, the former high record year,
and the value in 1917 $3.50, 900, 900
against s16o,000.0oo In 1916. Mean
time our expectation of manufac-
tHres of rubber has grown from 81,
100000 a decade ago to s35, 900 in
1917, while we also re-eNported In
crude form nearly 100000 worth
of the rubber imported in 1917,
Practically all of the plantation
rubber produced in the world is thus
far grown in the Orient. The plan
tations occupy about two million
acres. of which approximately one
million are in the Malayan PENN
su1a, a half million in the Dutch East
Indies and the remainder distributed
through Ceylon, India, Burma, Coch-
in. China and Borneo. and a com
paratively small acreage in the Phil.
ippine Islands, where experimental
work has given reason to believe tina
the rubber producing possibilities are
worry great. The amount of capita
invested In the rubber plantations OF
the Orient is estimated at approx
mately s300,o00,000, chiefly British
except that in the Dutch East Indies
which is largely from the Neither
lands,