Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08

nected in any way with automobiles
to see the rubber problem solved. II
may be remembered that In 1922 cBes
had only about one-third the life they
have now. A certain company at that
time made what some companies re-
garded as preposterous guarantee. 1t
guaranteed its tire for 5000 miles. To-
day tire that Is not good for from
10000 TO $4,000 miles as q matter Of
course has very little place on the
market.
One Of the interesting results of the
restriction was the accumulation of rub
Der in British Malaga. Rubber comes
| from two sources. One Is the planta-
lions, great farms planted with rub
Der trees, which are carefully tended
like orchards. The other source is wild
rubber. The natives go into the jungles
and tap the trees, bringing out the rub
Der and selling it to traders. This wild
rubber supply makes up large proper
ton of the total output. OF course,
the restriction related to wild rubber as
well as to the plantation variety. Only
q portion could be exported. The ma
! tives continued tapping trees, however.
smuggling out what they could over
and above the restriction limit and
boarding the rest.
Present Rubber Consumption Enormous.
So when the restriction was removed
last November there was looSed upon
the world a vast quantity Of stored-up
raw rubber. Every ship from the Indies
brought rubber. The price dropped
| from 80 cents to IS cents, and while
the American imports rose tremendous
| ly, the value of the total volume Of the
last six months was below a compare
| tive six months under the Stevenson
| plan. American rubber consumption
continued to increase despite the re-
striction. The price seemed TO have
made relatively little difference on the
whole. In 1922 rubber consumption
in the United States amounted to 276.-
265 tons. In 1928 the consumption was
442 ,220 tons. The figures for 1929 will
show big increase over the latter fig
ure. We consume two-thirds of the
worlds supply of rubber and lead all
other nations in exports of rubber
goods. Canada is second, but largely
because Of Canadian branches of Amer
lean rubber companies. 1t is all really
American business. In fact, the Amer
lean rubber manufacturing industry Is
greater than that Of all other nations
combined.
American leadership in automobiles
is responsible primarily. Two-thirds
of the crude rubber brought into the
country goes into tires. Fifteen per
cent goes into inner tubes. Exports
| OF rubber products are in the neigh
borhood of $4,000, 900 a year. with
this figure rising each year. For the
frst seven months of this year Ameri-
can rubber consumption amounted to
3l0,643 long tons. or considerably more
than any whole years consumption
under the Stevenson plan.
| The rubber market now has become
somewhat stable. Last Winter it waS
cratic, as might be expected right
after the lifting of the restriction,
Prices naturally sank, and stocks ac-
cumulated. Now the distribution has
been about completed, good-sized stocks
are held in all consuming countries and
prices are ruling steadily.
The business is seasonal, but balances
nicely. The Spring and Summer are
the big months for the tire sales, as in
those months more automobiles are
more constantly on the roads. With
the coming of Autumn and Winter.
tire sales fall OF, but there is an in.
creased demand for rubber footwear.
raincoatS and the like.