Rubber Must Be Saved
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ITAL as is the need for the conservation of fuel, lubricants, metal scrap, waste paper, bones and many other items, the saving of rubber must now be considered as of paramount importance. The stocks of raw rubber are strictly limited, both here and in the other countries comprising, with us, the United Nations. Reclaimed rubber will certainly help, but the latter cannot be used without a fairly large percentage of the original product for other than less-importtnt purposes.
Many references have been made to the possibilities of synthetic rubber, and pious hopes are cherished that much of this material will be avail able from the United States. We must not, however, delude ourselves into the belief that large • quantities of the artificial product can reach us for at least a year, or probably much longer.
or information regarding the rubber position in America we can turn to statements made a few weeks ago, in a letter to the President of the American Trucking Associations, by the U.S.A. chief of the Tyre Rationing Division. In this he enclosed a detailed memorandum entitled "The Ribber Outlook," containing facts concerning the importance of the rubber shortage, which were presented to the Senate Committee last March, wherein an analysis was made of the outlook for the United Nations for the present year and up to and including 1944, Drastic Reductions to Conserve Stocks It was computed that the net stocks of new rubber of all types at the end of 1942 would be 278,000 tons, and that complete exhaustion of these would, in the ordinary way, occur by the. end of March, 1943. The matter of relieving the situation by stepping-up the production of synthetic rubber to 300,000 tons in 1943 and 1300,000 in 1944 was considered, but, even on this basis, the stocks would be exhausted by May, 1943, unless important decreases in use were instituted.
This information led to the immediate reduction of 25 per cent, in allocations to all the United Nations, which action, it is estimated, will leave a small balance of 65,000 tons at the end of 1942, but only if the huge programme for the production of synthetic rubber proves possible of accomplishment ; if, however, the completion of the synthetic plants falls behind schedule the position will became far more drastic.
Huge reductions in civilian uses of rubber, exclusive of thelarge quantities which formerly went into the production of new tyres and tubes for motor vehicles, have been made. For example, the average monthly consumption for the year from April 1, 1940, was 17,440 tons ; the " ration " is now 5,500 tons.
Lorries engaged in essential work now require 0;500 tons per month, but thc total for essential purposes must be reduced to 2,000 per month before any consideration can be given to the employment of new rubber for less-important commercial vehicles and private cars.
Tyres Restricted to Priority Transport The existing capacity for producing reclaimed rubber is 350,000 "short" tons (2,000 lb. per ton) per year. This may be extended, but the amount of such rubber which will become available for civilian uses is unlikely to exceed 170,000 "short" tons per year ; the remainder will be required for military purposes and export.
Normally, private cars take 45,000,000 new tyres a year, whilst 5,000,000 tyres are retreaded. It will be possible to meet only one-seventh of these requirements, and the best that can be expected is to keep in use some of the private cars run by war workers.
Since these conclusions were arrived at the outlook for raw rubber has become even mpre unfavourable; as certain sources of supply have been lost, whilst the demand for the military needs of the U.S.A.,-Britain and Russia have been substantially increased and will continue to grow. It is expected that allocations to all classes of user must be cut by at least 40 per cent., and in order to keep any sizeable number of essential private cars operating, speeds must always be below 40 m.p.h. Tyres must be given the best of care and receive frequent inspection to ensure retreading at the proper time, whilst an expansion of the facilities for the latter is needed. There must not only be a concerted programme for the collection of scrap rubber, but rigid control of that reclaimed.
Further, to ensure careful use, the Office of Price Administration has ruled that no tyres will now be available to either commercial operators or private-car owners who abuse those at present in their possession. This ride became operative on June 1, and now anyone who presents an inspector's report that a tyre cannot be -made fit for resoling or retreading will be called upon to prove that it did not become unusable through bad treatment or neglect. The grant or refusal of a certificate in such circumstances will be at the discretion of the Board, and will be linked with the loss which the community may suffer if the applicant be denied the new equipment.
That operators in the States are paying attention to the need for economy is demonstrated l3y. the fact that the demands upon the ration quota for many States were well below the allocation, in some cases being less than half that for February, although purchases rose sharply in March, but, even then, not to the total ration for that month. All this shows that we in Britain must rely largely upon our own efforts to reduce the consumption of rubber to the absolute minimum possible. It would be even more unfair to waste rubber now that all vital war materials are being, more or less,put into the common pool.
America is already strictly rationed in this respect, and we must not, by carelessness or through lack •of thought, increase the difficulties of those who control rubber in that country, quite apart from more selfish considerations.
That the British Government is also keenly alive to this position can be judged by instructions recently issued by the Treasury to all Government Departments. These stress the urgent need for economy in rubber, demand a review of their requirements for vehicles both in London and the Provinces, and state that immediate steps should be taken to reduce to a minimum the number of vehicles used and the mileages run, whilst alternative means for transport must be employed wherever available ;. also it is stated that no cars may be driVen at above 40 m.p.h., save in exceptional circumstances, and that the utmost care must be exercised in the maintenance and use of tyres.