WILL NEVER RETURN

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 59, 2 December 1933, Page 6

WILL NEVER RETURN

Boom Prices in Rubber Industry

BIG STOCKS BEING HELD

Dominion Special Service.

Auckland, December 1.

Rubber will never fetch the price that it did when the industry was in its boom days, stated Mr. G. 45. Skellerup, managing director of tbe Para Rubber Company, who, with his two daughters, arrived at Auckland by the Mariposa after an absence from New Zealand of six months, spent in Europe and the United States. Mr. Skellerup belongs to Christchurch. It "was no longer anticipated, he said, that rubber prices would ever return fb their old level. Reclaimed rubber, such as that from old motor tires, came on to the market at about 4d per lb and acted as a deadweight to keep prices down. In addition, big stocks of rubber were held and production was in excess of consumption. Referring to tiie many new uses to which rubber was being put, Mr. Skelkirup said that he had been particularly impressed with the way in which it was used for flooring. In Great Britain almost every big building had rubber floors in every conceivable design. In this branch of industry Britain appeared to be a long way ahead of any other country. The use of latex thread for the 'manufacture of such articles as bathing suits was another recent development of the business. The rubber business in Britain was better at present than it had been since 1929.

After his tour abroad, said Mr. Skellerup, he had come to the conclusion that, trading conditions in New Zealand at present were more difficult than in most other countries. In his travels he had not noticed sales taxes to any extent, although one was in force in certain American States.