Vol. X. No. 24.3. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



267 



RUBBER INDUSTRY, 



AWARDS AT THE INTERNATIONAL, 

 RUBBER EXHIBITION. 



The following information concerning the awards 

 for exhibits from the West Indies and British Guiana, 

 at the International Rubber Exhibition, is taken from 

 theU'esi India Committee Circular of July 18, 1911: — 



JMr. .1. N. Kelway Bamber, F.l.C., of Ceylon, Mr. Por- 

 ter, of La Zacualpa Rubber Plantations in Mexico, and 

 Mr. E. Luxmoore Marshall, who kindly nndevtook to judge 

 the West Indian exhibits at the International Rubber Exhi- 

 bition, have made the following award.* : — 



Silver Cup offered by the West India Committee for the 

 fine.=!t specinien of Plantation Rubber — !Mr. Hodg.son, Planta- 

 tion Noitgedacht, Briti.sh Guiana. 



Silver Cup offered by the We.st India Committee for the 

 finest specimen of Balata — The Consolidated Rubber and 

 Balata Estates, Ltd. 



Silver Cup offered by Messrs. Booker Bros., Mc.Con- 

 nell & Co., Ltd , of the AVest India Comniitcee, for the best 

 exhibit by a West Indian Botanic Department — The Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture of Trinidad and Tobago. 



Silver Cup offered by Mr. W. Middleton Campbell, Chair- 

 man of the West India Committee, for the beat West Indian 

 couiprehen.sive exhibit — The Permanent Exhibition Com- 

 mittee of Trinidad and Tobago 



Mr. Kelway Bamber submitted the following report 

 regarding the We.st Indian exhibits : — 



1 the honour of being invited to assist in the 

 j . . ihe AVest Indian exhibits at the International 



Rubbei iiiid Allied Trades Exhibition and would like to add 

 a few remarks re the various samples of ruliber shown. 



The .Jamaica exhibit of the Castilloa variety was almost 

 entinli- ill ill- fijiiii of thin, dark-coloured .sheets, containing 

 > ii'k, etc. These could easily be improved 



uj . '.] straining and washing of the latex and 



coa-ii ;c washed cream on tightly stretched 



ir." ' r;?efrom loo.5e hairs and protected from 



<1 iiistics the rate of growth of the trees 



;!l , aid if the yield of liitex and rubber is 



s rubber can be put on the market at 



a rLaooii.j,Lilc cost, there should always be a demand for this 

 product. 



Tiie Dominica exhibit of Castilloa showed greater varia- 

 tion, anl siinio of tho thick biscuits were very strong, and of 

 good I ' tho rubber had a strong medicinal 



sniil', Mr. the addition of chemicals should 



1 I xbibits fri'iii this Colony were 



r I .,-,,, ,i)g fauUj' methods of prepara- 



t: . le to bacterial d(^velopment in the 



lii .■■': :' ■ liberati'in of bubbles of 



u ler, and burst on rolling. 



Even,; p;i.<-auujn siioiila Oe iiiaLic to en.-un.' absolute cleanli- 

 ness, of all utensils, etc., used in the manufacture, the same 



as in a dairy. A little formalin in the washing water is 

 advantageous, and Condy's fluid can be sprayed over the 

 floor daily. Formalin as purchased contains 40 per cent, 

 and one part of this solution in forty parts of pure water 

 gives a 1-per cent, .solution, sufficiently strong for all practical 

 purposes. 



Some excellent Castilloa was shown in the Trinidad and 

 Tobago section, including sheets formed by the new separator 

 method, and several good specimens of block. Some of the 

 latter were too thick, manufacturers requiring block not more 

 than 1 inch tliick, as this can be placed in their machinery 

 without cutting, and impurities can be more easily detected. 



In the British Guiana section some excellent Para 

 biscuits were shown, quite equal to any from the East; also 

 good specimens of balata. The Sapium Jenmani rubber could 

 probably be improved in the manufacture, as it was a little 

 irregular. The whole exhibit in this section was very com- 

 prehensive, and well illustrated the possibilities of the Colony. 

 The same may be said for the Dominica and Trinidad and 

 Tobago exhibits, the latter being exceptionally good and 

 complete. The numerous photographs and well illustrated 

 pamphlets give one an excellent idea of the condition of 

 growth of the various rubbers shown, and the possibilities of 

 exten.sion in the rubber indtistry. 



THE EXTENSION OF THE RUBBER 

 INDUSTRY IN PARA. 



H. M. Consul at Para reports that three Laws (Xos. 

 1,179, 1,180 and 1,181), of date May 17, have been enacted 

 in the State of Para, for the protection and extension of the 

 rubber industry and trade, and of agricidture generally. The 

 first Law authorizes the Government to grant favours, includ- 

 ing exemption from taxes except those on exports, for 

 a period not exceeding fifteen years, to persons undertaking 

 to establish, in the town of Para, factories for the refining of 

 rubber, or agreeing by new and improved methods to wash, 

 rectify and purify india-rubber, so as to permit of the export 

 of one grade only, of the finest quality. 



The second Law authorizes the Government to enter 

 into agreement with the Government of Amazonas, and the 

 Federal Government, for tho contraction of a foreign loan, of 

 ten years' duration, not exceeding £6,000,000, at a maximum 

 interest of .5 per cent,, upon the responsibilities of the two 

 States, and the endorsement of the Federal Government; this 

 loan is to be used to protect the production of rubber. To 

 provide for the interest and amortisation of the loan, an addi- 

 tional tax of 400 reis per kilog. (about 'M. per lb.) of rubber 

 exported is established. The Government of Para is also 

 authorized to enter into agreement with the Government 

 of Matto Grosso, with a view to the establishment of this 

 additional tax upon the product of that State also. 



Should it not be found possible to raise the loan above- 

 mentioned, the State Government is authorized to contract 

 one up to £3,000.000, with interest at 5 per cent., upon the 

 responsibility of the State, and guaranteed by the additional 

 export tax 



The third Law authorizes the Government of the State 

 to guarantee a maximum rate of annual interest of 6 per 

 cent, upon a capital of £3,000,000, to be emitted in series 

 during thirty years, to an agricultural mortgage bank, to be 

 founded in the town of Para. 



H. M. Consul points out that, whether the security of 

 the Federal Government has been or will be accorded in con- 

 nexion with the proposed loan of £6,000,000, is not yet 

 known. {The Board of Trade Journal, June 22, 1911.) 



