JiN-i: I. 1907.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



275 



THE EDITOR'S BOOK TABLE. 



LE CAUUrCHOUC DANS I-'AFKIQUK OCCIDL.NTALE I'KAN- 



caise. Par Yves IKnry, Inspvctcur d'Anriculturc. I'aris: Augustir 



Challancl. 1907. [Paper. 8vo. I'p. ijg-t-l6 plates + charts and map. 

 Price, 9 francs. J 



"T^lllS is a semi official work, prepared by Mens. Henry, inspcc- 

 ■*• tor of agriculture for French West Africa, primarily as an 

 exhibit at tlie French Colonial Exposition at Marseilles last 

 autunni. The first part of the book details the history of the 

 crude rubber trade in the five colonies under the administration 

 of the governor general of French West Africa, with statistics of 

 production, prices, etc., year by year. Not only this, but the 

 rubber is followed to its destination, and the selling systems at 

 Liverpool, Bordeaux, Antwerp, and other markets described. 

 The second part of the work is devoted to the colonial regulations 

 of l-'cbruary I, 1905. lliese relate to (i) repression of fraud in 

 the preparation of rubber, (2) conservation of native rubber 

 plants, (3) the planting of rubber, and (4) the education of the 

 natives in methods of tapping trees and preparing the rubber for 

 market. In the concluding chapter it is pointed out that satis- 

 factory results have been attained in each of these respects. The 

 rubber training schools are of particular interest, and their intro- 

 duction into other French colonies was recommended by the 

 Marseilles Colonial Congress. There are a number of good illus- 

 trations of trading stations and of rubber yielding species. 



QUESTION CONGOI.AISE. LA COMP.VGXIE DU KASAI A SES 

 Actionnaires. Response a ses Detractcurs. IJruxelles; 1906. [Paper. 

 Svo. Pp. 100-1-2 maps.] 



Tms Statement, by the directors of an important rubber trad- 

 ing company to its shareholders, in response to charges affecting 

 its treatment of the natives within its sphere of influence, forms a 

 most interesting contribution to the subject of conditions on the 

 Congo. As for the attacks upon the company, they have been of 

 the general character of those against the Congo administration, 

 and not against the "Kasai trust" in particular. The reply is, of 

 course, simple assertion on the part of one of the attacked parties, 

 and discussion of the details involved does not belong to the scope 

 of this journal. But the facts regarding the objects, plan, and 

 working of the Kasai company, formed December 24, 1901, by the 

 merger of fourteen concessionaire companies trading in the Kasai 

 basin, is of interest, since the statements are official and more 

 comprehensive than anything published hitherto regarding any 

 Congo trading concern. 



The vast territory controlled embraces the upper Kasai and its 

 tributaries, extending down that stream almost to the concession 

 of the American Congo Co. Its headquarters are at Dima, near 

 the mouth of the river. The capital is 1.005,000 francs [^$193,- 

 965], in 4020 shares of 250 francs, in connection with which exist 

 an equal number of shares "without designation of value," of the 

 nature of "common stock." Half of all the shares are held by 

 the Congo Free State. 



Tlie book before us points out that the Kasai company has 

 steadily pushed forward the development of its territory, increas- 

 ing its production, and tending to better the condition of the 

 natives. There has been a constant increase in the number of 

 trading posts, an improvement in the quality of rubber, and better 

 business management, all of which compares favorably with the 

 conditiors existing when fourteen companies formerly worked 

 independently. We must note the interest taken by the company 

 in foriTiing plantations of rubber, in addition to the planting 

 required by law. 'Ibe net profits for the four years for which 

 accounts have been completed have been : 



In 1902 1,210,706.23 francs [= $233,666.26! 



In 1903 3.497-.W30T francs [= 677.096.8.SI 



In 1904 5-.«4.707-o6 francs [ = 1,029.615.82! 



In 1905 7,543,084.98 francs [ = 1,455 885.40I 



It will thus be seen that the net profits in one year were more 

 than seven times the amount of capital stated. After allowing 15 

 per cent on the capital shares there will be available, for the past 



year, 1500 francs per share of the "common stock" (which cost 

 nothing), and a recent Brussels Stock Exchange quotation for 

 these shares was r6,6oo francs (=$3203.801. No doubt the share- 

 holders will be easily satisfied with the company's defense. 



The rubber arrivals at Antwerp credited to this company in 

 The India KtniiER Worlo have been 815 tons in 1903; 910 tons in 

 1904; IJ09 ions in 1905; and 1075 tons in 1906. A series of excel- 

 lent pictures in this book illustrates the work of Catherine; and 

 bringing in this rubber by the Kasai natives. 



THE FAR EASTERN TROPICS. STUDIES IN THE AD.MIN I.STKA 

 tion of Tropica) Ueptndencies. Uy Alleync Ireland, F.R.C.S.. Iloston: 

 lIoUKliton, .MilHin & Co. (Cloth. Svo. Pp. xi-hJ39. Price. $;, net.] 



The question of dealing with some tropical dependency or other 

 confronts every great power to-day, and no governmental prob- 

 lem is more difficult to deal with. It is not a matter that can be 

 set aside lightly, since, if there were no other reason for the exist- 

 ence of these colonics there must needs be commerce between the 

 torrid and temperate zones; it seems inevitable that this should be 

 controlled by the people of the colder climates, and this involves 

 ultimate political control. Not that Mr. Ireland propounds any 

 such theory, but it is suggested by the reading of his book, which 

 is a careful study by a trained observer who has spent much time 

 in the regions whose people and institutions he describes. If we 

 were to point out a practical illustration of the importance to 

 Western civilization of the problems our author has studied it 

 might be mentioned that india-rubber, which has become one of 

 the world's necessities, is largely produced in countries which are 

 not self governing. In order to bring about such closer relations 

 with the tropics as will facilitate the obtaining of rubber it is 

 necessary that there should be, in many cases, better methods of 

 colonial administration. This calls for a better mutual under- 

 standing between the "home" powers and the colonies, and to this 

 end Mr. Ireland's work is a notable contribution, so far as readers 

 at "home" are concerned. All the Far Eastern countries treated 

 by him are producers of rubber, though of course he does not 

 deal in any way with the rubber question. He only helps us to 

 understand those parts of the world whence an important com- 

 modity comes. 



ROYAL ROTANIC GARDENS, KEVV. liULLETIN OF MISCELLA- 

 neons Inforrnalion. Additional Series, \"ir. Selected Papers from the 

 A'l'ie BiiUclin. Ill — Rubber. London: His Majesty's Stationery 

 Office. 1906. [Boards. Svo. Pp. iv-l-187. Price, i shilling 6 pence.] 



The Staff at Kew has rendered the rubber interest a distinct 

 service in the scientific study of rubber yielding species. It niight 

 justly claim credit, for example, for the introduction of Hevca 

 rubber into the Far East, and for otherwise stimulating the rub- 

 ber culture. For nearly a score of years its BuUelin has con- 

 tained articles of value relating to rubber, and especially the 

 botany of rubber, an interesting selection of which appears in this 

 volume. 



RUBBER PLANTING IN THE REPUBLIC OF PANAMA. BY JIL F. 

 Sanchez. Panama: Chevalier, Andrews & Cia. [Paper, i^mo. Pp. 

 viii-i- 36 -{- plates.] 



The author of this brochure mentions his experience in con- 

 nection with a considerable plantation of rubber owned by a min- 

 ing company on the isthmus of Darien, where hi^ observations 

 convinced him of the possibilities of this new planting interest. 

 He gives some estimates of planting cost and profits, with a num- 

 ber of illustrations from photographs. The booklet is printed in 

 English and Spanish. 



MEXICO'S TREASURE HOUSE (GUANAJUATO!. AN ILLU? 

 trattd and Descriptive Account of the Mines and Their Operations in 

 1906. By Percy V. Martin, F. R. G. S. New Y'ork: "The Cheltenham 

 Press. 1906. [Cloth. Svo. Pp. 259-f-vi -f-maps and plates.] 



This work, though devoted to describing a gold and silver 

 mining region of marvelous richness, gives the reader incidentally 

 no little information regarding Mexico in general, and in par- 

 ticular to a region adjacent to the States which lately have come 

 into prominence as producers of guaynlc rubber. The book is 

 capitally written, and the publishers have brought it out in sump- 

 tuous form. 



