164 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[February i, 1906. 



presidency. About 20 j'ears ago Mr. Acken, who formerly 

 lived in New Brunswick, moved to New York city. 



Mt. Acken was regular in attendance at the offices of the 

 company in Reade street, which have remained in one posi- 

 tion for an unusual long period, considering how frequcntlj- 

 business offices change their location. The office stafi" was 

 seldom changed e.xcepl by the death of a member. Twelve 

 J'ears ago The India Ri'iider World, reporting a dinner 

 tendered by the officers and staff, mentioned that the com- 

 bined service in the company of the thirteen persons present 

 was 324 years — an average practically of 23 years — and 

 several of those named are still connected witi; the company. 

 In addition to this business connection, Mr. Acken was a 

 director in the Norfolk and New Brunswick Hosierj' Co., in 

 the foundation of which, a half century ago, a number of 

 leading rubber men were interested. 



Mr. Acken married MaryS. Letson, daughterofthe late John- 

 son Letson, of New Brunswick, who for many years was prom- 

 inent in the rubber trade. The death of Mrs. Acken occurred 

 May 3, 1902. One son survives, Mr. John Acken, treasurer 

 of the New York Rubber Co., and a daughter. Funeral ser- 

 vices were held at the home on the morning of January 31, 

 and the interment was in the family lot at Kensico, New 

 York, where, about a year ago, Mr. Acken built a fine 

 mausoleum. 



Born of Revolutionary stock, part Quaker and Scotch, Mr. 

 Acken combined rare and lovable qualities. A lover of 

 peace, he would fight for his friends and for the right, with 

 untiring loj'alty. Quick in his decision, generous, the soul 

 of old fashioned courtesy, his like is too rarely seen. The 

 business that he controlled and administered so successfully 

 was run on absolutely straight business lines, but with a re- 

 gard for the feelings of all the employes that it was like a 

 family where tliere was no unrest and no bickerings. In 

 the trade his word was his bond, and he expected others to 

 deal with him as he did with them. And they usually did. 

 His infiuence for fair dealing was most marked and the trade 

 suffers much in his death. 



THE CONGO RUBBER SITUATION. 



IX their annual review of the Antwerp rubber market for 

 1905 — the statistical details of which appear on the 

 market pages of this Journal — Messrs. Grisar & Co., brokers, 

 say : 



Imports of Caoutchouc in this market have remained essentially 

 the same as last year. Total exports from the Congo basin have 

 been slightly less than during the preceding year. A noteworthy 

 increase in the output of Caoutchouc gathered is hardly expected 

 at this time, and the present output must be considered to rep- 

 resent the mean figure of the annual production of the Congo Free 

 vState. 



The severe measures proclaimed by the Slate, for the purpose of 

 stopping the abuses which over exploitation would not fail to pro- 

 duce, and to prevent the impoverishment of the forests belonging 

 to the domain, have, in fact, tended to diminish exports to a nor- 

 mal but regular figure. 



Producers have especially directed their efforts towards improv- 

 ing the quality of the gathered product, and in this respect new 

 and real progress has been made on the Congo. E.vperiments in 

 treating pitchy Caoutchouc with talcum do not appear to have pro 

 duced the expected results. This hanuless substance, which how- 

 ever, has no effect on Caoutchouc, has merely given a less unfavor- 



able appearance to the pitchy lots, without contributing to tlieir 

 improvement in any respect. We therefore advise the discontinu- 

 ation of this practice, which, while doing no harm, means simply 

 a loss of time and money. 



The finest grades of Caoutchouc are still coming from the Kasai, 

 Hquateur, Loraami, Uel^, and Mongala districts. 



Planting is going on gradually and regularly, in conformity with 

 the order of September 22, 1904, of which we had occasion to 

 speak on our last annual review. Estimating from the aggregate 

 of the crops gathered in 1904, there have been planted out during 

 the past year about 2,450,000 Caoutchouc trees and lianes, one 

 half of which weie ])lauted by the employes of the State and the 

 remaining one half l)y companies and private persons established 

 on the Congo. This brings up the amount of planting done in ac- 

 cordance with the aforesaid legal provisions, to approximately 12,- 

 500,000 Caoutchouc producing plants. 



Even the oldest of these cultivations can hardly be made pro- 

 ductive until several years shall have elapsed. Experiments have 

 already been attempted with plants of various ages, for the purpose 

 of determining the time at which the different species cultivated 

 may be worked under paying conditions, but results have not been 

 sufficiently conclusive to make it possible to draw conclusions 

 from them for the future. 



The import of new kinds of Caoutchouc continues to show a 

 large development in our market, as proved by our statistics. 

 Sales have at all times been easy and regular, at paying rates 



Concerning the new kinds in which the greatest interest was 

 shown, we shall mention in the front rank those species of Caout- 

 chouc originating from the methodically managed plantations in 

 Ceylon and in the Federated Malay States, where the cultivation 

 is growing to considerable dimensions, as well as from Bahia, in 

 Brazil, These gums, thanks to their absolute purity and excellent 

 quality, have met with an extremely favorable reception from 

 purchasers, and have brought prices largely exceeding those paid 

 for Pari. These cultivations, which have been for several years 

 past a subject of extended investigations and essays, appear to 

 have solved the question which has given rise to such numerous 

 controversies, viz.: that of the rational planting of CaO\itchouc 

 producing plants. 



As, moreover the results of this industry, from the economic 

 standpoint, appear to be brilliant, a considerable future develop- 

 ment may well be foretold for them. As the present production 

 still remains insufficient to meet the industrial demand, this new 

 source of supply will be highly appreciated. 



The world's production of Caoutchouc may at the present time 

 be estimated at about 75 000 tons. During the year considered in 

 this review, prices have continued to advance, and new supplies 

 have been quickly taken upas they gradually came on the market 



From the commencement of the year, quotations already began 

 to show an advance of about 8 per cent With the exception of a 

 slight lull during the summer, which usually occurs on account of 

 the heated term, prices have advanced until the end of the year, 

 closing with a mean advance of about thirteen per cent, when com- 

 pared with those at the end of December, 1904. 



Thic Canadian commercial agent at Melbourne reports : 

 '■ The orders recenth' obtained in Victoria, South Australia, 

 and Tasmania for Canadian rubbers and sand shoes have 

 been of a very satisfactory nature in volume. This business 

 is likely to increase to large proportions, which result is at- 

 tributable to the excellent ([uality of the goods and the im- 

 proved representation the line is receiving." With regard 

 to mechanical rubber goods, the report says: "There is 

 always a demand for standard qualities of British make, 

 which were first introduced, and for many j-ears practically 

 held the trade." Of late, however, German competition has 

 Iieen felt. 



