October i, igo8.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



33 



INTERNATIONAL RUBBER AND ALLIED 

 TRADES EXHIBITION. 



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THE first International Rublx^r and AlHed Trades' 

 Exhibition, 1908, held at Olynipia, London's 

 largest exhibition building, during the two 

 weeks closing Saturday, Scpteniljer 26, justi- 

 all the expectations entertained by its promoters 

 the representatives of the various branches of 

 rubber interest who contributed to its success, 

 attention which the London newspapers, and 

 British press generally, gave to the enterprise 

 testified to the widespread interest in rubber which exists 

 in the mind of the British public to-day. The Times 

 came out on the morning of the opening day with an 

 advance notice of the show, resulting from the "press 

 view" of the Saturday afternoon previous, filling space 

 equal to three or four columns of an American news- 

 paper, and in which not one important feature was over- 

 looked, and all treated in a style which would have done 

 justice to a technical writer on rubber. The other general 

 newspapers, in the metropolis and in the provinces, fol- 

 lowed suit ; the financial press gave special attention ; 

 and scarcely any other class of papers — scientific, sport- 

 ing, or what not — failed to mention the rubber show. 



As has been indicated, not a few British investors have 

 been gaining large dividends from rubber shares, and 

 countless others are lioping to do as well when the 

 younger plantations have matured. But there were other 

 reasons for the success of the Rubber Exhibition — it 

 was interesting, to begin with : it was well conducted, and 

 it was brought to the notice of the public in an intelli- 

 gent manner. Never, perhaps, was an exposition so 



thoroughly international in character, and on so large 

 a scale, organized with so little direct government aid 

 in any quarter. The whole work was done within a few 

 months, and some how the result worked out without 

 a deficit. It is understood that the total cost of the 

 Exhibition was covered long in advance by the sale of 

 space in Olynipia, without the guarantors being asked 

 for a penny. It was not a gate money exiiibition, but 

 largely an invitation one, with over 150,000 tickets is- 

 sued. Where gate money was offered, however, it was 

 not declined. 



To get to Olympia, the great hall in which the In- 

 ternationa! Ruliber Exhibition was held, one must first 

 go to London, and after locating in some convenient 

 hotel, prol)ably in the "city," it is easy to reach the show 

 building by "tuppenny tube'' (the underground rail- 

 way), by horse or motor 'bus, hansom, or taxicab. The 

 latter is rather preferable, as the rates are exceeding low 

 and the speed correspondingly high. The interior of 

 the great Olympia building, gay with bunting and flags 

 of all nations, filled with tropical exhibits as well as 

 with the machinery necessary for the production of crude 

 rubber, was an aggregation worthy the interest of any 

 one whether in the trade or not. Perhaps no other in- 

 dustry in the world could have brought together men 

 from such diverse and distant parts of the earth. One 

 rubbed elbows with government officials from Europe, 

 .\sia, Africa and tlie Americas ; with planters from Cey- 

 lon, Federated Malay States, Java, Sumatra, Mexico, 

 Hawaii, and indeed from the whole planting world ; 



Front View of the Building Where the London Rubber Exhibition Was Held. 



