36 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[October i, 1908. 



realize the importance attached to it. Here the investor, the 

 planter and the manufacturer meet face to face, and every process 

 of production and manufacture will be discussed at the meetings 

 to be held during the Exhibition. Germany has given us a 

 chemist wizard in Dr. Fritz Frank, who will give practical demon- 

 strations in his laboratory, whilst Mr. Pearson, of The India 

 Rubber World, will enable us to see the practical work on the 

 spot of the rubber section of the pioneers of commerce, whilst 

 the splendid exhibits of the Silvertown company, Messrs. Dunlop, 

 and others, will show what has been and is being accomplished. 

 It is a mere platitude to say that the utilization of rubber is only 

 in its infancy, and yet the first use of it on record goes back into 

 the dim mists of tradition. For in the Indian epic of Ramayana, 

 written more than 2000 years ago, Rama is mentioned as living 

 in the woods for fourteen years, during which time he used the 

 bark of a tree for clothing, whilst the hair wash that matted his 

 hair was the juice of the banzan, now known to rubber growers 

 as the Ficus elastica. 



"I look forward to the time w-hen rubber will compete with the 

 quarry, and I have the authority of a well known manufacturer 

 for saying that at 2 shillings per pound rubber can be economically 



H. Kerr Rutherford. 



[Chairman of the Rubber Growers' Association (London), and of im- 

 portant rubber and tea planting companies; a vice-president of 

 the Rubber Exhibition.] 



used for street pavements. I think that those interested in rubber 

 owe a debt of gratitude to Colonel Bosworth. the chairman, and 

 especially to the organizing secretary, Mr. Staines Manders, for 

 the untiring and capable energy that has brought the Exhibition 

 to so successful an issue. 



"To the gentlemen who represent the Press to-night I again 

 offer a warm and hearty welcome and with an invitation to 

 Messrs. [the names of several speakers were given] to respond, 

 I ask all present to raise their glasses with me to the continuance 

 of all that is good in that great world power, the Press." 



The health of Sir Henry A. Blake, g.c.m.g., president of the 

 Rubber Exhibition, was proposed by Colonel W. J. Bosworth, 

 chairman of the executive committee, in the following words : 



"I have now the honor to propose a toast which I feel sure 

 you will receive with unbounded enthusiasm, and that is the 

 health of our President, Sir Henry Blake. It would have been 

 no slight advantage to this Exhibition if so conspicuous a states- 

 man and empire-maker had merely permitted us to use his name 

 as an indication of his approval of the enterprise, but you will, 

 I am sure, readily understand how greatly we are indebted to 

 him when I tell you that no detail has been too small for him to 

 examine and criticize, and that we have continually received let- 



ters making such valuable and practical suggestions as would be 

 expected from a man of such ripe wisdom and judgment. I 

 know that our organizing manager, Mr. Stanes Manders, not- 

 withstanding his vast experience in organizations of this kind, 

 gladly and thankfully acknowledges the debt he owes to Sir 

 Henry's acumen. Our President has taken infinite pains to make 

 a success of this Exhibition because he is deeply interested in 

 the welfare of this great industry whose prosperity we are all 

 endeavoring to promote. I am sure that members of the com- 

 mittee, gentlemen who will take part in the conferences, rubber 

 growers and manufacturers — British and foreign, as well as ex- 

 hibitors generally — will find it an abiding source of gratification 

 to remember that they have served under a President revered 

 by countless people over whose destinies he has exercised control ; 

 loved by all w-ith whom he comes in contact, and respected 

 throughout the wide world. 



"Gentlemen, I ask you to join me in pledging Sir Henry Blake. 

 Let us with all our hearts wish him happiness and prosperity, 

 with length of days so that he may, for very many years to come, 

 continue to benefit his country and his fellow creatures by pur- 

 suing the objects of his useful life." 



Ernest E. Bucku;ton. 



[Convener of the Rubber Manufacturers' Conference held in connection 

 with the Exhibition.] 



The speakers were chosen by alphabetical arrangement of the 

 countries represented, America coming first and represented by 

 the Editor of The India Rubber World, who sat at the right of 

 the Chair. The other speakers were Monsieur E. Thiroux, of 

 La Caoutclwuc ct la Guttapercha; Herr K. W. Wolf-Czapek, 

 of Gummi-Zeitung; Dr. W. F. Schimmell, of Sourabaya Courant 

 (Java) ; Mr. G. C. Bellairs, of the London Times; Colonel W. J. 

 Bosworth and Mr. A. S. Manders. 



Others peresent and not already named were Senhor N. H. 

 Witt, commissinoer from Manaos ; Senhor H. Vasconcellos, com- 

 missioner for Brazil ; Heer H. S. J. Maas, consul for the Nether- 

 lands; Mr. R. Derry, commissioner from Malaya; Dr. Rudolf 

 Ditmar, rubber-chemical school in Gratz, Austria ; Dr. Tromp 

 de Haas, director of the government gutta-percha estate in Java ; 

 Dr. A. G. N. Swart, president of the Netherlands committee; 

 Dr. D. Sandmaun, of the royal Prussian commercial court; Dr. 

 Theodore E. Smith, India Rubber Revieiu; Mr. M. Kelway Bam- 

 ber, representing the Ceylon government. 



The Official Catalogue of the Exhibition was a most excellent 

 piece of work, embracing not only an informing description of a 

 vast number of exhibits, but admirable introductions and treaties, 

 and portraits of prominent persons. 



