July i, 1909.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



345 



LIBEL SUITS IN THE CONGO. 



"T* HE trial of the libel action brought by certain Belgians 

 ^ against two American missionaries which was to come up 

 at Leopoldville, in the Congo, on May 25, has been twice post- 

 poned, the second time to July 30. The suit is brought by repre- 

 sentatives of the Cie. du Kasai (the Kasai Syndicate) in respect 

 of a publication in the Kasai Herald, in January, 1908. charging 

 cruelty to natives engaged in collecting rubber. The defendants 

 are the Rev. Dr. William Morrison and the Rev. VV. H. Shep- 

 pard, both from the southern United States, representing the 

 Presbyterian church, and located at Luebo on the Kasai river. 

 The postponements in this case are reported to have been made 

 at the request of the United States government, but whatever 

 may be true in this regard, doubts are expressed whether the 

 case will ever come to trial. 



A PROPOSAL TO TAX RUBBER. 



A CORRESPOXDEXT of the London Daily Exfrcss sug- 

 ** gests that, in view of the large number of British in- 

 vestors in rubber plantations and the amount of capital involved, 

 the government should act in their interest to the extent of im- 

 posing a penny per pound on any rubber imported from other 

 than British territory. His idea is that the tax suggested is 

 very moderate for a commodity the price of which in a single 

 year fluctuates from 2s. gd. to 5.?. per pound. In a free trade 

 country like England it probably would take more than a letter 

 to the able Daily Express to bring about a tax on imports of 

 crude rubber, even in the name of "tariff reform." 



FORESTRY IN THE PHILIPPINES. 



■ I 'HE report of the director of forestry of the Pliilippine islands 

 *■ for the year ending June 30, 1908, under charge of Major 

 George P. .■\hern, as director, indicates a great extension of the 

 work of organization, with an increase in results of utility. 

 During the year the Pliilippincs were visited by Dr. Treub. 

 director of agriculture and forestry in Java, at Buitenzorg, and 

 later by an agent of the latter department, who recommended 

 to his government the employment of several American foresters, 

 from the Philippines, to investigate the forests of Sumatra. 

 Captain .^hern has published a bulletin on "A Philippine Sub- 

 stitute for Lignum Vits," known locally as "niancono," and 

 which he regards as very valuable. The collection is reported, 

 during the year, of gutta-percha and rubber to the extent of 

 8g6 metric quintals [ = 197,532 pounds]. 



RECLAIMED RUBBER AND THE TARIFF. 



Editorial Note. — 1 he comniunicalioii which follows, being unveri- 

 fied by any name known to the Kditor, is printed for what it may 

 he worth, by way of supgestion. It may be mentiened, however, 

 that the conditions referred to have been changed, as will be seen 

 from a report of a new customs decision which appeared in the June 

 issue of this journal. 



TO THE Editor of the India Rubber World: I have had 

 an interview with a large local dealer in old rubber, in 

 regard to the article published in your issue of May i (page 

 285), under the title "Reclaimed Rubber Also Free." The said 

 dealer made the following statement: 



"The purpose of the rubber works in Russia in causing a 

 Russian export duty to be imposed on waste rubber, was that 

 of placing themselves in a position to compete with the .Ameri- 

 can reclaimers in selling reclaimed rubber in America, inasmuch 

 as reclaimed rubber can be exported from Russia withmit pay- 

 ing an export duty." 



My informant was surprised that the American customs depart- 

 ment is still in doubt whether this product is "crude rubber," in- 

 asmuch as Russia would not otiierwisc allow it to be exported 



without paying an export duty. Moreover, the Russian rubber 

 works if obliged to pay the export duty on reclaimed rubber would 

 not be able to compete with the .Xmerican producers. 



The rubber reclaiming works in .America must make every ef- 

 fort to induce their government to impose an import duty on 

 European reclaimed rubber, as otherwise they will suffer a serious 

 loss, while the Russian rubber works would attain their purpose. 



The dealer in question further informed me that the amount 

 of old rublier shoes collected at the present time in Russia is 

 about 50 per cent, less than during the same season of previous 

 years, and it therefore appears safe to presume the total supply of 

 old rubber shoes in Russia will this year be one-half less than the 

 average. A cdkre.si'ondent. 



Moscow, .May 17, 1909. 



ROBERT D. EVANS ON SUCCESS. 



APROPOS of the recent mention in these pages of Mr. Robert 

 D. Evans, of Boston, a former leading rubber manufacturer, 

 as the landlord this summer of President Taft, it may be of 

 interest to (|Uotc here from an interview witli .Mr. Evans in 

 the Boston Posl: 



"The story of the man who succeeds is a common one," 

 he says. "Sifting each successful man's personal experiences, 

 it all can be told in the words: 'Hard work, application and 

 brains.' 



"When I take a ni.m into my business I want one to wlioni 

 I can turn over a piece of work and have him with a little 

 study understand the gist of it and what it entails. Five men 

 out of eleven cannot do that. They will bungle the thing. 

 What the business world needs to-day is young men of execu- 

 tive intelligence. 



"While our colleges to-day are lacking in conditions for 

 developing this executive ability in a man, the subject is 

 getting more and more attention, as for instance in the 

 course in business training that has just been established at 

 Harvard." 



•'CHEMISM.' 



APHYSICLAN who writes that he has been a constant 

 reader of The India Ruiiuer World for several years, 

 and thus has been led to take an interest in' the sources of rub- 

 ber, feels that he has obtained by experimenting a material bet- 

 ter adapted for a filler or assistant than any other substance 

 tints far used in oinnectinn with rubber. "These efforts," he 

 says, "have been based on the principle of obtaining materials 

 possessing affinity for true commercial rubber that, when prop- 

 erly combined, yield a light and spongy product that requires 

 less rubber in compounding than most other formulas, and when 

 cost is considered I think it has not been equaled in the field 

 of rubber compounds. The sources of supply are unlimited, and 

 although this incipient industry has not passed its empirical 

 stage, yet the writer feels confident that his efforts, with the 

 assistance of his specialist in exploiting this interesting field, 

 have been fully repaid by the results already accomplished." 



Mr. Loi'is Ciiari.es Bernacchi, of England, ami a director in 

 Tlie Inambari Para-Rubber Estates, contributed to Travel and 

 Exploration (London, January, 1909) an account of "A Journey 

 Into the Primeval Forests of Tropical Peru," which is very 

 informing as to the natural conditions in the region where the 

 rubber company are operating, the difficulties in the way of de- 

 velopment, and particularly the character of the natives. He 

 proceeded from the Pacific coast to the Inambari river, and 

 found some rubber gathering in progress. He predicts that the 

 region will in time become very wealthy. Mr. Bernacchi's trip 

 was made before the rubber conii)any ever existed. 



