Dece.muer I, 1904.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



95 



A NEW ENGLAND RUBBER CLUB "SMOKE TALK." 



TIII'^ New Fnglaiid Rubber Club plans to have at least 

 two informal club socials a year — one in the summer, 

 which takes the form of a picnic and dinner; and one 

 in the fall or winter, which is usually a " smoke talk." 

 An entertainment of the latter class was called for the even- 

 ing of November 21. It happened that Mr. Henry C. Pearson, 

 the secretary of the Club, had recently returned from a trip to 

 Central America and had become possessed of a number of 

 photographs illustrative of the region visited, in consequence 

 of which he was summoned by the executive committee, and 

 persuaded to tell the story of his trip, accompanied by stereop- 

 ticon views. 



The spacious assembly room at the American House, in Bos- 

 ton, was chosen as the place of meeting, and it served the pur- 

 pose admirably. The Club had its own coat room, ample space 

 for the social half hour that preceded the lecture, excellent 

 seating, and later plenty of room at the luncheon tables, and a 

 most appetizing lunch. 



The story of the trip to the wild Castilloa lands in the penin- 

 sular of Azuero was listened to for two hours without an ap- 

 parent break in the interest. Eighty-two views were shown, 

 embracing the city and suburbs of Colon, views along the 

 Panama canal, old and new Panama; Toboga, Gubernador, 

 and Cebaco islands; scenes in the wild lands, embracing views 

 of mountains and plains, primitive camps, natives, together 

 with glimpses of the ancient towns of Las Minas, Pese, Chitre, 



and so on. 



• * • 



The secretary of the Club then announced that he had been 

 requested by certain of its members, who were extensive manu- 

 facturers, to bring to the attention of the Club a matter which 

 might ultimately have an important bearing upon the interests 

 of the whole trade. 



It was reported that the municipal government at Pard had 

 applied for permission from the federal government, at Rio de 

 Janeiro, to convert a certain public park in Pard into city prop- 

 erty, upon which should be built an entrtposto or depot where all 

 rubber landed at Para should be weighed, graded, and made 

 ready for shipment ; that the local government then planned to 

 make a decree granting a concession to certain parties, probably 

 not citizens of Brazil, who should receive all of this rubber, 

 grade it, distribute it, and have the right to put upon it an ad- 

 ditional tax, beyond the export duty of 22 per cent, already as- 

 sessed ; that the British minister at Rio, being informed of this, 

 had laid the matter before his government; that the Hon. 

 Thomas C. Piatt, a United States senator of New York, had 

 laid this matter before the department of state at Washington, 

 with the result that the department had promised to communi- 

 cate with Rio ; and that the matter had otherwise been brought 

 to the notice of the Washington government. It was further 

 stated that a somewhat similar concession had once been either 

 proposed or actually granted at Para, and that the British gov- 

 ernment had made vigorous protestations against it, on the 

 ground that it tended to make a monopoly as against the inter- 

 ests of British commerce, and the matter was dropped. There 

 was thus afforded a precedent for such action by the United 

 States government at this time as should fully protect its citi- 

 zens, at least to the extent that no privileges or rights, detri- 

 mental to their own, should be granted by the Para government 

 to citizens of any other country. 



It was, therefore, suggested as advisable that a committee of 

 rubber manufacturers be formed, to bring further representa- 

 tions before the United States department of state, through 

 their senators and congressmen, to the end that the interests of 

 American citizens be not discriminated against or otherwise 

 jeoparded by means of any concession that might be granted 

 at Paii. The committee to be appointed, it was specifically 

 stated, should not be a committee of the New England Rubber 

 Club, which is a purely social organization, but should include 

 rubber manufacturers in other parts of the United States. It 

 was also stipulated that the committee raise and disburse its 

 own funds, and elect its own officers. 



The following committee wasthen nominated, and elected by 

 the Club: L. D. Apsley, chairman; Augustus O. Bourn, vice 

 chairman; E. E. Wadbrook, B. G. Work, James Bennett For- 

 syth, C. C. Converse, A. W. Siedman, John H. Flint, John 

 Hopewell, F. C. Hood, Joseph Davol, A. M. Paul. E. S. Wil- 

 liams, and Henry C. Pearson. F. H. Jones, No. 50 Bromfield 

 street, Boston, was named as temporary secretary. 



% * ♦ 



This business being transacted the audience were introduced 

 to the viands, to which they did ample justice. Ex Governor 

 A. O. Baurn presided throughout the evening, as President 

 Apsley was called away at the last moment by important busi- 

 ness. A list of the Club members who were present follows, 

 besides whom there were about fifty guests : 

 F. H. Appleton. John H. Flint. Leo. F. Nadeau. 



Horace V. Allen. W. M. Farwell. Harry H. Noyes. 



Hon. Augustus O. W. H. Gleason. Henry Nickerson. 



Bourn. B. F. Good. Geo. E. B. Putnam. 



C. J. Bailey. YxsA C. Hood. E. B. Pearson. 



Ira F. Burnham. {^_ is[_ Hood. Henry C. Pearson. 



Winslow II. Chad- Freeman Hunt. John S. Patterson. 



wick. E. .S. Hyatt. W. H. Palmer. 



Frank T. Carlton. E. D. Hewins. Robert I.. Rice. 



R. L. Chipman. G. Edw. Habich. a. F. Solberrv. 



Charles A, Coe. F.H.Jones. S. P.' Sharpies. 



W. C. Coleman. e. Jacoby. A. W. Siedman. 



J. O. DeWolf. Robert Josselyn. A. M. Stickney. 



R. L. Dorr. George. W. Knowlton. Alonzo P. Spear. 



J. Frank Dunbar. James H. Learned. Thomas J. Skinner. 



C. F. Edgarton. Frank L. Locke. "" ^; ^f°": a 



H. P. Fuller. Max Lowenthal. J°-P\C. Stedman. 



James Bennett For- Fred. L. Morse. * • W \ eazie. 



syth. II. F. Mayo. George P. Whitmorc. 



Thomas A. I'^orsyth. Henry C. Morse. 



RUBBER TRANSPORT IN FRENCH SUDAN. 



A LETTER to Le Temps (Paris) from the French Sudan says 

 that hitherto the transportation of Caoutchouc from 

 Sikasso(acenterof great importance) to Banmako, whence it was 

 carried to Kayes by rail and to St. Louis, on the coast, by river 

 steamer, was by means of carriers or donkeys. The load of a 

 carrier was 30 kilograms, and the price paid 6.50 to 7.50 francs, 

 the journey of 340 kilometers [=21 1 miles] occupying a fort- 

 night. A donkey could carry 90 kilograms, but the time was 

 longer, and the cost no less. The average cost, therefore, is 

 put down at 250 francs [=$48.25] per ton. Now that a road for 

 mule carts has been opened from Sikasso to Bimakko, it is esti- 

 mated that cart loads of 300 kilograms will be carried through 

 in 15 days, at a cost not exceeding 100 francs [=$'9.3°] per 

 ton. 



