152 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[February i, 1905. 



THE CONGO RUBBER SITUATION. 



IN their annual review of the Antwerp rubber market for 

 1904 — the statistical details of which appear on the market 

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



" There continues to be in our market a regular development 

 in the importation of Caoutchouc. Purchasers are more and 

 more appreciative of the facilities which this market at present 

 offers them, on account of its being regularly supplied not only 

 with the Congo varieties, but also with kinds coming from other 

 sources of supply. Thus the establishment and operation of a 

 regular line between Manaos and Antwerp has already had a 

 favorable influence on the importation of ParA rubbers to our 

 market. There have been this year imported about 800 tons, 

 which have gone directly into use. The Congo varieties, 

 however, are the ones which afTord the principal supply to the 

 demands on our market. 



" The total amount of importations from the basin of the 

 Congo have shown little fluctuations of importance for a period 

 of several years. This lack of change arises from the preserva- 

 tive measures, enacted by the government of the Congo Free 

 State, for the purpose of preventing the spoliation of the forest 

 domains, whose destruction would not have been slow by ex- 

 cessive exploitation. The preservative measures enacted by 

 the government for the purpose of regrowing the caoutchouc 

 forests, have been revised and finished by an enactment dated 

 ■September_27, 1904. 



" The provisions of which we spoke in our last annual review 

 have all been put in force regarding what concerns the official 

 make-up of the forest superintendence service, as well as the 

 duties relegated to the agents of this service, and also in regard 

 to the maximum production of Caoutchouc, which the districts 

 of the state cannot overrun. The terms of the new enactment 

 have for their purpose the increase of productive ground, in 

 addition to the obligations already enforced, concerning the 

 forest domains. By this means, at the present time, it becomes 

 necessary to start a plantation comprising at least 150 rubber 

 plants or vines for each ton of Caoutchouc d'herbes (root rub- 

 ber) gathered ; previously the gathering of this rubber was not 

 subject to any exactions whatever. As to the production of 

 caoutchouc derived from trees or from vines, it is obligatory 

 to set out 500 Caoutchouc plants for each ton of product gath- 

 ered. 



" Regarding the method of gathering, the new enactment is 

 restricted only to declaring that Caoutchouc from trees or from 

 vines can be gathered only from incisions; it also exacts that 

 the cutting of the trees or vines, in gathering rubber, shall be 

 stopped. Likewise, the extraction of the Caoutchouc, by tak- 

 ing ofif the bark of the trees or the extraction from the vines 

 by pounding or grinding the bark or the vines, or by any other 

 means whatsoever, except by incisions. It is mandatary that 

 public action should be taken on all infractions of the law, 

 during a term of three years. These new measures are fully 

 justified on account of the necessary care which these newly 

 started plantations must have, without which they would have 

 no future value. 



" The rubber plantations already started in conformity with 

 legal provisions, amount at the present time altogether to 

 about 10,000,000 cultivated trees or vines, of which the Congo 

 Free State is responsible for one half, and the other half being 

 divided between various companies and individuals established 

 on the Congo. The number of plants required for 1904 may 

 be estimated at about 3.350,000; it will be essentially the same 

 for 1905, the quantities of this product gathered and exported 

 not having essentially increased during the past period. 



" Referring to the quality of the African products, they have 

 constantly become better as a result of the care taken in super- 

 vision, and instructing the blacks at the present time. The 

 gums which are most appreciated are those coming from the 

 Kasai district and from the Equateur; they have also this year 

 attained the highest market prices known, that is, 11.50 and 

 1 1.75 francs. 



" On the other hand, we have received some lots from a new 

 district just opened up, coming from several new lianes, which 

 are imperfectly known, in which the coagulation leaves much 

 to be desired, giving products which are much inferior on ac- 

 count of their pitchy quality. Competent chemists are giving 

 their attention, at the present time, to a thorough study re- 

 garding the nature of this vegetation, and to the proper means 

 for coagulating the milk in a rational manner. With little 

 doubt, satisfactory results will be soon obtained. 



" Important progress has been obtained in the process of 

 packing for shipment, the gum now previously undergoing 

 a thorough desiccation in Africa, so as to better resist the 

 crushing of the packages and which now arrives here in a bet- 

 ter condition. 



"As the world's production of Caoutchouc is evidently in- 

 sufficient to supply industrial requirements, we have again this 

 year been parties to a quick acceptance of merchandise offered 

 to sale. From the commencement of the year, the market 

 rapidly went up 15 per cent, until March was reached, after- 

 ward in June to July, there was a temporary calm, the rise re- 

 occurring, so to speak, without interruption until the end of 

 December, and we close the year at an average market of 

 about 12 per cent, above that of 1903." 



Arrivals at Antwerp in 1904 were 5764 tons, against 5726 tons 

 in 1903. The arrivals from the Congo Free State, however, 

 were only 4724 tons, against 5180 in 1903. 



RUBBER REGULATIONS ON THE CONGO. 



ANEW requirement by the Congo Free State, that hereafter 

 rubber must be obtained in that state only by tapping 

 (incisions), whether from trees or liana, was noted in the last 

 issue of this Journal (page 136). In relation to this matter La 

 Chronique ColoniaU (Brussels, December 25) states as follows : 



"THE KASAI COMPANY. 



" We have received the surprising report that the Free State 

 is to act with extreme severity and precipitation in carrying out 

 the decree of September 22 last, prohibiting the pounding of 

 the rubber lianes, especially in regard to the Compagnie du Ka- 

 sai. It is well known that the pounding process is exclusively 

 used in the low lands of the Kasai and of the Sankuru. A pro- 

 hibitive measure, however well founded it may be, should evi- 

 dently be only gradually enforced. The immediate enforce- 

 ment of the decree would obviously create a hostile feeling 

 among the natives, which would result in a considerable de- 

 crease in the production. 



" This will especially be the case in the factories of Luebo, 

 Demba, Tombolo, Ikongo, Ikoka, Batempa and Pania-Mutom- 

 bo, which produce only the so-called PiU, or pounded, rubber, 

 and have a monthly output of 30 tons. While recognizing the 

 foresight shown by the State in the safe guarding of^the forest 

 reservations in our future colony, there may be reason to re- 

 gret that precipitation in the carrying out of the legal measures 

 taken for that purpose must necessarily cause a reduction of 

 one-third in the output of the Kasai company." ^^^^[The total 

 arrivals of rubber at Antwerp on account of the Kasai company 

 during 1904 were 1003 tons, or more than one-fifth of the total 

 arrivals.— The Editor.] 



