April I, 1902. J 



THE INDIA RUBBER ^A^ORLD 



223 



THE NEW DEVELOPMENT OF BOLIVIA. 



THE accompanying sketch map indicates the location of 

 the teriitones in Bolivia involved in two separate con- 

 cessions from th: government of that country, con- 

 firmed by the national congress, at La Paz, on Decem- 

 ber 21, 1901, and to which reference has been made already in 

 this journal. The first, and larger, of the two districts is that 

 known as the " Territory of the Acre" (from the river of that 

 name), this being the region which, after a long dispute with 

 Brazil, is now admitted to belong to Bolivia. The smaller area 

 is not a political district, but is a tract of the public domain, of 

 1 5,000 square miles, lying principally 

 in the province of Caupolican, but 

 partly in the province of Larecaja. 

 The nature of the two concessions 

 is not identical, as is explained fol- 

 lowing. 



The " Acre concession " is based 

 upon an agreement signed by Senor 

 Don Felix Avelino Aramayo, the 

 Bolivian minister to Great Britain, 

 and Mr. Frederick W. Whitridge, as 

 agent of the Bolivian Syndicate of 

 New York. It provides for the trans- 

 fer, for a term of years, to a company 

 to be incorporated in another coun- 

 try than Bolivia, of the fiscal ad- 

 ministration of the Acre territory, 

 and the collection of all public 

 dues within its limits, and the vest- 

 ing in such company of certain 

 powers for the development and 

 colonization of the country. The 

 company shall be incorporated with 

 at least ^500,000 capital, of which 

 the Bolivian government is entitled 

 to subscribe for not more than one- 

 fifth. 



The Company here referred to 

 shall have, for five years, the sole 

 right of purchase of any rubber lands 

 in the district, not already privately 

 owned, at the rate of locentavos per 

 hectare. The Government grants 

 to the Company all mineral rights 

 in the district. But in the event of 

 the Company engaging — directly, 

 or through subsidiary companies — in the collection of rub- 

 ber or the development of mines, it will be chargeable with 

 such rents or royalties or taxes in respect thereto as are now 

 required by law from private parties. The Company shall have 

 free rights of navigation within the district, with the power to 

 grant concessions for the navigation of streams. The Com- 

 pany may erect and maintain wharves, landing places, railways, 

 telegraph lines, and whatever other improvements may be 

 thought desirable, and, with the concurrence of the Govern- 

 ment, fix rates or tolls for the use of the same. 



The Company's annual net profits for 60 years shall be free 

 from all taxation, or forced loans for military or other purposes, 

 but after the third year the Government shall be entitled to 10 

 per cent, of the said net profits. The Company is empowered 

 for 30 years to collect^all revenues which may be due the Gov- 



ernment — as from rubber-working and mining or otherwise — 

 and of the gross amount 60 per cent, shall belong to the Gov- 

 ernment and 40 per cent, to the Company, but such accounts 

 shall be kept separate from the ordinary accounts of the Com- 

 pany on which the statements of its profits are bafeed. The 

 duties of this Company, in short, shall be those of a fiscal 

 trustee in charge of collecting the national rents. It is charged 

 at the same time with the maintenance of order in the district, 

 involving the support of a sufficient police force. But the sal- 

 aries of judges and other public functionaries appointed by the 



Government within the district, and the cost of suitable public 

 buildings, are to be defrayed from the 10 per cent, and 60 per 

 cent, funds above referred to as due the Government from the 

 Company. 



In case of any dispute, the concession provides means for ar- 

 bitration. The company shall not transfer its concession to 

 any foreign government, but may do so to another company or 

 syndicate, with the assent of the Bolivian congress. The Com- 

 pany shall make investigations as to the best means of bringing 

 the districts adjoining the rivers Abuna, Orton, and Madre de 

 Dios into connection with the river Acre by railway or canal, 

 and present to the Government details of the scheme which 

 may seem to the Company most suitable. 



The terms of the " Caupolican concession," agreed upon by 

 President Pando and Sir Martin Conway, relate to the location 



