July i, 1902.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD. 



311 



til mention was made of trains on their way from ocean 

 to ocean not stopping for meals, and then remarked : 



" That would be mighty hard on John Heller." 



Doubtless this particular Heller long ago retired from 

 business, but many more of his kind remain — not all inn 

 keepers, but all with neighbors incapable of taking a 

 broader view of a projected great development than that 

 it would be " mighty hard on Heller." For example, there 

 are people, and even newspapers and statesmen, in South 

 America to day, talking frantically — talking about war — 

 because Bolivia has entered into a contract with citizens 

 of a foreign country for the development of a broad rich 

 tract of land which, without aid from the outside, would 

 likely remain for another century in as backward a state 

 as has existed since the days of Christopher Columbus. 



The Acre and its branches, from all reports, are rich in 

 rubber of the highest quality, for which consumers are 

 ready to pay liberal prices. There are minerals in the 

 same district, for which a market is also ready. Soil and 

 climate are fitted for the local supply of the food products 

 needed by laborers, instead of their being imported, as at 

 present. But none of these resources or advantages can 

 be availed of under existing conditions, and the govern- 

 ment of Bolivia has determined, since her own people can- 

 not do more, to let others have a chance, under conditions 

 that will allow all hands to profit. 



It will be interesting to see whether the consideration 

 that conditions of modern enterprise in equatorial South 

 America might be hard on the local John Hellers will be 

 potent enough to prevent the carrying out of plans upon 

 which Bolivia ought to be congratulated, instead of being 

 abused for having adopted them. 



Riot Hose. — This type of hose has not as yet been an- 

 nounced by any rubber manufacturer, but there seems to be, 

 nevertheless, a distinct call for it. It should, preferably, be 

 red ; it should be flexible, easy to handle, and its market would 

 be found in anarchistic centers, such as Paterson, Chicago, 

 and wherever riotous strikers are wont to congregate and make 

 mischief. Even ordinary fire hose quelled a very serious riot 

 in Paterson only a few days ago. If, then, riot hose were placed 

 in the hands of the authorities and mill owners, and if to the 

 clear water a little soap were added, our manufacturing centers 

 might soon be cleansed from anarchy and its universal con- 

 comitant — dirt. 



The defeat of the Pacific cable bill in the house of 

 representatives at Washington on June 11 ends all hope of leg- 

 islation on this subject in the United States in the near future. 

 The failure of the government to take part in providing for ca- 

 ble communication across the Pacific will not prevent such 

 communication from being established, for work is already in 

 progress on a cable to connect San Francisco with Honolulu, 

 to be operated by a company who assert their intention to ex- 

 tend their line to Manila, and that without asking any finan- 

 cial support or special privileges from the government. But 

 this cable is being made in England, whereas any cable built 

 with government aid would be required to be made in the 

 United States, and so large an initial order would lend great 

 encouragement to the building up of the submarine cable in- 

 dustry in this country. There yet remains much work in cable 

 construction, however, to supply the growing demand for tele- 



graphic communication all over the world, and it may be that 

 American factories will yet be found in a position to compete 

 for such work, although up to date this industry has not be- 

 come established in any country without having had the bene- 

 fit of important orders directly or indirectly supported by gov- 

 ernment aid. 



"There is too much money invested near home,'' is as- 

 asseried in a rubber planting prospectus lately mailed from 

 Chicago to many clergymen ; "the great opportunities are at 

 a distance, not at our doors." This is something which had 

 not occurred to many people, and it may be, after all, that 

 what is ruining the country is not the " trusts," or the pro- 

 fessional politicians, or rum, but the fact that people with 

 money to invest don't send it far enough away. But this 

 Chicago economist is ready to remedy all that. Plant rubber 

 m Mexico. It is the surest way on earth to make money. Plant 

 rubber, and you can't help getting rich. " It has been demon- 

 strated by our experience," says the circular sent to the 

 preachers, "that when a young [rubber] tree is fairly started, 

 there is but one way to kill it, and that is to dig up the roots. 

 A rubber tree may be broken off or cut down, and the ground 

 burned over, and another tree will spring up from the roots." 

 The Chicago circular writer probably thought it unnecessary 

 to add that when a rubber tree has matured it can't be pre- 

 vented from yielding rubber, and it is impossible to keep the 

 rubber from getting to market and selling at high prices. A 

 rubber tree is more persistent than original sin. 



A RUBBER plantation COMPANY has been organized in 

 New York city, the capital of which is expected to be sub- 

 scribed entirely by the teachers in the public schools. It is 

 reasonable to expect, if such profits are realized as the pros- 

 pectus promises, that the teachers will not long continue in 

 their present positions after their dividends become due. 



In the seven rubber manufacturing states for which 

 census bulletins have been issued to date, the value of rubber 

 goods produced in the census year (ending June 30, 1900) 

 amounted to $87,172,694, not including the output from several 

 factories, the details for which, under the classification adopted 

 in the census office, could not be given in bulletins by states 

 without rendering it possible to identify certain factories. 

 When the whole tabulation has been made, including the re- 

 turns from a few other states, it seems probable that a total 

 production of at least $100,000,000 will be shown. The total 

 production by the census of 1890 was only $42,853,757. In 1890 

 the total investment of capital in the rubber industry was re- 

 ported at $26,392,965, whereas in 1900 the capital so invested 

 in Massachusetts alone amounted to $26,542,446. 



"THE PRICES OF RUBBER GOODS.' 



TO the Editor of The India Rubber World : I have 

 just read the letter of Mr. J. Bennett Forsyth, general 

 manager of the Boston Belting Co., which appeared in your 

 issue of June i. I may say that as soon as I read your editorial 

 for May regarding the prices of rubber goods, I immediately 

 had it reprinted on slips and sent to customers. I also 

 thought it advisable to have copies forwarded to other man- 

 ufacturers, in case your article might have escaped their 

 notice. 



I think this will show that, like Mr. Forsyth, I attached value 

 to your article and greatly appreciated it. Yours faithfully, 



JOHN cooper, 



LoDdoo, June, la, 1902. Managing: Director, Tlie Dermatine Co., Limited. 



