628 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[September 1, 1913. 



United States currency a day. The pickers are well provided 

 for, armed and free to run away at any moment, but never do. 

 From tlie above it will be apparent to the least informed that the 

 rubber picker is infinitely better off and better paid than the Eng- 

 lish n.echanic, while there is no comparison between his free and 

 independent life and that of liis contract coolie brother on the 

 Eastern plantations. 



I have followed this English inquiry of the alleged Putumayo 

 atrocities from beginning to end. have read the book published 

 by the Aborigine Protection Society, on the subject; and to my 

 mind all the evidence adduced condemns those who gave it 

 against Arana, more than it convicts Arana on any serious 

 charge otlicr than neglect. s 



For instance in the evidence giVen by Mr. Hardenburg, he ad- 

 mitted that after he had heard of the alleged atrocities governing 

 the collection of rubber in the Putumayo, he was willing to buy 

 or acquire a half interest in the adjoining rubber property to 

 Arana. If he knew that rubber could only be secured by such 

 outrages, why did he want to share in the business? Again, an 

 officer, who had been, or hoped to be, appointed to go to Peru, 

 to investigate the said alleged atrocities on the Arana Estate, 

 came to Senor Arana, and asked him to give him ilOOO. This 

 request was made in writing and the original and a copy of the 

 letter were produced at the inquiry. As he had performed no 

 service for Arana up to that time, we can assume that he had his 

 own idea as to what was the best way to make money out of the 

 Arana charges. 



Again when we remember that these charges were spnmg on 

 the public at the beginning of the rubber boom ; and that the 

 English papers took up the cry and yelled "Red Rubber ! Slave 

 Rubber of the Amazon ! Don't invest your money in slavery ! 

 Come to the East, under English rule, where we have a well 

 organized system of contract labor," and so on. it tempts the 

 Amazon exploiters of wild rubber to ask whether they were 

 simply willing or imconscious tools of the promoters of rubber 

 properties, who used the cry in their efforts to reach the pockets 

 of the investors and boost the Coolie colonies of the East. 



F. J. D. 



AMERICAN CAPITAL PREFERRED IN LIBERIA. 



The acquisition iiy an English company of a concession for 

 gathering rubber in Liiieria was reported in the August issue 

 of the India Rubber World, page 591. 



Further particulars received show that an effort was made 

 during the last legislative session to pass a measure prohibiting 

 the shipment of contract laborers, the failure of which is at- 

 tributed to the fact that the receipts from this source constitute 

 part of the Liberian revenues. The practice of shipping laborers 

 from Liberia has aroused complaints from the commercial and 

 agricultural interests of the country. 



It is said that American capital would be considered prefer- 

 able to English for cultivating the resources of Liberia. There 

 is little or no capital in that country available lor the purpose. 



THREE YEARS' RUBBER STATISTICS. 



HAMILTON INCREASES RUBBER GOODS TRADE WITH UNITED STATES. 



Exports of rubber goods to the United States from Hamilton, 

 Ontario, were: 1911, $1,559; $1912, $8,028. 



DY the figures given below three years' progress of imports 

 '-^ and exports is shown, the returns being brought down to 

 the close of the last fiscal year, June 30, 1913. The total imports 

 of unmanufactured rubber in 1913 represented aliout $101,000,000, 

 against $105,000,000 in 1912, and $93,000,000 in 1911. These 

 amounts include for 1913, crude rubber to the extent of 

 113.000.000 pounds, value $90,000,000; as compared with 110,- 

 000,000 pounds, value $93,000,000. in 1912. Conditions do not 

 seem to have materially altered in rubber between the two last 

 years, while balata shows a falling off, and Guayule imports have 

 been reduced by about 50 per cent., as compared with 1911, 

 the figures now being less than half of that for 1911. 



A large increase is shown in the imports of scrap, which are 

 for 1913 nearly double those for 1912. 



While the exports of domestic manufactures for 1911 and 1912 

 remained practically the same, the figure increased for 1913 by 

 about 12 per cent., the gain having been practically in automo- 

 bile tires. Re-exports of foreign goods show a slight falling off 

 for 1913. as compared with 1912: 



Three Ye.\rs' Rubber Imports. (Fisc.\l Ye.\rs to June 30.J 



1911. 



L'nmanufactured. Pounds. \'alue. 



India-rubber 72.046,200 $76,244,603 



Balata 878,305 624,702 



Guayule gum 19.749.522 10,443,157 



Gutta jelutong 51,420.872 2,872,633 



Gutta-percha 1,648,921 390,548 



India-rubber scrap or refuse 26,948,000 2,334,870 



Total unmanufactured imports $92,910,513 



Manufactured $936,408 



Foreign re-exports 



1912. 



1913. 



Pounds, 

 110.210,173 



1,517,066 

 14.238.625 

 48,795,268 



1,204.406 

 26,293,192 



Value. 

 $93,013,255 



984,012 

 6,463.787 

 2,255,050 



225,797 

 2,095,605 



$105,037,506 



$915,834 



Pounds. 

 113,384.359 

 11,318,598 

 10.218,191 

 45.345.338 

 480,853 

 43,385,456 



$5,070,042 



Three Ye.ars' Rubber Goods Exports. (Fiscal Ye.\rs to June 30.) 



Value. 

 $90,170,316 



766.772 

 4.345,088 

 2.174.441 



167.313 

 3,709,228 



$101,333,158 



$1,294,536 



S4.689.000 



1911. 



1912. 



1913. 



Pounds. 



Scrap and old 7,049,729 



Reclaimed 4,994,527 



Belting, hose and packing 



Boots and shoes pairs 



Tires for automobiles 



Other tires 



All other rubber goods 



3,984,332 



