November 1, 1912.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



115 



pounds, agianst 116 pounds in 1910-11; Barama, none against 

 2.318 pounds in 1910-11; Waini, 5,559 pounds, against 5,042 

 pounds in 1910-11; total 11,057 pounds against 7,476 pounds. 

 Rubber .so far has come from Barima only; 1,837 ponds, against 

 102 pounds. The combined products have contributed $257.88 

 in royalty, against $157.56 in 1910-11. There has thus been an 

 increase of 3,507 pounds of balata, 1,725 pounds of rubber, and of 

 royalty $106.32. The rubber industry, however, is practically at 

 a standstill in this part of the colony. Mr. King reports : "The 

 Consolidated Rubber and Balata Estates, Limited, have done noth- 

 ing on the tracts held by them under license from the Govern- 

 ment, and with the exception of a little clearing nothing ha? 

 been done on the estates of other companies owning properties 

 in the district. I understand that this cessation of work on the 

 properties other than those of the Consolidated Rubber and 

 Balata Estates, Limited, has been caused by financial difficulties." 

 The cxperinemtal station at Issorora is being extended; the 

 ten acres underbushed in 1910-11 being planted with Para 

 rubber. The remaining ten acres of the extension have been 

 cleared and prepared for planting. An area of four acres has 

 been cleared on the hill slopes for the purpose of conducting 

 experiments in connection with balata growing. 



PHILIPPINE RUBBER PRODUCTION. 



IN considering this important question, one of the first points 

 claiming attention is the present situation of Philippine ex- 

 ports of rubber and kindred products. 



Philippine statistics, not being so detailed as those of this 

 country, group under one head "Gums and Resins"; for which the 

 latest published returns (those for the year ending June 30, 1910), 

 show a total value of $107,271, thus classified: 



.Mmaciga (mastic) $71,117 



Gutta percha (209,618 lbs.) 31,903 



Rubber (1,113 lbs.) 749 



All other gums and resins 3.502 



Total »107,271 



The distribution of this amount is shown as follows : 

 PHILIPPINE EXPORTS OF GUMS AND RES1NS~1910. 



Totals ($107,271). $71, 117 209.618 $31,903 



$749 $3,502 



A dissection of the total amount for gums and resins amongst 

 the various countries of distribution shows : 



nritish East Indies $69,658 



United States 32,109 



Germany 3,167 



United Kingdom 2,092 



Other countries 245 



Total $107,271 



EARLIER STATISTICS OF RUBBER AND GUTTA PERCHA. 

 INDIA RUBBER. 



While the figures quoted above for 1910 are of the most re- 

 cent interest, those since 1904 (furnished through the courtesy 

 of the Bureau of Insular Affairs) illustrate the course of the 

 experimental cultivation of rubber during the last eight years. 

 These results must necessarily form tlie basis of any future 

 action. 



PHILIPPINE EXPORTS OF RUBBER, CALENDAR YEARS 1904 

 TO 1911. 

 United British Other 



Slates. East Indies. Germany. England. Countries. Total. 



11. > z. > i, > i. > u. > &,> 



1904 



190S 281 $93 281 »9J 



1906 62 5 62 S 



1907 



1908 375 35 375 35 



1909 3,757 615 33 $9 3.790 624 



1910. 99 $29 143 $200 750 $520 992 749 



1911 



GUTTA PERCHA. 



While rubber has thus been passing through an experimental 

 stage, gutta percha has been a more or less steady article of 

 Philippine export, as shown by following statistics : 



PHILIPPINE GUTTA PERCHA EXPORT'S (CALENDAR YEARS 

 1904-1911). 



United British Other 



Calendar States. East Indies. Countries. Total. 



Year. , * ^ , * v r ' * > 



Lbs. $ Lbs. $ Lbs. $ Lbs. $ 



1904 6,255 535 ... . 6,255 535 



1905 50,899 4,782 ... 50,899 4,782 



1906 228,604 30,905 ... 228,604 30,905 



1907 295.367 26.895 8.543 650 303,910 27.545 



1908 84.993 6.381 ... ... 84,993 6,381 



1909 155.491 22.470 198 45 155.689 22.515 



1910 217.182 38.409 7.221 847 224,403 39,256 



1911... 750 66 113.704 18.783 22.419 1,260 136.873 20,109 



In 1912 the total shipments for the fiscal year amounted to 91,- 

 645 pounds, valued at $8,551. 



Philippine gutta percha, though .ilready largely exported, wai 

 first shipped to the American market in 1911. 



As the figures quoted for 1910 separately and as part of the 

 general table, cover respectively fiscal and calendar years, they 

 do not in all points correspond, but they are sufficiently close 

 to illustrate past and present conditions, in their relation to the 

 future of rubber and gutta percha cultivation in the Philippines. 



BOOMING BRAZIL. 



Everyone who attended the Rubber Exposition was struck by 

 the generous scale on which the Brazilian exhibit was planned. 

 Evidently the government of P.razil was determined to make an 

 impressive showing. This was only one illustration of the fact 

 that Brazil has entered on an aggressive campaign of commer- 

 cial activity. .\ recent Consular report calls attention to the fact 

 that "during 1911 about $150,000,000 of forci.gn capital was raised 

 abroad for Brazilian loans and enterprises. The railway mileage 

 of Brazil was increased by 469 miles ; tw-o new foreign banks and 

 several branches of those already established were opened; three 

 new steamship lines started in the South American trade, and 

 the old lines added several large modern steamers of 12,000 tons 

 to their fleets to meet the demands of the rapidly increasing pas- 

 senger and freight traffic to P.razil from Europe: improved and 

 additional iiort facilities at all llic principal coast cities are being 

 constructed: additional hydroelectric plant? are being installed 

 to meet the increasing demands for power and light; two of the 

 most modern and comfortable hotels are in course of construc- 

 tion in Rio de Janeiro, and others are planned in the other 

 cities ; and houses, especially in Sao Paulo, are being erected as 

 rapidly as material can be procured." 



MAINTENANCE OF BRAZILIAN STANDARD. 



Commenting upon the latest developments of artificial rubber, 

 the "Revista do .Associacao Commercial do Amazonas" of 

 Man.ios urges upon producers to provide a solid foundation to 

 the Brazilian industry by maintaining a uniform type of fine 

 rubber. This is the only type of rubber which, up to the present 

 time, has not lost its ascendency, and successfully opposes foreign 

 types, but Asiatic grades, inferior in quality, are preferred in 

 some cases, on account of the method of their preparation, their 

 transparency and their freedom from impurities. 



