January 1, 1913.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



207 



JAPANESE RUBBER PLANTATIONS IN MALAY 

 PENINSULA AND SUMATRA. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 

 O EFERRING to particulars lately sent of Japanese rubber 

 '■^ growing in the Malay Peninsula (published in the India 

 Rubber World of December, p. 155), the total acreages rented 

 and cultivated by 87 plantations have since increased respect- 

 ively, to 85,069 and 16,455 acres. 



STATE OF JOHORE. 

 Out of the above-named 85,069 acres, Johore has 79,010; 

 divided as follows : 



Along the River Johore in eastern part of state 45,860 



West coast 30,870 



Along railway 1,300 



Other locations 980 



Total 79,010 



As previous report showed, Johore has in number one-half of 

 the Japanese plantations on the peninsula and is encouraging 







M.\LAYAN \\'orkers Clearixc Weeds U.vder Direction of 

 Japanese Manager. 



rubber planting. The government is facilitating planting opera- 

 tions by allowing planters time for payment of ground rent 

 and survey fees. The ground rent, moreover, is lower than in 

 other Malay states. Leases are for ever, while in other states 

 they run for 99 years and in Dutch India for 75 years. Owing 

 to the competition for riverside plantations, many of the Japan- 

 ese plantations are inland. Most of the latter are still in the 

 preparatory stages of wood-cutting and weeding, but some have 

 been cultivating Para trees for several years, and are in a 

 few cases tapping. 



STATE OF NEGRI SEMBILAN. 



The total acreage rented in this state by Japanese rubber 

 plantations is now 3.010, as compared with 2.845 by last report. 

 Near Seremban, the capital, many of them are being gradually 

 developed. One plantation of 160 acres, with 8 and 9-year-old 

 Para trees, has been acquired for $300,000 by an English firm 

 which intends cultivating it in conjunction with Japanese planters. 

 On four-fifths of the acreage wood-cutting and the removal of 

 weeds are being carried on. 



ST.\TE OF SELANGOR. 



Latest particulars show the area of Japanese plantations as 

 1292 acres, mostly cultivated and reaching maturity ; thus show- 

 ing a reduction on the average of 1420 previously reported. 

 Owing to the competition of British investors, Japanese capitalists 



are at a disadvantage; so they are seeking locations along the 

 railways to the south ; thus avoiding Kuala Lumpur, the center 

 of the British plantations. 



KEDAH, PERAK AND SINGAPORE. 



A Japanese residing at Penang has a plantation of 450 

 acres in Kedah. Many Japanese investigated, but did not start 

 operations. 



Three plantations in the State of Perak have 1,055 acres in 

 all, while three Singapore planters have 250 acres between them. 



ANTICIPATED YIELD FROM JAPANESE PLANTATIONS. 



The total Japanese acreage is 85,069, which is estimated as about 

 9 per cent, of the total Malayan acreage. When these plan- 

 tations come to tap Para rubber later, their yield will be an 

 appreciable factor in the market. At the rate of 130 trees to the 

 acre, the 85,069 acres, on the basis of I'/i pounds per tree 

 per year, would represent a yield of 16,588,455 pounds. 



Two-thirds of these planters are small investors, to whom 

 planting is an additional occupation, and who cannot get along 

 without making profits for several years. They hope to get funds 

 from the "Mujinko," a lottery association (described by the 

 India Rubber World, April, 1912, page 339). If they cannot 

 cultivate their own plantations, these small investors will sell 

 out to other planters or amalgamate with them. 



SUMATRA. 



In 1911, the total investment in Japanese rubber plantations in 

 Sumatra was estimated at about $400,000 and the plantation area 

 140,000 acres. Among these plantations is one of two acres 

 planted with rubber trees and cocoanut palms, owned by a 

 German who had married a rich Japanese woman. The latter 

 had engaged about 60 Japanese workers, 16 of whom are still 

 employed, and who superintend the labor of Malayan and 

 Japanese hands. 



Owing to their unfitness for tropical life, and their inability 

 to stand heat, Japanese usually fall ill soon after their arrival 

 in Sumatra. Though not fitted to act as workers, there is ample 

 room for their services in directing Malayan and Javanese la- 

 borers, or in tapping, gathering, and coagulating. 



JAPANESE RUBBER PLANTERS' ASSOCI.^TION. 



This association was established on August 15, 1912. at the 

 Sekidenkwan Hotel, Singapore. It has 38 members, mostly 

 large Japanese planters located along the River Johore; their 

 purpose being mutual protection and development. 



It is proposed to issue a monthly bulletin and to hold organized 

 consultations with members as to rubber plantations. 



Following is the list of the officials : President, Sinzo Suzuki ; 

 vice-president, Masaji Inoue; committee, O. Watanabe; S. 

 Kawakami : M. Yoshida; K. Yamakawa : Y. Goto, and M. Sasaki. 



Headquarters of the company are at the above-named hotel, 

 the name of which means "Japanese Hotel." 



JAPANESE LABORERS FOR MALAYA. 



The efforts made by private enterprise to employ Japanese 

 labor in rubber plantations at the south of the Malay Peninsula 

 are being followed up by organized steps in other directions. 

 According to the "Japan Mail," the "Toyo Imin Kaisha" (Orien- 

 tal Emigration Company) recently obtained permission to send 

 Japanese laborers to Malaya, and a party of 150 men was shortly 

 to leave Japan. 



In view of the hygienic situation in Johore being unsatis- 

 factory, attention has been given to the question of better con- 

 ditions in other parts of the Peninsula. These have been found 

 to exist in the northern portion of Perak, and a contract has 

 been made with an English plantation owner for the despatch 

 of a small number of Japanese on probation to that district. 



Under the conditions of employment, the Japanese undertake 

 nine hours' daily labor for the equivalent of 40 to 45 cents gold. 



