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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[May 1, 1913. 



THE FUTURE OF RUBBER IN BRAZIL. 



A MONG the features of the present movement for the develop- 

 ■*^ ment of rubber cultivation in Brazil, are the two interesting 

 lectures delivered at Rio de Janeiro on December 26, 1912, and 

 January 16, 1913, by Senhor J. Simao da Costa, industrial engi- 

 neer. The lectures dealt respectively with the agricultural and 

 commercial or industrial aspects of the question. 



With relation to the cultivation of rubber, the lecturer referred 

 with approval to the efforts in that direction of Drs. Lauro Sodre, 

 Paes de Carvalho and Firmo Braga, natives of the State of Para. 

 They recognized the enormous advance in store for the rubber 

 industry if the Federal government took the least interest in its 

 development. Had their efforts been duly seconded, Brazil would 

 have been in a position to control the world's market for rubber. 



FORESTS OF NORTHERN BR.\ZIL. 

 No one who has not traversed the forests which mark the ex- 

 tended course of the River Amazon, can form an idea of the 

 virgin forests in that region. It would be a mistake to judge 

 from the forests of Southern Brazil; there being no comparison 

 between the two. An opinion exists that a scringal is a forest 

 almost exclusively composed of rubber trees. Nothing would be 

 more erroneous, said the lecturer. Out of an average of 40 to 80 

 different species of trees per acre, only an average of 6 would be 

 rubber trees under the more favorable circumstances. 



TROUBLES OF THE SERINGUEIRO. 

 Doomed to live isolated from civilization in the virgin forest, 

 the seriiigucii'o is forced during seven months of the year to rise 

 before daybreak, while the most expert of them cannot tap more 

 than 120 trees a day. Were it possible to provide the seringueiros 

 with moderately comfortable dwellings, and sufficient food, two of 

 the greatest difficulties in the exploitation of the native seringaes 

 would be overcome. 



YIELD OF HEVEA TREES. 

 That the cultivation of rubber trees is profitable has been 

 demonstrated in the East, as Hevea trees there commence to bear 

 at the end of the fourth year; while the combination of Hevea 

 with bananas would cover the whole expense of cultivation in the 

 basin of the .Amazon. M. Paul Le Cointe, the French agronomic 

 expert, has demonstrated the correctness of this last assertion, in 

 the course of his lectures. 



REASONS AGAINST CULTIVATION OF RUBBER TREES. 

 Two reasons might apparently exercise a deterrent effect upon 

 the development of rubber cultivation^ — the discovery of a labora- 

 tory substitute and the possibility of over production. With re- 

 gard to the first, the lecturer expressed the conviction that syn- 

 thetic rubber would never emerge from an academic stage. As 

 to the second, he considered that even were the production of 

 rubber quadrupled, it would still be absorbed in various industries. 



CONSUMPTION OF RUBBER. 

 The constantly increasing demand for rubber in connection with 

 telegraphy, telephony, lighting, power transmission, etc., insures 

 the consumption of rubber in enormous quantities. On the basis 

 of an estimated American yearly production of 300,000 automo- 

 biles, 18,000 tons of rubber would be wanted for the tires. Al- 

 most all mechanical industries require rubber. It is, moreover, 

 an indispensable requisite of many popular games and sports, 

 while it is used in footwear throughout the world. 



THREE OBJECTS TO BE KEPT IN VIEW. 

 The three objects to be kept in view in any measures of reform, 

 were thus summarized by the lecturer : 



1. To supply fine Hevea rubber in sufficient quantity to prevent 

 manufacturers from having to use substitutes and inferior 

 products. 



2. To keep in view an increase of production in order to satisfy 

 the continued increased consumption. 



i. To endeavor to reduce the cost of production, so as to permit 

 the creation of new industries and to stimulate the development 

 of those already existing. In this way raw material will be avail- 

 able in the sufficiently increased quantities needed, at reasonable 

 prices. 



PROPORTION OF RUBBER IN GOODS. 



In support of his recommendation to produce enough fine rub- 

 ber to meet the legitimate requirements of consumption, the 

 lecturer stated that with 75,000 tons of rubber manufacturers pro- 

 duced 400,000 tons of rubber goods. 



HOME M.\NUFACTURES FOR BRAZIL. 

 The lecturer expressed the opinion that any programme for the 

 "Protection of Rubber" would be incomplete, which did not include 

 measures for preventing Brazil being still inundated with foreign 

 goods under the designation of rubber manufactures, which do 

 not contain the smallest particle of that raw material. It would 

 be possible by legislation to insist upon incontestable proofs that 

 Brazilian rubber had been used in goods passing through the 

 custom houses of the Republic. Such an arrangement would, 

 however, only be possible when Brazil is able to supply the home 

 market for rubber goods. 



BRAZILIAN RUBBER MANUFACTURING PLANTS. 



IN the .April number of The India Rubber World the fact is 

 reported of the awards for the proposed Brazilian manufac- 

 turing plants having been made. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber 

 Co., of South America, obtained the award for the Rio de Janeiro 

 plant ; a summary of its proposal having appeared in the last 

 issue of this journal. 



The award for Pernambuco (Recife) was made to the Com- 

 panhia Norte Brazil. According to that company's proposal, 

 reproduced in the "Diario Official'' of February 13, it offers to 

 erect a large factory at the side of the Great Western Railway of 

 Brazil, besides acquiring an extensive site in the vicinity. Among 

 the principal articles manufactured will be machine belting, 

 cables, waterproof goods of all descriptions, cotton fabrics for 

 use in automobile tires and for other purposes. Rubber pneu- 

 matic and solid vehicle tires of all kinds, rubber carpets and 

 mats, rubber hose, rubber heels and other rubber goods will like- 

 wise be made. The company expects to work up annually 700 

 tons of crude rubber. 



Special attention will be paid to the manufacture of electric 

 wire, for which purpose bar copper will be imported direct from 

 Chile. It is expected to secure the orders of the various Brazil- 

 ian States and municipalities for the above-named wire. The 

 Companhia Norte Brazil was established in March, 1911. and 

 claims to have a paid up capital equalling $400,000. 



Subjoined are the equivalents of the items shown in general 

 estimate of cost : 



RECIFE MAXUF.\CTURING PL.ANT. 



Brazilian American 



Currency. Currency. 



Buildings 2,350 ;000$000 $783,330 



Machinery (including spinning and 



weaving plants ) 2.700 :000$000 900.000 



Site, water supply 200 :000$000 66.670 



Total 5,250 :000$000 $1,750,000 



-As the estimate of the Goodyear company for the Rio plant 

 equals $1,757,804. or practically the same as that of Companhia 

 Norte Brazil for Recife, the two companies are evidently in a 

 position for close competition. 



