584,250 



206,000 47,200 



34,600 



42.500 171,950 



140,200 



21,450 1,248,150 



I'TTURE VIKLDS. 



Since Sir John Anderson, late Governor of the Straits Settle- 

 ments, made the startling estimate of 75,000 tons as the Malayan 

 yield for 1915, the possibilities of future rubber supplies from the 

 East have commanded the attention of the rubber industry. In 

 this connection the annexed estimate is of particular interest ; 

 showing, as it does, a prospective ten-fold growth of plantation 

 rubber supplies within 8 years— from 31.000 tons in 1912 to 

 302,450 tons in 1919. 



COST OF RUBBER PROnUCTIOX. 



The cost of producing a pound of rubber in the Orient is not 

 uniform, but varies with the price of labor, and the facilities for 

 transport. Owing to the fact that many plantations are in a 

 transition stage, it is anticipated that in two years' time, when 

 yields have increased, costs will be materially lower than at 

 present. 



Owing to the detailed subdivision of the report, it is possible 

 to compare the estimated cost of producing rubber f. o. b. in four 

 principal quarters in the East: 



English pence. American cents. 



Ceylon 8 16 



Malay Peninsula 14^^ 29 



Sumatra H^ 23 



Java 14 28 



In comparison with these figures is that shown in the other 

 section for Brazilian rubber, of 32^^ pence (65 cents American) 

 f. o. b. per pound. 



The following general summary deals with the salient features 

 already reported in detail : 



"At present Ceylon is the cheapest producer, and in many cases 

 the cost f. o. b. is 61/26. (13 cents American) per pound. In view 

 of all existing circumstances, a fair average price f. o. b. for 

 Oriental rubber may be taken at Is. (24 cents American), from 

 the year 1914 to 1919. During the same period the costs from 

 port of shipment to date of sale may be calculated at 3d. (6 cents) 

 per pound, making the average aggregate cost on the market 

 Is. 3d. (30 cents American) per pound. 



V.\RIETIES OF RUBBER TREES. 



The investigations of the commissioners have been confined 



practically to the cultivation and growth of Hez'ca Brasilicnsisi. 



the production of other varieties, such as Castilloa, Ceara Ficus 



Elastica, jelutong and other rubber-bearing trees and vines, being 



described as insignificant in quantity and value as far as the 



present or future supply of the European and American markets 



is concerned. 



CLIM.-\TE. 



Para rubber demands a hot moist temperature, with an even 

 distribution of rainfall and an equable climate both night and 

 day throughout the year. These conditions, it is remarked, pre- 

 vail to a marked extent in the Malay Peninsula. Sumatra, Java, 

 and to a somewhat lesser extent in Ceylon, Borneo. Saigon and 

 various great islands of Oceania. In Southern India and Bur- 

 mah. marked divisions of the seasons take place, and the distinc- 



tive periods of dry and wet weather are less favorable than the 

 more equable distribution of rainfall in the former countries. 



PROSPECTS OF CONSUMPTION. 

 In commenting on the statistics already quoted, showing the 

 world's present annual consumption as 98,000 tons, the report 

 states that the commission understands a fall of 40 per cent, in 

 present values will bring into the market purchasers for an addi- 

 tional 100,000 tons of raw material distributed over the ensuing 

 quinquennial period; this amount being required for street pav- 

 ing and other purposes impracticable while the price exceeds 2s. 

 6d. (60 cents) per pound for spot and forward contracts. There- 

 fore, the rapid increase of production which must inevitably come 

 in the five years, 1913 to 1918, will be to a certain extent offset by 

 a great expansion in demand, which, it is added, should prove an 

 important factor in reference to market values in the near future. 



SYNTHETIC RUBBER. 

 In its calculations the commission has only dealt with the 

 natural product, and will not venture to make any prediction 

 whatever as to the part synthetic rubber will take in the develop- 

 ment of the situation. However, it is added, the most effective 

 method of fighting this danger is the reduction in the cost of pro- 

 ducing natural rubber to the lowest possible figure. 



RECLAIMED RUBBER. 

 XN'ith reference to statements made to a member of the com- 

 mission that the loss of weight in process of recovery should not 

 exceed 5 per cent., and that practically all the sulphur can be ex- 

 tracted at trifling expense — it is remarked that if these state- 

 ments are correct, the effect on the crude rubber market must be 

 felt severely within a very few years. The anticipation is ex- 

 pressed that the accumulation of old material will be extremely 

 rapid, now that the production from the plantation industry has 

 reached its present stage of development. It is added that if this 

 recovered rubber can be utilized equally well for the manufacture 

 of low grade articles, it will be a decided check to expansion in 

 the consumption of crude rubber, as however cheap the latter 

 may become, the cost of the discarded material will be sub- 

 stantially lower, so long as the price leaves a margin of profit 

 over the manufacturing charges. 



THE AM.-VZON VAI.LEV. 

 In the report on the Orient, the Commission has had to deal 

 with facts of a statistical nature already recorded in various 

 forms but not hitherto presented in such a comprehensive way. 

 Within the space of four months this little band of investigators 

 carried on its researches in the various rubber-growing countries 

 of the Orient ; the uniform way in which the results have been 

 presented materially adding to their clearness and intelligibility. 

 After a short breathing time in Europe, the Commission took up^ 

 the work in the Amazon Valley, as recorded in the second volume 

 of the report. In doing so they had the advantage of their pre- 

 vious researches in the East, so as to be in a position to draw 

 comparisons. This second division of the Commission's investi- 

 gations will be dealt with in the next issue of this journal. 



