Jlxe 1. 1913.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



471 



The Akers Rubber Commission in the Amazon Valley. 



TllK second volume of the English Akers Commission report, 

 dealing witli the Amazon Valley, forms a suitable continua- 

 tion of the first volume (reviewed in the May issue of the 

 India Rubber Worlu, page 417), which dealt with the work of 

 the commission in the Orient. Many points treated in the earlier 

 report were of a general character, requiring to be kept in view 

 in the consideration of the later record; the two volumes form- 

 ing an unusual instance of comparative investigation, at the chief 

 points of rubber production of the eastern and western hemi- 

 spheres. 



From tlie commission's estimate of the world's rubber produc- 

 tion for 1912, it will be recalled that the grand total of 105,000 

 tons included: Brazil, 46,600; other South American countries, 

 2,000; Mexico and Central America, 3,000; the total for the 

 western hemisphere thus being 51,600 tons. The eastern hemi- 

 sphere contributed about an equal quantity: Oriental plantations, 

 31,000; Africa, etc., 22,400; making an aggregate of 53,400 tons. 

 These two amounts together constitute the grand total of 105,000 

 tons for 1912. An estimate for the ensuing seven years, pre- 

 sented at the same time, showed a prospective increase of the 

 yield of Oriental plantations, from 31,000 tons in 1912 to 302.450 

 tons in 1919. Hence the question arises whether, and in what 

 proportion, the Brazilian supply is likely to be increased during 

 the same period. To define actual and prospective conditions, 

 was the object of the visit to Brazil of the Akers Commission ; in 

 which that body must be considered as having achieved a relative 

 success, seeing that its labors in the Amazon Valley only ex- 

 tended to a period of less than three months, from the beginning 

 of last August to the end of October last. That its work was 

 fruitful in results is shown by the fact that while the report of the 

 four months spent in the Orient fills only 89 pages, that of the 

 three months in the Amazon Valley takes up 164 pages, and is 

 supplemented by 26 pages of illustrations, representing various 

 features of Brazilian rubber cultivation and kindred subjects. 



OBJECTS OF THE INVESTIGATION. 



As stated in the May issue, the objects of the commission in- 

 cluded the investigation of the general condition and prospects 

 of agricultural industry, and the endeavor to find improved 

 methods of administration, collection and preparation, in order 

 to enable Brazilian rubber to compete with that from the Orient; 

 as well as the placing of labor in the Amazon Valley on a cheaper 

 and more effective basis. In connection with the last named 

 question, were those of the colonization of waste lands, and the 

 establishment of experimental plantations or farms. 



The party left Para on August 20 for their journey up the 

 Amazon to the rivers Madeira and Purus, to carry out their in- 

 vestigations. They made the voyage in the new stern-wheel 

 steamer "Curityba," of the Mosquito fleet, which had been spe- 

 cially fitted out for their use. Mr. C. E. Akers had already 

 visited the rivers Mojii and Guama, pending the arrival from 

 Europe of his colleagues, Mr. H. C. Rendle and Seiihor F. 

 Lugones. 



The voyage up the .\mazon and many of its tributaries (prac- 

 tically as far as steam navigation was possible), was both inter- 

 esting and instructive, the commission having covered about 7.000 

 miles of river, inspected close upon 50 estates, and seen rubber 

 and cacao of all ages and sizes, growing under every conceivable 

 condition. 



THE LOWER AMAZON VALLEY. 



The lower Amazon section of the Amazon Valley includes the 

 district served by the Bragan^a Railway, all the islands of the 

 delta, and the rivers Moju. Guama, Xingti, Tapajos, Maicuru, 

 Canuma, Jary, Paru, Curua, Trombetas and many smaller 



streams ; as well as the land on both banks of the Amazon as far 

 as Manaos. This vast area can be divided into three distinctive 

 zones: (1) The islands, where rubber is largely collected by 

 residents or squatters on their own account, to enable them to 

 purchase the necessaries of life; (2) the various rivers, where 

 the rubber is collected on the system of half shares between the 

 collector and owner of the lands; and (3) the country on the 

 banks of the Amazon as far inland as Manaos, where the princi- 

 pal industry is cacao, rubber taking a place of secondary im- 

 portance. 



Dealing with the separate rivers, it is remarked that on the 

 Tapajos all enterprises is practically confined to rubber produc- 

 tion, the cry of agents and owners in Para being always for 

 "rubber and more rubber," and any form of cultivation of the 

 land being discouraged from headquarters. One reason of this 

 opposition is said to be the fear of the owners of large estates 

 that their profits from the stores would be diminished if the 

 laborers were allowed to cultivate mandioca, maize and beans on 

 their own account. 



Nowhere in the course of their investigations did the commis- 

 sion find a greater wealth of rubber trees than on the islands 

 and shores of the Xingu, the proportion of untapped trees being 

 very large. Fine old trees of big girth were to be found at no 

 great distance from the banks of the river. An important factor 

 in the trade of the Xingu, is the through traffic in rubber and 

 caucho from Matto Grosso, which would be materially aided by 

 improved means of transport, existing methods by canoes and 

 on muleback being costly and slow. 



Rubber is practically the sole industry of the Tocantins river. 

 the facilities thus aflforded for gaining a livelihood having driven 

 out other forms of agriculture. Large quantities of rubber trees 

 are to be found on the river banks and islands ; a large proportion 

 of which have been worked many years, and damaged by the use 

 of the machadinho or rubber collector's axe. This damage has, 

 however, been confined to a great extent to the lower part of the 

 trunk, and it is anticipated that much latex can still be extracted 

 by overhead tapping. As, moreover, a large number of young 

 trees are approaching maturity, there is small likelihood of the 

 supply of rubber being exhausted for many years to come. 



THE UPPER AMAZON VALLEY. 



The most important rivers of the Upper Amazon Valley are 

 the Madeira and the Purus, and it is to these that the commission 

 has devoted special attention in its report. 



The river Madeira, which flows into the Amazon about 100 

 miles below Manaos, is formed by the junction of the rivers 

 ?vIamore and Beni, which flow- through Bolivian territory. 

 .After the confluence of these two rivers into the Madeira, it 

 forms the boundary line for about 100 miles between Bolivia and 

 Brazil, and then takes its course in a northeasterly direction for 

 850 miles, until it merges into the Amazon. 



At flood time it is navigable for ocean steamers of 22 feet 

 draught as far as Porto Velho (a distance of 635 miles), and for 

 those of lighter draught at all seasons. Above Porto Velho are 

 a series of rapids, which only allow the passage of flat-bottomed 

 boats or canoes. It was to facilitate communication with Bolivia 

 around these rapids, that the Madeira-Mamore railway was 

 constructed. 



Virtually the only industry on the river Madeira is rubber pro- 

 duction, agriculture being discouraged by the proprietors of 

 rubber properties, in order to force the rubber collectors to pur- 

 chase all they require from the general stores, which j'ield enor- 

 mous profits. Rubber plantations, in the proper sense of the 

 term, can be hardly said to exist. The Madeira is the most 



