September 1, 1913.^ 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



617 



taken into consideration. In the June issnc of The India Rub- 

 ber World, page 473, the f. o. b. cost in Brazil was shown as 

 32]/^ pence (65 cents), to which the addition of 7 cents for 

 freight to Europe makes the European delivered cost of 72 cents 

 as shown above. 



The estimated reduction of \6d. (32 cents) out of 3s. (72 

 cents) inchides Sd. (16 cents) under the head of "augmented 

 production." This figure is specially disputed. M. Tilmant, bas- 

 ing his statement on the facts quoted, expresses the opinion that 

 the introduction into Amazonia of the tapping system of the 

 Far East is scarcely practicable, no increased yield being tliere- 

 forc in prospect from that cause. The cost of production in 

 the Far East, in M. Tilmant's opinion, will constantly diminish, 

 but not that of Amazonia. 



As to Chinese immigration, it is pointed out that with a mor- 

 tality of 30 per cent, among acclimatized workers, the conditions 

 for newly-arrived laborers would be still worse. He further 

 remarks : 



■"It would seem that Mr. Akcrs has not sufficiently studied the 

 deadly climate of .-Vmazonia. The question of climate forms the 

 crux of the Brazilian plan, there being a natural obstacle to be 

 overcome." 



In conclusion, M. Tilmant adds : 



"There is another cause which prevents us from believing in 

 the success of the Brazilian projects. It is that there exist as 

 a fact in Brazil immense reserves of Heixa forests, sufficient to 

 furnish the world with rubber. It seems at least Utopian under 

 these conditions to proceed with new plantations. It is just the 

 want of labor which renders impossible the exploitation of these 

 reserves. 



"It is under these unfavorable conditions that Brazil is asking 

 the co-operation of foreign capital in the execution of its "Plan 

 of Defence." 



As showing the other side of the case, M. Tilmant's remarks 

 afford an opportimity of seeing how the Brazilian proposals are 

 looked at in Europe and particularly in Bel.gium. A matter of 

 such importance should be discussed from all points, with a view 

 to the best solution of the existing difficulties. 



STANDARDIZATION OF LATEX. 



In discussing the lack of uniformity in plantation rubber. 

 Mr. Robert T. Byrne, chairman of the Leyland and Birming- 

 ham Rubber Co., Ltd., and also chairman of a planting com- 

 pany, latel}' said planters would never get the proper value, 

 from a market point of view, for their rubber until they had 

 some recognized system of .standardizing their latex, so that 

 when the manufacturer bought standard Xo. 1 quality rub- 

 ber he did not mind whether it came from Ceylon, or from 

 the Straits, or from Malaj'a. or from Borneo, or from any- 

 where else. The rubber should be all the same to him, and 

 he should be able to deal with it in the same way. The 

 existing state of things was. to his mind, nothing short of 

 chaos from the manufacturer's point of view. 



AN ENGLISH OPINION ON STANDARDIZATION. 



In discussing the above question the "Financier" remarks: 

 "If plantation latex were treated in the same way as the 

 Brazilian collector treats the milk, the product w'ould be fine 

 hard Para. It is entirely a matter of preparation. Under ex- 

 isting methods it is contended that two essentially different 

 products are obtained in Brazil and in the Orient. But it does 

 not follow- that because plantation rubber differs from Brazilian 

 it is necessarily inferior. The manufacturer has apparently not 

 yet come to a definite ^conclusion himself on this point. The 

 trouble arises out of the fact that no two plantations adopt 

 precisely the same formula and process in treating their late.x. 

 It would seem to be a simple matter for a recognized body, 

 such as the Rubber Growers' .Association, to frame a standard 

 formula for general adoption in rubber factories throughout 

 the plantation region." 



MR. C. A. LAMPARD ON THE SITUATION. 



.As chairman ol the recent London meeting of the Rubber 

 Plantations Investment Trust, Mr. C. .A. Lampard stated, re- 

 garding the cost of production in Sumatra, that, while the L'nited 

 Serdang Co.'s properties are not nearly in full bearing, the esti- 

 mate for next year's f. o. b. cost is 11 d.. while he expects the 

 facts would in due time justify the anticipations formed of a 

 still further reduction. He thought 2s. 6d. per pound would be 

 a safe figure at which to estimate the cost of producing Amazon- 

 ian and -African rubber. 



He further pointed out that the American consumption of 

 crude rubber in 1912 was 50.210 tons, against 34.464 tons in 1911, 

 showing an increase of about 45 per cent. The net American 

 imports this year from January to .April had dropped, as com- 

 pared with last year, from 20,453 to 18.113 tons, or about 11 per 

 cent. This result he considered due to the Akron strike and the 

 floods. 



While Brazilian rubber was being held in Marcli and .April, 

 plantation companies decided to sell and by getting their rubber 

 into use in the factories prevent any accumulation. .As a result, 

 stocks of plantation are now 1(X) tons less than in February last. 



.American manufacturers, he added, now- that the Antwerp and 

 Brazilian people want to sell in America, say : "Xo, we have 

 altered our compounds now to suit the use of plantation rubber. 

 Unless you are going to give us very strong inducements, not 

 temporary, but extending over a lengthened period, we are not 

 going to switch back to wild rubber." The prospective decrease 

 in the production of the wild article with the increasing con- 

 sumption would place jdantation rubber in the very strongest 

 position. 



In conclusion, Mr. Lampard urged two points: First, that 

 under proper management, plantation rubber can be produced 

 more cheaply in the middle East than in any other part of the 

 world ; and second, that the middle East can produce and manu- 

 facture rubber in every respect and for all purposes equal to 

 that previously produced elsewhere. Out of an estimated con- 

 sumption for 1913 of 120.000 tons, the plantation industry ex- 

 pects to produce 45.0(X) tons. 



■WHY ENGLISH MANUFACTURERS USE BRAZILIAN RUBBER. 



The "London and China Express" lately wrote: 



■■.At present the manufacturers are content to use the Brazilian 

 article because they have not to alter their mixing formula, 

 which they are loth to do until they are certain of the qualities 

 of the rubber used. Formerly they were not certain as to the 

 supply ; now they require a recognized standard of quality they 

 can work to. 



"The reason plantation rubber is not the equal of the wild rub- 

 ber from a manufacturer's point of view lies in the different 

 methods of curing these rubbers. It is the fact, too, that nearly 

 every plantation company has its own ideas of preparing its 

 rubber, whereas if all plantation rubber were prepared in a 

 standard manner rubber manufacturers would be able much more 

 readily to adopt their methods to plantation rubber than is at 

 present the case. " 



It is stated that the Rubber Growers' .Association expects, after 

 a series of exhaustive experiments, that it will be possible to con- 

 vince manufacturers that plantation rubber is equal to tme 

 hard Para, 



TO MAKE ENGLISH TIEES IN BRAZIL. 



.A new company, known as the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Co. 

 (South American, Ltd.). has been formed with the purpose of 

 erecting and operating a factory in Brazil for the manufacture 

 of tires. This company, which is capitalized at $25,000. divided 

 into 5,000 shares, is a subsidiary of the English company of the 

 same name. 



Should be on every rubber man's desk — The Rubber Trade 

 Directory of the World, 1912. 



