98 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD. 



[January i, 1902. 



GUTTA-PERCHA IN THE PHILIPPINES. 



THE letter on this subject by Mr. F. J. Dunleavy, of Cat- 

 tobaito, island of Mindanao, which appeared in The 

 India Rubber World of November i, is confirmed in its 

 more important details by the report of the United States 

 Philippines Commission to the secretary of war, for the period 

 from December i, 1900. to October 15, 1901. Mr. Dunleavy 

 stated that considerable quantities of Gutta-percha were being 

 exported surreptitiously by Chinese traders from the port of 

 Jolo to Singapore. The point of chief interest was not that the 

 government was being defrauded of revenue— for that abuse 

 was capable of being checked— but that the extent of the 

 shipments indicated the existence of important quantities of 

 Gutta-percha in Minandao. On this latter point the commis- 

 sioners are thoroughly convinced, and it is evident that they 

 regard it worth while to exert all the influence of the govern- 

 ment to protect the native trees, while stimulating the extrac- 

 tion of Gutta-percha, and ultimately to encourage planting. 



.The statement is made that the species Dickopsis gutta— 

 known in the Malay peninsula as " getah taban," and which is 

 the source of the best Gutta-percha— has not yet been found 

 in the Philippines. But it mi^ht be observed that the greater 

 portion of the Gutta-percha of commerce is yielded by other 

 species than the one named. The price obtained at Singapore 

 for the Philippines Gutta, as prepared by the Chinese, has 

 ranged from $40 to S'So Mexican per picul [ = 30 cents to $1.13 

 gold per poundj, according to q aality. The report mentions also 

 the existence in the Philippines of rubber producing trees, and 

 particularly of a giant rubber creeper, but these had not been 

 botanically identified. 



(An appendix to the report, not yet in print, will contain the 

 results of an expedition to the Gutta producing districts of 

 Borneo, Java, and the Malay peninsula, by Dr. P. L. Sherman, 

 as agent of the Philippines forestry bureau. It was part of his 

 mission to study the methods of extracting Gutta, and to be- 

 come familiar with the various species in order to be able to 

 identify those found in the Philippines. From what can be 

 learned in regard to Dr. Sherman's report, it promises to be an 

 important contribution to the literature of Gutta-percha. 



MORE ABOUT "THE BOLIVIAN COMPANY." 



undertaking certain explorations in Bolivia, particularly in the rubber 

 bearing regions, and a company was incorporated under the laws of 

 West Virginia some time last spring — we do not recall the exact date — 

 for the purpose of raising the capital for the syndicate operations anv!. 

 in case the report should be favorable, of undertaking some develop- 

 ment. The thing is of a very modest character, but very good people 

 are interested in it. It seems hardly worth mentioning, but there is no 

 objection to your printmg a copy of the articles of incorporation, if you 

 care to do so. 



The date of incorporation of the company in West Virginia 

 was January 25, 1901. The declared objects are to acquire real 

 estate and other property in Bolivia and elsewhere in South 

 America, to develop mines, exploit natural products, and create 

 or control means of transportation. The authorized capital is 

 $1,000,000, though the initial issue comprises but one S'oo 

 share each to the five signers of the incorporation papers — 

 who evidently are all attached to the office of the legal firm 

 above quoted. The principal office is to be maintained in New 

 York, and the corporation is to exist until January 22, 1951. 



Lately the point was raised that the government of Peru 

 claimed that the lands on which Sir Martin Conway holds a 

 concession were located in territory disputed between Peru 

 and Bolivia. On December 23 the Bolivian congress ad- 

 journed without sanctioning a treaty of arbitration of the boun- 

 dary dispute with Peru, but it is reported from La Paz that at 

 secret sessions of the congress the contract with The Bolivian 

 Co. was ratified. 



It would seem, from all the above, that, although the New 

 York parties named are of the highest standing, and although 

 the Bolivian concessions are undoubtedly rich in rubber, much 

 remains to be done in developing Sir Martin Conway's very 

 interesting plans. 



LARGE BALATA YIELD OF VENEZUELA. 



WE have further details regarding the " great deal," in- 

 volving the control of the Bolivian rubber fields, about 

 which The India- Rubber Journal {honAon) recently presented 

 "information of such an astonishing character." It does not 

 appear probable, however, that the supplies or prices of rubber 

 will be affected, in consequence of this movement, for a good 

 while in future. The nature of Sir Martin Conway's interest 

 in Bolivia has been referred to already in The India Rubber 

 World, and the company named in our headline is an out- 

 growth of this interest. The South American Journal (London) , 

 by the way, recently mentioned the following New York bankers 

 and capitalists as interested in the enterprise ; Brown Brothers 

 & Co., Frederick P. Olcott, Hamilton McK. Twombly, Fred- 

 rick W. Whitridge, John R. Hegeman, Richard J. Cross, 

 William A. Read, Adrian Iselin, Roosevelt & Son, George 

 Bliss, and August Belmont. By inquiry of some of the parties 

 named it was learned that they were concerned in the Bolivian 

 Co., but for particulars The India Rubber World was re- 

 ferred to a firm of counsellors at law, who, on December 11, 

 favored us with this statement : 



We beg to say that a small syndicate was formed here in pursuance 

 of Sir Martin Conway's explorations and reports, for the purpose of 



SOME unexpectedly large figures respecting the output of 

 Venezulean Balata appear in the journal El Guaynes, of 

 Upata, in that republic. During the twelve months ending 

 with October last, according to that paper, 1,840,000 kilograms 

 [=4,048,000 pounds] of Balata were shipped from the ports of 

 San F^lix and Guri, in the territory of Yuruary, to Ciudad 

 Bolivar. This district lies south of the Orinoco and east of its 

 tributary, the Caroni, besides which the region is drained in 

 part by the Yuruary and Imataca rivers. This Balata paid a 

 tax to the state of Bolivar equal to about 4 cents gold per kilo- 

 gram (the rate has since been doubled), and 2 cents to the na- 

 tional treasury of Venezuela. Besides, there were $772 col- 

 lected in company taxes, fees, etc. The total public revenue 

 from Balata was $11,425.60. The export value of the Balata, 

 according to El Guayanh, was equivalent on an average to 38 

 cents, gold, per pound, bringing the total value for twelve 

 months up to $1,538,200. 



A VALUED COMPLIMENT FROM GERMANY. 



THE India Rubber World, of New York, our esteemed 

 contemporary in the rubber industry across the seas, 

 completed lately the twelfth year of its existence and com- 

 menced its twenty-fifth volume. This excellent trade journal 

 is especially proud, and with good reason, of the fact that so 

 few changes have occurred in its organization during these 

 twelve years. Its founder, editor, and name, and the high char- 

 acter of its contents have remained the same. We hail our 

 flourishing contemporary with a cordial " ad multos annos." — 

 Cummi-Zeitung {Dresden'). 



