March i, 1902.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER "WORLD 



177 



VIEW IN AN AMAZON RUBBER WAREHOUSE. 



THE illustration on this page gives a view in the warehouse 

 of the long established rubber exporting firm of Witt & 

 Co., at Manaos, on the Amazon, the political and commercial 

 capital of the Brazilian state of Amazonas. A force of labor- 

 ers is shown cutting open the large balls of fine rubber, in 

 order that the quality may be graded, and to facilitate the pack- 

 ing of the rubber in cases, to say nothing of keeping a lookout 

 for concealed substances other than rubber. The work is not 

 easy, as one will appreciate who has had any experience in sep- 

 arating even a small sample of rubber with a knife, and the la- 

 borers employed are a stalwart class. The amount of such 

 work IS indicated by the fact that the Messrs. Witt handled 

 during 1901 more than 7,000,000 pounds of rubber. 



The responsible members of this firm are Messrs. N. H. Witt 

 and Jos6 de Figuenedo. The firm have always been intimately 

 connected with the Pari house of Frank da Costa & Co., whom 

 they represent in Manaos. The growth of the rubber export- 

 ing trade in Mandos has been phenomenal, until every impor- 

 tant house in Para either maintains a branch at this growing up- 

 river center, or is closely connected with a Manaos firm. The 

 latest statistics issued by Frank da Costa & Co. of Para (for 

 1901), compared with a similar statement issued by their prede- 

 cessors La Roque da Costa & Co. (for 1893), make the following 

 showing of the total exports via the Amazon river, and the 

 share exported direct from Manaos — in kilograms : 



Total Exports. From Man^s. 



1893 19,144,057 4,743.752 



1901 30,131.854 15.469.395 



In the former year the house of Da Costa was represented up 

 the river by the Banco de Mandos, who were credited with the 

 export of 1,021,680 kilograms. The name of Witt & Co. soon 

 afterward appeared in the list of exporters, and during 1901 

 they shipped 3,271,316 kilograms — of which 1,189,830 to Europe 

 and 2,081,486 [=4,579,269 pounds] to the United States. Dur- 

 ing the former year the Da Costa firm were buyers on the Am- 

 azon for the large factories of Joseph Banigan and the Boston 

 Rubber Shoe Co. 



RUBBER EXPORTS FROM ECUADOR. 



The Guayaquil chamber of commerce reports: 



1897. i8q8. i8gg. lyoo. 



Pounds 1,121,288 1,588,660 1,441,823 1,103,511 



The president of the chamber says, in his report: "The de- 

 crease in rubber is a proof that it is not properly attended to. 

 The parties of rubber seekers {caucheros) who have started 

 work in the wild forests of the interior and the oriental 

 provinces are not assisted by any facilities, and they return ex- 

 hausted. Owing to the fact that the consumption of this gum 

 is extending so much, I think it is time to ask from the govern- 

 ment every possible aid from the explorers, beginning by the 

 opening of routes to the producing places."=-=The export duty 

 on rubber was reduced from 20 cents to 15 cents (silver) per 

 kilogram, equal to about 1% cents (gold) per pound. 



