78 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[December 1, 1910. 



A CEYLON VIEW OF RUBBER. 



FROM THE CEYLON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 



[fRO.M "the times of CEYLON."] 



THE most important event of the past three months has been 

 the passing of plantation rubber, in price, from above to 

 below the price of Para rubber. This change is due to the known 

 fact that Eastern rubber, as at present sent to market, is deficient 

 in the fundamental quality of resiliency. Tliat the price would 

 fall below that of Brazilian forest rubber has been consistently 

 proclaimed from within — by Dr. Willis and others — as well as 

 from without. 



The East is now supplying sufficiently increasing quantities 

 for this material difference to affect relative prices. That differ- 

 ence in price against the Eastern produce has come to stay, and 

 to be increased, perhaps, by reason of the rapidly increasing 

 supplies that Ceylon, Malaya, and other countries will send 

 forward. Kalutara district alone will send away over 1,500,000 

 pounds of rubber this year, with a fifth of its planted area in 

 bearing, over a total area that would require a magnifying glass 

 to discover on a map of Brazil. Last year Ceylon's total export 

 was only 1,492,580 pounds, and what Kalutara is doing the Kelani 

 Valley has begun to do, with Matale. Kurunegala, Kegalla, Galle, 

 BaduIIa, Moneragalla and other localities also already con- 

 tributing. 



Each year's big total increase for the next five years will 

 mainly consist of rubber from young trees. That will be its 

 determining characteristic, and unless improved methods of 

 preparation can be discovered and generally applied, we shall 

 hear Brazil interests craving — and demanding — that the term 

 Para be exclusively used for the superior article, the while that 

 we suffer in amour propre and our pockets. 



The tapping of young trees and the harvesting of the maximum 

 quantity obtainable without injury to the trees will still be the 

 wish of owners and the object of superintendents, even should 

 the market price fall to half what it is at present, but the young 

 rubber should be kept separate more than it is from 7 or 8 years 

 old rubber and upwards. Systematic investigation within the 

 next five years will add to our knowledge greatly, and possibly 

 will provide the plantation industry with most satisfactory 

 results. 



Supposing the absence of knowledge as to how best to prepare 

 estate rubber costs no more than 1 shilling per pound from the 

 middle of 1910 to the end of 1912, Ceylon interests alone will lose 

 £1,000,000 sterling, so that it will be seen that with a fair possi- 

 bility of gaining — or saving — that sum of money in the next two 

 years, half-a-company of investigators could have been usefully 

 employed during the past two years, instead of no more than a 

 corporal's guard in number though of conspicuous personal 

 ability. 



It is believed that Ceara in Ceylon. — Manihot Glaziovii — will 

 yet be justified and restored to a front place by means of seed se- 

 lection and improved tapping methods; and why should not 

 Hevea seed selection, correct knowledge of how much the trees 

 should be rested at various ages and various stages of the year 

 and in different localities, right treatment in manufacture — wet, 

 dry, smoked, and so on— improve the standard of plantation rub- 

 ber? These points suggest avenues of valuable information 

 which will surely greatly strengthen the plantation rubber indus- 

 try and justify the view of all of us that Brazilian wild rubber 

 collection must shrink to small dimensions. 



It may be argued that it would be wrong to speak of a loss 

 of £1,000,000, because if trees were allowed to run fully five 

 years, or grow to fully 20 inches in circumference at 3 feet from 

 the ground — which was the idea five years ago — the yield would 

 be, say, 25 per cent, less, and what the 25 per cent, will fetch 

 ■would nearly balance the £1,000,000. Admitting there is force 

 in this, yet would we prefer to see the prestige of our rubber 

 enhanced; and if it could be achieved, the capital value of our 

 rubber estates would be raised by much more than £1,000.000. 



'T'O THE Editor of the India Rubber World: I am desired 

 * by my committee to acquaint you, with a view to your 

 being agreeable to give publicity to the same through the medium 

 of your journal, and so attract the attention of manufacturers, 

 that it was decided at a special general meeting of this chamber 

 held on the 27th ultimo to hold weekly auctions of rubber in 

 Colombo, and that these, for the present, will take place on 

 Friday in each week, commencing from November 4. 



While the quantity of rubber offered at these auctions may 

 be limited to begin with, it is confidently hoped that in course 

 of time these auctions may be attended with as great success as 

 the weekly tea sales, and that Colombo, in view of its excellen 

 geographical position and general trade and tonnage facilities, 

 may rank in the near future as one of the chief distributing 

 centers in the world for plantation rubber. 



I am to express the hope that you will favor the suggestion of 



making the institution of these auctions known. I am, dear 



sir. Yours faithfully, F. M. SIMPSON, Secretary. 



Colombo, Ceylon, October 6, 1910. 



[The inauguration of weekly public sales of rubber at Colombo 

 was referred to in The I.ndia Rubber World, November 1, 1910 

 — page 66.] 



PRINTING ON RUBBER FOOTWEAR. 



THE machine illustrated here consists of a vertical support for 

 the rubber shoe, and a printing head on a movable carriage, 

 and is operated by foot power. The rubber shoe on its last is 

 placed upside down upon the support. On a level with the sole 

 is a self-inking printing roller. Pressure on the foot lever causes 

 the printing roll to advance and stop just above the shoe, while 



M.SCHINE FOR PrINTI.N'G ON RUBBER FouTVVEAR. 



at the same time the vertical support is raised and the impression 

 is made. Release of the lever causes the carriage of the printing 

 roller to run back to its original position on the side. This 

 invention is covered by United States patent No. 962,515. [The 

 J. \V. Moore Machine Co., Boston.] 



Under the title "Apcr(;u du Commerce ct de I'lndustrie des 

 Pays-Bas" the royal ministry of landbouw, nijverheid, en handel 

 (agriculture, industry, and commerce), at The Hague, are re- 

 porting on progress in Holland for foreign distribution, French 

 being chosen as the medium rather than the Hollandish lan- 

 guage. No. 12 of the series deals with the chemical industry, in 

 which is included the manufacture of india-rubber and gutta- 

 percha goods, to which four important establishments are de- 

 voted. [Paper. 8vo. Pp. 36.] 



