September 1, 1911.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



485 



South American rubber prices this year, they over-looked planta- 

 tion rubber as a factor in their calculations, or treated it is some- 

 thing negligible. Plantation rubber supplies more than anything 

 else have contributed to the failure of their scheme, and may be 

 responsible for the ultimate abandonment of it. Whether or no 

 this means ruin to some of those who are implicated in it mat- 

 ters nothing to the plantation rubber shareholder, but what 

 should matter to him would be the acceptance of any proposal 

 to have the rubber market at the moment calculated to retain 

 influences which could not fail to prejudice his interests in the 

 future. — The Financier, London. 



BALATA AND RUBBER IN BRITISH GUIANA. 



D UBBER is constantly engaging attention in British Guiana, it 

 ^ »■ being there anticipated that the Colony will eventually have 

 to be reckoned with by the other rubber producing countries. 



Some 800 acres are said to have been cleared at the Liberty 

 Island property of the Essequibo Rubber and Tobacco Estates, 

 Limited, on which 20,000 Hevea Brasiliensis rul)ber trees and 

 10,000 cocoanut, lime and other trees have been planted, and are 

 doing well. The total rainfall for the six months, January to 

 June, amounted to 85.14 inches, which is considered nearly ideal 

 for rubber cultivation. 



The Bartica Company, on the Essiquebo river, has felled 700 

 acres of forest and have 600 ready for planting to Hevea ruljber. 

 They report 90,000 Para seedlings now in their nursery, and 

 expect to receive in October 200,000 Para seeds. 



The Department of Agriculture had perhaps 20,000 young 

 Hevea seedlings at the beginning of the season. According to 

 a recent visitor to Georgetown, if they had possessed a million 

 the planters would have taken them, so great is the present 

 interest in rubber culture. 



BAIATA AS A FACTOE OF BRITISH GUIANA TRADE. 



The value attached to balata as a factor in the trade of British 

 Guiana is illustrated by the following editorial comments in the 

 "Daily Argosy" on the statistical returns for the last five years : 

 "Balata is the sole item, the trade in which has extended to a 

 degree of any importance ; the increase in quantity for the fiscal 

 year 1910-1911, compared with 1909-1910, being 10 per cent., while 

 the increase in value reached the substantial figure of 43 per cent. 

 . . . Balata, by which great store is set just now. . . seems 

 to be the heir apparent to the position which gold is abdicating. 

 . . . The output has increased within five years from 634,242 

 lbs. to 1,162,588 lbs., or by 83 per cent . . . while the value of 

 the output has risen 178 per cent." 



A little sound advice is tendered, which planters in all parts 

 of the world might advantageously take to heart : "There is a 

 danger attaching to this kind of property. The intoxication en- 

 gendered by it may easily encourage extravagance, and allow of 

 slackness of management which would not be tolerated in times 

 of stress.'' 



By the latest official statistics a diminution is recorded in the 

 aggregate exports of balata from British Guiana, between Janu- 

 ary 1 and June 7 of this year, as compared with the similar period 

 of last year. The respective quantities were: 1910, 166,300 lbs.; 

 1911, 136,000 lbs.; the decrease thus being equal to about 18 per 

 cent. This reduction is attributed to prospecting and preparatory 

 work having interfered with the actual collection of latex. By 

 the latest accounts, more activity was noticeable in the last named 

 direction, an early revival of exports being anticipated. 



BRITTLE BALATA. 



There are in British Guiana many trees that furnish what is 

 known as "brittle" balata because of its resinous character. 

 It is useless for commercial purposes. Mr. G. R. Stevenson, of 

 Georgetown, professes to treat the latex and turn out good 

 balata. . , -_.[, )jn:!- 



Intcrviewed by a Daily Argosy representative, he gave the 



following particulars: "When I went up the Barima river I 

 collected some of the latex of 'brittle' balata trees and I also 

 got some 'brittle' balata from Mr. G. C. Benson, of the Edward 

 Maurer Co. I won't tell in what way I did it, but I succeeded 

 in inventing a process of converting it into balata Of the purest 

 kind." 



Mr. Stevenson produced a biscuit of the balata which had 

 come through his process and flapped it before the eyes of the 

 interviewer. It was rubber-pink in color, and the way in which 

 it bent as the inventor flapped it about was proof positive that 

 there was absolutely no brittleness to it. 



Continuing, Mr. Stevenson said: "In the forests of British 

 Guiana there are vast areas of 'brittle' balata trees. If the latex 

 is collected from those trees and subjected to my process the 

 export of balata would go up considerably, and a new and re- 

 munerative industry would be established. 



"I have succeeded also in discovering a process for preparing 

 for the market a certain kind of rubber that is found here. The 

 latex is obtained from a kind of Sal>ium tree commonly called 

 'Moboa,' which also abounds in various parts of the colony." 



Mr. Stevenson describes his process as a chemical one, very 

 snnple, the cost of treatment being about one cent a pound. 



BRITISH GUIANA REVENUE FROM BALATA DUTY. 



The original estimates of the revenue for the Government of 

 British Guiana to be anticipated from the balata duty seem 

 likely to be materially exceeded by the actual receipts from 

 that source. It is anticipated that the "Consolidated" will this 

 year beat the record it created last year, while several com- 

 panies formed in 1910 will collect a greater amount of balata 

 than was previously possible. 



THE AMSTERDAM BALATA COMPANY. 



According to recent British Guiana advices it is understood 

 that the Amsterdam Balata Co. has practically pledged itself to 

 export a large quantity of the article in a given time, and that 

 its shipments will very soon commence. 



Mr. Van Flines, late of Surinam, is the local representative 

 of the company, in connection with the management of which 

 it is reported that an oflfer has been made to Mr. John Ogilvie, 

 at present balata superintendent with Garnett & Co., Limited. 



BRITISH GUIANA AND VENEZUELA BALATA. 



The question of repealing the ordinance prohibiting the im- 

 portation of balata from Venezuela has been the subject of in- 

 vestigation by the Government of British Guiana. At a private 

 meeting of the Balata Association, recently held at Georgetown, 

 it is understood that, while the members were not opposed to 

 repealing the ordinance, it was decided to send a letter to the 

 Government containing certain suggestions. 



According to a personal opinion previously expressed by a 

 prominent authority it would be advisable for the Government to 

 make regulations either to have Venezuela balata pass through 

 some process of manufacture in British Guiana, or when shipped 

 to have its origin clearly stated. 



Of the many trophies presented at the International Rubber 

 Exhibition in London, none was more artistic or attracted more 

 attention than the President's Trophy, given by Sir Henry Blake, 

 G. C. M. G. No entries were required for this trophy, a commit- 

 tee of judges awarding it after inspecting all of the exhibits. It 

 fell to the lot of the Harburg and Vienna India Rubber Com- 

 pany. Limited, to win this trophy for the excellence of their 

 varied exhibits of manufactured rubber goods. 



O.N- July 1 a l.\w imposing an export duty of 8 per cent., ad 

 valorem, on all rubber exported from Peru went into eflfect. The 

 valuations for the assessment of the duty will, be fixed every 

 ,two vy.eeks by the treasury officials, on the basis of .Liverpool 

 „jquotations on rubbery cabled weekly from ;tihat. oity;'^by 'he 

 Peruvian consul. 



