March 1, 1914. | 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



297 



Planters are uncertain as to the advisability of planting Moiii- 

 fiot Gtasiovii. A point of importance is that the area of the 

 Protectorate over which the Ceara tree grows freely is much 

 greater than that suited to other kinds of rublicr; Ceara gives 

 a quicker return than other varieties. 



Statistics of the comparative exports from Uganda for the 

 years ending March 31 show the following results : 



1911. 1912. 



Wild rubber 99,700 lbs. 31,0001bs. 



Plantation rubber 62.000 " 233,000 " 



Reports from Nyasaland state that the cultivation of Ceara 

 rubber is gradually emerging from the experimental stage. Ex 

 ports of cultivated rubber show a satisfactory increase, con- 

 sisting almost entirely of Ceara, the Para rubber not having 

 attained the age for tapping. The total area under cultivation 

 amounted in 1912 to 8,896 acres, of which 7,659 were under 

 Ceara. The exports of uncultivated rubber were chiefly the 

 product of the Landolphia parvifolia, extracted from the under- 

 ground parts of the plant by combined mechanical and chemical 

 processes, and being superior to the wild rubber exported from 

 other parts of Africa. 



A reduction of SO per cent, is being made in the freight rates 

 on rubber conveyed down stream on the Lualaba river (Belgian 

 Congo) ; while a like reduction is being made on rubber carried 

 by government steamers over the basin of the Upper Congo. 



The budget of the Belgian Congo for 1914 shows an estimated 

 deficit equaling $4,000,000. \\'hile this deficiency is partly caused 

 by increased charges for interest, it is likewise partially at- 

 tributed to the smaller collections of duty anticipated. Shipments 

 of rubber from the Belgian Congo to Antwerp for 1913 were 

 2,880 tons, against 3.230 in 1912 ; while the exports from the 

 French Congo to Havre were 1,182 tons, against 1.077 tons in 1912. 



GERMAN .\FRIC.\N POSSESSIONS. 



The German possessions in Africa which are interested in rub- 

 ber are : German East Africa, Togo and Kamerun, the capital 

 engaged coming chiefly from Germany. At a recent meeting 

 held at Berlin, representing these interests, the various questions 

 now affecting the rubber industry in German Africa were fully 

 discussed. German capitalists with investments in Manihot rub- 

 ber in East Africa have felt the effects of the large shipments of 

 Hei-ea rubber from the Middle East and the consequent fall in 

 values. 



East African planters have been placed in a difficult and seri- 

 ous position. Of late years they had devoted themselves ener- 

 getically to the cultivation of Manihot rubber, with the result 

 that present estimates place the number of trees at 19 million, 

 one-half of which have reached maturity. These 10 million trees 

 are estimated to have produced 1,000 tons of rubber for ex- 

 port in 1912. 



Among the elements of cost which planters find it necessary 

 to reduce, labor forms an item of importance. In this connec- 

 tion, stress has been laid upon the lengthening of the workers' 

 contracts. The term has been prolonged to a year, but of 365 

 working days and not 365 calendar days; a difference resulting 

 from the fact that laborers in East Africa practically only work 

 on alternate days. On the Malay Peninsula. Chinese workers 

 are hired for a term of three years. It has been suggested to 

 bring young laborers from the coast for long terms, but against 

 this proposal it has been urged that they would not like to be 

 ab,sent three years from their families. .Another plan has been 

 the suggested importation of Portuguese laborers, through the 

 assistance of the German government. 



One difficulty in establishing the cost of production is the in- 

 equality of the quantity brought in by individual tappers, expe- 

 rienced workers often gathering twice as much as young hands. 

 It is generally conceded that the prospects of the East African 

 rubber industry depend upon reducing the cost of production. 

 Whether the reduction thus established would be; suflTicient to 



maintain the industry, would naturally be governed by the course 

 of the market. 



Tapping experiments commenced upon good trees by skilled 

 tappers were not found to correspond with the later results, ob- 

 tained under different and less favorable circumstances. Plant- 

 ers have been fully alive to the necessity of establishing arid 

 maintaining uniformity of quality, if East African rubber is to 

 hold its own in the world's markets. A difficulty has, however, 

 been indicated, arising from the lack of regularity in tapping 



A P.\RTY OF T.VPPERS, .\ND ThEIR IMPLEMENTS. 



results, there being a difference between the quality of the latex 

 obtained from trees of various ages and at different seasons. 



Several of the speakers at the recent Berlin conference pointed 

 out that the opinions of individual planters do not coincide as 

 to the most advantageous method of preparation. Differences in 

 quality of rubber place it at a disadvantage; variations pro- 

 ceeding from the coagulant employed. At various times carbolic 

 acid and acetic acid have been used, but these have of late been 

 superseded by chloride of calcium, which produces an excellent 

 quality of rubber. It has the advantage of being cheaper than 

 other coagulants, but pays a 10 per cent, duty in East Africa. 



Attention was called to the fact that the variation in its quality 

 is a serious detriment to East African Manihot rubber, manu- 

 facturers being averse to making up compounds which they can- 

 not be sure of repeating. One speaker remarked : 



"No doubt exists that East .African rubber, if rightly prepared, 

 is a serviceable material. We have in Germany, as well as in 

 America and England, manufacturers who, if it is placed on the 

 market after being properly collected and prepared, would prefer 

 it to Hevca, especially as they can buy it cheaper. ... As 

 medium African qualities cannot be delivered at todays prices. 

 shipments will be restricted, which fact will send prices up.'' 



In commenting on this subject, one authority urged that East 

 African rubber had grown in favor with manufacturers, who 

 would have used it more freely if they could have depended on 

 getting tlie same quality again. According to his view, all rub- 

 bers which have been experimentally washed in East Africa, 

 have proved unsatisfactory. This is due to the fact that Manihot 

 rubber, when once washed, will not keep. He expressed disap- 

 proval of the proposal submitted to the Government for putting 

 up a washing plant in the northern district of German East 

 .Africa at an expense ecjualing $1.50,000 to $175,000. while the 

 plant could be erected at Hamburg for one-quarter the amount. 



Rubber planting in Kamerun dates from the discovery by 

 Professor Preuss in 1898 of the Kickxia in the elevated parts of 

 the country. In the beginning of 1912 the Kamerun planta- 

 tions had AYz million trees, or one-half million less than a year 

 before. The cause of this reduction was partly due to inter- 

 planting of Kickxia with cocoa. 



