December i, 1909.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



85 



The News of Rubber Planting. 



results OF the federated MALAY states company. nese women were employed in addition, and as much light work 



DESPITE all that has been reported in relation to the yield is involved in rubber production, it is possible that the employ- 



of planted Hevea rubber, there is as yet no standard for ment of this hitherto unthought of class may extend to other 



comparison of general utility. On an important produc- plantations, 



tive estate trees will be tapped of varying ages, some regularly With regard to the tapping methods employed by Mr. 



all year and some for only a single series of a fortnight or a Skinner, his report says : "At the beginning of the year, the 



month. Likewise different methods practised on trees of a 17,148 trees were laid out with a double herring bone, one-half 



given age do not always give the same results, and furthermore of the tree with cuts at 12 inches apart; 6 inches of each cut 



there must be a difference in the output of rubber in the hands was reserved for the year 1908-09, and the remaining 6 inches 



of experienced workers and those without experience. A for the year 1909-10. It was expected that this surface of six 



consequence is that even in the most informing company reports inches would be exhausted in six months — i. c, an average of 



it is not always made clear how much rubber comes from trees fifteen cuts to the inch. This, however, was not the case, as the 



of any given age, tapped by this or that system. average worked out at nearer 22 cuts to the inch, therefore the 



It is interesting, however, to note that in the report of a certain six inches of bark of these trees took much longer to finish, 



well managed rubber plantation in the Malay peninsula, which This mainly accounted for the very large increase in the crop 



during the past year yielded 126,512 pounds, or 1.98 pounds per over the estimated amount. The standard of 22 cuts to one 



tree, the average for the older trees was s l A pounds. These inch should easily be maintained in the future." 



trees are of different ages, up to twelve years. Certain young Another point which remains for comment is that the 



trees tapped during only six months, averaged 1 pound each, and officers and directors of the Federated Malay States Rubber Co., 



trees still younger tapped during four months averaged 8 ounces Limited, embrace most of the leaders in the crude rubber trade 



each. The company referred to is the Federated Malay States at Antwerp — men whose fortunes have been made largely from 



Rubber Co., Limited, owned in and controlled from Antwerp, handling the native Congo rubber — and their present interest in 



under the able management in Selangor of Mr. E. B. Skinner. Malay plantations can hardly be interpreted otherwise than as 



It is this company whose product appears at the monthly in- an indication of an expected diminution of the Congo rubber 



scriptions at Antwerp, just as the British owned plantations send output, 



their produce chiefly to London. expansion of the Malacca rubber plantations. 



With regard to yield, it may be mentioned that this company's At the third annual meeting of Malacca Rubber Plantations, 



annual report two years ago showed an average of over 2.6 Limited (London, October 26), the issue was authorized of 6 



pounds for all the trees tapped, and the lower average this year per cent, debenture bonds to the amount of £500,000 [=$2,432,500], 



is due to the coming into bearing of so many young trees. The the proceeds to be employed ( 1 ) in repaying loans involved in 



production, however, of SVi pounds from 17.148 trees must be recent purchases of adjoining properties which have brought the 



regarded as a very notable fact. company's acreage of rubber up to 15,000, and (2) in providing 



The report of the Federated Malay States company says: about £240,000 working capacity, which it is expected will be re- 



"The cost of tapping for labor only was 18.58 cents (silver) quired soon in dealing with the great number of trees now 



per pound, and the cost, including knives, cups, collecting cans, reaching a tappable age. The latest census of planted Hevea 



etc., was 20.72 cents per pound. Considering the very large pro- trees is as follows : 



portion of young trees tapped, the cost may be considered satis- 7 vears and over 170000 



factory." It is clear that the average cost of production is not 6 years and over loi]ooo 



wholly satisfactory. It would be most desirable to have some 5 years and over 114,000 



such company isolate a certain number of mature trees and 4 - vears anl J over 365,000 



, , . , , . . . 3 vears and over 600,000 



inaugurate some system of cost keeping for this section alone, 2 " years an( j over 750000 



with a view of arriving at the actual expense involved. It is Under 2 years 650^000 



clear that the tapping of trees which yield only 1 pound must 



had to a largely pound cost than in the case of trees yielding ° 2,750,000 



five times as much rubber. While the company have been tapping for three years, 



The salient features of the company's reports during four tne tota ' product so far has not been large, but it is believed 



years past nay be summarized as follows: that about 225,000 trees are now ready to be tapped, which, at 



1906. 1907. 1908. 1909. tne sanle rate as realized hitherto, will greatly increase the out- 



Yield (pounds) 13.322 32.175 66,725 126.512 put. The company have paid, for the three years, the 7 l A 



Net profits ifrancs) 74,003.16 173.980.35 180,061.15 645,341.22 ....... , . 



Dividend 5% 8% 8.5% 24% cumulative dividend on the preference shares — 115.000 at £1 



It is proper to note that the 24 per cent, dividend did not ab- cacn - Their white crepe rubber has sold at the high London 



sorb all the profits of the company for the year. The legal re- prices for this grade, but now that a preference is being shown 



serve, which this year amounted to 32,000 francs, was provided for smoked sheet, the management is preparing to adopt the 



for: as well as a special reserve of 50,000 francs; 77,000 francs smoking process. The Malacca company's original estates were 



to the directors ( who would have had nothing in a lean year) ; founded by a Chinese company, and some interest attached to 



and a carryover to the new year of 10,000 francs more than in tne purchase, owing to the fact that there were Americans 



1908. among the vendors. 



The manager of the Federated company has done a consider- rubber plantation yields. 

 able business in the treatment at his factory of considerable Space cannot be afforded for all the statistics of production of 

 rubber from neighboring estates. In addition to his own output the many rubber producing plantations in the Far East, the re- 

 ef 126,512 pounds, mention is made of 102.671 pounds treated for turns from which are cabled regularly to the outside world, in 

 other planters, which doubtless added materially to the profits detail comparable with that noticeable in reporting railway earn- 

 of the company. The number of coolies on the estate is 854. ings, for example, in the United States. It may be of interest. 

 During the year, the labor force not being sufficient, some Chi- however, now and then, to glance at returns taken at random 



