Apkil i, 1910.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



133 



RUBBER CONGRESS AT MANAOS. 



Industrial e Agri- 



in progress must be improved commercial conditions, 

 not only in the Amazon region, but between the 

 states there and the outside world, which will facilitate 

 the sale and transportation of rubber, and the founda- 

 tions for which are already being laid. The Congress 

 lately held at Manaos was essentially^ a rubber con- 

 gress, for the reason that, as has been intimated in 

 this article, there is no other interest on the Amazi >n 

 river about which or in regard to which any kind of 



T — HE Congresso Commercia 

 ___ cola, organized by the Commercial Asm iciation 

 ijjviaj) of Amazonas, with the support of the govern- 

 ment of the State, and held at Manaos Feb- 

 ruary 22-26, will long be held in remembrance in 

 connection with the unfolding of the new regime just 

 now developed in the Amazon region. In control for 

 so long of the world's supply of rubber, it is not 

 singular that the North Brazilians should come to 

 regard as impossible any menace to their interests congress could be convened. At the same time it was 

 from any source. But the challenge has come — from properly described as a commercial and agricultural 

 the rubber planters of the Far East — and Amazonia congress, its promoters having in mind the general 

 has hastened to the defence. This is the meaning of proposition that the best development of the Amazon 

 the Congress at Manaos. rubber interest involves general agriculture and the 



The new regime on the Amazon of course has its modernization Vif its commerce, instead of, as in the 

 basis and center in the crude rubber trade which past, dealing with.rubber as a sole interest, without 

 hitherto has been the sole interest of the people of that regard to conditions existing elsewhere in respect of 

 region. Not only has this been true of the past, but it rubber or trade in general. 



will be true farther into the future than any one now Too much cannot be said in praise of the Corn- 



living can hope to see. But rubber is destined to be mercial Association of Manaos, wdiose enterprising 

 produced under changed conditions, involving the management had the perspicacity to recognize the con- 

 introduction into north Brazil of agriculture, which in dition confronting their region, and to bring about a 

 the modern sense of this term in North America and propaganda of progress such as the congress just held 

 in Europe, has never existed there. The Amazonian exemplifies. In no city elsewhere, perhaps, would any 

 scringitciros who to-day supply the world with more public movement whatever attract such general in- 

 than half in volume of the 

 crude rubber used, and vastly 

 more than half in value, for the 

 most part depend upon foreign 

 markets for their food, cloth- 

 ing, and other requirements in 

 life. The introduction of agri- 

 culture in Amazonia means 

 making the seringacs self- 

 sustaining and independent of 

 the outside world, with the ul- 

 timate result of a better sys- 

 temization of the rubber pro- 

 ducing industry and its more 

 economical conduct, all of 

 which leads to (1) better and 

 more certain profits for the 

 producers ; (2) more certain 

 and more regular supplies for 

 consumers; and (3) a large theatro amazonas (the state theater) at manaos, on the upper amazon. 



reduction in the COSt tO COll- [The building in which was held the Congresso Commercial. Industrial e Agricola, February 22-26, 1910. 



Slimers ^^ e sa ^ nn ' n *^ e ? re at theater where the Congress heid its sessions is perhaps as beautiful a meeting place 



as any business body were ever fortunate enough to occupy. Rectangular in shape, a row of lofty fluted 

 Hand 111 hand with this Step columns reserved the space where were the seats of the delegates fronted by a great table for the president 



and secretaries. Outside of the row of columns was the assembling place of the reporters and friends of 



those engaged in the debates. At each end of the room were great mirrors which reflected and re-reflected 

 the room until one gained the impression that a score of congresses all housed in elegant conference rooms 

 were simultaneously nt work. To speak of the great panels on either side of the mirrors decorated with 

 beautiful tropical scenes in oil, of the crystal chandeliers, triumphs of art. of the ceiling covered with 

 allegoric figures by De Angelis at his best, would be but to faintly suggest the artistic completeness 1 i the 

 whole. Mr. Pearson's two lectures were given in the evening, in the auditorium, which on both occasions 

 was filled to the topmost galley with an audience ranking from the Governor of the State down to the 

 smallest clerks in the rubber houses.] 



NOTE. — The present report of the Con- 

 gress at Manaos, compiled from informa- 

 tion supplied by "The India Rubber 

 World's*' correspondents on the Amazon, is 

 preliminary to a fuller treatment of the sub- 

 ject by our Editor, who attended the Con- 

 press in person. 



