September i, 1910.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD. 



419 



INTEREST IN RUBBER PLANTING. 



The planting idea seemed to have taken a strong hold upon 

 the residents of both Para and Manaos. I talked long with 

 one large operator in the Acre who assured me that his house 

 had already planted more than 100,000 trees. There were those 

 who were urging the governor of Amazonas to grant subsidies 

 and concessions of all sorts, but while he was most favorable 

 to the planting idea, he did not see his way clear to favor exactly 

 the plans put before him. 



The following is a translation of the planting laws for the 

 state of Para, which are very liberal and well worth a careful 

 reading: 



FOR AGRICULTURISTS IN THE STATE OF PARA. 



The Legislative Congress has decreed, and I sanction, the following 

 Law. 



Article I. — To agriculturists of this state who may, by themselves, 

 or by societies formed for the purpose, satisfy the exactions of the 

 present enactment, the following premiums, to be paid by the finance 

 department of the state of Para, will be awarded: 



First, of 500 milreis, for each lot of 500 rubber trees conveniently 

 planted. 



Second, of 250 milreis, for each lot of 500 cacao trees conveniently 

 planted. 



Art. II. — In order to establish the right of receiving the premiums 

 instituted by the present Law, planters or associations must follow the 

 instructions given by the agricultural department of the state, to which 

 must be communicated the intention to plant. 



Art. III. — The premiums shall be paid in installments within the 

 following periods: 



a. Whenever rubber trees have been planted, the premiums shall be 

 divided in four equal installments, which will be paid as follows: The 

 first, in the end of the second year after the trees have been planted; 

 the second, in the end of the third year after the trees have been 

 planted; the third, in the end of the fourth year; and the fourth, in 

 the end of the sixth year. 



b. [Here follow similar provisions for the payment of premiums to 

 planters of cacao. ] 



Art. IV. — Previous to the payment of any premium, the number of 

 plants and their respective ages must be verified by an employe of the 

 agricultural department appointed by the government, and a record will 

 be written of all that is verified, all of which must be signed by the said 

 employe, by the planter and two witnesses, in preference, two planting 

 neighbors. 



One — If, on verifying one lot of plants, at the request of any planter, 

 it is seen that newer trees have been planted, other than the ones to 

 which the premium is applicable, notes will be taken to entitle the 

 planter to the additional premium, in the proper period due. 



Art. V, — If the planting has not been done in strict accordance with 

 the instructions of the agricultural department, or does not appear to be 

 thriving, in the opinion of the employe of the agricultural department, 

 or any other person, the government may refuse the payment of the 

 premium. 



One. — In cases of disputes arising on such points as this, the planter 

 has the right to require of the government the appointment of a com- 

 mittee composed of three professional agriculturists, who will decide 

 as to the rights of the planter. 



Art. VI. — If on counting trees for the payment of any portion of 

 premiums due by the government it is ascertained that, receiving the 

 nr<t installment, the number of trees has diminished, the next install- 

 ment will not be paid until the exact number of trees are replaced. 



Art. VII. — To farmers or societies who will apprise the government 

 of their intention to plant, the following favors may be conceded: 



a. Gratuitous distribution of 500 kilograms of chemical manures, dur- 

 ing four consecutive years; 



b. Seeds, plants ;.nd complete instructions on the following of agri- 

 cultural pursuit?; 



c. Gratuitous teaching for every branch of agriculture; 



d. Free freights on all the steamship lines and railways subsidized 

 by the government for all machinery materials, plants, seeds, manures, 

 fertilizers and animals for draft or stud purposes. 



Art. VII I. — The proprietors of farms organized under the protection 

 of this Law shall be entitled to the following additional favors: 



a. A reduction of 50 per cent, on the export duty on rubber produced 

 the first 10 years, dating from first exportation, and 30 per cent, reduc- 

 tion on the following 10 years; 30 per cent, reduction on the railway 

 freights and all steamship lines subsidized by the government. 



b. For cacao: [Similar provisions]. 



Art. IX. — To enable these reductions to be obtained, all packages 

 must bear a trade mark, registered at the Board of Trade at the city 

 of Para. 



Akt. X. — To farmers or associations who will petition for lands for 

 the purpose of planting in accordance with this Law, parcels of not over 

 100 hectares [=247 acres] will be sold for one-half of the current estab- 

 lished rates for public lands. 



One. — The sale of these lands will be made provisionally and the titles 

 thereof shall not be issued until it is proved that it has been planted 

 to an extent that will enable the owner to receive, in premiums, a sum 

 exceeding the cost of the lands. 



5> c< 2 . — If, after the period of three years, it is proved that the con- 

 dition of the previous section has not been complied with, the govern- 

 ment may declare the sale of the said lands null and void, and take 

 possession thereof, together with any improvements made, without any 

 right of indemnification on the part of the government, or of the return 

 of anv moiety paid on account of the purchase. 



Art. XL— The government will decree, in the form of by laws, all 

 provisos that mav be deemed expedient for the proper operation of this 

 Law, and will open the necessary credits for the payment of premiums 

 herein instituted. 



Art. XII. — All enactments to the contrary are hereby revoked. 



The Secretary for Public Works, Public Lands and Ways will see to 

 its execution. 3 l 



Palace of the Government of the 



[Signed] 



State of Para, November 6, 1900. 

 JOAO ANTONIO LUI2 COELHO, 

 Innocencio H. de Lima. 



FOR PLANTING COMPANIES, NATIVE OR FOREIGN. 

 The Legislative Congress has decreed, and I sanction, the following 



Article I.— The Governor is hereby authorised to contract with one 

 or more companies native, or foreign, the planting and exploitation of 

 the rubber tree (Hevea Brasihcnsis), under the concession of the fol- 

 lowing favors: 



a. The concession of state lands, up to 20,000 hectares [=: 50 000 

 acres, more or less], duly handing them over, after proper demarcation 

 for the necessary planting operations of the company; 



b. A reduction of 50 per cent, to be made in the export duties of 

 cu ltivated rubber produced, in the first ten years dating from the day 

 of the first exportation, and 30 per cent, for another period of ten years. 



c. A reduction of 30 per cent, in the freights of the railways and on 

 steamers which may be subsidised by the state, during twenty years, on 

 all rubber produced by the company; 



J. Free transport on the Brazanca railway, and on steamship lines 

 subsidised by the state, for all machinery and materials needed by the 

 company to put up their buildings and appurtenances: for all immi- 

 grants to be located on the company's plantations, as well as for all 

 seeds, plants, animals, manures, tools and implements; 



e. Advances to be made by the government treasury, as a guarantee 

 of interest at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum on a'll the shares and 

 bonds issued by the company, to the extent of one-half thereof. 



One.— This guarantee of interest shall be limited onlv to the issue 

 of a capital of £400,000, if the capital of the company shall be double 

 that sum, or more. 



Art. II. — In exchange for these favors the company must undertake 

 to do the following: 



a. To plant a minimum of 20,000 rubber trees yearly. 



b. Observe the instructions of the agricultural department of the state 

 in the mode of planting. 



c. Maintain an elementary rural school with accommodations to house 

 at least 20 minors, orphans, and a practical demonstration ground for 

 teaching the mechanical appliance of tools and implements to agricul- 

 tural pursuits, and also an experimental ground for trial of plants and 

 the effects of manuring on same. 



d. Cultivate rice, corn, and beans, and prepare the same mechanically. 



e. Furnish the department of agriculture of the state annually com- 

 plete statistics of all the planting movement and its results, and the 

 products of rubber and other plants obtained yearly. 



f. Use in the packages to be shipped containing products of the plan- 

 tation, a registered mark, to be deposited at the Board of Trade of the 

 state of Para. 



g. Permit the government the right to superintend all the works ac- 

 complished, in the manner it may best think fit. 



Art. III. — The guarantee of interest conceded by this Law shall 

 cease as soon as the company begins to earn 6 per cent, on its invested 

 capital; and as soon as the said earnings on the capital invested by the 

 company shall exceed 7 per cent, per annum the company shall begin 

 to indemnify the government, at the rate of 5 per cent, on the total 

 sums advanced by the government. 



Art. IV. — As soon as the company shall begin to earn profits, the 

 guarantee of interest, as provided by this Law, shall be only comple- 

 mentary, and be limited to that sum which will enable the company to 

 declare a dividend of 6 per cent, on all its issued capital. 



Art. V. — The concession of state lands shall be made for a period 

 of 99 years, gratuitously, the right of property reverting then unto 

 the state, together with all improvements made thereon. 



Art. VI. — So long as the government guarantee prevails, the com- 

 pany shall not be at liberty to augment its capital, without the full 

 consent of the said government. 



Art. VII. — The rules and regulations and by laws of the company 

 shall be subject to the approval of the government. 



Art. VIII. — So long as the government guarantee prevails, the said 

 government shall have the right to appoint one of the directors of the 

 company. 



Art. IX. — As a guarantee of the good faith in the execution of its 

 contract, the government shall have the right to demand that the com- 

 pany =hall deposit up to the sum 10 per cent, of its debenture stock. 



a. The dividends paid on these debentures shall be credited to the 

 company at the state treasury. 



b. After the government is indemnified by the company for all ad- 

 vances made the debentures may be withdrawn from the treasury, if 

 they should have been deposited. 



Art. X. — Any concessions made under this Law shall be considered 

 null and void, for all intents and purposes, and all lands acquired and 

 improvements made shall revert to the sole possession of the govern- 

 ment, without any right to indemnity of any sort, if, after two years 

 from the date of the signing of its contract, the company shall have 

 failed to plant a minimum of 40,000 trees, which must be established, 

 and growing in good condition, and also having complied with the 

 exactions of Article II of the present Law. save and except, cases of 

 force maieur, in which case the government reserves the right to judge. 



Art. XI. — The government of the state shall use every effort _ to 

 obtain from the federal government in favor of the company, exemption 

 of all import duties on machinery and agricultural implements it may 

 need to imoort for its uses in the cultivation of the soil. 



Art. XII. — In the contract to be signed with the concessionaire, the 

 government shall secure the interests of the state, by inserting the 

 necessarv clauses, regulating how the lands conceded shall be popu- 

 lated, and determining the periods on which the guarantee of interest 

 shall be paid. ^ 



One.—lx\ anv case, the s per cent, correspondinc to the first year 

 shall onlv be paid after the government ascertains that steps have been 

 practically made to initial the works for which the company has been 

 organized. ... , 



Art. XIII. — The government shall open the necessary credits to de- 

 fray all the expenses originated by this Law. 



Art. XIV.— All decrees and laws in any way contrary to this, are 

 hereby revoked. . „ . ,, ,,. .„ 



The Secretary of Public Works, Lands and Public Ways will see to 

 the execution of this enactment. ,,™«*, T «. ytttt mn un 



[Signedl TOAO ANTONIO LUIZ COELHO. 



Innocencio H. de Lima. 



