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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



May 1, 1921 



The Research Association of British Rubber and Tire Manu- 

 facturers is among llie associations of manufacturers formed in 

 England to conduct industrial and scientific research in the 

 fields of their industries, and have been given governmental as- 

 sistance. 



THE RUBBER CLUB SCHEME 



This has now assumed definite form, though by no means on 

 the lines which many of its original supporters had anticipated. 

 To the average Briton the term club has a somewhat closely de- 

 fined meaning quite apart from a business association, which the 

 new club now appears to be. In this way its activities and pro- 

 cedure are much on the lines of the Rubber .\ssociation of .Vmer- 

 ica. which includes in its functions much of what is already pro- 

 vided for ih our Rubber Manufacturers' Association. The Rub- 

 ber Club of Great Britain will not conflict with the established 

 Manufacturers' Association, its energies being directed into dif- 

 ferent and more varied channels. The bulletin which it is pro- 

 posed to publish, and which will be sent free to all members, 

 will be conducted on novel lines, and will not cover ground al- 

 ready dealt with by the established trade journals. Mention is 

 made of the fact that the need of central commodious club prem- 

 ises can be met later when justified by financial or other consid- 

 erations. The present position is that a bulletin has been sent to 

 the rubber trade in its varied branches and interest, inviting ap- 

 plications for membership on the following lines, and no doubt 

 the proposed constitution and organization will depend upon the 

 response. 



Full members : Rubber manufacturers, whether corporations, 

 firms or persons, and corporations, firms or persons providing 

 raw materials and machinery used in the rubber and allied in- 

 dustries; annual subscription, £21.0.0. 



Merchant members : Merchant corporations and firms inter- 

 ested in the rubber and allied industries ; annual subscription, 

 £10.10.0. 



."Kssociates : Individuals connected with or interested in the 

 lubber and allied industries; annual subscription, £2.12.6. 



I do not notice any reference to the inclusion or otherwise of 

 non British subjects. As one of the specified objects of the club 

 is to watch foreign competition and keep its members advised 

 thereon, a somewhat delicate situation might be created if repre- 

 sentatives of foreign firms or non-naturalized foreigners were 

 members thereof. But no doubt this, together with other matters 

 relating to membership, will come before the new committee to 

 be chosen from those who have been circularized and accepted 

 membership. 



THE LONDON RUBBER EXHIBITION 



The Governments of Indo-China, Gambia, Java and Su- 

 matra also have decided to take part in the Fifth Interna- 

 tional Exhibition of Rubber and other Tropical Products to 

 be held in London, June 3-9, 1921. 



A. Garnier, director of the Agence Ecunoniiquc in Paris 

 of the Government of Indo-China, is to visit London person- 

 ally and represent his government at the Congress and the 

 Exhibition. Auguste Chevalier, director of the Institut Scien- 

 tifique de Saigon, will accompany Mr, Garnier and also read 

 a paper on "Progress of Hevea Cultivation in Indo-China." 



The participation of the Government of Gambia in the 

 Exhibition adds to the already outstanding importance of the 

 West African Section. 



Dr. O. de Vries, director of the Central Rubber Station, 

 Buitenzorg, Java, is arranging for Java's participation in the 

 exhibition. Dr. de Vries will read a paper at the Congress 

 on "The Influence of Field Conditions and the Treatment 

 of the Trees on Latex and Rubber." 



An exhibit will be made by the General Experimental Sta- 

 tion of the .^. V. R. O. S., Medan-Dcli, Sumatra. The director 



of the station. Dr. .\. .\. L. Rutgers, will contribute papers 

 to the Congress, entitled "The Selection of Rubber" and 

 "The Cultivation of Oil Palms." 



The Hunter Dry Kiln Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, will introduce 

 their method of drying and processing rubber to foreign trade by 

 operating a unit at the Fifth National Rubber Exhibition in 

 London. Francis Shaw & Co., Limited, Manchester, who handle 

 the Hunter System in British possessions, excluding Canada, will 

 supervise the exhibit. Harry Hunter, inventor and president of 

 the Hunter Dry Kiln Co. will attend the exhibition and explain 

 the details of the system. 



COMPETITION No. 1 



Owing to reduction "f output, some companies are not 

 marketing scrap grades and, in these circumstances, the Com- 

 mittee have decided that a consignment may consist of two 

 grades instead of three grades (75 per cent No. 1 sheet and/or 

 crepe and 25 per cent No. 2 grade, or compo crepe, other 

 than scrap) provided the entry is accompanied by a certificate 

 to the effect that scrap grades are not being manufactured 

 and that the consignment fairly represents the present grades 

 turned out by the estate. 



NEW COMPETITION (No. lA) 



For Rubber Produced in Malaya and Ceylon, Sold Locally in SiDjfapore 



and Colombo 



The conditions will be identical with those of Competition 

 No. 1 (as amended") except that .samples forwarded to the 

 .\wards Committee must be accompanied by a certificate 

 similar to that required for wharf-samples drawn in London, 

 such certificate to be signed on behalf of responsible godown 

 approved by local Chamber of Commerce. 



Awards will be given for each country according to the 

 number of entries received and will consist of the -Associa- 

 tion's gold, silver or bronze medals and prizes. 



Entries, samples and certificate^ will be accepted up to 

 and including May 25, 1921. 



THE BRITISH RUBBER INDUSTRY SINCE THE 

 ARMISTICE 



FIGURES relating to the British rubber industry during 1919 

 and 1920 have just come to hand and are particularly interest- 

 uig as showing the continued progress of this industry since the 

 armistice. 



During the two years under review, imports of crude rubber 

 increased by about 20,000,000 pounds. In 1919 the total quantity 

 was 228,237,700 pounds, value £24,211,886; and in 1920. 248,368,- 

 100 pounds value £24,556,126. Whereas the Straits Settlement 

 sent the largest quantity in 1919. when the figures were 67,351,100 

 pounds, value £7,187,882, exports showed a decrease in 1920 to 

 f)6,516,400 pounds, value £6,499,413, and first place went to the 

 Federated Malay States which had increased the total exports 

 to Great Britain from 62,862,200 pounds, value £6,628,845 in 1919, 

 to 67,151,200 pounds, value £6,860,824 in 1920. British India 

 also advanced with 12,286,800 pounds, value £1,308,035 in 1920, 

 against 11,301,200 pounds, value £1,240,460 the year before. Cey- 

 lon and dependencies showed the greatest rate of increase among 

 llie leading rubber-producing countries, totals being 47,991,900 

 pounds, value £4,657,041 in 1920 as compared with 33,498,100 

 pounds, value £3,605,033 in 1919. 



Exports from other Dutch possessions in the Indian Seas 

 dropped from 12,283,200 pounds, value £1,286,691 in 1919. to 8,608,- 

 000 pounds, value £870,634 in the following year. However, this 

 decrease from Dutch sources was made up for by the shipments 

 from Dutch East Indies (except other Dutch possessions in In- 

 dian Seas") which rose from 13,372.200 pounds, value £1,381,220 

 in 1919 to 17.769,400 pounds, value £1.667.780 in 1920. Figures for 

 Brazil indicated a gain in quantity, those for 1920 reading 18,354,- 



