October 1, 1920.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



59 



for several years the Peninsula has led' all other countries in 

 the production of crude rubber. 



The exports of rubber from the Federated Malay States 

 were as follows for the last five years : 



Tons 



1914 30,697 



1915 44,533 



1916 62,764 



1917 79.83 1 



1918 78.283 



Stocks in the Federated Malay States at the end of the year 

 were still somewhat heavy. 



An outstanding feature of the year was the success attending 

 the extraction of gutta percha by native methods from taban 

 trees. 



PASDUN KORAXE SHOW 



At this recently held agricultural and horticultural show, 

 planters of the Kalutara district lent their aid. Among the ex- 

 hibits were rubber sheets. The gold medal for unsmoked dia- 

 mond sheet was won by the superintendent of Millekanda. 



THE RUBBER INDUSTRY IN CEYLON 



Special Correspondence 



THE CAMPAIGN begun by F. S. Elson to organize some kind of 

 union of planters to improve the lot of the working planter 

 has given the Planters' Association of Ceylon a much-needed 

 jolt. Once fully aroused to the real need of reforms, this 

 association has lost no time in getting into immediate and sympa- 

 thetic touch with Mr. Elson and his associates. As a result it 

 is gratifying to learn that discussions to reconstitute the Planters' 

 Association have been under way, and that the need for a 

 separate organization to fight for the working planters' interests 

 has practically vanished. 



It has been proposed to divide the interests at present repre- 

 sented by the General Committee of Planters' Association of 

 Ceylon into four heads: (1) The interests of the companies; (2) 

 interests of private proprietors; (3) interests of working planters, 

 including assistant superintendents; (4) a general committee to 

 watch over, as at present, politics in its widest sense. 



Furthermore, resolutions have been passed with regard to 

 salaries, pensions and furloughs. With reference to the latter, 

 the opinion was that all planters should be entitled to six months' 

 leave with full pay after five years' service in an up-country 

 district, or four years' service in a low-country district; em- 

 ployers should be asked to pay annually to the Ceylon Planters' 

 Association a sum equal to one-fifth, in the case of art up- 

 country planter, and one-fourth in the case of a low-country 

 planter, of the six months' furlough full pay ; that a similar 

 method should be adopted for payinent of the cost of passages 

 to England. 



RtTBBER CONTRACT CASE 



Graham McPhillips, Limited, of Singapore, which, during the 

 latter part of 1919 had a branch office at Colombo, sued the 

 General Rubber Co., also having a branch office at Colombo, 

 for the recovery of 32,340 rupees as damages suffered by plain- 

 tiff in consequence of an alleged breach of the terms of a contract 

 dated September 12, 1919, for the sale of rubber. By the terms 

 of this contract the General Rubber Co. was to supply 75 tons 

 of rubber, to be delivered in October, November and December, 

 1919, at the rate of 25 tons per month. Payment was to be 

 made by bank demand drafts on London. Any alteration in 

 method of payment which might come into force during the 

 period of contract would be applicable to the contract. 



The plaintiff company claimed that, for the delivery of the SO 

 tons during November and December, defendants insisted on 

 payment in rupees and refused to accept demand drafts on 

 London. Plaintiffs paid in rupees under protest and were com- 

 pelled to cancel the cross-exchange contract with the bank, 

 thereby suffering a loss of 32,340 rupees. 



Judgment was that after October, under the altered condi- 

 tions of payment at [)ublic sales, the option of payment in 

 sterling draft was no longer in force. Consequently, the de- 

 fendants were entitled to payment in rupees, and plaintiffs could 

 not claim damages.' Plaintiffs' action was dismissed with costs. 



DEFECTS IN PLANTATION RUBBER 



SPOTS ON SHEET RUBBER 



THE spots that are sometimes noticed on plantation sheet ap- 

 pear as clear, transparent and rather darker places on the 

 slieets, varying greatly in size, form and number, but distinctly 

 visible, particularly when held up to the light. With a few 

 exceptions, both sides of the sheet are similarly spotted, show- 

 ing that the defect extends through the sheet. 



Experiments show that these spots occur when sulphite or 

 bisulphite or a combination of both is used. Small amounts of 

 these chemicals do not affect the appearance of the sheet ; but 

 when larger amounts are employed, the spots become evident. 

 When a greater amount of curdling or coagulation of the latex 

 lakes place, more of the sheets are spotted and the spots are 

 larger and darker. 



The use of anti-coagulants other than sulphite and reduction 

 or avoidance of bisulphite prevent spots from appearing. 



RUSTINESS IN SMOKED SHEET 



.\ damp atmosphere is particularly favorable to the develop- 

 ment of rustiness, which is indeed most prevalent during wet 

 weather. The degree of moisture in which sheets hang shortly 

 after rolling is of the greatest importance. In wet weather, sheets 

 taken immediately after rolling into a drying room at a tem- 

 perature of 104 to 140 degrees F. never become rusty, while air 

 drying (at room temperature) sometimes produces rustiness. 

 It is also increased by rolling the sheet a longer time after 

 coagulation. An increase in rustiness was caused in several 

 experiments by rolling sheets twenty-four hours after coagula- 

 tion instead of directly. 



One experimenter recommends soaking the sheets in water 

 to prevent rustiness. However, another finds that this pro- 

 motes rustiness. Even on sheets soaked in water for seven 

 days rustiness can be produced. Rapid surface drying is re- 

 garded as the best method to prevent rustiness caused by the 

 decomposition of serum substances. 



MOULDY RUBBER 



Of late there has been considerable complaint about rubber 

 that has left the estate quite dry and arrives in a mouldy con- 

 dition or covered with colored spots. A few years ago, the 

 lemedy was sought in oversmoking. .At present, however, with 

 an overstocked market, buyers have been able to pick and 

 choose and oversmoking means losses, .so that a new remedy 

 must be found. 



Mouldiness is caused by damp conditions of packing or damp- 

 ness during transportation. Thorough smoking and care in keep- 

 ing the rubber dry afterward is the best method for preventing 

 mould. Cases should never stand on a cement floor, but be 

 placed at least three or four inches off the floor. Other remedial 

 suggestions are : the .separation of factory and packing room ; pack- 

 ing rubber in lead-lined cases : redrying the rubber at the coast ; 

 the making of black rulibcr instead of sheet and baling this. 

 It is said that soaking unsmoked sheet for 48 hours will pre- 

 vent mould. In the case of smoked sheets, soaking 5 to 20 hours 

 before smoking is advised. 



Rl'BIIER and M.\NLIFACTURES of rubber were IMPORTED INTO THE 



Dominican Republic during 1918 from the United Slates to the 

 value of $137,804; from the United Kingdom, $116; from 

 France, $60; from Porto Rico, $5,904; and from all other coun- 

 tries, $92, a total of $143,976 for the year. 



