February 1, 1921 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



573 



During the first quarter of 1920, Tapanoeli, Sumatra, exported 

 to foreign countries 188,219 kilos of rubber and 4,446 kilos of 

 wild gutta percha. Exports to Java included 346.414 kilos of 

 plantation rubber. 



A report from Mcdan states that the German explorer, Paul 

 Griitz, is establishing a glass factory on the East Coast of Su- 

 matra, for the purpose of making latex cups. It is understood 

 that plans have reached a far advanced stage and that machinery 

 has already 1)een ordered from Europe. 



GUTTA PERCHA 



The (jovernment gutta percha pkintatiun at Tjii)etir was con- 

 siderably extended in 1919 and at the end of that year covered an 

 area of 1,309 hectares (one hectare equals 2.47 acres). The crop 

 of leaves was almost as high as in 1918, and amounted to 3,512,- 

 000 kilos from which about 74,000 kilos of gutta percha were 

 extracted. This is a better yield than was obtained in 1918, when 

 67,593 kilos were obtained from a slightly greater amount of 

 leaves. The price was better, too, being 7.50 guilders (one 

 guilder equals $0.40) per kilo, against about 6.68 guilders in 1918. 



.■\ wild gutta percha variety, known as "gutta merah," is traded 

 in at Bandjermassin. Prices during 1919 ranged from 350 to 450 

 guilders per picul (13314 pounds), while at Pontianak the pure 

 product brought as much as S(X) guilders per picul. The lowest 

 quality obtained 100 guilders per picul. It is said, however, that 

 speculation was the cause of these high prices. 



RUBBER GAMBLING IN SINGAPORE 



It seems that the laxity of the Singapore Rubber Association 

 in the matter of rules affecting brokers, is unintentionally en- 

 couraging a dangerous amount of gambling. It has been pointed 

 out that for the last six months prices here have been from 

 four to ten cents above the parity of London and New York 

 and that the continuation of such a state of afifairs will result 

 in destroying the local market. The statement was made that 

 in one case a tender for five tons of rubber passed through the 

 hands of 287 persons before it finally reached a bona fide buyer. 



Another allegation is that Singapore standard quality is being 

 thoroughly discredited, because the rubber passes through so 

 many hands in the gambling ,^ame that by the time it is ready 

 to be shipped it is no longer worthy the hall-mark standard. 



NETHERLANDS GUTTA PERCHA CO. EXPANDS 



Xctherlands Gutta Percha Co., The Hague, Holland, and Singa- 

 pore, Straits Settlements, the first manufacturer of rubber goods 

 in East Indies, has prepared plans for a tire manufacturing plant 

 to be added to its factories at Singapore. The new building will 

 be two stories, SO by 400 feet, and is to cost $300,000. The work 

 of construction will begin as soon as the materials and equipment 

 have been purchased in this country and shipped via San Francisco. 

 Some time ago Ed. Koppeschaar, assistant manager, visited a 

 number of manufacturing plants in this country to ascertain the 

 type of building best suited to the purpose. Besides the factory 

 at Singapore the company has offices and agencies at Batavia, 

 Socrabaya, .Shanghai, Calcutta and other iinportant cities in the 

 Far Eas':. Among its manufactures are belting, hose, packing, 

 hard rubber goods and tires. 



According to the Socr. Hbhl., a local newspaper, the Nether- 

 lands Gutta Percha Co., The Hague, will build a factory at 

 Soerabaya for the purpose of making electric cables, and other 

 articles. The factory will probably be in working condition by 

 October, 1921. The Netherlands Gutta Percha Co. has a rubber 

 factory at Singapore and rubber plantations in j'ava. 



CEYLON 



The condition brought about by the slump in the rubber market 

 is becoming more and more serious. It is said that soine half- 

 dozen rubber estates have already been compelled to close down 

 and pessimists are wondering how inany will follow suit. Daily 

 the number of estates that are cutting down European stafTs and 



discharging coolies is growing, and it is feared that there will 

 be trouble on account of the large number of coolies left without 

 einployment and means of subsistence. It is reported that about 

 150,(X)0 coolies will be without work and will either have to be 

 repatriated or given help in Ceylon. The repatriation scheme 

 is not generally approved and it has consequently been decided 

 to appeal to the Government to give the coolies relief work. 



The Government has already proposed financial aid for tea and 

 rubber estates with the stipulation that only deserving estates 

 would be helped, worthless ones to be left to their own devices. 

 Of course, the question as to what constitutes a worthless concern 

 has come in for a lot of discussion. 



Rubber planters at first had reason to fear that the govcnuiient 

 was more anxious about the tea estates than about rubber. How- 

 ever, a Central Committee of six members has just been formed 

 which, being thoroughly representative of all tea and rubber, 

 would coordinate such interests, thus obviating the fear of com- 

 petition for government aid. The Chamber of Commerce, the 

 Estates Agents' Association, the Planters' Association and the 

 Low-country Products' Association are represented. 



The new Central Coinmittee will consider the desiraliility of 

 accepting the financial help offered by government and make a 

 counter proposal if found necessary. 



It is now definitely known that the Ceylon Government has 

 offered tea and rubber estates a loan up to a limit of rupees 

 lO.OOO.CKX) (one rupee equals $0,324 United States currency), 

 which has been somewhat reluctantly accepted by the Ceylon 

 Chamber of Commerce. A loan board is to be formed which 

 will approve the estates to be aided. 



It is reported that the Cicely Rubber Co. has followed the 

 example of the Vallambrosa and has stopped paying dividends 

 for the present. The companies mentioned are two of the oldest 

 and strongest British rubber concerns. The Cicely had paid a 

 dividend of 60 per cent over 1914-15, 120 per cent over 1915-16, 

 140 per cent over 1916-17 and 75 per cent over the two following 

 years. During the first part of 1919-1920, good profits were made 

 but as the company had at the time decided to extend its planted 

 area considerably, the profits were kept back and all cash is now 

 needed for the upkeep of the non-producing lands. 



AFRICAN NOTES 



French West .Africa includes the districts of Dahomey, French 

 Guinea, the Ivory Coast and Senegal. Exports of rubber from 

 the three last-named districts during the past three years are 

 tabulated below : 



1917 



, A ^ 



Metric 

 Tnns \'aluc 



French Guine.! 733 $707,373 



Ivory Coast 311 300,152 



Senegal 262 252.871 



The above table was computed on tlie normal value of the franc, 

 $0,193. 



BRITISH WEST AFRICA 



British West .Africa includes the Gold Coast, Nigeria and the 

 Caineroons. In 1919 exports of rubber from the Gold Coast 

 totaled 721,588 pounds, valued $163,678, as against 1,391,097 

 pomids. valued $277,391 in 1918. Rubber exports from Nigeria 

 in 1918 were 157 metric tons, valued $95,700; in 1919 exports of 

 this commodity increased to 398 tons, valued $213,632. The nor- 

 inal value of the English potmd sterling $4,866, was used in com- 

 puting these values. 



ALGERIA 



.Algerian foreign commerce for the first six months of 1919 in- 

 cluded imports of 211 itietric tons of rubber and gutta percha 

 goods to the value of $893,204. In the corresponding period of 

 1920, similar imports totaled 837 tons, valued at $3,899,565. Of 

 this total. 792 tons were imported from France. 



