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THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



April 1, 1921 



FOREIGN TARIFFS 



CHILE 



A new law of February 23, 1921, raises Chilean import duties 

 100 per cent on children's toy balls and toys of rubber. On 

 balls the duty has been increased from 0.12-peso per kilo to .25- 

 peso per kilo, while on rubber toys (item 1764') the increase is 

 from 2.50 pesos to 5 pesos per kilo. 



It is proposed that among other articles tires should be e.xempt 

 from the increase in customs tariff rates for Chile. 



POLAND 



Ex Tariff No. 89, rubber driving belts, rubber hose, with or 

 without fabric, with or without spring inside, without metal 

 covering on the outside; rubber for packings and technical 

 articles of rubber, not combined with fabric. A Polish order of 

 November, 1920, provides that customs duties on the above articles 

 may be paid in paper currency with an "agio" of 200 per cent. 



at the rate of three paper marks for each gold mark prescribed 

 by the Customs Tariff. — Board of Trade Journal. 



FINLAND 



Licenses for rubber goods imported by Finland are no longer 

 required, with the following exceptions. 



Tiirift Ni. .117 

 Tissues and other textile materials covered with rubber or stuck together 

 with rubber solution or lining of rubber; also elastic textile goods, all 

 kinds containing rubber threads — all these, of textile materials of pure 

 or mixed ^ilk. 



Tariff No. 335 



Braces, tjclts and garters, suspenders for clothing, sleeve holders and other 



similar articles, of pure or mixed silk materials. 



Tariff No. 708 



Wheels with rubber tires for vehicles except automobiles for carrying goodSp 



automobiles and tired wheels therefor. 



LUXEMBUBG 



A Grand Ducal decree of December 8, 1920, withdraws the 

 restrictions, imposed in August, 1916, on the exportation of India 

 rubber and india rubber wares from Luxemburg. 



The Rubber Trade in the Far East 



By Our Own Correspondent 



MALAYA 



PRELIMINARY FIGURES Covering the trade of Malaya during 

 1920 indicate that the value of rubber exports amounted to 

 approximately $145,000,000, United States currency. Below 

 is an interesting table giving the production of rubber, the aver- 

 age price per pound and the value— in pounds sterling— from 

 1906. The figures for 1920 are estimated : 



•Estimated. 



The highest price for rubber quoted at Singapore in 1920 was 

 114J4 cents on Februar\- 5. The best price on December 22 was 

 30 cents. 



It is agreed, says The Straits Budget, that the all-in cost of 

 producing rubber here is about Is. 2d. per pound. If the aver- 

 age cost of bringing an acre to maturity is taken as £80 (£1 

 equals $4,866 normally), and 15 per cent is accepted as a fair 

 rate of interest on the capital, and 350 pounds is taken as an 

 average yield per acre, a paying price will be \s. 2d. plus 8(/.; 

 equal to \s. lOrf., or 78H cents, in Straits currency. Standard 

 smoked sheet sold in Singapore recently at 28^ cents (Straits) 

 per pound, which is 50 cents below a true paying price, and 

 21^ cents below actual cost of production. 



These figures explain the gravity of the situation here. Rigid 

 economy is the order of the day, but companies that have spent 

 thousands in recruiting labor do not wish to discharge their 

 coolies, for when the industry takes a favorable turn, diflficulties 

 in obtaining labor are anticipated. In spite of this, large numbers 

 of coolies are being discharged and not a little fear is expressed 

 at the probable results of letting loose numbers of coolies who 

 are unable to maintain themselves. The question of European 

 unemployed is also vexatious ; however, it is understood that 

 the Government will employ as many as possible, while outside ef- 

 forts will be made to aid the others. 



IMPOaTANT MEETING AT KUALA LUMPUR 



An important meeting of about 75 representatives of every 

 planting interest of Malaya, was held at Kuala Lumpur, Decem- 



ber 29. Certain proposals, which had previously been drawn up 

 by a special committee, formed at the suggestion of the acting 

 chief secretary of the Federated Malay States Government, were 

 unanimously adopted. The main points in the scheme are: 



Legislation to enforce restriction of collection or prohibition 

 of exports from January 1, 1921, to June 30, 1921, by 50 per 

 cent, no exemptions to be made in favor of small holdings. 



Financial assistance for mature areas to be granted condi- 

 tionally on cessation of all production for six months from the 

 date on which the loan is granted. This aid not to exceed $3 

 per acre per month. No dividends to be declared until loans are 

 repaid. 



Government to start relief work for discharged estate labor. 



General temporary reduction of wages is recommended. 



No further areas of land to be alienated for rubber until 

 statistics are available from which a reliable forecast of the 

 future of the rubber industry can be formed. 



Statistics carefully compiled in Singapore show that the 

 world's stocks at the end of December, 1920, totaled 310,000 

 tons, of which 120,000 tons in America; 50,0(X) tons in London; 

 40,000 tons afloat (less than normal, owing to restricted out- 

 put) ; 80,000 tons in the East (Singapore, 25,000 tons; Colombo, 

 5,000 tons; Netherlands Indies, 15,000 tons; estates, 35,000 tons) ; 

 and about 20,(X)0 tons in Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, South 

 .'\merica and Africa. Stocks at the end of 1919, when business 

 was active, were estimated at 240,000 tons. Under present con- 

 ditions of trade the normal stock for the world inight be put 

 at 175,000 tons. On this assumption the world stocks at the 

 end of 1920 are 135,000 tons greater than they should be. 



Considering that Malaya, with an estimated area of 1,6(X),000 

 acres (about half the world's planted acreage), produces 175,000 

 to 200,000 tons annually, which, together with what Ceylon, 

 South India and Burma produce, brings the total percentage of 

 plantation rubber produced in British territories to 75 per cent, 

 while the Netherlands East Indies, with an annual output of 

 about 85,000 to 90,000 tons, contributes 25 per cent, it would 

 seem that control was an easy matter. However, the main dif- 

 ficulties here are ignorance of planting matters among directors 

 in England and Holland, and lack of organization in Malaya. 

 But now that Malayan planters have shown at the Kuala Lumpur 

 meeting that they are capable of whole-hearted cooperation, it is 

 possible that a sound organization will not be lacking in the 

 future. 



RUBBER PAVING IN SINGAPORE 



Termission has been granted to the Municipal Engineer-in- 

 Chief to try experiments in paving local roads with rubber. 



