October 1, 1911.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



7 



The Brazilian Rubber Congress. 



WITH a view to defining and elucidating the situation, a 

 congress was opened on August 14, at the Ministry of 

 Agriculture, Rio de Janeiro, composed of delegates from 

 the rubber producing States of Brazil and from various Brazilian 

 commercial bodies, interested in the solution of the rubber crisis. 

 The congress was under the presidency of Dr. Pedro de Toledo, 

 Minister of Agriculture. 



Among those present was Senhor Monteiro de Souza, deputy, 

 representing the State of Amazonas and the Manaos Commercial 

 Association ; Senhor Passos de Miranda, deputy, representing 

 the State of Para ; Dr. Henrique Hirsch (of Messrs. Adolph 

 Hirscli & Co.), representing the Bahia Commercial Association; 

 as well as a number of delegates from other parts of Brazil. 



In his opening remarks, the president alluded to the rubber 

 crisis prevailing in the north of Brazil ; affecting, as it did, the 

 second in importance of the export products of the country, and 

 the source of a great part of the national wealth. Sacrifices 

 would be necessary, but would be amply repaid by the industrial 

 and commercial development of northern Brazil. With this 

 view, it had been considered advisable to formulate an organized 

 plan, acceptable to the government, in the elaboration of which 

 materia! help had been given by Dr. Mendes, director of the Com- 

 mercial Museum, and Dr. Pereira da Silva, the well-known 

 engineer. 



The project, Dr. de Toledo added, had been drawn up in com- 

 plete accord with the views of the president of the republic. It 

 embraces a systematic program of suitable measures, which, when 

 once carried into effect, would ensure a period of prosperity to 

 the rubber-growing States. 



When the reading of the plan, of which translation is sub- 

 joined, had been concluded, Sefihor Passos de Miranda expressed 

 his approval of same. Sefihor Henrique Hirsch, the delegate of 

 the Bahia Commercial Association, asked whether the project 

 was susceptible of modification. Dr. de Toledo replied that the 

 proposals represented the initiative of the government, with a 

 view to meeting the competition of Far Eastern rubber. The 

 plan was economic rather than financial in character; the govern- 

 ment being prohibited from entering into trading operations, 

 for the solution of the present crisis. The project, he added, was 

 subject to such modifications as might be dictated by the ex- 

 perience of the delegates. 



A proposal was unanimously accepted for the appointment of 

 a committee of five members to study the plan elaborated by 

 the government and to present a report at the second session, 

 to be held a week later. The delegates selected for this com- 

 mittee were Messrs. Monteiro de Souza. Passos de Miranda, 

 Joao Cabral, Henrique Hirsch, and Arthur Orlando. 



.•\t the second session of the Congress, held on August 22. 

 Senhor Passos de Miranda, delegate from the State of Para, 

 and spokesman of the special committee which had been investi- 

 gating the government proposals, presented a report from that 

 'lody to the effect, that being impressed with the prospective bene- 

 fits and results to be anticipated from the proposals submitted, 

 they requested the government to take into consideration the 

 slight alterations suggested and to examine the supplementary 

 proposals, as justified by their respective authors, with a view 

 of seeing how far the requirements indicated could be complied 

 with. 



The president (the IMinister of Agriculture) then stated that 

 the recommendations of the special committee would receive the 

 due consideration of the government, and would be published 



in full. The suggested alterations proposed in Section 2, that the 

 money prizes should be given for Hevea, as being the best quality 

 of rubber ; in Section 4, that the 25 years would count from the 

 date of the promulgation of the law. In Section 8 (second 

 object) par. b, it was proposed to establish a field of demonstra- 

 tion in Matto Grosso. 



In conclusion, the president added that after careful study, 

 the whole matter would be submitted to the Federal Congress 

 for ultimate decision ; the valuable interests of northern Brazil 

 being duly regarded and protected. In order to carry out the 

 plans in view, the co-operation would be needed of the state 

 and mimicipal governments. He expressed appreciation of the 

 work of the delegates, to whom he tendered cordial thanks. 



On the motion of Dr. Joao Cabral, delegate of the State of 

 Piauhy, the following resolution was adopted without debate: 



"1 he representatives of the States, commercial associations and; 

 other interested bodies, assembled in the present Congress, upon 

 the invitation of the Honorable Minister of Agriculture, to study 

 the problem of the north of Brazil, wishing to declare itself as 

 to the plan elaborated by the government, to be submitted to 

 the appreciation of the Congress, hereby express their great 

 satisfaction with and sincere approval of same. It is conceived 

 with judgment, patriotism and decisiveness on the part of the 

 government in dealing with this problem, of vital importance for 

 northern Brazil." 



-\fter the passing of this resolution, the president declared the 

 congress terminated. 



PROPOSAIS SUBMnTEB TO THE CONGKESS. 



The following proposals were submitted to the Rubber Con- 

 gress, held at Rio de Janeiro, August 14, 1911. 



1. Tlie exemption from all import duties of all utensils 

 and materials intended for the cultivation, gathering and treat- 

 ment of three descriptions of rubber {Hevea, Manicoba and' 

 Mangabcira), whether only for purposes of extraction or for; 

 cultivation. 



2. The awarding of money prizes under two categories: (a)' 

 for Hn-ca, Manicoba or Mangabcira ; (b) for other descriptions; 

 in such a way as to promote the ground being suitably utilized, 

 as well as for the entirely new culti\^tion of any description of 

 rubber. 



The prizes will be awarded fjr sections of 25 hectares (about 

 62J4 acres) in the first category and of 12 hectares (about 30 

 acres) in the second. They will be based upon the species of 

 tree cultivated, and the outlay during the year immediately pre- 

 ceding the commencement of production. 



3. The establishment at convenient, selected points, of ex- 

 perimental stations or fields of demonstration for the cultivation- 

 of Hcvea in the State of Amazonas and the interior of Maran- 

 ham (in one of the valleys of Tury-Assu, or of Mearim, 

 Jequitinhoaha or the Contas river) ; and for the cultivation of 

 Manicoba in the South of Piauhy, in the interior of Serido, in 

 Rio Grande do Norte, in the south of Bahia, in the north of 

 Minas and in the interior of Sao Paulo. These stations should 

 furnish annually to all interested persons, information as to re- 

 sults obtained and seeds selected, as well as instructions with 

 reference to the best methods of cultivation. 



4. General reduction to one half, of the present federal state 

 or municipal export duties on rubber from native trees, with the 

 exception of Caucho ; and the complete elimination of these 

 duties during 25 years, for plantation rubber produced from the 

 same species of trees. 



