December 1, 1911.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



135 



Some Notes on Rubber Planting. 



ENGLISH INVESTORS CRITICIZE AMERICANS. 



* T a meeting of the shareholders of the United Malaysian 



^^ Rubber Co., Ltd., held Xovember 19, in London, a resolution 



was passed asking the American vendors to refund a million 



out of the million six hundred thousand shares paid to them on 



the formation of the company. 



The company was formed in 1910 by the Malaysian Rubber 

 Co. of America, which company was incorporated June 18, 1909, 

 under the laws of New Jersey, with $3,000,000 capital authorized, 

 with John L. Elliot, of No. 71 Broadway, New York, as presi- 

 dent, and a board of directors that included Messrs. Cornelius 

 Vanderbilt and Robert Goelet, also of New York. The new 

 town established by the company in Borneo was called "Goebilt," 

 derived from the names of these two directors. 



When the London company was formed, a great deal of stress 

 was laid by the promoters on the fact that Messrs. Vanderbilt 

 and Goelet were interested in the enterprise. Large and imme- 

 diate profits were promised, amounting to $800,000 for the first 

 year, but the first year and a half are said to have shown a loss 

 of over $200,000. 



Messrs. Vanderbilt and Goelet disclaim any responsibility for 

 the use of their names in encouraging the English investor. They 

 appear to have gone into this enterprise on the same footing as 

 other investors, on the strength of the very favorable outlook pic- 

 tured to them by the promoters of the enterprise. 



FEDERATED MALAY STATES RUBBER CO., LTD. 



According to the report of the Belgian company, registered 

 at Antwerp under above title, the production of rubber for the 

 business year ending May 31 last was 453,806 pounds, as com- 

 pared with 293,066 pounds for the preceding annual period. This 

 result, while qualified as being very satisfactory, is about eight 

 per cent, below the estimate which had been found of the output. 



For the quantity sold during the period under review, the 

 average price realized equalled about $1.27, after deducting loss 

 in weight and selling expenses ; the stock on hand May 31 having 

 since been realized at a price in excess of the valuations made at 

 that time. Estimates of the production for the current year 

 place the quantity at 700,000 pounds, this increase being apparently 

 largely due to the number of trees approaching the productive 

 stage. 



With the object of discharging liabilities incurred through the 

 acquisiton of further properties, as well as of providing for the 

 requirements of the company's holdings (now representing 4,150 

 acres), it is proposed to issue preference shares to an extent of 

 equal to $400,000. 



SEAPORT (SELANGOR) RUBBER ESTATE. LIMITED. 



(Feder,\ted Malay States), June 1910, 2,000 acres, of which 

 1,046 planted (chiefly in 1906). Output for twelve months to end 

 of June, 1911, 17,717 pounds. Estimate for year ending June 30, 

 1912, 115,000 pounds. 



STRAITS PLANTATIONS, LIMITED. 



According to the report presented at the twelfth annual general 

 meeting of the above company, there are now 1,623 acres planted 

 with about 78,000 trees, two-thirds of which have reached the 

 bearing stage. The labor force has been more than doubled since 

 June, 1910. 



TANDJONG RUBBER COMPANT, LIMITED. 



(Sumatra). Registered March, 1907, 8,071 acres, of which 

 planted 3,521 acres, chiefly in 1908. Crop for 1911-12 is estimated 

 at 30,000 pounds. Necessary machinery for preparation of rubber 

 has been installed. Growth has been excellent, notwithstanding 

 the drought of the early part of the year. No serious disease has 

 Ibeen manifested. 



NORTH LABIS (JOHORE) RUBBER & PRODUCE COMPANY, LIMITID. 



The first annual report of this company (registered in April, 

 1910), shows that by the end of the current year about 1,240 acres 

 will have been planted, out of a total area of 5,033 acres. The 

 company has been pursuing a conservative policy, wishing to be 

 perfectly satisfied that the planted area will be properly kept up, 

 before proceeding with further extensions. 



SCOTTISH MALAY RUBBER COMPANY, LIMITED. 



Federated Malay States^ February, 1906, 2,455 acres, of which 

 1,577 planted. Crop for ten months ending October 31, 1911, 

 70,851 pounds. Same period last year, 22,351 pounds. 



EXPORTS FROM FRENCH WEST AFRICA. 



Exports of rubber from French West Africa for 1910 amounted 

 to 4.637 tons, valued at $7,106,532. Since 1910 there appears to 

 have been a steady decrease in exports and the decline in price has 

 naturally affected the grades from all the colonies, especially those 

 from Senegal and French Guinea. A report comments on the 

 heavy adulteration of rubber in Guinea as follows : "Unfortu- 

 nately rubber produced in French Guinea suffered a shrinkage in 

 price in the world's market as a result of too frequent adultera- 

 tion by the producers. To remedy this fault a Government 

 decree was issued forbidding the sale and circulation of rubber 

 other than in slabs or thin thongs." 



RUBBER GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. 



According to the third annual report of the Rubber Growers' 

 Association, the membership at present numbers 302, there 

 having been 138 new members enrolled since the last annual 

 meeting While the work of the association has chiefly been in 

 connection with rubber production in the Federated Malay States 

 and Ceylon, cultivation has been proceeding in other countries, 

 where there would be in due course an opening for the ma- 

 chinery of the association. An independent section was recently 

 formed, dealing with Borneo, similar arrangements being in prog- 

 ress as to Sumatra. 



In connection with the Brussels International Exhibition, the 

 association showed a collection of samples and photographs, the 

 exhibit being awarded a Grand Prix diploma. Dealing with the 

 co-operation of the association in the promotion of the late 

 International Rubber Exhibition (in respect to prizes and other 

 matters of importance), the opinion is expressed that exhibitions 

 are of benefit to the rubber planting industry. The action of the 

 association on the questions of a research chemist for Ceylon 

 and of the Malaya research fund are duly recorded. The associa- 

 tion is evidently doing good work in the extensive field which it 

 covers. 



NEW MEXICAN ARRANGEMENTS OF GUAYULE RUBBER CO. 



According to the annual report of the Guayule Rubber Co. to 

 March 31, 1911, it had been found necessary, in order to comply 

 with Mexican legal requirements, to have a subsidiary company 

 in that country. This requirement had been fulfilled by acquiring 

 the whole share capital of the Compania Exploradora de 

 Caucho Mexicano. 



It is of interest to note that notwithstanding the internal dis- 

 turbances, the output has been more than maintained, having 

 amounted to 2,304,371 pounds for the last business year, against 

 2,205,509 pounds for the preceding annual period; while the 

 operations of the Mexican company resulted in an average profit 

 equaling 16 cents per pound. The average cost of production and 

 distribution for 1910-11 equaled 52 cents per pound of rubber 

 produced, as compared with 32 cents for 1909-10. The total 

 dividend paid amounts to 15 per cent. 



