340 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[April 1, 1912. 



ENGLISH RUBBER-PLANTING COMPANIES. 



A COMPARISON of the details given by the recently issued 

 **■ "Rubber Share Handbook'' for 1912, with those of the 

 previous annual volume, shows that there has been a net increase 

 of 8 per cent, in the total number of rubber-planting companies 

 with English offices, and presumably operating with English 

 capital. The total in 1911 was 522, of which 30 do not reappear 

 in the present volume, while the addition of 69 new names brings 

 up the net aggregate to 561 ; or, including trust and investment 

 companies, 589 companies. 



The Malay States take the lead. Ceylon holding second place, 

 as indicated by the following table : 



March, 1911. February, 1912. 



Malay States, etc 200 225 



Ceylon 95 104 



Java 44 43 



Sumatra 35 39 



Borneo 28 28 



India 22 29 



Oceania, etc 4 4 



Total Asia, etc 428 472 



Africa 50 52 



South and Central America and 



Mexico 44 37 



Total 522 561 



Trust and investment companies.. 23 28 



Total 545 589 



This increase in the number of companies would not by itself 

 be more than a normal development, but the largely developed 

 output of individual companies is reflected in the augmented 

 figfures of 1911 as compared with 1910, shown by lately published 

 reports There is, moreover, a further division of Rupee and 

 Dollar companies, which have their offices in the East and are 

 presumably working with oversea capital. These 140 companies 

 handle an appreciable share of the Asiatic rubber production, in 

 addition to that financed by the 472 English companies with 

 Eastern interests. As 38 of the 140 are in the Malay States, 97 

 in Ceylon, and 5 in India, the aggregate interests of all the com- 

 panies would be thus located : 



Malay States 263 



Ceylon 201 



Java 43 



Sumatra 39 



Borneo 28 



India 34 



Oceania 4 



Total Asia, etc 612 



Africa 52 



South and Central America and Mexico 37 



Total 701 



Trust and investment companies 28 



Grand total of conipanie.'; 729 



The relatively smaller extent to which English capital is repre- 

 sented in Africa, South America, and other parts of the world 

 than in the East, is explained by the fact that other countries 

 have important financial interests in the former directions. In 

 the development of British enterprise in the East, the attractions 

 to capital presented by the corporate form of business, have been 

 clearlv demonstrated. 



One fact is shown by a comparison of the 1911 and 1912 hand- 

 books; that while 28 companies with plantations in the Federated 

 Malay States have been added to the list, only three have dropped 

 out, the net increase being 25 companies, equalling one-eighth of 

 the 1911 number. For Ceylon, there are 10 additions and only 

 one withdrawal, making a net gain of 9 companies. Inasmuch 

 as the additions doubtless represent the accession of fresh capi- 

 talists, as well as the introduction of additional capital by previous 

 investors, the position of the Eastern rubber industry, from the 

 standpoint of results, is evidently giving satisfaction to the 

 interests involved. 



RUBBER GROWERS' ASSOCIATION. 



nPHE interim general meeting of the Rubber Growers' Associa- 

 •*• tion, held at offices of that body in London on February 12, 

 was of interest as being the first assemblage under the new plan 

 of holding the annual meeting in February, instead of during the 

 holiday season later in the year. Mr. R. K. Magor, the president, 

 was in the chair. 



Dealing with only six months, the number of matters touched 

 on in the report is necessarily limited, while they are of intrinsic 

 importance. One of these is the question of scientific research. 

 In Ceylon, there are two schemes being considered, which it is 

 proposed to consolidate ; thus strengthening resources and en- 

 suring better progress. With respect to the work of the Malaya 

 Research Fund, steps have been taken to increase the available 

 funds, by inviting additional guarantees from companies, which 

 have now reached the producing stage. While answers have 

 not in all cases been received, there is every prospect of larger 

 funds being shortly available. This would permit of the engage- 

 ment of an expert in physiological botany and mycology, whose 

 advice should be of considerable assistance to managers of estates 

 in connection with tapping, as well as in dealing with pests and 

 diseases. 



Confining the scientific reports to the relatively small number 

 of members who were guarantors, the chairman personally con- 

 sidered an unsatisfactory state of affairs. He expressed a prefer- 

 ence for a system of general contribution by acreage, which 

 would allow of the whole industry benefiting from the results of 

 investigations undertaken at the common expense. In this con- 

 nection, he referred to the example of the Indian Tea Associa- 

 tion, the scientific department of which has a staff of four scien- 

 tific officers, with fully equipped laboratories ; their establishment 

 having quite recently been further strengthened by the appoint- 

 ment of a mycologist. The necessary expenses are met to a 

 great extent out of the funds of the association, obtained through 

 a "per acre" subscription from its members, which had recently 

 been increased for the special purpose of scientific research. 



In addition to these subscriptions, the government of India 

 and the governments of Bengal and Assam subscribe handsomely 

 to the fund. In concluding his remarks on this subject the chair- 

 man suggested that the government of the Federated Malay 

 States, which derives such large sums from rubber, should sup- 

 port the scheme financially. But, as he added : "Before we can 

 ask governments to do this, we -must first show that we are able 

 to help ourselves by working together for the common good, as 

 the tea industry has so successfully done in the way of scientific 

 research." The importance of the object lesson thus afforded by 

 tea was further urged by a reference to the fact that most of the 

 planters now interested in rubber had gained their experience of 

 planting in the tea industry. 



Mr. Arthur Lampard, while advocating the proposed consoli- 

 dation of efforts in Ceylon, referred to the possibility of the 

 association and the Imperial Institute co-operating in the direc- 

 tion of scientific rubber research. 



The important subject of estate sanitation has been the subject 

 of communication bv a sub-committee of the council with Dr. 



