April 1, 1912,1 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



341 



Malcolm Watson, who is drawing up a series of recommenda- 

 tions in the form of a few simple rules, to be distributed among 

 estate managers for their guidance. 



STAXDARDIZATIOX OF RUBBER. 

 The chairman briefl.v referred to the desirability of standard- 

 ization of manufacture of rubber from plantations in the jNIiddle 

 East, adding that the trade does not desire endless varieties of 

 manufacture, but uniformity and standardization. In seconding 

 the motion for the adoption of the report, j\lr. Arthur Lampard 

 further urged the importance of standardization, adding: "It is 

 absolutely a genuine and necessary part of the rubber manufac- 

 turer's business to be in a position to cover his commitments 

 forward. If we standardize rubber, as is already done in Fine 

 Para, we shall get rid of much of the difficulty of the manufac- 

 turers, and further popularize the use of plantation rubber." 



THE XEW YORK RUBBER EXHIBITION. 

 In connection with the approaching exhibition the recommenda- 

 tion of the exhibitions sub-committee to the effect that the gold, 

 silver and bronze medals of the association be offered on that 

 occasion, was adopted. Mr. Noel Trotter, it is understood, will 

 represent the association at the exhibition. In the absence of 

 Mr. McEwan, Mr. Bethune addressed the meeting and explained 

 the work which the sub-committee had done in the matter. 



THE DEMERAEA RUBBER CO.. LIMITED. 



The adjourned general meeting of the Demerara Rubber Co., 

 Limited, was held in London on Thursday, March 7, at the Com- 

 mercial Sales Rooms, Mincing Lane, E. C, with Mr. Isidore 

 Clifford, chairman of the board, presiding. 



Some time prior to this meeting the stockholders had ap- 

 pointed a Committee of Inspection to investigate the methods 

 and condition of the company and to make a full report. This 

 report had been sent to the stockholders and was followed a 

 little later by a reply to it from the board of directors. It was 

 expected that the meeting would be quite protracted and pos- 

 sibly not very tranquil, and these expectations were fully realized. 

 The directors' point of view was ably presented by the president, 

 and the opinion of the Committee of Inspection fully set forth 

 by the chairman, Mr. R. W. Smith. There was a full and free 

 debate, growing rather heated as the meeting advanced ; but 

 finally the motion to accept the report of the Committee of In- 

 spection was put and carried by a large majority. 



The differences between the directors and the stockholders 

 have been referred to private arbitration ; and it is the hope not 

 only of those who have invested their money in this enterprise, 

 but of all those who wish to see English ventures in English col- 

 onies successful, that the differences in this company may be hap- 

 pily adjusted, and the outlook for its future much improved. 



ENGLISH RUBBER LIQUIDATIONS. 



Commenting upon a cable to the effect that 32 English rubber 

 companies had gone into liquidation last year, with a total 

 authorized capital equalling $18,000,000, the "Times of Ceylon" 

 remarks : "There are still companies in existence in London 

 which can only go the same way. Standing by themselves they 

 form a striking commentarj- on the situation which was created 

 by the rubber boom. Practically all the total failures have been 

 wild rubber ventures, but all the directors involved have not 

 been wild rubber men, or onh- figure heads or company promo- 

 ters. In two or three instances men experienced in Eastern 

 plantations too readily permitted themselves to be drawn into 

 the net. They relied upon reports which appeared all right on 

 the surface, and the land not being situated in the East, and those 

 who reported not being known to them, they were confiding 

 enough to take other people's word that everything was as stated, 



with disastrous results. A proportion of the public will be dis- 

 criminating enough to understand the difference between the 

 many forest ventures of other parts of the world, and the settled 

 pursuit with which we are so famiUar in Ceylon and in the ad- 

 joining countries; and as bona fide plantation concerns will pay 

 handsome dividends in the future as in the past, many victims 

 will come to realize that it is not the rubber industry that was 

 to blame, but the wild (-cat) industry." 



NOTES FROM BRITISH GUIANA. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 

 THE DROUGHT— HOW IT HINDERS THE INDUSTRY. 

 'T'HE topic of the moment here in balata, as well as in agricul- 

 ■'■ tural, circles is the continuance of the drought, which is 

 still unbroken. The weather is remarkable and bodes no good 

 for the balata industry, and prospects for the forthcoming season 

 are gloomy. The drought has now continued for fully six 

 months and the water supply even for the city of Georgetown 

 is in such danger of running short that we have been put on 

 "time run." The eft'ect upon navigation to the distant timber 

 grants can be very well imagined. The rivers are so low that 

 expeditions have the greatest difficulty in reaching their destina- 

 tion. In some cases it has been found absolutely impossible, and 

 while some men have remained stranded at Potaro mouth, others 

 have returned to town. Expeditions which have safely reached 

 the spot desired are in some respects in a worse position than 

 those which have had to return, because it is not possible in 

 this dry weather to do any bleeding and the men have to buy 

 provisions at prices ruling on the grants, whereas those who have 

 returned, while they are earning no money, are at least able to 

 buy provisions at normal prices. The bleeding season will start 

 late and may perhaps finish earlier. The output will be smaller, 

 whilst in all probabiHty the season will furnish a new crop of 

 laborers' grievances. The men who are on the grants doing no 

 work will contract a large indebtedness to their employers, which 

 their earnings may or may not be sufficient to repay. The posi- 

 tion is undoubtedly a most unfortunate one, coming as it does 

 after a season of misfortunes. 



The following extracts from the half yearly report of the 

 East Demerara Water Supply Commissioners illustrate the 

 severity of the drought: "The rainfall was reasonable during the 

 month of July — 12.22 inches — but from August 1 a most severe 

 drought set in, and up to date still continues. During the five 

 months, August to December, although the rain fell on 31 days, 

 only on three occasions was it of any benefit to the conservancy, 

 the rain that fell on the other 28 days having fallen in such small 

 quantities as to be of little or no use. 



THE EXPORT TAX ON BALATA— SHARP CONTROVERSY 

 AROUND. 



Much discussion has been aroused upon the subject of the 

 export tax in view of the early approach of the annual session of 

 the Legislature. At a recent meeting of the Balata Association 

 it was resolved to appoint a committee to bring the matter before 

 the government, after Mr. George Garnett had supplied the 

 meeting with some interesting statistics. He said : "The tax 

 of 2 cents per pound on balata was simply sprung on the Com- 

 bined Court through Howell Jones. It was not properly con- 

 sidered and was allowed to pass because the government needed 

 money. It was an exceedingly bad move as a matter of policy." 

 In his opinion a tax on forest products should be somewhat 

 similar to a tax on mineral products. By the 1910-1911 report 

 of the Commissioner of Lands and Mines the gold exported was 

 valued at $962,303.78. The royalties and licenses, etc., under 

 the heading of "Mining" were $55,224.38, or equal to 5.7 per 

 cent., but of this amount $10,000 was ear-marked by the govern- 

 , ment for the purpose of making roads for the benefit of the 

 industrv. so that the real ratio was 4.80 per cent. He could not 



