July 1, 1912.: 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



497 



NOTES FROM BRITISH GUIANA. 



By Our Regular Correspondent. 

 ^V/HILE it is still premature to say positively that the 

 '' drought is at an end, there has been a welcome break in 

 the weather which has been very acceptable. At the time of 

 writing the rainfall returns for May are not available, but they 

 will assuredly exceed those for April, which was a wet month 

 by comparison with the other months of 1912. Nevertheless, 

 the smallest sign of a break in the weather has been sufficient 

 to encourage the Balata companies, and expeditions are now 

 being got ready to send into the interior without delay, in order 

 to make as miich of the season as possible. The majority of 

 the bleeders also are not sorry that their enforced idleness has 

 come to an end. Some of the companies here have been financing 

 the bleeders, and some have not, but the desire to resume work 

 is fairly unanimous. The season, however, is not being entered 

 upon without the inevitable disputes, and many companies have 

 had trouble with their men, who have been described by one 

 gentleman interested in the industry as "bullying and mutinous." 



THE AMSTERDAM BALATA COMPANY HAS HAD TROUBLE 

 WITH ITS LABORERS. 



A contingent of 100 was contracted for, for the King William 

 falls district, Essequibo River, in January last, but for obvious 

 reasons the company could not send the men away. It would 

 not have been to the interest of the men to go, because no latex 

 can be obtained in dry weather. Consequently a fresh contract 

 was entered into and still the weather was unfavorable. Eventu- 

 ally it was decided to make a start, but the men wanted fresh 

 advances and larger advances, store orders, "doctor shop" or- 

 ders, and what not. The company seems to be regarded as a 

 milch cow by the laborer. This labor problem is going to do 

 the industry a lot of harm unless it is speedily solved. 



THE BALATA COMMITTEE— EVIDEN'CE OF THE COMMISSION 

 OF LAND OWNERS. 



The Balata committee is likely to offer the solution soon. The 

 evidence of the Commissioner of Lands and Mines (Mr. Frank 

 Fowler) has been taken, a memorandum by Mr. R. O. H. 

 bpence (assistant commissioner of lands and mines) has been 

 published, and Mr. A. F. White, manager of the Consolidated 

 Rubber and Balata Estates, has appeared before the committee. 

 This is to be all the evidence that is to be taken and the commit- 

 tee is now considering its report. In his memorandum Mr. 

 Spence stated, in reply to specific inquiries, that there are six 

 land officers in the bush having duties with regard to Balata 

 concessions or Balata bleeding. They are stationed at Mora- 

 whanna, North West District; Marlborough, Pomeroon Dis- 

 trict; Look Out, Essequibo River District; Dadanawa, Rupununi 

 District; Christianburg, Demerara River District; Springlands, 

 Corentyne District. There are five forest rangers stationed in 

 the North West District, Lower Essequibo River District, 

 Demerara River District, Canje Creek, and Berbice River Dis- 

 trict. These forest rangers, says Mr. Spence, visit and in- 

 spect Balata tracts as part of their official duties. There are 

 also six gold officers in the interior. Mr. Spence says he thinks 

 that, provided the necessary legislation is passed, and the staff 

 increased, these officers might perform functions in connection 

 with the Balata industry. He considers the increased staff re- 

 <iuired would be — five fourth-class officers, boat crews for 

 four ; rations, personal allowances, houses, tent-boats, involving 

 a total cost for the first year of $21,760, and an ultimate annual 

 cost of $17,070. This expense, he thinks, should be borne by the 

 industry, as it would be incurred primarily for the benefit of 

 the owners. He suggests that the registration of laborers 

 should be undertaken by the department, as was done up to 

 January 1, 1910, when under the Employes' and Laborers' Or- 

 dinance, No. 26 of 1909, it was transferred to the Institute of 

 Mines and Forests. He suggests a fee of one shilling for each 



registration certificate, and that they should be issued for twelve 

 months, the revenue derived meeting the expense incurred. He 

 does not view favorably the suggestion that the department 

 should contract the laborers, or prosecute them for breach, "as 

 matters can be more satisfactorily carried out by the Institute 

 of Mines and Forests, provided the necessary legislation is en- 

 acted to define the duties and powers of the Institute, and to 

 make provisions for the efficient carrying out of these duties, 

 both on behalf of the laborers as well as the employers." 



Mr. Fowler, in his evidence, said he agreed with Mr. Spence. 

 Registration by the department would have a better effect on 

 the men, absconding not being so rampant when the Govern- 

 ment did the work. The men did not regard the Institute as 

 in any way under Government control, and he opposed the 

 transfer unsuccessfully when it was made. The appointment of 

 a Government chairman by the Institute would not be sufficient. 

 The Government should take over the Institute's duties or 

 leave it alone, i. e., unless they confine their interference to 

 registration alone. He suggested the formation of a Labor 

 Bureau as part of his department. Registration would not 

 entail increased expenditure, but if contracting as well were 

 undertaken it would. He believed it would be a good thing 

 to have the registration and contracting done by the same body 

 and at one time. He agreed with the appointment of new 

 wardens, and thought the expense might be reduced a little. 

 He saw no difficulty in ear-marking revenue derived from the 

 industry for the benefit of the industry. 



THE INSTITUTE OF MINES AND FORESTS— ITS RELATIONS 

 WITH THE NEW COMPANIES. 



The suggestion that the work of registration, or contracting, 

 or both, should be withdrawn from the Institute and taken 

 over by the Government has provoked some criticism of the 

 former body, in response to which Mr. : James Winter, the 

 secretary, has published a draft agreement, which he drew up 

 for the benefit of the industry. He said that this was signed 

 by all the old employers of Balata bleeders, including Mr. A. P. 

 Bugle, for M. Bugle & Co., and as agents for Messrs. Thom 

 & Cameron; Garnett & Co.; Joseph M. Ho-a-Hing; Evan 

 Wong; H. L. Rongeiron, by his attorney C. A. Cunha; Ernest 

 Farnum ; V'eerasawmy; Clement P. Gaskin ; W. A. Douglas, 

 for S. Davison & Company, Limited ; and others, but that the 

 new companies upset the labor market and the agreement be- 

 came a dead letter. The agreement was as follows : "We, the 

 undersigned employers of Balata bleeders hereby agree to the 

 foUow'ing eight resolutions passed unanimously at a meeting 

 of a committee on the Balata industry and undertake to adhere 

 to the same, and assist in every way to have them carried out : 

 Resolution 1 — That the cash advances to bleeders shall not 

 exceed $5 each for places below the falls, and not exceed 

 $10 each above the falls. Resolution 2 — That the advance in 

 medicine and goods in town shall not exceed $6 per man for 

 places below the falls, and not exceed $12 per man for places 

 above the falls. Resolution 3 — That the price of provisions 

 supplied on grants be inserted in contract, and in cases where 

 provisions are supplied at place of departure, the price shall 

 be agreed on and also be inserted in contract. Resolution 4 — 

 That all employes of grant holders be contracted through the 

 Institute. Resolution 5 — That all employers shall furnish the 

 Institute with reports of any employe who is inefficient or mis- 

 conducts himself. Resolution 6. — That notice of men absconding 

 shall be supplied promptly by employers to the Institute, and 

 the Institute shall furnish a quarterly list of such abscondings 

 to each employer. Resolution 7 — That no employer shall em- 

 ploy any absconder, but in the event of doing so, shall, on dis- 

 covery of the fact, at once give notice to the Institute and to 

 the employer, from whose service the absconder has deserted, 

 and shall accept the arbitration of the Institute in the adjust- 

 ment of claim between him and the first employer. Resolution 



