148 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[February i, 1904. 



THE CONGO RUBBER PROSPECT. 



IN their annual review of the Antwerp rubber market, for 

 1903— the statistical details of which appear on the mar- 

 ket pages of this Journal — Messrs. Grisar & Co., brokers, say : 



" In spite of the ever increasing transportation facilities, and 

 the growth of commercial relations with the interior of the 

 Congo Free State, the total amount of the importations of 

 Caoutchouc from the Congo has scarcely increased for a period 

 of several years. 



" We mentioned in our last annual review the preservative 

 measures enacted by the government of the Congo Free State 

 for the purpose of reestablishing the forests which produce 

 Caoutchouc at the same rate, and according to the supply fur- 

 nished from them. It is known, that there must be planted an- 

 nually a number of Caoutchouc trees, or lianes, which must not 

 be less than 500 plants per ton of Caoutchouc gathered during 

 the same period of time. The personnel, which was first con- 

 sidered necessary to take charge of the carrying out of the 

 legal provisions relative to this subject, have been doubled. 

 This permanent supervision, which is exercised with the great- 

 est vigilance, has succeeded in calling attention to certain neg- 

 ligences as well as several infractions of the law respecting the 

 replanting of Caoutchouc trees, the perpetrators of which, in 

 addition, have been made subject to judiciary actions. The 

 greater number of the guilty parties were fined in amounts 

 varying from 500 to 6000 francs, in addition to the obligation 

 of setting out plantations, which they had failed in doing. 



"The public prosecutor, upon requisition from the forest of- 

 ficials, who were invested with the necessary powers for this 

 purpose, has likewise been compelled to take up the subject of 

 the extraction of Caoutchouc, where in certain localities the 

 native gatherers had still disregarded the law, which does not 

 authorize the gathering of Caoutchouc from trees or Wanes, ex- 

 cept by means of incisions. It is to be noted that cases of this 

 character are becoming more and more rare, as a result of the 

 efficacious and constant watchfulness to which the native gath- 

 erers are subject. 



" It is, besides, appropriate to note that the production of 

 Caoutchouc has been restricted throughout all the districts of 

 the state, with the view of not bearing too hard upon the na- 

 tive gatherers, and for the purpose of not prematurely exhaust- 

 ing the forests, and with the means to proceed with methods 

 towards the reasonable reestablishment of the plantations of 

 Caoutchouc producing plants. 



" We note that the agents of the Congo Free State, as well 

 as the greater number of the large Congo commercial firms, 

 are everywhere independently undertaking to carry out the 

 laws imposed for cultivating large plantations of Caoutchouc 

 producers. 



" Business in Caoutchouc, and cultivation of Caoutchouc pro- 

 ducing plants being thus regulated under wise and foresighted 

 conditions, it is not rash to affirm that from this point of view 

 the future of the Congo Free State can be looked forward to 

 with the very greatest confidence. 



"At the risk of repeating ourselves, we again state that every 

 effort should be made in Africa, relative to the betterment of 

 the quality of Caoutchouc. 



" In effect, the good quality of a lot is principally due to the 

 care which is taken to thoroughly dry through the Caoutchouc. 

 As a result of this precaution it contains a minimum amount 

 of moisture, with less risk of becoming pitchy, and consequent- 

 ly it obtains the most remunerative prices. It suffices for us 

 to state that the best Caoutchouc, if badly dried and hastily 

 shipped, is worth here 30 to 35 per cent, less than the same 



merchandise when well dried. For this reason, as is shown in 

 the table annexed hereto, there is an increase in price of 19 to 

 20 per cent, in the well dried varieties, while the other varie- 

 ties, containing much moisture, have been less influenced, to a 

 certain extent, by the rise in prices. 



" The same enlightened attention brought to bear in the har- 

 vesting, and the most consciencious manipulation of the arti- 

 cle, concerning everything pertaining to the method of packing 

 for shipment, has as a result produced more homogeneous 

 products, and being in better condition, sales have been con- 

 cluded with the greatest facility. 



" In the Kasai region, among others, a noticeable change for 

 the better has been found in the quality of the gum, as a result 

 of the Kasai Syndicate's efforts, and in addition these products 

 to-day have the support of the producers. Unfortunately we 

 cannot say as much regarding the supply from the Upper Con- 

 go (white or bleached gums) ; from this place we have received 

 a series of shipments in bad condition, very pitchy, and which 

 have not been favorably disposed of. As to the methods prac- 

 ticed during the year under consideration, they have on the 

 whole been very satisfactory. 



" From the commencement of the year prices have pursued 

 an upward course, establishing an average rise of 10 per cent, 

 up to April. After a stationary period the market again took 

 a strong upward tendency in July and August, with a progres- 

 sive increase up to October; at this time the prices for Para 

 rubber strongly reacted as a result of heavy eceipts, bringing 

 down in their fall the various varieties, whic fell about 9 per 

 cent. We close the year at about an average run of 16 per cent, 

 better than those at the end of 1902." 



-"%<*. tS 



LICENSED BY MACINTOSH. 



IT will be remembered by the historicilly inclined that the 

 Goodyear patent in the United States for a combination 

 of rubber, sulphur, and heat, was almost paralleled by the Han- 

 cock patent in 

 England, both 

 inventors 

 reaching the 

 same result 

 at about the 

 same time and 

 without knowl- 

 e d g e of each 

 other's inven- 

 tion. Among 



the first vulcanized rubber goods made in England were those 

 manufactured by Charles Macintosh & Co., in which firm Han- 

 cock had an interest. This firm soon licensed other companies 

 to manufacture under the Hancock patents, the appearance of 

 the license stamp being shown in the reproduction that is 

 printed in connection with th' article. These stamps were 

 printed on gummed paper ar re attached to the goods 



that the licensees marketed. 



y\ 2.79449^' 



PATENT. 



>l 1S^> 



A newspaper report from Salt Lake City, to the effect that 

 John Beck, a mine owner of Utah, has formed a company to 

 extract rubber from a shrub growing in that state, said rubber 

 having proved to be of excellent quality, was shown to Mr. B. 

 G. Work, vice president of The B. F. Goodrich Co. He said 

 that while he had seen many such reports from different parts 

 of the west, he had never seen any of the rubber. No rubber 

 manufacturer in Akron seems to have any faith in the alleged 

 discoveries of rubber out west. 



