January i, 1908.] THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



INDIA RUBBER MISCELLANY. 



131 



IDENTIFICATION OF PLANTATION RUBBER. 



A RESOLUTION passed by The India Rubber Manufactur- 

 ers' Association, of Great Britain, instructed their sec- 

 retary to write to the governors of Ceylon and the Straits 

 Settlements, "asking them to cause it to be known that English 

 manufacturers recommend planters to register trade marks for 

 their various brands of rubber, in order to facilitate the identi- 

 fication of these brands, and point out that this would assist plant- 

 ers growing the best rubber to obtain enhanced prices." The 

 two governors, in acknowledging the communication, promised 

 to give publicity to the request. While planters have not regis- 

 tered trade names as yet, the plantation rubber from the Far 

 East offered at the London auctions is, as a rule, accompanied 

 by the names of the estates producing it, or of the proprietary 

 companies, so that manufacturers who care to do so may learn 

 the exact source of any plantation rubber they purchase. 



THE NICARAGUA RUBBER PROSPECT. 



The Bluefields American reports: "The rubber planting in-, 

 dustry in the section of Pearl Lagoon, which received such a 

 drawback by the late hurricane fSee The India Rubber World, 

 January I, 1907 — page 113.] is being steadily pushed by the re- 

 newed ambition, energy and confidence of the planters engaged 

 in the business. They were for a time crippled, but not killed 

 nor conquered and the damages referred to have had, in effect, 

 a tendency of stimulating their efforts with a view of realizing 

 the success which the industry must produce within a short period 

 of years." 



The United States consul at Bluefields reports that where 

 rubber trees {Castilloa) were blown down, but not uprooted, 

 they are spouting freely, so many shoots having come up that 

 the original number of trees is not likely to be lessened. 



USES FOR PLANTATION RUBBER, 



Referring to a published intimation that plantation rubber 

 finds only a limited number of uses, a London importer on an 

 -extensive scale informs a Times of Ceylon correspondent that 

 such has not been his observation. He says that to his knowl- 

 edge plantation rubber is being used for inner tubes and is being 

 experimented with in tires. "There is no doubt," the correspond- 

 ent writes, "that as shipments become large, plantation rubber is 

 attracting the more general attention of the trade. I heard the 

 other day of a large manufacturer who has been experimenting 

 for some time with samples sent him by a produce broker, and 

 he has now decided to become a regular buyer. It is thought 

 that, when he comes upon the market in earnest, it will make an 

 appreciable difference in quotations." 



RUBBER IN LIBERIA. 



The British consul at Monrovia reports the existence of much 

 rubber in Liberia, and that its collection is becoming increasingly 

 popular among the natives. One man can gather as much as 

 3 pounds a day, for which he is paid a shilling a pound. This is 

 better than any other wages paid, and the work is comparatively 

 easy. According to the consul, the agreement now existing be- 

 tween the government of Liberia and the Liberian Rubber Cor- 

 poration is that the latter shall pay a royalty of ^d. per pound 

 [=:$8.ll, gold, per 100 pounds] upon all rubber exported from 

 the country. Any one may collect rubber by gaining the consent 

 of the corporation and paying to it 4d. per pound for all rubber 

 collected. The company has advanced to the government iioo,ooo 

 to aid in developing the country. 



RTTBBES rtr NIGERIA. 



In connection with the rubber situation in Nigeria, the colonial 

 administration is severely criticized in the London Daily Mail by 

 Frank E. Verney. In December, igoi, and later, proclamations 

 were issued, prohibiting the gathering of wild rubber without a 

 license. Not only was this restriction distasteful to the natives. 



who considered it in the light of having to pay for what was 

 theirs already, but the local officials are charged with lack of 

 tact in dealing with the natives, thus unnecessarily causing fric- 

 tion. It is asserted that many natives bound for the first time of 

 the restrictive laws when on their way to market, through the 

 seizure of their rubber as contraband, and the result has been to 

 discourage the collection of rubber. Furthermore, the forestry 

 department is accused of advocating to the natives a method of 

 tapping the rubber tree (Fuiitumia elastica), which has proved 

 extremely harmful and threatens the extinction of the species. 



PLANTING STILL ACTIVE IN THE EAST. 



In spite of the large area already planted to rubber in Cey- 

 lon and the Malay States, the perusal of recent reports of the 

 various companies in this interest would indicate no lessening 

 of activity in planting. Taking at random the reports of twenty 

 companies lately published it appears that they have standing a 

 total of 14,589 acres in rubber, of which 7,837 acres were planted 

 during the year last closed, and 3,527 acres in the preceding year, 

 while almost without exception extensive planting is planned for 

 i(;o8. The various companies seem likely to plant this year as 

 much if not more than last year, and a similar condition seems 

 to prevail throughout the planting districts. At the last meeting 

 of the Kalutara District Planters' Association it was stated that 

 6,038 acres were planted to rubber in the district in 1905, and 14,- 

 178 acres in 1906. The rubber production in the district was 161,- 

 978 pounds in 1905. and 195,766 in 1906. The estimated produc- 

 tion this year is 253.770 pounds. 



A FRENCH AUTOMOBILE FACTORY. 



The extensive automobile factories of A. Darracq & Cie., 

 Limited, at Suresnes, a suburb of Paris, covering an area of over 

 60.000 square meters [= 15 acres] and employing 3,000 workers, 

 arc now- producing at the rate of 10,000 cars a year — of all kinds, 

 from the voiturelle of 6 h.p. to the powerful eight-cylinder rac- 

 ing monster. Darracq is on the list of competitors for the con- 

 cession for all the motor 'buses in the municipality of Paris, and 

 has lately concluded with a group of London financiers a con- 

 tract for the supply of 20,coo motor cabs, to be delivered within 

 ten years. 



BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN PERU. 



Writing on this subject from Iquitos the LTnited States consul, 

 Mr. Eberhard, says : "Iquitos's prospects for continued success 

 and advancement may be said to be based absolutely upon the 

 rubber industry. It is true that the forests are wonderfully rich 

 in cacao, hard woods, and trees and herbs of medicinal qualities, 

 etc., yet it will be many years, if ever, before these articles can 

 be exported in quantities to be of any great commercial import- 

 ance to the town. It seems certain that they can never become 

 so greatly in demand as rubber." 



RUBBER ESTATE REQUIREMENTS. 



The advertisements of a leading business house at Kuala Lum- 

 pur (Federated Malay States) in a local newspaper mentions 

 the following as desirable for equipping a rubber plantation : 



Tajahs 



Pengalis 



Bill Hooks 



Changkols 



Parangs 



.\ssam Forks 



Scythes (Elephant) 



American Axes 



Barbed Wire 

 Wire Netting 

 Rubber Knives 

 Farrier Knives 

 Pruning Knives 

 Rain Gauges 

 Nails 

 Rubber Cups 



Cross-cut saws 

 Hand Saws 

 Rubber Trays 

 Rubber Sprouts 

 Pickaxes 

 Rakes 

 Iron Safes 

 Boiled Rice 



A general meeting of the shareholders of the Compania Guay- 

 ulera Mexicana, S. A., was held on October 31 at the company's 

 offices, in the city of Mexico, Calle de San Fernando No. 41. 

 The report of the council of administration was approved and 

 vacancies in the council filled. 



The Continental Rubber Co., according to The Mexican Herald, 

 have been adding an important amount of machinery to their 

 plant at Torreon, thus largely increasing its capacity. 



