April i, 1908.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



211 



THE VALUATION OF NEW RUBBERS. 



WE have before us reports on three samples of rubber, 

 from plants not known in the past as rubber pro- 

 ducers, which have been appraised by a London 

 rubber expert as worth respectively Is. 6d., 2s. Ad., and 

 2iS. Gd. per pound. The chemical analyses accompanying 

 the estimates of values for these rubbers are understand- 

 able, and, having once been made by competent analysts, 

 presumably will not have to be revised. But what is one 

 to understand from the flat statement that a given speci- 

 men of rubber is worth 3.?. 6d. a pound ? All it means is 

 that rubber of a given quality ought to bring such a price 

 on the day of the appraisal, having reference to the market 

 price of rubbers of known quality, such as the best Para 

 sorts. 



At the date of this writing no grade of rubber, of any 

 grade, is quoted in any market, other than in exceptional 

 cases, at anything near Zs. 6d. [^85^ cents]. So far as 

 we can make out from the reports on the new grades of 

 rubber to which we have reference particularly, the idea 

 of the appraiser is that, on the date of the report, the best 

 of the samples was worth approximately 65 per cent, of 

 the price quoted for the moment for fine hard Para from 

 South America. Then why not say so, without troubling 

 to specify a precise market value for the new rubber? 

 Dealing with the matter in this way, if the rubber chosen 

 as a standard in the way of values is fine hard Para 

 worth $1, the new rubber might be worth 65 cents; if 

 Para is worth only 65 cents, the new rubber may be 

 quoted at 42'4 cents, and so on. 



It happens that these reports by experts do not always 

 soon become public property; in the case under review 

 two years have elapsed since the samples of rubber had 

 expert attention. We mention the matter here only to il- 

 lustrate the lack of value of so many estimates of new 

 rubbers. Manifestly it would be absurd to speak of a 

 hitherto unknown rubber, and one as yet untested in 

 factorv jiractice, as having a specific value — say 3s. 6d. — 

 at a time when no rubber in the market, no matter how 

 well known or how important to the industry, brings 

 any thing like so much. 



\\'hat we would suggest is that the comparatively few 

 experts in the field of appraising rubbers should come to 

 an agreement as to a standard for valuations of crude 

 rubber — sav fine hard Para — and that all estimates of the 

 new sorts should be expressed in percentages, having 

 reference to relative qualities. Then, in order to make the 

 estimates of practical value, it would be necessary only to 

 learn what the standard grade was bringing from day to 

 day ; whoever was interested could thus easily figure out 

 what might be reasonable to expect as a price for the new 

 sort. 



Of course it must be understood that no new rubber 

 "finds itself" in the market at once, but it counts for 

 something if one is interested in exploiting rubber from 

 Cryptosiegia grandiHora, for example, and he can feel as- 



sured that it compares thus and so with the produce of 

 Hevea Brasiliensis. A rubber about so good is bound to 

 find a market in time, if it can be produced in fairly uni- 

 form quality and in amounts worth considering. 



RUBBER GATHERING AS A SPREE. 



A WELL known English traveler and writer, Mr. A. H. 

 ^*- Savage-Landor, has brought out a new book of African 

 travel, some extracts from which, relating to the Congo Free 

 State, have been compiled in a pamphlet, evidently under the 

 inspiration of the king-sovereign of that very interesting country, 

 as an apology for his much criticized administration. Some ref- 

 erences to rubber in this pamphlet may be worth noticing here. 

 The noted traveler writes : 



I well remember Captain Bibolini sitting at his desk, with a pleasant 

 smile always upon his lips, marking carefully each basket of rubber brought 

 into the post by natives. 



From what is to be read farther on it is apparent that all the 

 smiling w-as done on Captain Bibolini's side of the desk, though 

 why he smiled is not mentioned. The ne.\t detail relates to how 

 trading is done with the natives : 



Each man's name was registered, so that no mistake could occur, and 

 payment in goods was at once handed over. Money was useless, and the 

 natives would not accept it. 



Whether anything else pleased the natives is not mentioned 

 specifically, but we do learn from Mr. Savage-Landor that they 

 do not smile while at the trading post. He says : 



Hundreds of men sat down upon the ground with legs spread wide apart 

 and crossed arms resting upon their knees. Their faces were expressionless 

 and stupid, with a hint of cruelty in the vicious eyes. 



What are they mad about? Was it that grown men are kept 

 at play ? Read next about their enforced idleness : 



Each man had a basket of rubber before him. Every man, in the richer 

 regions, must bring in three kilos (six pounds) of rubber a year — the only 

 tax imposed upon them. This only means a few days' work a year for 

 them — a work which requires no eifort whatever. 



Still it is a puzzle why all these hundreds of men with legs 

 spread wide apart should look cruelly out of their vicious eyes. 

 Is not life one grand sweet song for them? Read: 



.As they generally go ^k masse upon their rubber-collecting expeditions, 

 they carry their entire families with them and look upon the whole thing as 

 a great spree. 



Here may be a hint. Gathering rubber may be a glorious 

 "spree," but what a difference in the morning, when it is all over 

 and they sit on the ground, looking at the smiling Captain Bibolini 

 on the other side of the desk ! Why weren't they allowed to con- 

 tinue spreeing? 



There is space here for only one more extract : 



Rubber has locally no value whatever among natives themselves. They 

 have not yet risen to pneumatic motoi-wheels nor to mackintoshes, galoshes, 

 or rubber-soled tennis shoes. No use worth referring to is made by them 

 of this valuable latex. 



All of which might suggest to some people that the Congoles 

 natives have not yet assimilated to the utmost the lessons of 

 civilization which it has been the boasted pleasure of the royal 

 philanthropist at Brussels to force upon them. 



We have been asked to discuss the question of amending the 

 United States tariff laws as a step in increasing trade between 

 the mainland and the Philippine islands. Not being in a posi- 

 tion to legislate on the subject, we prefer to leave such dis- 

 cussion to those who are. We trust that commerce between the 

 States and the islands may long continue to grow, but The 

 India Rubber World has never been a believer in depending 

 upon changes in the statute books as a means of building up 

 trade. We do not depend upon congress to make trade for us at 

 home; why should we abroad? 



