360 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[August i, 1908. 



THE LONDON RUBBER EXHIBITION. 



COXTIXUED evidence conies to hand of the interest which 

 is fek in every branch of the rubber interest in the Inter- 

 national Rubber and Allied Trades Exhibition, to be held in 

 London September 14-J6 next. In the last two issues of The 

 Indi.\ Rubber World various details have appeared regarding 

 this event, and later news confirms what has been said already 



regarding the activity in the way of preparations. 



* * * 



The idea of holding an international rubber e-xhibition at 

 London this year appears to have been suggested first by Mr. 

 Harold Hamel-Smith, in view of the great success of the 

 Ceylon rubl)er exhibition two years ago. The nucleus of the 

 present advisory committee was formed among Mr. Hamel- 

 Smith's personal friends interested in rubber, after which the 

 service of an experienced exposition manager was secured, and 

 the work of organization has progressed until success is now 

 assured. Mr, Hamel-Smith is the editor of The Tropical Life 

 (.London), a high class publication devoted to rubber and other 

 planting interests in the tropics, on which subjects he is an 



authority of note. 



* * * 



There have been added to the advisory committee the names 

 of his Excellencj- the governor of Para, Dr. Augusto Monte- 

 negro ; also Dr. Jacques Huber, director and curator of the 

 Para museum. .All parcels or rubber forwarded from Para to 

 the exhibition will be exempt from export duty, and the Booth 

 Steamship Co. have promised free transportation for such rubber. 



* * * 



The announcement that Mr. E. E. Buckleton, of the Xorth 

 Western Rubber Co., Limited (Liverpool), is arranging for a 

 congress of all of the European rubber manufacturers in London 

 at the time of the International Rubber Exhibition is of more 

 than passing interest. Xo man knows more European rubber 

 manufacturers than IsIt. Buckleton, and no one is better known 

 or better liked. His ever present optimism, his constant geniality. 

 and his genuine good fellowship, are very much appreciated, and 



the congress is sure to be a great success. 



* * * 



The Dutch government, as mentioned already in these pages, 

 has appointed a commission to assure the adequate representa- 

 tion at the rubber exhibition of Holland and her colonies. In 

 this connection Dc Indischc Mcrcuur remarks: "The exposition 

 may be considered as highly important for Surinam ( Dutch 

 Guiana), more especially in relation to the export of balata. 

 The government of Surinam has consequently expressed its 

 willingness to pay a considerable part of the expense incurred 

 for sending exhibits from the said colony." 



Active steps in connection with the rubber exhibition have 

 been taken by the Algemeen X^ederlandsch-Indisch Rubber Syn- 

 dicaat (General Dutch Indies Rubber Syndicate), the head- 

 quarters of which are at Batavia, Java. To insure a representa- 

 tive display of rubber products of the Dutch East Indies, the 

 syndicate has formed a committee, under the presidency of Dr. 

 M. Trcub. the eminent director of 's Lands Plantentuin (the 

 botanical institute), at Buitenzorg. Java. Planters are urged 

 to interest tliemsclvcs particularly in Ficus claslica exhibits, on 

 account of the success attained with this species in Java and 

 Sumatra. , , ^ 



Mexico will be represented by a display of plantation rubber 

 (Castilloa elastica), from which much is expected. As these 

 pages go to press the specimens w^ich will go to make up this 

 display are being shipped from Vera Cruz to London. There 

 they will be in charge of Mr. Horace E. Levesley, managing 

 director of the Mexican Rubber Co., Limited, and Mr. H. Hamel- 

 Smith, editor of London Tropical Life. The Mexican Herald 

 hears that twenty-five or thirty plantations in Mexico will make 

 exhibits at Olympia, in September, including — 



Mexican Rubber Co., Limited — Plantation "La Esperanza," in 

 Oaxaca. 



Orizaba Rubber Plantation Co. — Plantation "Chival," in 

 Chiapas. 



Mexican Mutual Planters' Co. — Plantation "La Junta," in Vera 

 Cruz. 



Mexican Plantation .Association — Plantation "Lumija," in 

 Chiapas. 



La Zacualpa Rubber Plantation Co. — Plantation "La Zacualpa," 

 in Chiapas. 



The director of the guayule experimental planting station 

 maintained by the Continental-Mexican Rubber Co., who is a 

 member of the Planters' Association, is organizing a compre- 

 hensive exhibit of guayule and its rubber product for the 

 Olympia show. 



* * * 



The committee think that in this first exhibition it will not 

 be advisable that they should take upon themselves the arrang- 

 ing of rubber competitions for the whole world. They suggest 

 that the exhibitors of each country, if they wish to do so, 

 arrange competitions among the producers of that country. 

 Should any rubber producing country wish to arrange special 

 prizes, they are at liberty to do so, and the London committee 

 are prepared to supply handsome diplomas, free of charge, to 

 exhibitors to whom awards are made, but they do not supply 

 medals. If requested, however, thej- will procure medals at cost 

 price for committees in other countries. Those intending to 

 have competitions are requested to arrange for the judging. 

 * * * 



Messrs. Gow, Wilson & Stanton, Limited, an important 

 firm of tea and rubber and share brokers, of London, who have 

 from the beginning taken a deep interest in the development of 

 rubber culture, are to oflfer as a special award, a beautiful silver 

 bowl, valued at 25 guineas [^$127.75], for the most economical 

 and complete process for preparing plantation Para rubber from 

 the latex, which will give the best and most uniform product on 

 a large scale. Such a prize, coming from such a source, is 

 not only sure to attract much attention, but to bring forth some- 

 thing of real value to rubber planters. It is to be hoped that 

 every one familiar with the gathering of Para rubber will con- 

 pete, not so much for the prize itself, but for the valuable 

 service that the various suggestions will afford, in bringing about 

 a practical, cheap, and successful method of handling the latex 

 on a large scale. The conditions that will have to be complied 

 with by competitors will gladly he supplied by tb? management 

 of the International Rubber Exhibition. 



LIPTON'S TEA PROFITS. 



LIPIOX, LIMITED, tlie great British tea trading company, 

 report that their volume of business for the past year ex- 

 ceeded by upwards of £1,000,000 that for any previous year. The 

 company was formed ten years ago to take over the business 

 of Sir Thomas J. Lipton, who since has filled the office of chair- 

 man of the board. Meanwhile the net profits — after providing 

 £207.868 for depreciation— have been £1.688.493 i6j. lorf. [= $8,- 

 217,055.28]. The dividend on the ordinary shares has averaged 

 8-35 per cent, for the ten years. The share capital has been 

 £2.000.000 and tlie debenture capital £500.000. .At the meeting on 

 June 10 it was voted to increase the share capital by £250.000, 

 raising the total of the company's issues to £2.750,000 

 [=$13,382,875]. 



Space is given here to these figures because they have a bear- 

 ing upon the prosperity of British Asia — the source of the Lip- 

 ton teas — and whatever tends to general prosperity there may 

 be expected to have a favorable effect upon the development of 

 rubber culture. Besides, Sir Thomas Lipton is believed to have 

 invested some of his large profits from tea in rubber plantations, 

 and he may yet figure prominently in this new field. 



