506 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



places, where they should pile it up to reduce to a minimum the 

 surfaces exposed to the air. 



To recapitulate, you should constantly see to it that rubber 

 be carefully prepared. Careful preparation is essential to main- 

 taining quality and prices, which under the present circumstances, 

 are of an importance you can readily realize. 



ANNUAL MEETING OF MALACCA PLANTERS' 

 ASSOCIATION. 



THE annual genera! meeting of the members of the 

 Malacca Planters' Association was held in Malacca. 

 Malaya, on l-'cbruary 22. 



!..m;()i; nii-i-iCLT.TiES. 



Reviewing the past year, the chairman stated that 1915 

 had been a particularly trying year for the planters on 

 account of the shortage of labor, which threatened to become 

 serious and was acutely felt towards the middle of the year. 

 This shortage was due to the repatriation of a large number 

 of coolies to China when the war broke out and to the 

 total cessation of immigration from both India and China 

 for several months. The government did not grasp the 

 situation until it was assuming a serious aspect, not only for 

 the planting, but also other industries in Malacca and, when 

 matters were remedied, considerable time had elapsed before any 

 appreciable improvement in the flow of immigration took 

 place, with the result that matters became very serious for 

 many estates. 



RUBBER PROSPERITY. 



The year 1915 had been one of great prosperity in Malacca. 

 The increase in the price of rubl)er during the year, although 

 perhaps anticipated to a certain extent by a few, came as a 

 pleasant surprise to the majority, and resulted in a small 

 land boom in Malacca. Rubber was being planted through- 

 out the length and breadth of Malacca by small native 

 holders. 



The area under rubber in 1915 showed an increase of 

 17,262 acres as compared with the area in 1914, the figures 

 being, 1914, 114.845 acres; 1915, 132,110 acres. Other forms 

 of cultivation had remained more or less stationary. 



N.ATIVE RUBBER. 



The chairman's opinion was that a large proportion of 

 the 17,000 odd acres of rubber planted in 1915 had .been 

 planted by natives, and he believed that the extensive plant- 

 ing of rubber by small holders should be viewed with con- 

 cern by those interested in the future of rubber in the coun- 

 try. Apart from the question of rubber thefts, which were 

 serious enough in their own way and many of which were 

 probably traceable to small holders, the industry was facing 

 the possibility of an outbreak of disease which, if it started 

 in small holdings, might go on unchecked until it would 

 become well established, and prove serious. 



Upon investigation, it had been found that there were 

 many small holdings on which trees had been tapped too 

 young, and were therefore weakened and likely to be ready 

 subjects for any form of disease that might appear. This 

 matter should engage the serious consideration of the gov- 

 ernment, because the prosperity of Malacca depends mainly 

 upon agriculture and particularly on the rubber industry. 

 A conception of the importance of the latter could be formed 

 by examining the export figures for 1915, which showed 

 that the exports of plantation rubber from Malacca amounted 

 to 202,901 piculs [27,052,790 pounds], valued at 24,506,929 

 Straits Settlements dollars [$13,723,880]. Of these, 11,711 

 piculs [2,364,874 pounds], valued at 1,960,876 Straits Settle- 

 ments dollars [$1,098,091], were imported, making the net 

 production of Malacca, 185,164 piculs [24,687,916 pounds]. 



equal to approximately 10.994 tons, an increase of 4,228 tons 

 over the 1914 figures. 



KrniiKR THEFTS AN» DE.M.EKS' ORDIX.WCE. 



A matter of much importance, which had engaged the at- 

 tentiiin of the association during the year and was still 

 billed for further discussion, was the question of rubber 

 thefts. The evil was widespread and had reached propor- 

 tions which were not realized by the government. 



The rubber dealers' ordinance came into force in 1910 and was 

 made to deal with the serious evil of rubber stealing. The origi- 

 nal proposal of the association was that licenses for rubber 

 dealers should be given out on certain specified days, ap- 

 pointed just as the liquor licenses now are granted, 

 to give planters who so desire an opportunity to oppose 

 the application. This proposal had already been passed. 

 Then it was suggested that every cultivator of rubber should 

 have a license to trade. In the chairman's opinion, the 

 present ordinance did not go far enough. It should be in 

 book form and every transaction made should be endorsed 

 on the license. The association also desired that on this 

 license should be noted the acreage under cultivation, the 

 acreage which was being tapped, and the probable amount 

 of rubber which was to be produced in that area, the latter 

 to be estimated by a competent authority. There were diffi- 

 culties to be met in the estimates of production. There were 

 cases proved in Malacca in which men disposed of rubber 

 in amounts that were absolutely ridiculous when the acreage 

 under {heir cultivation was considered. The association de- 

 sires to assist the magistrate, and it is for the government 

 to so amend the law that certain rubber may be considered 

 as stolen until it has been proved by the defendant to 

 the contrary. The license should have a photograph of the 

 dealer, and also the license of the seller should be produced. 

 The majority of the sales of rubber by their tappers were 

 made to small holders adjoining the larger estates. Rubber 

 stealing has been worse since the ordinance came into force, 

 and it is necessary to devise more efficient means for con- 

 trolling the dealers who purchased stolen rubber up country. 

 The association feels that the rubber industry, which pays 

 a large and increasing revenue to the government, is worth 

 being protected by the latter. 



Replying to the chairman, the local representative of the 

 government, who was present at the meeting, said that since 

 the rubber dealers' ordinance had come into operation in 

 1910, the production of rubber had probably • increased 200 

 per cent, but "the total volume of theft might not be greater." 

 European managers did not attempt to give annual returns, 

 as called for by the ordinance. Rubber is one of those com- 

 modities difficult to identify, and under the system of laws 

 which obtain in the colonies and throughout the British 

 Empire proof is needed before any man could be convicted. 

 The chairman was a potential receiver in many of these 

 cases. The local representative suggested that efforts be 

 made to seize the thief on the estate, so that identification 

 of the goods might be easier. To this the chairman rejoined 

 that the police have pronounced it disheartening to take any 

 cases under the rubber ordinance, 50 per cent of such 

 cases being discharged. It was voted that suggestions be 

 forwarded to the governor. 



DAMAGE TO RUBBER TREES BY PORCUPINES. 



Rubber planters in India complain of damage done to their 

 Hnca trees by porcupines. Several remedies have been tried, 

 with indififerent success. It has recently been found that white- 

 washing the trees up to a height of two feet from the ground 

 protects them from attack by these animals. During the rainy 

 season the whitewash is liable to be washed ofT, but it is said that 

 this inconvenience can be overcome by mixing gum with the lime. 



