October 1, 1916.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



43 



such facts as are available it is certain that it cannot be less than 

 24,000 tons, making a total export from Malaya of more than 

 68,000 tons." 



CRUDE RUBBER EXPORTS EROM MOZAMBIQUE. 



The American vice-consul at Lourenco Marquez, Portuguese 

 East Africa, reports .that the total exports of crude rubber from 

 Mozambique during the year 1915 amounted in vahic to $20,115. 



CROP AND RAINFALL PERCENTAGES IN CEYLON 

 AND MALAYA. 



FRANK G. SMITH, secretary of the Rubber Growers' 

 Association, London, England, has sent to the mem- 

 bers charts and statements showing the percentages of crop 



HCAVy Line • OOP P£/>ceNTAOiS 



LIOftTLINffiJtINFAlL PeMCfNTA6t5 



Chart Showing Percentage of Crop Harvested, and of Rain- 

 fall Recorded M«nthi.v in 1914 and 1915, by Representa- 

 tive Estates in Ceylon and Malaya. 



liarvesled, and of rainfall in 1913. 1914 and 1915, recorded 

 monthly by a number of estates in Ceylon and Malaya 

 These are, as far as the two first-mentioned years are con- 

 cerned, duplicates of the charts which were reproduced in 

 The India Rubber World of Januuary 1, 1916. The 1915 

 figures, together with those of 1914, are shoAvn uraphicaily 

 on that portion of the chart."; reprinted here. 



As in previous years, there is shown a \ery general re- 

 semblance or parallelism between the rainfall nnd the crop, 

 though sometimes the fluctuations of the latter follow rather 

 than coincide. 



The Malaya chart shows great regularity in the movements 

 of the crop curve during each of the three yearf. 



The Ceylon chart for 1915 shows very clearly how the 

 crop fluctuates with the variations in rainfall. It will be 

 noticed, however, that the prolonged dry period from Novem- 

 ber, 1914. to February. 1915. had a much greater effect on 

 the crop than the briefer dry spells in -August and October, 

 1915. 



Ceylon's heaviest yields in 1915 were -\ugust, 10.56 per 

 cent; (October, 11.30 per cent, and December, 13.72 per cent. 

 March made the li.gluest showing. 3.62 per cent of the total 

 crop. Malaya did not show such heavy fluctuations, the 

 lowest yield being 6.33 per cent in April, and the highest 

 10.10 in December. 



Taken as a whole, the .graphic lines follow, in a general 

 way, those of previous years, though the rainfall in Malaya 

 at no time in 1915 reached as high a percenta.ae in any one 

 month as in the two previous years. 



THE RUBBER TRADE IN MALAYA. 



By Our Regular CurrcsfiDidcnt. 

 ■ I 'HE London rul)ber market has a grievance against Singapore, 

 ^ a grievance which is being voiced vigorously in the financial 

 press. The complaint is that the Imperial Government, while 

 forbidding the export of rubber from London to America and 

 other neutral countries, allows tlie export from Singapore, with 

 the result that Singapore is rapidly becoming the world's rublier 

 mart and the London market is declining in importance. From 

 the local point of view this is just as it should be. It is felt that 

 Singapore is in every respect best suited to be the center of the 

 world's rubber trade and the sooner it becomes recognized as 

 such the better for the Straits Settlements and Malaya and the 

 rubber industry as well. 



When the war broke out Singapore had its great chance. 

 Hainliurg ceased to count, the London market scarcely knew 

 what course to take,*but Singapore had the rubber and the buy- 

 ers, and the ability to ship east or west to the great centers of 

 consumption. Now Singapore has the biggest open market in 

 the world, and business can keep going without war restrictions. 

 Moreover, freight conditions, to a large extent, force rubber from 

 Java and Sumatra to pass through Singapore, where it is subject 

 to the system of export permits adopted to check the export of 

 British or other rubber to Britain's enemies. 



The London dealers are greatly concerned, but it would seem 

 thai their efforts to check the development of the Singapore 

 market have altogether failed. Even without the war, the de- 

 cline of the London market was certain, though it would have 

 been a longer process ; but as things are, the pace at which Singa- 

 pore has forged to the front has been wonderfully rapid. With 

 exports practically free here, but restricted in London, the obvious 

 policy is for the bulk of the sales to be made in .Singapore, thus 

 preventing shipments to London growing to an extent to cause 

 a glut, and a consequent fall of prices. 



London critics say further that by present arrangements Singa- 

 pore is playing into the hands of German-Americans, whatever 

 this may mean. It is mere clap-trap, however, for whatever 

 German-American influences exist are much more effectively 

 combated here than in London, according to local opinion, for 

 in Singapore such movements are more easily watched and 

 checked. It is certain that American capital is taking a lively 

 interest in the rubber trade; indeed, it would be astonishing if 

 this were not so, and owners of rubber plantations' in Malay,-». 

 •vhen they get definite offer= for their property are quite eaititled 



