OCTOTER 1, 1916.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



45 



Mexican Rubber Notes. 



THE [lusition of rul)ber producing cumpanies in Mexico, at 

 the present time, is far from encouraging. Recent pro- 

 ceedings bring into prominence the insecurity of such en- 

 terprises in the United States. The affairs of two such com- 

 panies serve to emphasize this. 



PROPERTV SEIZi:i) RV r;o\ERNMENT. 



The Conservative Ruliher Co. was incorporated under the laws 

 of -Arizona in October. 1901. the capital stock being $1,200,0CHJ. 

 consisting of 6.000 shares at $200 per share. These were marketed 

 on the monthly payment plan. The principal office is in San 

 Francisco. The property consists of large tracts in the states of 

 Tabasco and Chiapas, Mexico, in which there are some wild 

 rubber trees, and on which the first planting of Castilloa trees 

 was done in 1902. There are reports that the Carranza Govern- 

 ment had seized the property of the company for unpaid ta.xes 

 amounting to $3S> and that the company had lost its license to 

 do business in California through failure to pay the corporation 

 tax, and also, that the stockholders had lieen notified that owing 

 to the political situation in Mexico, it would be better to lose the 

 property and wind up its affairs. The shareholders, many of whom 

 have Ix^ught shares on the monthly payment plan, have applied 

 to the courts to prevent what tliey consider a plot to wreck the 

 company. 



C.xr.LED FOR .\SSESSMENT. 



La Zucualpa-Hidalgo Rubber Co. has recently called an assess- 

 ment of 12!/ cents |>er share. .\s this stock has been inactive 

 for some time, and had been offered at about 30 cents a share, 

 the assessment was a heavy one. The assessment was made tu 

 reimliurse those stockhnlders who had advanced about $56,0110 

 to carry on the affairs of the company, and tu continue to meet 

 expenses. 



This corporation, although not tlie oldest, is, perhaps, the 

 largest rubber planting ci;im])any in Mexico. It comprises 1,897 

 acres situated in the Department of Sosconusco. in the .State of 

 Chiapas. A large portion of the tract is planted with Castilloa 

 trees. Of the authorized capital of 800.000 shares/ there were 

 iiutstanding at the end of its fiscal year, Fc-liruary 24. 1916, 619.- 



iastilloo Trees on La Z.m i ai.pa Pi.antatio.x. 



597yj shares of stock at a par value of $3,097,988. The estate is 

 equipped with modern improved machinery for the preparation of 

 the product for the market, and last year produced 143,700 pounds 

 of rubber. About one-half of this was sold during the year at 



from 47 to 76 cents a pi.>und. the net receipts lieing $39,770.84 and 

 on March 1 there were 72,000 pounds in the hands of its sales 

 agents. The annual report showed receipts $59,280.90 and dis- 

 bursements $45,857.75. Presumably, the balance and the $56,000 

 mentioned above as- advanced by some of the stockholders, has 

 been absorbed by expenses since March 1. 



••GRINGOS" OBLIGED TO GET OUT, 



The folliiwing letter sliows the discouraging position of some 

 .Americans connected with the ruliber planting industry in Mexi- 

 co, It reads : 

 To THE Editor of the India Rubber World: 



Dear Sir — You will notice -from this, that I am still making 

 an effort to strive through the long-winded Mexican turmoil, 

 Init it looks very much as if all "Gringos" will have to get out, 

 as we have now received a final message from the State Depart- 

 ment, which is very urgent and to the point, I was in hopes of 

 staj'ing on, but from the rather serious conditions that now exist, 

 I doubt very much as to the wisdom of it and, it is upon this 

 account principally that I am writing to ask you about Central 

 or South America. Do you know by any chance of an opening 

 in my line down that way, I thought first of going into Guatemala 

 temporarily, to await developments, with the idea in view of 

 being near at hand, as I still have good interests here. What do 

 you advise? Yours very cordially, 



Pioneer. 



offers prize for t,\pp1ng process, 



.\nother letter gives some insight into other difficulties which 

 Mexican planters must face, Tliis letter reads as follows ; 

 To the Editor of the India Rubber World: 



Dear Sir — We have a property in Me.xico of 1,200 acres of Cas- 

 tillna rul)ber trees which are in excellent condition, except that 

 for the last four years we have had to practically abandon them, 

 and the tropical jungle has no doutt enveloped them. More than 

 half, of these trees were planted previous to 1909, beginning with 

 1904. In 1909 we had a fire in which probably three-fourths of 

 our trees were burned. These afterwards grew up again from 

 the stump, so that most of our property really dates from 

 about 1909, 1910 and 1911, 



You understand the difficulty that has been experienced in 

 getting a successful method of tapping the Castilloa tree. Ex- 

 periments that we have made and that we have known of, lead 

 us to belie\ e tliat there is an ample supply of latex in these 

 trees to yield a handsome profit if a proper method of tapping 

 can be devised. What v.e would like to do is to create an 

 intere3t in investigation and experimentation along this line. 

 If the Mexican Government were up-to-date it should lie the 

 party to foster investigation and to offer incentives for this 

 work, but that is out of the question. We fortunately have 

 ample funds and while I have not consulted with tlie other offi- 

 cers of our company persoMall>. 1 would favor offering a reward 

 of a sufficient amount to induce people who are in position to 

 do it, to work and experiment along the lines of inventing or 

 discovering a tapping system. If other people who have similar 

 interests are in position to do it, it would only be fair that the 

 burden of tin's be divided. However, I think there are few ruli- 

 licr pl^uiters, or former rubber planters in Mexico, who have 

 iiuicli in the way of rulilier trees, let alone much money, to do 

 anything uith. It a numlicr of concerns could join together 

 they could make tlic reward larger and thus offer greater in- 

 ducements to effort. 



Do you think that an offer of a reward of $500 or $1,000 

 would stimulate effort in this direction, and would you lie will- 



