July 1, 1917.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



613 



BRAZILIAN RUBBER NOTES. 



By II Spccitil Correspondent. 



'T'HE Socicdadc Nacional dc Agrkultura, Rio de Janeiro, lately 

 *• held a solemn reunion in celebration of the completion of the 

 twentieth year of its existence. Jose Bezerra, Minister of Agri- 

 culture, presided; Lauro Miiller, ex-Minister for Foreign Af- 

 fairs, and the Minister of Chile were among the prominent per- 

 sons who attended. 



This oldest and most important of Brazilian institutions has 

 been untiring in its efforts towards improving and advancing 

 agriculture in Brazil, .^s a result of its activities, the First and 

 Second .Agricultural Congresses were organized and the seeds 

 sown on these occasions bore rich fruit — the creation of the 

 Department of Agriculture, Industry and Commerce. If exhi- 

 bitions were to be held, the Society was ever ready to take 

 up their management : besides this it constantly arranged for the 

 giving of a series of lectures concerning economic problems. 



Through its organ, A Lavoura, it circulated propaganda for 

 agricultural matters, and published and distributed articles and 

 works containing much valuable information and advice. 



Among its activities for the past year may be mentioned the 

 following points presented for consideration to the Governor 

 and National Congress : 



1. Distribution of cotton seed on a large scale and encour- 

 agement of cotton culture. 



2. Institution of free markets and assistance for those exist- 

 ing. 



3. Protection of cotton and study of its diseases and pests, 

 particularly of the Pink Boll Worm. 



The list of its members is constantly growing and at present 

 numbers about 6,000 persons. 



A CONFERENCE TO PROMOTE RUBBER INTERESTS. 

 Recently a special commission from Amazonas visited Para 

 with the object of establishing measures for the improvement 

 of- commercial relations between the two states. 



At the reception held by the Associai;ad Commercial do Para 

 and presided over by Dr. Lauro Sodre, Governor of the State 

 of Para, the representatives from .Amazonas discussed the 

 question of transport, which has been crippling Amazonian com- 

 merce, and pointed out the necessity of steamers putting in at 

 Manaos on their way from Belem to Acre, and vice versa. The 

 Associa(ad stated that the difficulty lay with the Captain of the 

 Port of Manaos, who persisted in a policy of molestation and 

 persecution toward "Para-Acre vessels, and, therefore, proposed 

 that the Silvero-Eneas law should be abolished, to which the 

 mission replied that the Government of Amazonas would do all 

 in its power to remove the difficulties. Concerning the abolition 

 of the law, however, they recommended that the Governor of 

 Para communicate with the Governor of Amazonas. 



The Assoc'iaiao also submitted to the special consideration of 

 the heads of both states the following points: 



(1). The organization of co-operative enterprises, one in 

 Para and another in Manaos, for undertaking intensive culti- 

 vation of Hcvea and other cultures in regions near these cap- 

 itals, the cost of production being thus consideral)ly reduced and 

 the returns proportionately increased. 



(2). 01)taining preferential tariff for manufactures from 

 superior qualities of rubber and an increased duty on articles 

 made of reclaimed rubber or substitutes — a means of encourag- 

 ing the consumption of good rubber — advancing the valorization 

 and protecting factories where the better kind of rul)l)cr is used. 



(3). Inducing the municipalities of the country to enact laws 

 to enforce in electric installations the use of insulated wires of 

 at least 2,500 megohms — thereby necessitating the employment of 

 good rubber. 



("4). Organizing, on an equal basis, an enterprise, directed by 

 the commercial associations of Para and Manaos and under the 



supervision of the two governments, to circulate propaganda for 

 rubber in the centers of consumption, representing to industrials 

 the advantages of utilizing the protection offered by Amazonian 

 tariff, the costs of this enterprise to be covered by the receipts 

 from a tax of 1 per cent on the valorization, to be levied by 

 the Congresses of Para, Amazonas, and, if possible, by Matto- 

 Grosso and Federal. 



IS THIS NEUTR.XLITY? 



As the Lloyd Brasilciro is controlled by the Treasury and, 

 therefore, practically a government department, the preference 

 shown to German shippers at this time is especially incongruous. 



Of the 13,098 tons of rubber shipped from Manaos from Jan- 

 uary 1 to March 30 of the current year "to all destinations, 7,298 

 tons or 55.7 per cont were shipped by Allied and .American firms, 

 4,951 tons or 37.8 per cent by Brazilian and Portuguese firms and 

 only 849 tons or 6.5 per cent by German. 



In spite, however, of the enormous disproportion Ijetween ship- 

 ments by Germany and those by Allied and Brazilian firms, out 

 of the total space available in Lloyd Brasilciro boats, 47.9 per 

 cent was allotted to Germans, 25 per cent to Brazilian, 17.7 per 

 cent to .American — the largest shippers of all — and only 9.4 per 

 cent to all Allied firms, British. French and Italian! 



It is hoped that when the Ministry of Finance or of Foreign 

 Affairs is informed of this favoritism, the situation will promptly 

 be altered. 



AN. E.XPERIMENT STATION FOR HEl'E.A CULTIV.^TION. 



The Club da Scringncira has recently commenced operations at 

 the Campo de E.rpcricncias da Sociedade Amazonense dc Agri- 

 ciiltura. This station had been given over to the government 

 three years ago and all work there was suspended. Dr. Angelino 

 Bevilaqua is the new director, while Colonel Raymundo C. Mon- 

 teiro da Costa has been entrusted with the task of procuring 

 good seed. The undertaking is financially aided by the gov- 

 ernment of the State of Amazonas. 



Work is now proceeding regularly; Hcveas have been planted 

 in certain parts of the estate and nursery beds laid out. From 

 .April 2 to 24 not less than 42.000 seeds were gratuitously dis- 

 tributed. 



THE BALATA INDUSTRY IN SURINAM. 



The balata indu^^try during 1916 seems to have been satis- 

 factory. Recent registrations for balata concessions in Para- 

 maribo also indicate a certain amount of activity. 



The exports for the year amounted to 2,005,278 pounds, which 

 compares the more favorably with the British Guiana figures 

 of 1,450,702 pounds, because labor in Surinam is scarce, while 

 the neighboring colony can command sufficient men to meet its 

 needs. About 253 tons of balata, representing a value of about 

 $300,000, arrived in Nickerie during the past year. 



The balata production for the last six years was: 1911. 1,146 

 tons; 1912, 727 tons; 1913. 1,086 tons; 1914, 1,086 tons; 1915, 

 209 tons; 1916, 769 tons. 



The recovery of this industry during the last year has naturally 

 been greeted with much satisfaction, especially because of its 

 influence on the general business tone in the colony. However, 

 the labor situation, which is becoming acute, is causing consid- 

 erable anxiety, as does the shipping question, making it difficult 

 for merchants to send their products to the highest bidders. 



EXPORT DUTY ON YAVARI RUBBER. 



A Peruvian Presidential Decree of December 27, 1916, pro- 

 vides that the duties (2, 4 and 6 per cent) imposed by a decree 

 dated July 12, 1916. are to be levied on the market prices of 

 rubber from the Yavari. By this new decree the reduction of 

 30 per cent from the current prices allowed on rubber from the 

 Madre de Dios is not to be allowed for rubber from the Yavari. 



