676 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[August 1, 1917. 



supply depots managed by experienced Americans, and with 

 extensive advertising in local newspapers and magazines; an- 

 other factor was the difficulty of importing from Europe. Ac- 

 cording to "The Australian Motorist," the demand is for 

 low-priced cars and the American manufacturers are getting the 

 business. It is stated that there is not an American car in the 

 Commonwealth costing mote than $2,554. 



CEYLON. 



Exports of rubber to the United States during the first quar- 

 ter of 1917 were 6.968.047 pounds, valued at $4,204,506. 



SIAM. 

 (Vice Consul Carl C. Hansen. Bangkok.] 



During the fiscal year ended March 31. 1916, i7 motor-cycles 

 were landed at the port of Bangkok, against 25 for the previous 

 year, and their declared value was $7,730 and $4,639, respectively. 

 The imports of bicycles advanced from 1,196 machines, valued at 

 $19,872, in 1915 to 1,281 machines, valued at $24,598, in 1916. 



The value of the rubber-tire imports for motor-cycles and bi- 

 cycles was $9,590 for 1915 and $14,551 for 1916. All of this 

 trade is chiefly British. 



The import duty on all kinds of cycles and parts, including 

 rubber tires, is 3 per cent ad valorem. 



SPAIN, 



The accompanying figures show the imports of rubber and its 

 manufactures for the years 1915 and 1916: 



1915. 1916. 



.- ' V ' V 



Metric Metric 



Tons. Value. Tons. Value. 

 India rubber, gutta percha and sub- 



Unma^nSfactured 94S $1,109,531 1,697 $1,986,278 



Tires 280 981.305 578 2,030,837 



Other manufactures of 389 866.305 484 889,507 



Totals 1.617 $2,957,141 2.759 $4,906,622 



The chief countries of origin of tire imports during 1915 were: 



United .States. France. Great Britain. 



S2I.337 $407,865 $172,551 



SWEPEN. 

 Owing to the scarcity of rubber, Goteborg factories dependent 

 upon rubber for raw material have been closed and practically 

 all automobiles and taxicabs in the city and district have been 

 put out of commission. The exportation from Sweden of parts 

 of flying machines and airships, and also of air balloons and 

 parts has been prohibited. 



EXHIBITION or TOYS. GAMES, SPORTING AND GYMNASTIC GOODS IN 



VENICE. 



The organizing committee of the National Industrial Exhibi- 

 tion of toys, games, sporting outfits, and gymnastic apparatus, 

 which is to be held in Venice next September, announces 

 that although the ex'hibition is intended for Italian manufac- 

 turers, it is desired to display a few good productions of a simi- 

 lar nature manufactured by the Allied nations, in order that 

 Italian manufacturers and the general public may have an op- 

 portunity of seeing what friendly nations have accomplished in 

 these industries which before the war were extensively carried 

 on in Germany. 



RUBBER GOODS IN GREECE 



Conditions brought about by the war are continually causing 

 new markets to be opened for various products. Thus, whereas 

 Austria and Germany formerly supplied Greece with three- 

 fourths of the rubber goods needed there, they are now off the 

 market, and the United States ought to be able to furnish them. 

 American firms contemplating the establishment of business re- 

 lations with Greece should remember the importance of having 

 a commission agent there fully trusted and familiar with all local 

 needs and customs, and above all. familiar with the language. 



THE SITUATION IN THE DUTCH EAST INDIES. 



By a Special Correspondent. 



THE shipping difficulties are causing the accumulation of large 

 quantities of various products, including rubber. Natur- 

 ally this condition is regarded with a certain amount of anxiety 

 and the question has been raised whether it was advisable to 

 build large warehouses for storing these goods. In view of the 

 possibility of further shipping hindrances and of deterioration 

 in the quality of the goods, due to climatic influence, the sug- 

 gestion has gone forth to establish markets in .\merica whence 

 the products could be further distributed. This is urged as a 

 more feasible plan, especially as even before the war large 

 quantities were consigned to New York instead of to Holland. 



RUBBER FACTORY IX BATAVIA. 



Industries here are making great headway and the government 

 is fortunately far-sighted enough to see the importance of sup- 

 porting them. It has, therefore, liberally subsidized seveial 

 companies carrying on operations in Java. 



A rubber factory, running along the same lines as the one 

 at Singapore, has been opened in the east end of Batavia. It 

 covers an area of 1,500 square meters and has been equipped 

 with the most up-to-date machinery. Rubber goods of many 

 kinds previously supplied by Germany will be produced and 

 orders have already been booked for a long time in advance. 



CENTENARY OF THE BUITEXZORG BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



On May 18, 1817, a botanical garden was founded at Buiten- 



zorg, which has not only developed into one of the greatest botan- 

 ical institutions in the tropical world, but lias become a center fur 

 the scientific study of the tropics in general. 



After half a century of more or less retarded progress the 

 garden suddenly began a more rapid development. It became 

 a power in the economic position of the Dutch colonies in the 

 East; new crops were introduced and seeds of those already 

 known were more widely distributed. Expeditions were under- 

 taken to discover what products of economic importance flour- 

 ished in a wild state in these islands — several journeys having 

 been made in search of lactiferous plants, for instance — and 

 plants thus found were often cultivated. 



Besides this, laboratories were erected, diseases studied and 

 selections made. Soon, also, experiment stations were organized, 

 demonstration fields were laid out for the benefit of the small 

 landowner and agricultural instruction was given through in- 

 vestigations in the laboratory concerning the crops, especially 

 those cultivated by the natives. When the questions with which 

 the institution occupied itself encroached more and more on 

 purely economic ground, the Department of Agriculture was 

 founded, to which was added at a later period a section for 

 Industries and Commerce. 



It had been planned to celebrate the centenary of this unique 

 establishment with due solemnity, but present conditions have 

 made it necessary to postpone festivities until after the war. 



GOVERNMENT RUBBER PLANTATION TO BE SOLD. 



In connection with the government's decision to offer the 

 state rubber plantation at Langsar. Sumatra, at public' sale, it 

 has been proposed to announce the sale at so early a date and 

 to make such arrangements for inspecting the estate as to enable 

 prospective buyers in Europe and America to communicate with 

 their representatives here. Considering the present difficulties 

 of communication, it cannot be said that the government has 

 chosen a very favorable time for the sale. 



RUBBER CULTIVATION IN TAPANOELI. SUM.\TRA. 



Until quite recently the residency, Tapanoeli, on the west coast 

 of northern Sumatra, did not boast a single European planting 

 enterprise. Now, however, there are several flourishing plan- 

 tations, new ones are being constantly opened up and the whole 



