746 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[SliPTEMBKR 1, 1917. 



by the govcriinKiit ii\ ivtj/, was not successful aiul ii.is i'l-cii dis- 

 continued. 



The output of wild rubber in Xyasaland has decreased steadi- 

 ly until it is now a negligible quantity. Cultivated rubber, on 

 the other hand, is shown to be on the increase, 6,766 acres being 

 under cultivation in 1915-16, as compared with 5.936 in the pre- 

 vious year. Exports of cultivated rubber from Nyasaland in 

 1915-16 were 46.002 pounds, valued at £.1801. as compared with 

 33.685 pounds in the previous year. 



In Seychelles there are about 184.000 rubber trees planted out, 

 and about half of this number have reached the tappable size. 



The value of the exports of rubber from Nigeria in 1915 was 

 £38,113, as compared with £38,854 in 1914. On two Para rubber 

 estates in the Sapcle district, 94,413 pounds of rubber were har- 

 vested. 



From Ashanti 317 tons of rubber, valued at £20,135. were ex 

 ported during 1915. The increase was due to a renewed demand 

 in Europe, caused by the exceptional conditions prevailing. 

 When these conditions cease this trade may be expected to die 

 down again. The natives have shown little interest in planting 

 out Para seedlings. There are two European agricultural com- 

 panies in the Southern Province of Ashanti, which have planted 

 out large areas of cocoa and rubber. The oldest Para trees are 

 six years old, and most of the trees are now tappable. The 

 Funtumia trees are described as a failure, as they appear to 

 need at least twenty years before yielding commercially. 



Rubber has been planted on several estates in the wet dis- 

 tricts of Vitilevu and Vanualevu in Fiji. The cultivation com- 

 menced about nine years ago, and subsequent growth has been 

 satisfactory as compared with other countries. The plants now 

 in Fiji have stood the occasional storms well. Rubber was ex- 

 ported from Fiji in 1915 to the value of £3,464, as against £463 

 in the previous year. It is hoped that the export of this produce 

 will increase. 



The leaf disease of rubber has again visited some plantations 

 in British Guiana. It is considered that until a uniform period 

 of wintering of the trees is obtained, considerable trouble in 

 this respect must be expected. 



BOLIVIAN NOTES. 



RUBBER TRADE IN COCHIN CHINA. 



Figures for the years 1913, 1914, 1915 show an increase in the 

 quantity of rubber exports, but a decrease in the imports. This 

 is mainly due to the fact that a great part of the French popu- 

 lation, using manufactured articles, has returned to France on 

 account of the war. 



The exportation of wild rubber, which used to be sent along 

 the Mekong river from the forests of Laos and Cambodja, is 

 no longer of any importance. On the other hand, plantation 

 rubber exports have increased rapidly in the last few years. In 

 1908. 3 tons were shipped from Saigon, while in 1915, 357 tons 

 were exported. The amount for the period January 1, 1916. 

 to August 22. 1916, was 312 tons, as against 133 tons for the 

 same period in 1915. Since January, 1915, the exportation of 

 rubber to countries other than France has been prohibited. Ex- 

 ports for the years 1913, 1914, 1915 were valued at $128,752, 

 $158,328 and $315,075, respectively. 



The decrease in some imports is illustrated by the following: 



1913. 1914. 1915. 



Rubber goods $185,0,S1 $197,234 $180 000 



.■\utomobiles 412,800 202,212 15' 004 



Cycles 218.178 204,878 104>03 



Sheet rubber is imported from France, and the value increased 

 from $11,000 to $40,000. Rubber articles come from France and 

 Singapore and advanced from $23,000 to $38,000. but the values 

 for tires and hose decreased from $142,000 to $86,000. Automo- 

 bile, riskshaw and cycle tires are imported chiefly from France 

 and England. 



BOLIVIA is one of those countries whose economical situation 

 has been seriously aiTeclcd by the war. It was, in fact, 

 due only to her great mineral wealth that she was able to sup- 

 port the difficult position at all. However, it would appear from 

 trade statistics for the first four montlis of 1916 that conditions 

 were improving. 



Another important item is the export of rubber, which under- 

 went a marked increase in 1915. The United States is Bolivia's 

 best customer for rubber, having bought no less than 90 per 

 cent of the whole quantity exported. The distribution of the 

 rubber exports in 1914 and 1915 was as follows: 



1915. 



1914. 



, ' ^- 



Metric Metric 



Ions. Value, tons. 



United States 419 $311,701 4,645 



Great Britain 2,846 2,098,199 341 



France 575 425,800 68 



Germany 481 347,540 16 



Belgium 157 115,978 



Chile 7 12,931 



Argentina 9 



Spain 2 



Value. 



Totals 4,485 $3,312,149 5.081 



The total rubber exports in metric tons of 2,204.6 pounds, over 

 a period of 10 years show a steady increase in production: 

 1906, 1,930; 1907, 1,831; 1908, 1,818; 1909, 3,052; 1910. 3,118; 

 1911, 3,646; 1912, 4,080; 1913, 5,143; 1914, 4,485; 1915, 5,081. 



Among the 1915 imports from the United States may be noted : 

 -Automobiles, valued at 22,183 bolivianos (the normal value of 

 a boliviano in United States currency is $0.3893), and rubber 

 manufactures amounting to 4,628 bolivianos. The total amounts 

 for these two items were, 26,192 and 24.282 bolivianos respec- 

 tively. 



EXPORT TAXES OX RUBBER. 



In accordance with the law of November 18, 1913, rubber ex- 

 ported from Bolivia is subjected to the following export taxes: 



Article 1 — When the quotation for rubber is 25 to 36 pence 

 the export tax shall be 2 per cent ad valorem. This tax shall 

 be 4 per cent ad valorem when the quotation rises to 37 to 48 

 pence, and 6 per cent when the quotation is 49 pence or above. 



Article 2. — The same rate of export taxes shall apply to rub- 

 ber of inferior grades, with an allowance of 30 per cent off the 

 quotation for fine rubber. 



Article 3. — In cases where the export tax collected in custom- 

 houses of foreign countries adjacent is lower than that imposed 

 by Bolivia, the government shall have the right to lower the rate 

 of the Bolivian tax. (This measure was adopted to prevent 

 smu.ggling of the rubber across the border and the consequent 

 loss of Bolivian revenues.) 



Article 4. — For the purpose of this law the value of rubber 

 exported from Bolivia shall be 70 per cent of the London quota- 

 tions at the time of the exportation. The London quotations 

 shall be certified to the Bolivian Government fortnightly by the 

 Bolivian consul stationed in London. 



The acquisition of rubber lands in Bolivia is subject to the 

 law governing the public lands of Bolivia. 



Bolivia has no sea coast, but the government is much inter- 

 ested in the development and extension of railway lines and has 

 declared its intention to extend the La Paz-Yungas railway, thus 

 securing an outlet to the Atlantic by way of the Amazon River 

 and the Madeira-Mamore Railway. This is of special impor- 

 tance to rubber producers who will then have an easy connec- 

 tion with the railways that connect with the sea coast ports. 



The President of Bolivia has been authorized to contract a 

 loan of £1.000,000 for the construction of the Atocha-Tupiza 

 line, the last link between La Paz and Buenos Aires, and the 

 government is endeavoring to place this loan in the United 

 States.' 



