•IS 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[( ICTOBER 1, 1914. 



Some Rubber Planting Notes. 



CEYLON CONSOLIDATED RUBBER ESTATES, LIMITED. 



AiRDING to details submitted for the year ended March 

 31, 1914, there were in tin- above estates 1.166 acres in cul- 

 tivation, on which \\ t -rc 142,931 Para rubbei n .ihove 

 one-half of which will he in bearing tins season In addition 



there were appro'-. 00,000 (Vara tree-, now tappable. 



More trees are coming into bearing than the estimate tor 1914-15 



I on. The visiting agent's rep- an -Innate for 



1914-15 mi" 48,250 pounds of Para, being 100 per cent, over the 



rial estimate, while lie believed he could get 20,000 pounds of 



rubber in six months' time. I p to March 31, 1914, a year's 



a 18,000 pounds dry runner had realized 2s Id. (50.68 



i ents I per pound. 



FROSFECTS OF PLANTATION RUBBER INDUSTRY. 



In discussing the above subject the "Home and Colonial Mail'' 

 of London remarks that the outlook for the plantation ruhher 

 industry is very reassuring, although there is considerable un- 

 certainty as to the future of crude rubber generally. In the first 

 place. Para business, on account of its close relations with London 

 finance, will be seriously crippled by the war. Then African 

 trade, largely in Belgian hands, is normally centered in the 

 Antwerp market, at present a negligible quantity. Again, there 

 is the difficulty to be anticipated by planters in financing their 

 crops, nowithstanding the measures taken by the Straits govern- 

 ment and the readiness of Ceylon bankers to finance the rubber 

 ■ if their own trading community. A certain curtailment of sup- 

 plies must therefore be looked for. 



The question is then : will there be a corresponding restriction 

 in consumption? On this subject it is remarked: 



"This is a difficult question to answer. Fortunately, however, 

 for the rubber industry, the chief center of manufacture is a 

 country far removed from and not directly concerned in the war. 

 Vmerica consumes roughly one-half of the total world's protec- 

 tion of rubber and for the present that country, together with 

 ourselves, Italy and Japan will have to meet the demand for 

 manufactured goods for the entire world. With the main source 

 of supply under British control, there should he little difficulty 

 in keeping both sides of the industry going with advantage to 

 ourselves." 



GROWIH AND QUALITY OF COCHIN CHINA RUBBER. 



The last issue of the "Annals of Indo-China Rubber Planters" 

 states that it is generally admitted that Sumatra is the country 

 in the Far East where Hevea Brasilicnsis grows most rapidly. 

 The Malayan Peninsula holds second place, while several authori- 

 ties give Cochin China a rank equal to Java and far in advance 

 of Ceylon. 



In the opinion of Mr. II. X. Ridley, formerly director of gar- 

 dens and forests in the Straits Settlements, Cochin China is six 

 months behind Malaya, but this disadvantage is offset by the 

 complete absence of diseases in the former country While ad- 

 mitting this backwardness in young trees, the "Annals" urges that 

 trees seven to eight years old, though still in relatively limited 

 number, are of the same height and circumference as those of 

 neighboring countries Even in the opinion of foreign expert - 

 Heven Brasilicnsis has a normal growth in Cochin China and its 

 yield in dry ruhher is of excellent quality. Moreover, the product 

 of tlu- Belland and Suzannah plantations sells in Paris on a par 

 with first latex. 



A further proof of the character of Cochin China ruhher is 

 t that at the Ghent Universal Exhibition of 

 1913 a prize was awarded for the collective exhibit of that coun- 

 try, including rubber from the Ong-yem (Government), Phu- 

 Nhuan (Belland), Suzannah and Xatrach plantations. 



POSTPONEMENT OF THE BATAVIA RUBBER EXHIBITION. 



In consequence of the I uropean complications, the Rubber 

 Exhibition at Batavia, Java, has been p It had origi- 



.11. been scheduled to open on September 7. 



PROPOSED NEW RUBBER TESTING STATION FOR WEST JAVA. 



Advices from Bandoeng report that a meeting of important 

 planters has been held there, with the object of establishing a 

 new ruhher testing station for West Java at Lampongs. 

 siderable interest has been manifested in the project and con- 

 fidence expressed in the prospects of its success. 



PONTIANAK RUBBER COMPANY'S SHIPMENT SEIZED. 



At the recent London meeting of the Pontianak Rubbei i 

 Mr. L. Davidson, who presided, stated that the directors were 

 passing through an anxious time on account of the war. Their 

 last consignment had been despatched to London by a German 

 ship, which was seized by the Belgians at Antwerp. Repre- 

 sentations had been made to the authorities at that port, which, 

 it was hoped, would result in the liberation of the shipment. 



SUMATRA CONSOLIDATED RUBBER FAYS FINAL DIVIDEND FOR 1913-14. 



At the meeting on August 10 of the Sumatra Consolidated 

 Rubber Estates, Limited, the directors were authorized to pay 

 the final dividend for 1913-14 on a date to be fixed at their discre- 

 tion. In sending the warrants at the close of the month it was 

 stated that they were enabled to take this course as the company's 

 business had then resumed more normal conditions. 



COLOMBO AND THE WAR. 



During the cessation of the Colombo weekly tea and ruhher 

 auctions fairly extensive private sales were effected, in which 

 reasonably good prices were obtained, there being, however, more 

 demand for tea than for rubber. 



The absence of competition and the cost of war risk insurance 

 in other than British bottoms have increased the demand for 

 space on board English vessels. On account of the extra 

 charges thus incurred, many shippers have been more than 

 usually cautious, and as a result a quantity of rubber is said 

 to be still held back. 



FINANCING OF NETHERLANDS INDIES PLANTATION SHIPMENTS. 



It is reported that the Dutch authorities in the East have made 

 arrangements for securing the local banks in Java and Sumatra 

 for the advances they contemplate making to facilitate shipments 

 of ruhher Advances up to 9d. (18.24 cents American currency) 

 per pound for rubber produced on the estates will be guaranteed. 

 Advances on title deeds are likewise guaranteed, restrictions as 

 to mortgages in Sumatra having been removed. Estates com- 

 pelled to reduce expenses will be assisted in sending their coolies 

 back to their respective countries. The opinion entertained in 

 London is that the arrangements made will enable all properly- 

 managed and soundly financed estates to weather the storm. 



BAMBRAKELLY (CEYLON) TEA AND RUBEER CO., LIMITED. 



This company has increased its yield of rubber from 16,540 

 pounds in 1910-11 to 133,955 in 1913-14 (from 765 acres), the 

 estimate for 1914-15 being 165,000 pounds. With a cost f. o. b. 

 of about Is. 5d. (34.46 cents) per pound, and a net average 

 realized of about 2s. IV^d. (54.22 cents) per pound, a dividend 

 for the year ending March 31 of 8 per cent, has been declared. 



An interesting feature of the report received is an adhesive 

 label attached to the cover with the following request : "When 

 ordering motor tires, hot water bottles, tennis shoes, garden 

 hose and other goods made from rubber, please make a point 

 of stating that you wish them to he of plantation rubber." 



This request is part of the campaign being conducted by the 

 companies on behalf of plantation rubber. 



