41. 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



[April 1. 1915. 



TRADE OPPORTUNITIES IN DUTCH GUIANA. 

 Hx i tpondent. 



II is now nine months since the European conflict turned the 

 world upside down and scattered want and misery in almost 

 rner of the civilized world. 

 1 >uu h Guiana during this pern id has had a time unprecedented 

 in her history, and today her position, financially, is practically 

 ruined. Her once flourishing balata industrj has ceased to be 

 and the planters are all at their wits end to know how to finance 

 their enterprises. Cocoa, coffee, bananas, rubber and other 

 minor products are overflooding the local market, but there is 

 no money to be had for daily necessities, let alone for the pur- 

 chase of pro. hue to keep pending peace negotiations; and this 

 makes it all the more imperative for the people of Surinam to 

 encourage I nited States enterprise and United States trade. 

 Much has been said in the public press recently concerning the 

 ibilitj of developing our commerce with the United States. 

 It is evident that the United States manufacturers and others 

 can only paj for the goods they import from this colony by 

 selling their own products. Aii_\ countrj is likely to buy most 

 of its goods in the same market in which it sells its products. 

 \nv buyer will make better terms with a seller who is willing 

 to take out his credits in trade. The main products of this 

 country are those which the United States use largely, namely, 

 coffee, cocoa, rubber, balata, bananas, gold, timber, tonca beans, 

 oils and gums, bird skins, leathers, etc. With proper cultivation 

 of markets, Dutch Guiana can sell enough of its products in the 

 United States to establish sufficient credit to secure large quan- 

 tities of American-made goods. Another difficulty — but one 

 which can be overcome — has been the absence of adequate bank- 

 facilities. The National City Bank of New York has al- 

 ready established branches in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, 

 and doubtless others will follow soon. Surinam is in need of 

 such an institution, and would give it a heart) welcome. 



The authorities in Holland have communicated with the Gov- 

 ernment to show consideration to balata concerns and to ex- 

 tend time for paying retribution on balata not yet exported. 

 rhis has had the result that most of the balata lying around in 

 the hush has been brought into town, and the total production 

 for 1' 14 has therefore risen to 1,018,818 kilograms. Will the 

 United States dealers make a bid for our staple industry — 

 ita? We are certain no reasonable offer will be refused. 

 The weather at the time of writing is perfect for balata gather- 

 ing — if it were possible — but. as conditions won't permit, the 

 trees have to remain as ornamental tributes to the past and 

 gather strength in the hope of future operations. 



The rubber plantations, or. more correctly, the plantations on 

 which rubber frees grow, are in perfect health and flourishing; 

 very little latex gathering has taken place for the year and die 

 condition of the 7- and 8-year trees could not be better in any 

 part of the world It i- really surprising to see the growth of 

 trees after an absence of twelve months. The healthy 

 lition of the trees and their marvelous development prove 

 their adaptability to the soil and climate of Dutch Guiana. If 

 ihe editor of The Indi \ Rubber Wi ri.d wen to see trees on places 

 isited during his tour of the colonj some years hack, he 

 would, I am certain, be pleased I recall his remark at the 

 i Dutch Guiana was amply suited to rub- 

 growing .and as good as any he had seen in the Far I 

 I hat was five year- ago. 



Referring again to the fostering of trade between this col 

 and the I nited States, and the method by which this can he 

 accomplished, a salesman i d in Surinam must know- the 



ins of the country, and must conform to those customs 

 The too assertive drummer will not get results in Dutch 

 Guiana, where business is conducted at a slow pace, with 

 rather fori -\ and along lines which seem to us -f 



and old fashioned. Traveling expenses of representatives are 



reasonable, from £2 to $5 per day, and that includes almost 

 everything. The handling of foreign orders by firms in the 

 I nited States is often highly unsatisfactory to customers. 

 Orders are filled by clerks who know nothing of even the 

 geography of the country from which the orders come, and the 

 goods are often packed, consigned and routed in a way which is 

 greath t the disadvantage of the customer, sometimes even in 

 disregard of explicit instructions as to the method to follow. 

 With increasing community of interest our trade relations with 

 the I 'nited States must grow, and there can be no doubt as tc 

 the large possibilities of the future. 



RUBBER IN DOMINICA. 



The Imperial Institute, of London, recently submitted its re- 

 port to the Curator of the Botanic Gardens, Dominica, on a 

 number of samples of rubber sent from that British West In- 

 dian island for exhibition at the rubber show, held in London 

 last summer. This lot included three samples of Para and one 

 of Fuiitumia rubber. The first two samples of Para rubber — all 

 of which were supplied in the form of thin biscuits — were de- 

 scribed as rather soft and deficient in tenacity, the physical prop- 

 erties of sample No. 3 (smoked) being a little better, but the 

 rubber still rather weak. These three samples are stated to be 

 "very satisfactory in chemical composition, containing from 63.4 

 to 94.2 per cent, of caoutchouc. In physical properties, how- 

 ever, the rubber is not good, being rather soft and weak, and 

 in this respect specimens are a little inferior to the previous 

 samples of Para rubber from Dominica examined at the Im- 

 perial Institute I see Imperial reports dated February 10, 1S09, 

 and February 15, 1912)." The London commercial values placed 

 on this rubber, at prices ruling at the time of making the re- 

 port, were: No. 1, 2s. 3d.@2s. Ad. [54.73@56.76 cents] per pound; 

 No. 2, 2s. 0d.@2s. 4d. [48.65@56.76 cents] per pound; No. 3, 

 2s. 3d.@2s. Id. [54.73@62.84 cents] per pound. 



< In the sample of Fuiitumia rubber the report reads as fol- 

 lows : "No. 4, Lagos rubber. Thin rough biscuits of light 

 brown rubber, clean and in good condition. The physical prop- 

 erties of the rubber were excellent, and similar rubber would 

 always be readily salable.'' Its commercial value in London 

 was quoted at about 2s. [48.65 cents] per pound. 



The results of examination were as follows: 



Sample Sample Sample Sample 

 No. 1. No. 2. No. 3. No. 4. 

 I oss on washing (moisture and impuri- 

 ties) percent. 0.3 2 0.4 1.2 



93.5 94. 2 93.4 84.6 



Res 3.5 }.3 4.4 8.8 



Proteid 2.7 2.2 2.0 6.4 



Ash 11.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 



By a presidential decree dated November 30 last. Guatemala 

 continued for another six months the suspension of export duty 

 of a cent and a half (American gold) per pound on crude rub- 

 ber, ordered by decree of May 31, 1914. 



The Republic of Nicaragua in 1913 exported 488.169 pounds 

 of rubber, valued at $278,763, against 338.979 pounds in 1912. 

 valued at $164,830. Of the 1913 exports the United States 

 took 469.375 pounds, worth $268,856. This product is gathered 

 in Nicaragua from wild trees in both the eastern and western 

 parts of the country. Its cultivation has been attempted in 

 the western section, but so far without marked success. 



Peruvian exports of rubber in 1913 reached a value of $3,- 

 964,856, having fallen off considerably since 1912, when their 

 total value was $6,357,001. 



From I ii ii \ 1 to June 30, 1914, Ecuador exported 45.777 

 pounds of rubber, valued at $9,482. as compared with 131,380 

 pounds, valued at $67,106, exported during the same period of 

 1913. a decrease of 85,603 pounds in weight and $57,621 in value. 



