SEPTEMBER 1, 1915. 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



683 



RUBBER YIELD IN THE MALAY STATES. 



The reports of the different rubber plantation companies of 

 the Federated Malay States show that the increase in production 

 of crude rubber in 1914 over 1913 ranged from 9 to 77 per cent. 

 Few estates show an increase in production of less than 20 pel 

 cent., while the average increase was about 23 per cent. The 

 yield per acre varied between 230 and 447 pounds, the prevailing 

 figure being about 300 to 3S0 pounds. 



RUBBER IN SOUTH KURG. INDIA. 



Ceara rubber grows almost in a wild state in the Kurg pro 

 of British India and the jungle growth has to be removed each 

 year to enable the tappers to get about. At the conclusion of 

 the tapping the tapping wounds are smeared over with a boiled 

 solution of unslacked lime, sulphur and resin, to which cow dung 

 is added to make a consistent paste. This solution is said to 

 assist the trees in rapidly recovering from their wounds. The 

 Ceara tree is more delicate than the Hevea and the practice is 

 to tap but one-quarter of a section of the surface so as not to 

 endanger the life of the plant. Some of the second generation 

 of trees, planted in the early '.SO's, tapped in the half-herring- 

 bone style on a quarter surface to a height of 6 feet, have yielded 

 on an average 2 l /z pounds of dry rubber during the three months 

 of the tapping season, but the test was too severe and the trees 

 soon died. 



THE RUBBER TESTING STATION FOR JAVA. 



\ meeting in connection with the installation of a central 

 rubber testing station for Java took place June 2 at Bandoeng, 

 Java. The chairman announced that a generous friend had 

 offered to provide a laboratory and that the government bad 

 promised to erect the necessary buildings free of cost. A sum 

 of 19,500 florins ($7,839) was subscribed at the meeting. The 

 total needed is 23,000 florins ($8,246). The committee will 

 undoubtedly be able to start the work of installation soon. The 

 station will be under the control of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture at P.uitcnzorg. 



REVIEW OF THE BALATA INDUSTRY IN DUTCH 

 GUIANA FOR 1914. 

 a Resident Correspondent. 

 ' I ' i 1 1' European war and the new balata ordinance, without 

 •I .in, doubt, were responsible for the damaging conse- 

 quences on the colony's principal industry. When the war 

 broke oul in August of last year the balata industry in Dutch 

 Guiana was in a flourishing condition and, today — one year 

 later — the industry is a mere skeleton of its former robust con- 

 dition 



ii w the many pros and eons that have also helped to 

 nearly destroy — at least for the present — the colony's most valu- 

 able asset, would be too long a tale to tell. To be brief, how- 

 ever, I will deal with the two main factors which were di- 

 rectly responsible for the stagnation in business, and which 

 certainly had a most disastrous effect on the people of the 

 colony, who, directly and indirectly, derive their existence from 

 the balata industry. 



The two largest concerns in the colony are financed from 

 Holland. When the trouble in Europe began, and the iini 

 bility of shipping balata was realized, the first black cloud in 

 the horizon began to appear. It will be remembered the bulk 

 of balata produced in Suriname normally finds its way to Ger- 

 many via Holland. The entrance to that country was closed, 

 no shipments could be made, and in consequence no bills could 

 be negotiated. This state of affairs was made worse by the 

 new ordinance, which came into force about that time, and 

 which created a monopoly for the two Dutch companies in 

 question. 



The public, of course, were up in arms at what they consid- 

 ered an unfair advantage taken of them by the passing of thesi 

 laws. Newspaper comment was sharp and bitter, and the public 



was on the point of rebelling, but, unfortunately, the spirits of 

 the people are easilj subdued, and as a natural consequence 

 the matter was treated, like everything else here, as "a nine 

 days' wonder," and public opinion was again quieted. The 

 Rubber World, through its correspondent at Dutch 

 Guiana, made mention of the state of affairs existing in the 

 colony on two or three occasions, and the matter was also the 

 cause "i some firm but polite diplomatic correspondence be- 

 i Washington and th< Hague; so much so that matters 

 have been sel right, and the inhabitants of the colony must 

 thank the United States authorities for their deliverance. A 

 well known Xew York firm carrying on extensive balata opera- 

 tions in the colony, was threatened — by the new ordinance — 

 with the loss of several hundred thousand dollars, which was 

 invested in the industry, and it is only because of the tact of 

 their local representative, backed by an abb colonial la ■ 

 and — as mentioned already -the interference of the authorities 

 in W -. that the situation was saved, and today one 



and all an able to invest n balata undertakings on 



il te r m s 

 It would be out of place in correspondence of this nature to 

 make public the under-handed actions of certain colonials con- 

 I in this affair. Suffice to say the worst has passed and 

 in the near future — conditions being normal — will 

 again make good. 



Under the circumstances already recorded it could hardly be 

 i ted that the past year should prove a prosperous one. 

 Vpart from the war, and the trouble over the new ordinance, 

 from thi effeel of which the peasant proprietors and laboring 

 classes sun. red considerably, there was also a large increase 

 in the price of imported foodstuffs from the United States, 

 which advanced the cost of living fifty per cent. 



["rade in the colony continues to be depressed, \1I future 

 ii i.il arrangements are uncertain, and money is still being 

 withheld, the circulation of which would be of great assistance 

 to tl.i 



There arc several thousand kilos, of balata tied up in the 

 try awaiting a market, and this also has proved a further 

 handicap to the industry. But ol the product are 



line of higher prices in the near future, and arc holding 

 on. althou asonable offers would be refused. . The pro- 



duction of balata for the year past, 1914. was 1,018,818 kilos., 

 and thi ti i pat I ol this is now in thi 



I have written In fore on the subject of fostering trade rela- 

 tions between Dutch Guiana aird the United States I am con- 

 l if I nited Mates interests were more extensive in this 

 colony the present existing bard times would be unknown. 



Why docs American trade with Dutch Guiana lag so far be- 

 hind? The bulk of foodstuffs consumed in the colony come 

 from the United States ; not a pound of beef, pork or flour 

 eaten in balata men. gold men or anyone else comes in from any 

 other country, and still our trade relations are so far behind 

 what they should be. 



In order to have all the information required by the producer 

 and the i I would suggest the co-operation of the 



United States government, which is showing great interest now 

 n reign trade. The American consul furnishes reports, but 

 they are necessarily inadequate, since the consuls have no time 

 to do this work. If the consulate had a commercial depart- 

 ment, managed by a man of local business experience, in my 

 opinion it would have some good results in drawing attention 

 to the colony. 



The people in Dutch Guiana are keen for American trade, 

 and this is the time to act. Dutch Guiana certainly offers great 

 inducements to the people of the United States if they will 

 lown bete with that spirit of enterprise which has made 

 them famous at home. As far as this colony is concerned, it 

 would be perfectly possible to realize the dream of the states- 

 men oi both continents, namely. "America for Americans!" 



