145 



to certain experiments carried out by one of the largest cable 

 manufacturers in this country. They heard about the use of 

 sodium bisulphite, and I got into communication with them on 

 the matter; it was agreed that two cases of rubber should be 

 prepared from one of the plantations in the East, one to be 

 treated by sodium bisulphite and the other not. These two 

 cases were forwarded from the East direct to the Cable 

 Company in question, in order for them to make their tests. 

 A couple of months having elapsed without my hearing any- 

 thing, I wrote to inquire how these experiments had turned 

 out. They replied that their first tests showed practically no 

 difference in quality between the two, any difference there was 

 being slightly in favour of the bisulphite-treated rubber, and 

 that, being surprised at this very unexpected result, they had 

 repeated their tests very carefully, only to confirm the result 

 of the previous tests. It would appear therefore that this 

 opinion that sodium bisulphite is harmful to rubber is very 

 much open to question. I would point out, firstly, that this 

 firm obtained quite different results from those which Mr. 

 Williams obtained; 'and secondly, that Mr. Williams's method, 

 although, of course, no other was open to> him, is hardly a fair 

 one, and hardly one by which one can arrive at a decision. 



I was very glad to hear that many experts now regard the 

 best plantation rubber as equal to fine hard Para. This shows 

 a great change in point of view when contrasted with opinions 

 previously held on this question. There was a time when 

 people would not hear of the possibility of plantation rubber 

 being equal to fine hard Para. Then it gradually came to be 

 admitted that a few samples of plantation rubber had been 

 received which were as good as fine hard Para. Now I think 

 it will eventually be admitted that most of the properly pre- 

 pared plantation rubber is equal to fine hard Para. Here 

 again I would like to protest against the comparison frequently 

 drawn between plantation rubber as a whole and fine hard Para 

 as one grade, and the best grade, of wild rubber. 



There is only one other point on which I would like, I think, 

 to speak, and that is the relative qualities of crepe and sheet 

 rubber. I quite agree with the view expressed by Mr. 

 Williams, that sheet rubber is better than crepe rubber, and it 

 is a view which we have always put forward. In the second 

 place I agree with both Mr. Williams and Dr. Schidrowitz that 

 much of the inferiority of crepe rubber as compared with sheet 

 rubber is due to the machining of the freshly coagulated latex. 

 Of course, the manufacturer, on the arrival of his consign- 

 ments of rubber, is obliged to put them through the same 

 process as the planter has subjected them to, and it is quite 

 easy to understand how the planter came to use the same 

 TO 



