COST OF PRODUCING RUBBER 219 



Federated Malay States and Straits Settlements are largely 

 accounted for by the much higher salaries paid to visiting 

 agents, managers and assistants there, and the higher rates of 

 wages paid to the coolies. In addition there is the 2| per cent. 

 ad valorem duty on rubber to be taken into account. Under 

 such circumstances it will be easily seen that the rubber-grower 

 in Ceylon occupies a very favourable position. Should rubber 

 in future years fall very considerably in price the Ceylon planter 

 would have much less cause for anxiety than his brothers in the 

 Federated Malay States and Straits Settlements, for a price 

 barely remunerative to them would still be highly remunerative 

 in his case. 



Sumatra and Java occupy a middle position in the matter 

 of costs between Ceylon and the Federated Malay States and 

 Straits Settlements. Rubber, if not produced so cheaply as in 

 Ceylon, is certainly put on board ship at a much lower figure 

 than the Federated Malay States or Straits Settlements have 

 succeeded in managing. Salaries and wages are not quite so 

 low as in Ceylon, but are considerably under those paid in the 

 Federated Malay States or Straits Settlements, and there is no 

 ad valorem duty. 



In course of time salaries and wages will no doubt fall in the 

 Federated Malay States and Straits Settlements to the level 

 of those paid elsewhere, or those paid elsewhere rise to the level 

 of those paid in the Federated Malay States. The latter event 

 is, perhaps, the more to be desired, as a good man is entitled to 

 good payment for his services in a tropical climate, especially 

 when the fact is taken into consideration that the period of 

 active service must infallibly be shorter than would be the case 

 in more temperate regions. If the salaries paid are not suffi- 

 cient to enable a manager to amass a competency for his old age, 

 the class of men engaged in the industry will assuredly be 

 lowered, the services rendered less efficient, and in turn the 

 industry will suffer. 



