FIBRES 517 



It may be asked what influence the increased production 

 will have on prices. The world's total consumption of 

 hard fibres, which comprise Manila, sisal, and New 

 Zealand hemps, used mostly for rope and binder twine, 

 is now 360,000 tons per annum, and is increasing at the 

 average rate of 4j per cent, per annum, say 15,000 tons 



ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF HARD FIBRES. 



1913. 1912. 1911. 1910. 



Tons Tons Tons Tons 



Manila Receipts ... 118,250 ... 172,000 ... 158,000 ... 170,000 



Mexican Sisal ... 142,250 ... 139,823 ... 120,000 ... 97,000 



Istle or Tampico ... 10,383 ... 11,274 ... 7.753 ... 



German East African... 22,000 ... 16,000 ... 10,000 ... 7,000 



Java Sisal ... ... 7,500 ... 6,000 ... 2,000 ... 1,000 



Bahamas (est.) ... 3,000 ... 3,ooo ... 3, 600 ... 3,000 



New Zealand ... 30,000 ... 21,500 ... 18,100 ... 21,000 



333.383 ... 369,597 ... 319,453 299,000 



annual increase. If excessive quantities of sisal be sud- 

 denly thrown on the market without any curtailment of 

 production elsewhere a fall in price may take place, but 

 the cheapest producer must of necessity displace others 

 who through antiquated methods or less suitable con- 

 ditions are unable to compete favourably. 



New methods must displace old, and Africa is well 

 suited to produce fibre. Its soil, climate, and labour 

 conditions cannot be improved upon, and there is no 

 reason why Africa should not supply the future fibre 

 requirements of the world. 



Labour conditions in Europe and America are daily 

 becoming more unsuited to the production of fibres. The 

 peasants of Russia, Germany, and France are curtailing 

 the growth and retting of hemp, and in Great Britain it 

 has been abandoned. Legislative grants will not suffice 

 to reinstate it. The cultivation is slowly but surely 

 receding from Europe and migrating to Asia and Africa. 

 Only if new processes be evolved with odourless retting 

 and scientific treatment in well-equipped factories may 

 this industry survive in Europe. Hard fibres are slowly 

 but surely displacing " soft " fibres (Italian, Russian, 

 Hungarian) for cordage purposes. 



We are on the verge of a change, and it is not hazard- 

 ing much to predict that Africa is likely in the near future 

 to be the largest producer of sisal and other fibres. 



