52 THE RUBBER INDUSTRY 



of a sentimental feeling that Chinese labourers, by 

 greater industry and thrift, would make the position of 

 Brazilian workmen untenable in the northern States of 

 Brazil. While academic discussion has been busy with 

 this crucial question of an adequate labour-supply, the 

 present acute crisis has overtaken the rubber industry 

 without the adoption of any practical measures to 

 safeguard the individual or national interests involved. 

 The most prolific recruiting-ground for the labour- 

 supply of the Amazon Valley in recent years has been 

 in the States of Ceara, and to a lesser degree Rio 

 Grande do Norte, Parahyba, and Maranhao. Local 

 circumstances in Ceara, where constant droughts led 

 to a shortage of food-supplies, made life difficult for 

 the agricultural population, and a large proportion of 

 the able-bodied men were attracted by the high rate of 

 earnings prevalent in the rubber districts. A small 

 percentage of these immigrants brought their families 

 with them, although as a general rule their intention 

 was to work for a season, and then return to their 

 homes. So long as rubber prices remained high this 

 annual migration was a common practice, but since the 

 fall in values began, two years ago, the custom has been 

 abandoned to a large extent, in consequence of the 

 reduced profits and the expense of transportation by 

 river and sea. These immigrants from Ceara and the 

 other northern States are descendants of Portuguese 

 settlers, negroes, mulattoes, and half-caste Indians. 

 They live in a poverty-stricken condition in their own 

 country, gaining only a bare pittance whether they 

 work small farms for their own account or hire them- 

 selves out for a daily wage. During the last two years, 

 however, the situation in Ceara has undergone a decided 



