224 THE RUBBER INDUSTRY 



consist only of a general cleaning up once or twice 

 a year. Cultivation will remain to some extent a 

 permanent charge, as pruning of trees, treatment of 

 diseases, and manuring, will be necessary for old trees. 

 The remaining items must be considered as permanent 

 recurring charges, with the exception of the value of 

 the export duty, which will vary with the fluctuations 

 in the price of rubber. Of course, this refers only to 

 estates worked on the principles in force to-day ; great 

 amalgamations of plantation interests may be able to 

 reduce expenditure to a much lower level. 



The present scale of charges from the Malay 

 Peninsula to London or Liverpool, dating from January, 

 1914, are shown in the following table. The freight 

 under the last Shipping Convention is fixed at 

 65 shillings for 50 cubic feet from Singapore, Penang, 

 Port Swettenham, and all other ports. Commis- 

 sions are calculated on the basis of an average selling 

 value of 24 pence per pound, and would, of course, rise 

 or fall with any fluctuation in prices. Previous to 

 1914 the allowances for rebates and draft added about 

 a penny to the present costs : 



Pence per Lb. 



1. Freight 070 



2. Brokerage 0-12 



3. Sale charges, insurance, storage, and sun- 



dries ... ... ... ... ... ... 0*50 



4. Merchants' commission 0*20 



Total rja 



Shipments to Antwerp work out slightly cheaper, on 

 account of smaller commissions; similar conditions, 

 though not quite to the same extent, occur in con- 

 nection with Hamburg. 



