THURSDAY, JUNE 25.—MORNING SESSION. 
The Factors which determine Variation in Plantation 
Rubber, with Special Reference to its Uses for 
Manufacturing Purposes. 
Chairman: THE PRESIDENT. 
THE PRESIDENT: We have to deal this morning with a very 
important subject, ‘‘ The Factors which determine Variation 
in Plantation Rubber, with Special Reference to its Uses for 
Manufacturing Purposes.’’ If you will allow me to do so, 
I would make this suggestion—that the subject naturally 
divides itself under three heads. Firstly, we should like to 
hear from the manufacturers and users exactly what the 
variations are. Secondly, we should like to hear from 
specialists, chemists and others, their own experience of these 
variations in the properties of plantation rubber. Then, 
lastly, we should like to hear the views of the planters on the 
general question of these variations, and the ways in which 
the variations can be avoided. I do not propose myself to 
say anything at the moment beyond this—that, of course, 
we all recognize that Para rubber from South America is an 
exceedingly well established commercial product, which has 
been sold for a long time in very definite grades. Plantation 
rubber is a new product from the point of view of the manu- 
facturer, who naturally regards it with suspicion at first. 
There has been a great deal of misunderstanding about plan- 
tation rubber, much of which might be cleared up by a 
definite discussion as to facts, which I hope is what we shall 
adhere to to-day. Now having regard to the division I 
have mentioned, which seems to me the natural division of 
the discussion, I will ask Mr. Williams, of the North 
British Rubber Company, to say a few words. 
