49 



Its physical composition according to PAY EN : — 



Gutta .. ^8*82 



Mbanc ••• 1614 (crystaHirae resin) 



Thiarin ••• 504 



100 00 



It is a great pity that in Singapore and in the Malay States 

 generally the term Gutta is used indiscriminately to mean either India 

 rubber or Gutta Pereha, as this leads to great in?iccurarv in returns 



SOME FACTS ABOUT THE TRADE. 



1m 1880 Great Britain imparled from the Straits Settlements 

 68,862 <\\ts. of Gutta Percha valued at £505,821, while in 1870 the 

 imports were only 19.665 cuts., and in 1878,49,387 cwts. Thus it 

 would seem that the rush for this product came en between 1876 

 and 1S80, or within the last 28 years. In 1890 the price was 3/6 

 per pound, but ruse to §4.60 in 1902. 



The exports from Singapore! for the last 18 years are as follows : — 



1886 



Pikuls 



33.946 



1895 



Pikuls 



43,9iO 



1887 



Do. 



25.539 



1896 



Do. 



43,769 



1888 



Do. 



23,717 



1897 



Do. 



45'4i7 



1889 



Do. 



59,493 



1898 



Do. 



93,398 



[890 



Do. 



78,930 



1899 



Do. 



78,343 



1891 



Do. 



54,026 



1900 



Do. 



97,399 



1892 



Do. 



41,990 



1901 



Do. 



73,815 



189; 



Do. 



^8,04^; 



1902 



Do. 



63,559 



1894 



Do. 



42,84] 



1903 



Do. 



3 5 ,66 1 



The question which naturally forces itself on one's mind is, will 

 there be any demand for Gutta Percha by the time the Federated 

 .Malay States' forests have been given time to recuperate, and will the 

 price ever reach the high one of 1902. A substitute may be invented 

 or submarine cables may become unnecessary ; either of these two 

 contingencies failing it is difficult to see why the demand should not 

 be even greater than heretofore. In this ease it will be advisable for 

 the Government • to transmit its Gutta Percha direct to agents or 

 manufacturers at home, and above all not to send it to Singapore to 

 be changed • beyond all recognitions by the Chinese middlemen. 

 Appended is a statement of the highest prices of three qualities of 

 Gutta Percha exported from Singapore during its zenith and decline. 

 I am told that this decline of first quality is largely due to the fall- 

 ing off of the demand for the best quality owing to the cessation at 

 present of work on laying cable , hut do not think this the only cause. 



A. M. BURN-MURDOCH. 



