459 



CREPE RUBBER. 



3. Until the spring of 1905 all fine plantation rubber had 

 been shipped in the form of flat sheets or "biscuits" prepared 

 from the rubber latex by simple coagulation in pans with the ad- 

 dition of acid, squeezing the coagulated sheet under a hand roller 

 and then drying with or without the aid of heat. A new method 

 of preparation had been introduced into the Malay States involving 

 the washing of the coagulated rubber on a power-driven machine 

 between metal rollers, and the resulting rubber was produced 

 in the form of crepe or washed sheet. Small samples of this rub- 

 ber had been submitted to various manufacturers for report, but 

 the first large shipment with which to test the London market 

 arrived in London towards the middle of April. In order that this 

 should be fully brought to the notice of the buyers and manu- 

 facturers I wrote and published an account of its history and pre- 

 paration in the " India-Rubber Journal," whose Editor had always 

 taken great interest in all attempts to improve plantation rubber. 

 An offer of samples was also made in the journal, and samples of 

 the rubber were subsequently sent by me to a number of the prin- 

 cipal rubber manufacturers. An analysis of the rubber was made 

 by Mr. Ballantyne, of Chancery Lane, a copy of which was 

 shown with the sample of the rubber at the sale rooms. 



buyers' views of crepe rubber. 



4. The sale took place on Friday, May 12th, in Messrs. 

 Figgis' sale rooms, the market was firm and prices were high. 

 Much interest in the crepe rubber had been shown by the buyers, 

 but the majority of the opinions openly expressed were adverse 

 and critical, since the samples were of a kind new T to the buyers. 

 When the first lot of the crepe was put up there arose from the 

 head of the room a cry of " We don't want washed rubber, we 

 want to wash our own, " which plainly showed the nature of the 

 opposition. However, in spite of this open disapproval on the 

 part of some, the rubber sold at 6/8 and 6/8 i per lb. which was 

 \d.-\\d. above the price on the same day, and in the same sale, of 

 fine plantation "biscuits" clean and dry and with which no fault 

 could be found. 



5. The cause of this action on the part of the buyers was not 

 easy to determine. No pretence was made that the rubber after 

 washing was injured or made inferior to "biscuit" or that it would 

 be less readily accepted by users of plantation rubber, and no ex- 

 planation other than the"' statement that washed rubber was not 

 wanted could be obtained from the objectors themselves. An 

 explanation of the disapproval which seems reasonable, supplying 

 as it does a personal motive, was obtained later from indirect 

 sources. Raw rubber is not bought direct by the manufacturers 

 at auction, but from the "buyers." The latter buy in bulk and 

 divide their purchases into lots of different qualities (usually into 

 three) and sell this regraded rubber at different rates, making a 

 substantial profit on this transaction. A rubber of standard quality 

 uniform, clean and pure such as crepe or plantation-washed rubber 



