79 



The revenues of the Acre territory, derived almost entirely from 

 the taxation of rubber, have increased as follows: — 



Contos. 



1903 570 



1904 2,376 



1905 8,688 



1906 9,124 



1907 13,468 



1908 9475 



1909 14,080 



Note. — l conto = 62/. lOs. when exchange is at is. 3^/. per milreis. 



In the beginning of igio a revolt broke out in the Acre which 

 may disturb trade for some time owing to the great distance from the 

 normal military garrisons. 



The term " rubber " includes Para rubber, " wild " or " planta- 

 tion," a product containing qualities which may perhaps never be 

 exactly reproduced in rubber in any other countr\' or climate than 

 that of the partly submerged Amazon forest. It also includes 

 manigoba and mangabeira and other low-priced rubber, poor sub- 

 stitutes for Para rubber, and for which no special use has been found. 

 Meanwhile a great increase of raw material is in sight, and some 

 626,000 acres planted with over 21.000,000 of trees in Malay and 

 Ceylon are coming into bearing. 



From some estates and plantations in Brazil rubber may still be 

 prontably exported owing to its special qualities, but from others the 

 quality of the rubber is such, that, given the scarcity of labour and the 

 heavy working expenses in Brazil, high taxation, &c., it cannot be 

 profitably exported when prices fall to meet the Asiatic competition or 

 to enable demand to keep pace with the already swelling production. 



The world's consumption has risen from 50,000 tons in 1903 to 

 68,000 tons in 1909. According to the statistics of Messrs. Figgis, the 

 wGi-ld's supply was : — 



Plantation 

 rubber. 



Tons. Tons. 



1907 69,000 including 1. 333 



1908 65,000 2,000 



1909 69.000 „ 4.025 



T:-.e supply for 1910 has been estimated at about 74,000 tons. 



The supply of plantation rubber increased 100 per cent, in 1909 

 over 1908, and this increase will be faster when the Asiatic plantations 

 ccrr:e into full bearing about 1910 and onwards. 



The following amounts of seringa or hevea were exported: — 



1908. 1909. 



From Mei. Tons. Met. Tons. 



Manaos 18,065 17.173 



Para 16,781 17,243 



Corumbd . . . . . . . . . . 537 670 



Ilha do Cajueiro .. .. .. .. 119 I45 



Others ports 194 25 1 



Total 



35.696 



35,404 



