307 



Rubber 



As matters stand, the rubber outlook is bright with promise 

 in the extreme. The Registrar of Imports & Exports (Mr. Stuart) 

 in his Annual Report for the year 1904 writes in paragraph 60 

 as follows : — 



"For the first time Para rubber finds a place in the returns 

 and judging from the prices obtained, the industry, which has 

 been largely cultivated in the Malay Peninsula, seems to have a 

 future before it." 



The forecast has been more than fully realized. On reference to 

 the returns for the year 1904 the imports of para rubber into the 

 Straits Settlements from the Malay Peninsula and elsewhere (most of 

 which merely passed through to other markets) amounted to 104 

 pikuls = 13,867 lbs. only, Johore contributing 21 pikuls, Perak about 

 3 pikuls, Selangor 44 pikuls, and Sungei Ujong 35 pikuls, while the 

 exports to the United Kingdom, Ceylon, and Belgium amounted 

 to 88 pikuls — 11,733 lbs. The years following show great expansion 

 both in imports and exports. The imports in the year 1908 

 amounted to 24,505 pikuls = 3,267333 lbs. and the exports 27,463 

 pikuls _ 3,661,733 lbs., the exports exceeding the imports by nearly 

 3,000 pikuls. Perak exported 1,453 pikuls exclusive of rail traffic into 

 the Colony and Selangor 17,084 pikuls. while Johore exported 1,279 

 pikuls. Negri Semblian 4,008 pikuls, Pahang 72 pikuls and Sumatra 

 East Coast 586 pikuls. These figures demonstrate clearly the 

 enormous strides that this industry has taken in these parts within 

 the last few years. In spite of the increased output this rubber, or 

 as it is generally called plantation rubber, still forms a very small 

 proportion of the world's supplies. 



In May, 1909, Port Swettenham became for the fist time a port 

 of call for the homeward bound P. & O. Company's intermediate 

 steamers and the steamers of the China Mutual Steam Navigation 

 Company, Limited, and of the Ocean Steamship Company, Limited, 

 which call there especially for rubber. Prior to this date, rubber 

 was shipped to Europe via the Straits Settlements at a through 

 freight of 75 shillings per ton, but by the new arrangement referred 

 to above, the freight on rubber was reduced from 75/- to 60/- from 

 Port Swettenham as well as the Ports of the Straits Settlements, 

 which, of course, met with the wishes of the planters, as it saved the 

 extra cost for freight and the unnecessary delay involved in the 

 transhipment of rubber at Singapore or Penang. The reduced 

 freight did not, however, remain permanent. Towards the close ot 

 the year it was again raised by the Shipping Conference from 60 to 

 70 shillings per ton of 50 cubic feet either by direct steamer from 

 Port Swettenham or when transhipped at Singapore or Penang. 



