414 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



"TRUTH" ON RUBBER ESTIMATES. 



American Consumption: Official Figures. 



Most of my readers will remember the ani- 

 mated discussion which took place recently 

 when a firm of Mincing Lane brokers issued an 

 annual statement showing a very large increase 

 in the world's consumption of rubber. I said at 

 the time that I did not like the basis upon 

 which the table had been prepared. The rubber 

 position was so sound that it could hardly be 

 doubted that statistics prepared on lines less 

 open to criticism would have disclosed a more 

 than satisfactory state of affairs. As it was,some 

 obvious errors destroyed the value of the com- 

 pilation, and gave the "bears" an opportunity 

 of delivering a vigorous anonymous attack. This 

 week, however, I have received from America 

 some material which throws a good deal of light 

 on the rubber position. These figures, fortu- 

 nately, are official, and any complaints from the 

 bears with regard to them must be addressed to 

 the United States Customs authorities. America, 

 it will be remembered, is the world's best cus- 

 tomer for rubber, nearly one-half of the total 

 production finding its way to that country. But 

 American buyers are well organised. Their prac- 

 tice seems to be to stand out of the market alto- 

 gether at times, and when prices have fallen to 

 sufficiently low level to buy in all the chief 

 markets simultaneously. When America is in a 

 buying mood, not only does she import largely 

 direct from Brazil and the Middle East, but a 

 considerable quantity of rubber consigned to 

 this country, Germany, France and Belgium is 

 reshipped across the Atlantic. In this way more 

 than 13,000 tons reached America from England 

 during the last financial year. Here, however, 

 are the official figures summarised in English 

 tons : — 



American .Rubber Consumption. 





Year ended June 30 





1912 



1911 



Imported from 



Tons 



Tons 



South America 



22,151 



14,968 



Mexico and Central America 



1,615 



981 



Europe 



22,429 



14,067 



Middle East 



•2,830 



2,065 



Other countries 



176 



93 





49,201 



32,164 



Less Re-exports 



2,505 



2,352 



Total netl Imports 



46,696 



29,812 



As compared with the previous year, it will 

 be seen that American consumption increased 

 by no less than 16,884 tons— say 56 per cent. As 

 according to the estimate issued by Messrs. 

 Figgis, the total output from the mid Eastern 

 plantations for 1911 was 14,000 tone, it may be 



said that the increased consumption in America 

 alone is practically swallowing the whole plan- 

 tation output. It is worthy of note, too, that 

 the American official figures for last year of 

 46,696 tons compares with Mr Lampard's esti- 

 mate for the current year of 47,500 tons. 



Whether the shortage expected by Mr Lam- 

 pard will eventuate must be left to time to 

 prove, but all figures relating to consumption so 

 far published have strengthened his argument. 

 This year's British figures disclose a consump- 

 tion for the first eight months of 11,618 tons, 

 against Mr Lampard's estimate for the year of 

 15,000 tons. For Germany Mr Lampard also 

 allowed 15,000 tons, and the latest available 

 figures show a consumption of 15,404 metric tons 

 in 1911, as against 10,951 tons in 1910— an in- 

 crease of over 40 per cent. America, Germany, 

 and this country together take four-fifths of the 

 world's supply, and there is, perhaps, no need 

 to inquire what the smaller consumers are doing. 

 The reduction in stocks continues, and the 

 visible supply of Brazilian rubber on October 1 

 stood at 3,790 tons, as against 7,190 tons for the 

 corresponding period last year. Plantation 

 rubber, it is true, is arriving in increasing 

 quantities, and helps to some extent to make 

 good the deficiency, but it is clear from the 

 figures that the supplies from the mid-East 

 are not fully meeting the increased demand. — 

 Truth, Oct. 6. 



GROWING RUBBER IN MINDANAO. 



Mr J Shaw Hellier, who has spent many years 

 in the Federated Malay States and Burma in the 

 management of rubber estates, has given the 

 Herald at Zamboanga, (Southern Philippine 

 Islands,) an instructive interview on the Island 

 of Mindanao as a rubber country. He says : — 

 " In the first place Mindanao is well within 

 the Para rubber zone. The temperature and 

 rainfall are practically ideal. It is out of the 

 track of typhoons. In these four important 

 points it is so similar to the west coast of the 

 Federated Malay States (where most of the 

 rubber is planted) as to be on a par with it. 

 We next come to the land. Now the terms 

 on which land can be leased from theF.M.S. 

 Government are Ks. 2 - 16 per acre for the first 

 six years, after which the rent is Rs. 4'32 per 

 acre per annum. This is for first-class land. 

 That is, land touched by a rail-road,public high- 

 way or navigable river. Here land can be leased 

 from the government for Rs. 0-20 p6r aere per 

 annum for 25 years, a difference of Rs, 90,000 



in 25 years. As to the quality and accessibility 



