131 Saps and Exudations. 



REPORT UPON A VISIT TO GREAT BRITAIN TO INVESTIGATE THE 

 INDIA-RUBBER INDUSTRY IN ITS RELATION TO THE GROWTH 

 AND PREPARATION OF RAW INDIA-RUBBER IN THE 

 MALAY PENINSULA. 



By P. J. Burgess. 



Early in 1905, at the request of the United Planters' Association of the 

 Federated Malay States, supported by the Federated Malay States Government, 

 the Government of the Straits Settlements seconded me on special duty for six 

 months, and I travelled to Europe to investigate the condition there of the 

 India-rubber industry with the object of enabling the India-rubber planters and 

 the producers of the raw material in the East to supply their rubber in the 

 form most suited to the needs of the manufacturers, and by bringing the East 

 and West into touch to stimulate the growth of the rubber plautiug industry. 

 I left Singapore on March 2nd, and arrived in London on March 26th. 



2. My first action on reaching London was to set about obtaining official 

 introductions to various India-rubber manufacturers through the Colonial Office, 

 the War Office and the Admiralty, and to amplify those private introductions 

 with which I had been supplied in the East. 



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 addition 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 in the Malay States involv- 

 ing the washing of the coagulated rubber on a power-driveu machiue between 

 metal rollers, and the resulting rubber was produced in the form of crepe or 

 washed sheet. Small samples of this rubber 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 manufacturers, 1 

 wrote and published an account of its history and preparation 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 

 principal 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 Avas 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 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| per lb. 

 which was Id. — l^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. 



