Gums, Resins, 



456 



]Df.c. 1906. 



which the lecturer has naturally taken. As to the demand for rubber, I would give 

 my imagination greater rein. With the inevitable annual, but gradual, reduction 

 in price, whole branches of industry, the ground plans of which are in existence, 

 will start into being. But whether the demand will, in 1917, be 120,000 tons or 

 180,000 tons, no one can dogmatically say that no more land than is at present 

 alienated should be disposed of for rubber in either Ceylon or the Malay Peninsula, 

 and least of all in South India. The Ceylon Government will continue to put to 

 auction, as quickly as it can, land that has been applied for; and the Federated 

 Malay States authorities seem to have no fear that too many of their agricultural 

 eggs are going into one basket, though they are dependent for much future revenue 

 on the permanency of the industry. I wish, however, to record one suggestion 

 applicable to the State policy in Ceylon, when large blocks of land, selected by 

 Government itself are offered at auction. In the famous sale of October last, fern 

 land went up with the rest. In the notice of sale had appeared the words " Said to 

 be suitable for rubber." This statement reflected the speculative spirit of the 

 period, but in future the State might protect its own, the planter's and general 

 investor's interests much better. It is an economic blunder to sell land that is 

 unsuitable ; and I urge that when it has blocked out acres it is prepared to dispose 

 of, the Government should engage recognised planting authorities to inspect the 

 land, and, accepting their dicta, sell for rubber only the acreages they have passed 

 suitable for rubber. The fees paid to these experts would be more than recovered 

 by the better prices the land would secure ; and the ultimate advantages would be 

 far-reaching. The Government would not be even remotely a party to land being 

 planted that would be incapable of yielding, say, i lb. of dry rubber per tree per 

 annum. Here is tangible opportunity to protect Ceylon's good name. In the 

 booms of coming years it will be impossible to always prevent unduly heavy 

 profits by middlemen in floating produce companies on the London market ; but 

 we can do something now to prevent that greater disaster which can overtake the 

 Colony's reputation if properties which can never properly yield are foisted on to 

 the investing public. 



Mr. Wright subsequently stated he was glad that Mr. Roles agreed with 

 some of his suggestions, and that he realised that scientific people and methods 

 are being employed in the extraction of rubber from the wild forests of Africa. Mr. 

 Wright believed that the same applied to exploitation in other countries, and 

 will continue as long as the present high prices are paid for the raw material. 

 The suggestion regarding land selection for future extsnsions is, Mr. Wright 

 believes, a very sound one. Persons who have already planted or obtained land 

 for rubber plantiug, have very bright prospects before fhem ; but those who secure 

 and plant their land during the next few years, must conduct their operations on 

 scientific lines if success has to be guaranteed. Those estates which have been best 

 planted, and those soils which have the best physical and chemical properties 

 will naturally do better than the rest when the struggle sets in. It is, Mr. Wright 

 believes, conceivable that selected land not yet planted may give better results 

 than some patches of poor soil already in rubber. With regard to the figures 

 Mr. Wright gave, he wished it to be clearly understood that he was by no means 

 wedded to theic, and that he was fully conscious of the many developments 

 possible in the rubber industry of the future. 



Dr. Christy remarked, in regard to the lump of rubber shown by Dr. Willis, 

 that an interesting point in connection with it was that one thin film was placed 

 on top of the other, and eventually by the time that it was ready to go to the 

 washing, it was not only a lump of rubber but an automatic rubber press as well. 

 He meant that each film pi'essed on the next film, so in producing this hard block 

 of rubber you would get— not only a great amount of power, but equally pressing 

 power which exercised a continual pressure. 



