94 
Referring again to the tapping experiments which Mr. An- 
derson has been carrying on, I would suggest that a device 
might be gotten up which would hold several knives at the 
same time. That might be possible if we had several trees 
the same size in trunk; one knife might not cut as deep as 
the other knife, and in straight cuts a device something like 
the instrument that was submitted to Mr. Hosmer from a 
Mexican rubber expert might be modified, in such a manner 
as to carry several knives, but the device itself would have to 
be worked out right on the plantation. As a matter of fact, 
all of the actual, practical details of how to make rubber eco- 
nomically have to be worked out by. the man who has charge 
■of the plantation. We cannot depend upon any man who has 
other things to bother about and is looking at it from a differ- 
-ent standpoint from the man who is interested in it. He can 
not work at the practical details. I am always glad to do 
what'iver I can do toward the encouragement of any indus- 
try which really promises to give rewards which warrant one 
in being encouraged, and I have been impressed with the 
management of industries which are more or less new and on 
which we have only limited local experience. 
One of the things in gaining success is not to be too en- 
thusiastic at first, not to expect three or four hundred per 
cent., not to expect that the crops are going to grow without 
attention, and not to expect that there is going to be no 
trouble. The plants require attention. It requires not only 
money, but brains and industry joined together and applied 
to the business at all times in order to make a success of it, 
and I honestly believe that the results which we have gotten 
so far from rubber show that not only have there been men 
with the courage to put their money into it, butlhat the work 
which has been done by the men who have had practically to 
manage this business, has been conscientious and has brought 
about results which are all that any reasonable man can ex- 
pect, and so, gentlemen, it seems to me that these results are 
very encouraging at the present time. If you can get profit 
from the trees you have now I do not see that there should 
be any worry about the methods. In looking after the little 
details which may improve the business from your stand- 
point, the proposition to unite the companies together I be- 
lieve would be a very fine scheme, indeed. It would accom- 
plish just what Mr. Williamson said it would. It would be 
more economical. You need to have a large plant in order to 
manage the thing economically. If you are going to have 
such a thing on the market as Hawaiian rubber, it should be 
always of the same quality, so that the market can be kept 
up, so it seems to me that the rubber situation would be 
greatly improved if the companies were united on an equit- 
able basis. 
Gentlemen, I thank you for your attention. 
