390 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. 1, 1902. 
placed in charge of the contrivance, however, 
should have mechanical aptitude, and possess 
readiness of resource and nerve. The senses of 
sight, hearing, and touch must be exercised at 
all times, since it is essential to keep a good 
look out on the furnace to note by the sound the 
working of the blowers, and the completeness of 
combustion, and to check by the sense of touch 
the workings of mechanical contrivances. If fewer 
men are needed in the fire rooms it is requisite 
to secure men of high intelligence, who can judge 
quickly as to the tendency towards impairment. 
THE MONEY SAVED. 
Less space was occupied, tlie fixed charges fo'' 
labour were greatly reduced, the feeding of the 
fuel took less time'and cost less. In fact, no dis- 
advantages, were discovered, and the advantages 
were manifold. It is estimated that on one troop- 
ship making the trip from San Francisco to Manila 
and return the saving on fuel tiirough the use of 
oil has been at least £5,000 for every such voyage. 
The result of the lack of demand for coal is re- 
markable. In San Francisco harbour alone fully 
£600,000 worth of capital in ships has been forced 
into idleness. Shipowners and skippers no longer 
find it profitable to voyage to Japan and Australia 
and return to San Francisco, awaiting cargoes of 
grain to Europe. The competition in carrying the 
small imports of coal has been so keen and the 
freight rates are now so low that the shipowners 
prefer to have their vessels idly ride the becalmed 
waters of the bay rather than take the chance of 
obtaining valuable cargoes in foreign ports. One 
of the benefits is that grain importers of California 
can obtain low rates to Europe. The vessels en- 
gaged in carrying coal are usually designed also for 
the grain trade to Europe. As this coal trade is 
gone, there is only one source of revenue left, and 
that is the grain trade. Here, again, keen com- 
petition has entered, and as a lesult there are low 
rates on grain to European ports. 
COLLIERS OUT OF WORK. 
Twenty-three shillings is the present low price 
for a grain charter from San Francisco to Great 
Britain or the Continent. The use of fuel oil has 
put the colliers out of business, and in turn thev 
have sought operations in other channels. The 
rapid increase in the shipping facilities of the world 
due in great part to the artificial demands for 
transportation growing out of the South African 
and Spanish wars, lias induced a reduction in 
ocean freight rates for cargoes in bulk, and to that 
extent favor.rjd the farmers and producers, if not 
the manufacturers. This favourable situation is 
accidental. When Mr. Morgan and his associates 
shall have completed their transportation arrange- 
ments, an oil-burning equipment for every vessel 
being a projected part of the plan, the tramp 
steamer will be out of the running. In connection 
■with this oil question the Standard Oil Company has 
a great fight on its hands in California. The trouble 
lies between the Standard people and a big oil 
and transportation company. The Standard Oil 
people are building a pipe line 200 miles long from 
the great oil fields in Kern County to tide water 
in San Francisco Bay. The Standard Oil Com- 
pany will use this pipe line for the transportation 
of oil from wells acquired by the corpora- 
tion. It will also carry oil for producers. The 
rate of transportation to producers will conform to 
that of the railway companies connecting with the 
eU geld, aa tliQ Stauds^vcl Oil and the Southern 
Pacific and Santa Fe Railway Companies are work- 
ing under a tariff agreement. 
CHEAP OIL. 
A big California corporation, which owns some 
of the best wells in the oil district and owns a coast 
line of steamers engaged in the oil-carrying trade, 
has surveyed a direct route from the oil-field to 
ocean, and has agreed that if pledged freight to the 
extent of 10,000 barrels of oil daily it will build a 
railway, and thus furnish relief to the owners of 
wells having no connection with the Standard Oil 
Company or the railway companies. Thus far 
freight to the extent of 9,000 barrels of oil daily 
has been guaranteed. This fight is a very pretty one 
because the Californians in it are worth, in the 
agregtte, £20,000,000, and have already had 
several successful skirmishes with the railway 
companies. The outcome of the fight will be that 
oil will be the cheapest thing on the Pacific coast or 
the two companies will conibine. The latter is the 
outcome to be expected. The issue of this shipping 
congestion is in doubt, but it will make Americin 
competition keener than ever, for the ocean 
freights will be so slow that they will be but a 
small matter in figuring prices in any part of the 
world. This will include the transportation of 
fuel oil for sale, and with the present situation 
along the Pacific coast in view it is but reasonable 
to suppose that a great majority of steam-going 
vessels will within a few years have substituted 
oil for coal. There is plenty of oil in the United 
States, and much in other countries. Its price is 
merely a question of transportation, and that again 
is merely a question of the construction of pipe 
lines to tide water. The last naval Appropriation 
Bill passed by the Congress of the United States 
carried an item of £4,000 for experiments to be 
made with oil on naval. vessels and these experi- 
ments are now in progress. The same plant which 
has been used for years to test the efficiency of 
different grades of coals is now being used to test 
oil, a fact which speaks for itself. It may soon 
become a question with the various peoples of the 
earth not as to the future coal supply, but what of 
the oil supply ? The balance of trade may hinge 
on this in the future, for the cheapest transporta- 
tion governs the market. 
J. D. WHELPLEY. 
— Home paper, Sept. 23. 
RUBBER PRODUCTION IN SIAM. 
H. S, Consular Assistant at Bangkok reports 
that among products which do not yet take a 
regular place in the exports of Siam, but for 
which there may be a future, is undoubtedly 
rubber. The question is now under consideration, 
and it is known that rubber-producing trees are 
found in some quantity in certain parts of the 
country, notably in the eastern province. One or 
two small experimental shipments havealready been 
made, but little is known at present of the product 
or the possibility of cultivation, and the Ministry 
of the Interior are prosecuting enquiries. It is 
believed that traders from the French side of 
Mekong have been obtaining rubber from the 
eastern provinces of Siam for some times. — Board 
of Trade Journal, September 25. 
BRAZIL CACAO CROP. 
The United States Consul reports that the 
cacao market has been steady at average prices, 
ftud. th? demand fully e^ual to the supply. Nq 
