THE HEVEA RUBBER TREE IN THE AMAZON VALLEY 37 
comparisons with oriental plantations, and conclusions must be 
drawn from various small groups of planted trees as well as from the 
self-sown jungle trees. 
There is no reasonable doubt that rubber will thrive in many differ- 
ent parts of the Amazon basin. In some of these regions there are 
indications that it will develop equally as well as on the best rubber 
lands in the Orient; in others its growth will probably be better than 
on many areas now planted to rubber in the East. There is no indi- 
cation that the tree will develop more rapidly or produce more 
abundantly in any part of South America than in other regions to 
which it is not indigenous but which are fitted by soil and site for its 
growth. There is no indication, however, that the tree will not grow 
fully as well in selected areas in the Amazon basin as in selected areas 
on the Malay Peninsula or in the East Indies. That rubber planta- 
tions have not been established in the Amazon basin has not been 
because the trees would not thrive there but because of other con- 
siderations. 
One of the conditions of greatest weight in the determination of 
future development is that of labor. A greater supply of labor 
would be necessary than is now available in this region. Probably 
enough laborers could be procured from Para to make a beginning, 
and the prospect of regular employment might bring a new supply 
of workers from Ceara and elsewhere. However, the people of Para 
would have to be cured of their dislike of going up river to work, and 
the number of laborers available in Ceara is variable. The immigra- 
tion and colonization of Europeans would be another solution, but 
immigrants thus far seem to prefer southern Brazil to the Amazon 
Valley. Colonization would take time, and while it would ulti- 
mately reduce the cost of living it would probably not bring very 
cheap labor. It would provide labor sufficiently skillful to use 
tractors and other machinery which could be employed more profit- 
ably than where labor is very cheap or where competent mechanics 
and operators are hard to find. 
A third possibility is that of procuring cheap labor from Asia. 
This would probably mean Chinese labor, for the British plantations 
in the Federated Malay States and elsewhere make use of most of the 
labor which can be recruited from India, and it is doubtful whether 
Javanese could be induced to migrate so far, even if the Dutch Gov- 
ernment would permit it. 
Chinese laborers can undoubtedly be procured in sufficient num- 
bers, but the proposition of importing them is not without difficulty. 
The Chinese Government makes stipulations as to housing and medi- 
cal and hospital care, etc., which preclude the use of Chinese except 
in rather large numbers. Therefore, companies with large capital 
will be the only ones capable of importing this labor, unless groups of 
smaller companies form associations for this purpose. 
Bolivia has given consent to the importation of Chinese for the 
rubber industry, and Brazil will likely follow its lead. However, 
many Brazilians are strongly opposed to allowing the entrance of 
Chinese labor. They do not care to save the rubber industry at the 
cost of reduced wages in their country and the menace of competition 
with the Chinese in the future. From an agricultural standpoint 
there is no question that the Chinese would be a benefit to the 
Amazon Valley; the economic and social consequences of their intro- 
duction are outside the scope 01 this discussion. 
