459 
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 ad- 
dition 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 into the Malay States involving 
the washing of the coagulated rubber on a power-driven machine 
between metal rollers, and the resulting rubber was produced 
in the form of crepe or washed sheet. Small samples of this rub- 
ber 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 manu- 
facturers I wrote and published an account of its history and pre- 
paration 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 prin- 
cipal 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 was 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 
a 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 
/ *d.-T\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. 
5. The cause of this action on the part of the buyers was not 
easy to determine. No pretence, was made that the rubber after, 
washing was injured or made inferior to “biscuit” or that it would 
be less readily accepted by users of plantation rubber, and no ex- 
planation other than the statement that washed rubber was not 
wanted could be obtained from the objectors themselves. An 
explanation of the disapproval’ which seems reasonable, supplying 
as it does a personal motive, was obtained later from indirect 
sources. Raw rubber is not bought direct by the manufacturers 
at auction, but from the “ buyers. ” The latter buy in bulk and 
divide their purchases into lots of different qualities (usually into 
three) and sell this regraded rubber at different rates, making a 
substantial profit on this transaction. A rubber of standard quality, 
uniform, clean and pure such as crepe or plantation-washed rubber 
