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State, not to mention the landowner, and what a contrast to the pre- 
sent methods whereby such abandoned areas grow only noxious weeds ! 
The price of rubber has dropped considerably since this time last 
year, and good plantation Para now fetches between 3s. and 4s. per lb. 
It is, however, expected to rise somewhat, though not to the figures of 
last year. Despite this, however, the opinion of those most interested, 
as shown in the following extracts from the “ India Rubber World ” 
for March, will be of interest : — 
“ Mr. James Wilson, of England, chairman of the Ceylon Land 
and Produce Company, on seven of whose plantation 5,695 acres have 
been planted to rubber, after a recent visit to Ceylon, expressed the 
opinion that rubber planting will pay for many years to come. He 
thinks that the price ought to rise a bit when the money market re- 
sumes its normal condition, but not to the high prices of a year ago. 
“ A planter from Ceylon, who visited England lately, reports an 
interview he had with one of the directors of the India Rubber, Gutta 
Percha, and Telegraph Works Company, at Silvertown, who expressed 
the opinion that rubber planting would be a good investment for the 
next twenty years at least. The rubber manufacturer felt that if rub- 
ber remains as cheap as now, a marked increase in its use would 
result.” 
Rubber is being extensively planted in the tropical countries all 
round us. In Sumatra alone, a correspondent of the “ Ceylon Obser- 
ver” states that 2,000,000 trees, representing 14,000 acres, have been 
planted. He adds that three rubber trees on an old coffee plantation 
are reputed to have yielded over 5 kilograms (11 lb.) each in one year. 
Even at a profit of Is. per lb., and a production of 1 lb. per tree, 
the return per acre of 200 trees is good ; at 3 lb. per tree it will compare 
favourably with any agricultural product whatever in the country ; and, 
with a possibility of such returns as above quoted, or even a portion of 
it, the returns, to say the least, are attractive enough for the most 
sanguine. 
Rubber companies are quoting 15 to 30 per cent, dividends per 
annum in Ceylon, the Straits Settlements, Java, Sumatra, &c., and 
will shortly be doing so in the Solomon Islands and Papua. Why not 
in north Queensland ? 
One more quotation, re synthetic rubber from the “ India Rubber 
World ” is to the point : — 
“ While a great deal has been printed in England and the British 
colonies during the past year on the subject of ‘ artificial’ or ‘ synthetic ’ 
rubber, and the possibility of some such material competing with na- 
tural rubber, it does not appear that any real progress has been made 
in” the new field. In other words, the rumours referred to have served 
only to scare some investors in rubber-planting companies. The sen- 
timent of the British crude rubber trade, after a year of such rumour- 
mongering, is well expressed in this paragraph from the review of the 
trade for 1907, issued by Lewis and Peat, London rubber brokers :• — 
‘ During the past year artificial rubber has been talked about a great 
deal, but, so far, nothing tangible has been forthcoming, and we do not 
know anyone in the rubber trade of any importance or authority who 
