( 31 ) 
latex crepe for at least 2/3 the factory costs of 
standard crepe. What further improvements could 
be effected in return for capital outlay on plant 
alteration it is only possible to estimate. 
When it is realised that the present most modern 
development of latex sprayed rubber requires the 
erection of expensive and patented plant for opera- 
tion on an industrial scale and then yields a product 
which does not appear to possess the vulcanising 
properties of this matured crepe rubber, the predic- 
tion of future developments is fraught with un- 
certainty. Rubber which has been produced by a 
process which permits of maturation does undoub- 
tedly possess enhanced vulcanizing properties; it 
remains to be seen whether the general manu- 
facturing consumer is willing to pay for the improve- 
ment and whether the producer is prepared to 
consider the production of the raw rubber as 
involving factory problems which demand the 
attention of highly efficient chemical and engineering 
control with less conservative ideas than formerly 
if the plantations are to benefit thereby. 
Whatever method of preparation may be adopted 
in the future, one fact appears certain, viz., that 
the fuel problem in connection with the manufacture 
of smoked sheet will sooner or later become critical. 
For the present, all the wood being used for this 
purpose is derived from old jungle stumps or timber 
on the estate which it is 'desirable to clear, or from 
the rubber wood derived from thinning out, but 
this will not be the case in the future. In the 
collection of figures obtained on behalf of the Forest 
Department it has been estimated that approximately 
220,000 tons of wood were consumed in rubber 
factories during 1919. These figures are based on 
W -' 46 / 3& 
