Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-01-25
OUR. FOREIGN LETTER
Dealing with Commercial and In
dustrial Conditions Abroad.
RAPID Progress I'm the Development
of Manufacturing Interests I'm
Eastern Siberia-New Rub
her Industry in Mexico. ~
Rubber from the Hule Plant I'm
Mexico. III

from the hule plant was discovered
about year ago by Mexican doctor
residing in Sierra Mojado. This plant,
which contains about 40 per cent. of
rubber, grows in the mountainous dis
tricts of Mexico, as well as in certain
localities of Texas, Wyoming and Ne
braska. It is a species of sage brush,
with small leaves, and grows to
height of about three feet.
A patent on the process has been
taken out in the United States and
Mexico and a manufacturing plant has
been located at San Luis Potosi. All
the machinery for use in extracting
the rubber has been invented and pat
ented in both countries by the Monte
rey Foundry and Manufacturing COM
pany, of Monterey.
The principal steps in the process Of
manufacture are as follows: There
are special machines which feed the
plant automatically into the cutters;
after it comes out of these machines,
it is carried by bucket elevator and
dumped into steam-jacketed mixing
tanks. containing certain chemicals:
the product then runs by gravity into
hydraulic filter presses, after which it
is subjected to hydrostatic pressure
of rs pounds to the square inch; it is
then conveyed into settling tanks,
where the gum, being heavier, settles
to the bottom, while the oh emicals and
Gsidue are drawn off.
The cost of production is slight. The
principal difficulty to be overcome is
the high freight rate, box car being
quickly filled on account of the light
ness and bulkiness of the plant.
Siberia.
The population of the Amur province
IS steadily increasing, and the demand
for articles of consumption and wear
is rising apace. In the past, the impor-
by great difficulties. Goods came over
land from European Russia and by sea
from Russia and foreign countries.
The opening of direct sea communica-
ton between Vladivostock and Odessa
facilitated Importation, but prices,
particularly of manufactured articles,
remained high. Naturally, enterpris-
ing people conceived the idea of estab-
fishing manufacturing plants; but the
difficulty of obtaining raw material. as
well as machinery, laborers and master
workmen;s proved a serious obstacle.
"a, Another thing that had to be taken
into consideration was the limited mar
ket, and this might have been an in
surmountable drawback had not the
imperial government appeared on the
field as an immense consumer and GUS
toner. There is no doubt that the gov
eminent, in purchasing large guam
titles of stores here, Intended to stimu-
late the activity of the manufacturing
interests in this territory. But i'm
munities, such as exemption from ex-
else or encouragement in the way OF
protective duties or premiums on the
part of the government (the control
and supervision of manufacturing is in
charge of the ministry of the finances)
business enterprises in the Amul
province hare never received. It is true
that several factories are allowed to
carry on their business free of the Ii
cense tax; but this tax amounts to very
little, and the exemption must be con.
sldered as only moral stimulus. This
unsatisfactory condition of affairs con
tinued until 1890.
The construction of the Ussury rail
road brought about general increase
OF business. The population began te
grow rapidly and consumption rose II
proportion. The importation of Rus
sian and foreign goods by sea became
larger, new methods of procuring raw
material were developed. and new fac
tories were built and old ones en-
larged.
? The following is descriptive table
of the factories in the Maritime prov
ince:
Annua
Fac EN- Produc
industries. tories. ployes. ton
Joiners' shops. 500
Match factory............ e6S 10000
Flour mills.............- % 165 0O