The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-08-11
RUBBER INDUSTRY
Continued from page nve)


duced 1900 tons of plantation rubber
last year, as against seventy-five tons
in 1905, and that the East-mainly
Malay and Ceylon-turned out 1900,
1850 and $3.50 tons respectively in the
years 1908, 1909 and 1910, point to the
likelihood of conspicuous develop
ments in the next three or four years
There are possibilities in the raw rub
Der industry and the rubber manu-
featuring trade which very few seem
to realize. l have traversed many
parts of the East and have spent sew
eral years compiling statistics relating
TO the producing capacity of Hevea
trees of various ages in the tropics.
l believe that in the most favorable
parts of Malaga a yield of one ton per
five acres will ultimately be annually
obtained; in less favored parts of Java
and Ceylon | estimate the yield at one
ton per ten acres; for reasonably
good estates in Sumatra and South In
dia l anticipate the yield to be be-
tween the two estimates here given.
In other words, deducting a certain
percentage from the worlds planted
acreage, l estimate that the balance
in full bearing will each year yield
far more than is now annually pro-
duced from wild sources. The island
of Ceylon alone should, unless some
disaster overtake it, an
nually yield from it's concentrated
100000 acres more rubber than is or
has ever been yearly obtained from
the whole continent of Africa. Furth-
ermore, Malaga and Ceylon alone
should within five or six years an
nually produce more rubber than the
whole of Brazil and Central America
gave us last year.
Important Changes Imminent.
1t should be clear from this that
the day is near at hand when the bal
ance of power in the crude rubber
market will be considerably changed
Brazil has hitherto had the monopoly
and the officials there know how the
country has prospered from the reve-
nue. from rubber alone. Africa has,
unlike Brazil, been largely dependent
wiz of t.1ih
the lessened production noticeable,
especially during the past few years,
is regarded as hopeless. Both Brazil
and Africa alike realize that the
shadow of huge plantation supplies is
upon them, and that sooner or later
the abundance of rubber will have its
effort on price. Inferior-grade Afri,
cans, which make up a good part OF
that continents supply, must suffer
first; then the better grades from
bushes and trees other than Hevea
and finally must come a struggle be
the cultivated forms of Hevea. The
supply, in the event of low prices, will
be most seriously curtailed from AT
RIGA; it will also De evident in tropi
cal America, but not in the same de
gree. The Brazilian authorities are
giving all possible aid and encourage
ment to those concerned with the col
! lection of rubber in that part OF the
world, and their country can always
be relied upon to give a fair yield
! Complete extinction of the wild rub
Der crops from the forests of Africi
of the existence of a population il
both areas which must find som
means of employment. Yet a curtai
ment in supplies from wild areas is
certainty, when Eastern plantatio
crops shall be coming over at the rat
of 5000 tons per month.
Hitherto London has not ranked a
of much Importance as n center fo
rubber, Liverpool having always hel
the first position. Now a change
already evident. Most of the plants
ton companies are owned by comps
MES whose interests more or less con
pei them to sell their produce in Min
ing-lane. This business will continu
to grow as the yielding capacity {
, estates increases, while that of Live
pool will, in consequence of lowe
supplies from Africa and Brazil ten
to lessen. Most London broker
when asked what prospects they hav
a Of dealing monthly with 5000 tons {
It plantation rubber, seem disturbed n
time should be lost in preparing tn
d way for the disposal of such quaint
j. ties, for they will be upon us muc
n earlier than most people imagine.