Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-08

rubber. Yet no rubber is produced
within any Of the territory Of the
United States.
Twenty years ago the rubber supply
came almost solely from Brazil and
Peru-the product of the Para rubber
tree which grows in wild state in
the upper valley Of the Amazon. The
supply was dependent upon the abil-
ity Of the native rubber gatherer to
locate and tap a sufficient number of
these wild trees in the dense tropical
jungle to meet the world demand for
the product. During the last quarter
Of the nineteenth century the first
experiments were made with the idea
evolved by an Englishman that this
unsatisfactory method Of rubber pro-
6uction could be supplanted by the
growth Of rubber on cultivated rub
Der plantations.
Started in British Indies.
These experiments were made in the
British East Indies. Beginning in
1900, when these plantations gave to
the worlds market their first pro-
duction Of four tons, the production
OF rubber has shifted with amazing
swiftness from the wild rubber tree
Of the Amazon valley to the rubber
plantations Of the British and Dutch
East Indies, until in 1922 e5 per cent
Of the crude rubber supplies came
from these plantations. In other
words. the wild rubber which twenty
two years ago was the sole source of
supply is today a negligible quantity.
The British today control 20 per
cent Of the worlds rubber supply and
the British and the Dutch together
control 50 per cent of 1t.
Beginning in 1918, because OF the
restricted shipping at that time and
continuing in 1920 and 1921, due to
the decreased demand for rubber with
an. increasing supply. there was an
alarming decrease in price which
threatened disaster to the plantation
owners. Faced with this danger, the
Rubber Growers Association Of the
British East Indies endeavored to re-
strict the production Of rubber by
voluntary action OF the producers,
which failed of its aim because
insufficient number of producers join
ed in the effort.
Imposed an Export Tax.
Failing in this. action Of the colon
ial legislatures was secured which
placed q graduated export sax on
rubber Of such q nature as to bring
the price Of rubber up to what was
considered q profitable level. The
effect Of this action Is shown by the
following quotation from memoran-
dunn submitted to the House appro-
priations committee by the Depart
ment of Commences:
''On October 2, 1922. prior to any
hint that restrictive measures would
be enacted. the price Of spot rubber
was 15h cents: on October IL, the
date Of the publication OF the supple
mentary report Of the Stevenson COM
mittee (the committee which recon-
mended legislative restrictions), the
price had risen to 1871 cents; on
November 1. when restriction OF ex-
ports first became effective, the price
was 22x cents; on January 2, after
two months of restriction. 2Sh cents;
and on February IA. 35X cents. If
the United States uses 2s5.ooo tons of
rubber during 1923 at 85 to 40 cents
per pound instead OF At ID cents to
20 cents. the added cost to American
consumers during 1923 will be $11s.-
10000
Possibilities Of Protection.
The possibility OF the protection Of
the American public against these re-
strictions and OF freeing our consum
ers from the menace Of domination
by combinations Of foreign producers
is the object OF the Investigations. to
be undertaken by the Departments Of
CONTINUED on Ihla RsGA1