MORE PRODUCTION.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 268, 24 December 1928, Page 8

MORE PRODUCTION.

RUBBER COMES INTO ITS OWN. November marked the end of the so-called Stevenson plan for the restriction cf exports of crude rubber from British colonies. Thus is brought to a close another experiment in restiction, designed for the purpose of advancing the market price of a commodity. The Stievenson plan was frankly based upon the market of crude übber, the restrictions being increased whenever the price declined. In describing the passing of the scheme, Dr * Julius Klein, of the Bueau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce of the United States, pointed out that prior to the World War his country was importing crude rubber to a- tonnage about onetenth of what is being imported today. In a period of about fourteen years the conSumptfion of rubber by the manufacturers of' the ' United States has increased tenfold. Under the circumstances it would seem that the necessity for an export restriction was entirely lacking.

As a mattter of fact, the conditions which hedged about the growing of rubber in the British colonies encouraged its planting in the Dutch East Indies. Furthermore, plantations were started in Africa and in South America, frequently by United States capithl. In the south western portion of the United States experiments have been made with the Guayule shrub and Edison has been, ’-making studies of milkweed and other plants in Florida. There have been tests of the bitumeii deposits beneath the waters of the Great Salt Lake „in Utah. It may dpubtless be proved in the end thatj tiiere are no substitutes just as gowd as rubbfer, but the experiments will certainly add something to the industrial worth of tlhe world. Out cf such circumstances as have been experienced during the last six years in the rubber industry always comes something of lasting benefit to the public.

Automobile tyres account for the consumption of nearly three-fourths of the rubber produced in the world. However, it is being learned that timbre is a large number of commercial articles in the make-up of which rubber can advanageoulsy be used although some of these can be made equally well of the substitutes recently discovered for rubber. Among other things, rubber flooring which has for yeas been prohibitive on account o-f its expense, has been developed. To-day, moreover, rubber paving for streets, especially in localities where it is desirable to eliminate some of thq noise, is being advocated. Streets paved witlh rubber are said to be especially durable.

As a commeclal proposition the curtailment of rubber expots under the Stevenson plan may have worked certain hardships upon traders, y, * out of the experience will come some notable benefits to the public. During fihe six years the pla.tr was in effect the rubber plants s of the world were able to effec a realignment of their proper-ties and the adjustment to w orld'values will not be so critical or impossible with the final removal of the restrictions.