Rubber's "Uncertain" Future
pp. 27-28 · Read in the full issue
But NEI Expects to Produce More Than Ever
A “PIM” reader, Mrs. Brett Milder,writes: “I was interested in your article entitled ‘Rubber’s Uncertain Future’ in the May ‘PIM.’ You say ‘practically all the Indonesian rubber plantations, from which comes the bulk of the world’s supply, are still in Japanese hands. Even if they are liberated in 1945, it is unlikely that they will be capable of full production for years after,’ and ‘few can speak
authoritatively regarding the use of
synthetic rubber. It is generally sup posed that it can supply most rubber needs ' except tyres. The great syn thetic factories of America, it is presumed, will try to compete with natural rubber in many industries’ u Your contentions are not alto gether borne out by a recent article in ‘Knickerbocker Weekly.’ Perhaps your readers would be interested in this article which voices the opinions of Dr. Pieter Honig, Director of the Netherlands Indies Rubber Research Institute.”
This .is the article which Mrs.
Milder has sent us: DR. HONIG, internationally known rubber expert, recently returned to New York after flying to Australia and parts of the Netherlands East Indies to organise rubber reconstruction. Prior to the war, the Indies produced approxi mated 45 ner cent, of the world’s rubber.
With 4,500,000 to 5,000,000 acres planted in rubber and with about 400 trees to each acre, Dr. Honig believes that possible war destruction in the Indies will not long prevent his country from producing nearly half of the world’s natural supply.
He predicts that natural rubber will again be exported from the East Indies three months after their liberation, “I know that many persons devoted to ‘natural’ products fear the advent of syn thetics, but we of the Indies frankly do not,” Dr. Hopig says with confidence. “We believe that in the world’s present state of rubber depletion, requirements for post-war replacements added to many newly developed uses for rubber will re quire high production of both natural and synthetic products.”
A new NEI Government-controlled or ganisaton will soon be put in temporarv control of the production and trade of rubber in liberated parts of the Indies, according to Dr, Honig, who adds that the new group will be known as the “Rubber Centrale” and will be managed by a board of directors representing several important pre-war NEI rubber in dustries and associations.
Private enterprise free of any govern ment control will be re-established as quickly as possible.
“Fifteen million dollars’ worth of rub ber-producing equipment, representing about 25 per cent, of what is normally required, has been purchased in the United States,” Dr. Honig says. “The Netherlands Indies Government’s relief purchases have been and will be financed out of its own funds. Our basic govern mental policy is to provide the means, through soundly financed loans, to restore not normalcy but a condition where the population can help itself achieve it. We do not think the United States or any one else should be expected to play Santa Claus to us.”
rE tools bought in America to help re-establish rubber nroduction in the Indies will be equally distributed be tween native growers and those planta tions managed by Western peoples.
Through the work of the Netherlands Indies Rubber Research Institute and other nersons and groups, cost of natural rubber' is expected bv Dr. Honig to be substantially reduced by greater selec tivity in tree planting and tapping, as well as in higher over-all production.
“In 1910, the Netherlands Indies pro duced onlv 1.000 tons of rubber," Dr.
Honig says. “But by 1939, we were pro ducing at the rate of 383,000 tons ner year.
By 1955, I think we shall see a production increase of 200 per cent, over, say, our 1920 base. Putting it differently, I believe we may expect that rubber production shortly after this war will be three times greater than it was after World War I.”
Dr. Honig believes that the elastic pro perties of rubber have too often in the past been applied to prices for the product. He expects the synthetic pro gramme to help stabilise the rubber mar ket, while better standardisation of both natural and . synthetic rubber will help manufacturers to find many new uses for it.
Most persons have associated rubber almost exclusively with automobile tyres, Dr. Honig believes, adding that post-war uses of the product will amaze the world.
He thinks that in newly developed appli cations of sponge rubber alone, there will
be an annual increase in rubber consump tion of 200,000 tons spread over the decade following the war. This represents a yearly gain of one-fifth of the total rub ber production prior to the war for just one post-war type of product.
Dr. Honig sees a world riding, walk ing, eating, sleeping and living longer on rubber products. Noise and vibration will be greatly reduced in all means of travel.
Sound and shock proofing in home floors, walls and furnishings should help elimi nate nervous strain by cushioning human activity. Further research in America, as well as in the Netherlands Indies, Hol land and elsewhere, will see greatly ex panded uses for rubber. Dr. Honig belives, without fear of over-production for many years.