. The Government announced last week that the Committee on
Civil Research is ..to 'inquire into the operation and effects of the Stevenson scheme for restricting .the export of rubber from British sources of production. The inquiry will take a long time, but the price_ of rubber has fallen already and those who first got wind of the Government's intention profited. Speculation seems to permeate the business and makes any ,combination with Governmental control particularly undesirable, though that is no fault of the Colonial Office. The scheme was protective in design, and it may be that in the difficulties due to the War and sub- sequent fluctuations of trade the mistakes of producers and the market would have ruined the industry but .for the scheme. Like, however, other interferences by Government in trade, protective or not, it has produced very unsatisfactory and unexpected results. It has not kept up production and price on the relative levels expected. It has led to a great increase in the pro- duction and profitable sale of Dutch East India rubber, and it has stimulated in America research in reclamation and substitution, and incited Americans to try to open up rival fields in Brazil and in Africa.
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