THE RUBBER OUTPUT.
The. Announcement by the Colonial Office to the effect that the exportable alldwance of rubber from Malaya and Ceylon
for the current quarter would be raised from 75 per cent. to 85 per cent. was in accordance with expectations. Indeed, it follows out the automatic increase provided for under the Stevenson Restriction 'Scheme and, assuming the price of Rubbei to be maintained, it looks as though, in a few Iponths time, the scheme would have virtually ceased to operate. No-one, however, will de-1y that it has served a most useful purpose and I fancy there will be few who will support the acrimonious tone of Mr. Hoover and certain other American critics who have challenged the successful attempt to restore an industry which had fallen upon disastrous times, and one which threatened ultimately to produce far greater scarcity of rubber than that which is now likely as a result of the revival of interest on the part of the investor. Thanks to the recovery which has taken place, many millions of British capital have gone this year into the rubber industry and the good results should be seen later, not only, as it may be hoped, to shareholders, but also to consumers of rubber. Meanwhile, the average British taxpayer who is called upon to pay a heavy amount to the United States annually for service on our debt to that country must be excused if he fails to be other than cheered by the fact that the substantial figure represented by our Rubber Exports to the United States constitute at least some offset to the many factors operating adversely upon
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