RUBBER PLANTATIONS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 5 August 1926, Page 5

RUBBER PLANTATIONS.

PROPOSAL FOR; PHILTJPPTNES

3Y CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT NEW YORK, Aug. 3.

Following a conference between Harvey Firestone, of the Firestone Rubber Company and President Coolidge, it was annoonced that the United States planned to encourage the development of a, rubber plantation in the Pliillippines in order to make America independent of foreign rubber. Air. Firestone, who investigated the conditions in the islands, states that an American capitalist is ready to undertake the enterprise if the Philippine land laws are amended to permit extensive land-holdings for a period of seventy-five years, 'and within fifteen years the United States, would, no longer be dependent, on British rubber. Air. Firestone found the soil particularly suitable for rubber growing, especially Mindanao and adjacent islands. Rubber growing, lie believed, would be most helpful economically to the islands 'and would make the people more, contented with American rule.