WORK IN THE JUNGLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20130, 15 December 1928, Page 2 (Supplement)

WORK IN THE JUNGLE.

MR. FORD'S BIG SCHEME.

NEW RUBBER PLANTATION.

HANDICAP OF MALARIA.

Malaria has slowed tho work on the Ford rubber plantation on tho Tapajos River, a tributary of the Amazon, in Brazil, somewhat this summer, according to ono of Mr. Ford's nearest Brazilian neighbours, Father John Maler, a Ger-man-American priest of bantarena, Brazil, who has been in the United States on a vacation.

Two hundred men wero working on the Ford plantation earlier in tho season, according to Father Mayer, bu this number had been reduced to about 80 when ho left Brazil last month, due -to' the epidemic of malaria, these men were doing tho preliminary, work.of clearW tho. jungle and getting the ground iready for the buildings which will bo 'erected' and tho rubber trees which will be planted during tho coming season. Santarena, where Father Mayer is stationed and which is Mr. Ford's base of 'supplies at present, is at tho fork of the Tapajos River and the Amazon, about

500 miles from the coast, and it is the nearest town ,to tho Ford plantation. It has a population of approximately 6000; two ' moving' picture' houses where same films that aro shown in New York may bo seen; telephones; a modern hotel and a number of foreign business houses.

About 150 miles down tho Tapajos—--150 miles of jungle anil swamp—is Bona Vista (Good View), with its cluster of thatched huts, where Mr. Ford will make his headquarters. He expects to have a town of between 6000 and 7000 people, one very similar to Santarena, within the next four or five years;, according to Father Mayer. An ico plant, a provisional hospital and some workmen's houses already have been erected there and soon it will have many other improvements, including a sawmill and a power plant. Work has been started on clearing the jungle, preparing the way for tho rubber plantations, 3000 acres of which Mr. Ford must havo planted within tho next three years, according to his contract with the Brazilian Government. Natives along the Tapajos tell of huge cocoa trees that have been felled to make place for rubber, according to Father Slayer. " Many of the Brazilians of that region resent Mr. Ford's acquisition of so much territory," said lather Slayer. "They say that he got the land for nothing and that ho will givo them nothing in

return. Of course, tho moro intelligent people do not feel that way, but thero is quite a hit of discontent among tho fioorer peoplo of that region. Thoy say that Mr. Ford and his men will convert tho territory thoy control into a North American colony, and that tho first thing they know the official language will bo English—not Portugese, tho language of tho country. Strange, but that scorns to bo ono of tho things they fear most. "It seems to mo as if Mr. Ford has tho chance to do a wonderful thing for that part of Brazil. Tho Brazilians themselves, through all tho centuries they havo owned tho land, have done nothing with it. It is rich in rubber and other natural resources. But the only way it will evor bo dovelopod, apparently, is by foreign capital and industry. Of course, tho moro intelligent Brazilians realise this and aro glad to havo a man liko Henry Ford • lend his millions to tho development of tho land, to tho building of towns and tho civilising of the wild tribes of the Tapajos." In tho course of his return, Father Mayer intended to visit tho nearest wilderness town, Bona Vista, where, in spito of malaria, Mr. Ford's mon already aro busv at work clearing the jungle and building a modern town.