RUBBER AND THE CONGO

New Zealand Tablet, 9 December 1909, Page 1930

RUBBER AND THE CONGO

■' -w #^ ltt i i% c Middle df -the" 'eighteenth- century ((says „ AnleHdtt of 1 'October' 23) "'tlie English ' people l "begano.toi, use '(."i.o-HPWfIJi. 0 ? w^h-'the-'-'le^rne'd had' i long ■ kil'own-: asiicaout- ., . oh fiP c - VThfe na-me;io6Ued hard," arid -a'certairp mof'al courage "•'Xf^-M^W^ r*r, ono^ c 'e,'i^by giving ai'sbrt of "dr-yl sneeze. i.-°-iiSs }l^ r i eklly I s'cieh < tific' persons; philosopher s,- they iweve „, oa W,^. iii f iihdsd;d4ysi:hfcd;'i¥6 difficulty 1 in the natterjffßub ,- I f^ e^? Id-.1 d -. ?o',o^;a.no? o ', o^;a. no^ ler with''a' : fin'e'abando'nMvMch^iniplifed : „ lon kii'my wHa% FWean.''" ' The-urileaYried, however)) wero /59l" m ,^ I *f. d ,-fe I th: Is6lf-cpnsoioulßness.'I s6lf-cpnsoioulßness.' ■ ' Though' thfeymightiu^e l:>Sf yM*P?9 as l 6rC ?>"j> the 1 doubt W6uld' l always'<rtou^.:/'f«Doeß ■«i?'W J^.TOl*.^^' A iia ?s? s at' first' .they- employed -the ' ■ *i%i °?'!"WTB'ottt pencil-mark's, I 'they"sooni gave' \te -the .'«P^M°P^ ,? n ,??' z e l^?r "an l! ,casi'er 'nameV 1 india-rubber/^faw-."i ce i ss i?'*}?^^ mi » d '-^ f %' P lkce " of .b'rigin,' ; the "Indies^ (it.r -■■ "?- 1 t >he -^ < ?'' ol f l r. < ?? a y s th'is "expressed 'all' tropical' Atoeritea/ as ■ - )V\ c M I ) a ?, 11 So V t^ ec m ."Asia) . and ll th'e' ''djohiestic • use.^-',' Practical -^ c - 1 * thai'^h'e. properties' of 1 the substatice'i could „ b f-W°*A^ s 5 ?" 1*"1 *" vej'y r simple 'treatment, 1 a'nd'beganJ toom'ake - .VVWIi-^j,''^ ahd'.'cldth/''bufc it* still' kept fits c^opular .nariieV ', ,- '•■><---v- <•" », •„ „ , „,._,,,* ,T | f ' l^''4^" a *% I "P^ f .T' A ?"'" J|n^^?' in ' t^ lis country to call it^giim • .perhaps. because it comes- irom' a milky juice 'that - exudes j./T^^-c^peiiuch in' the 'same way as'what thfe'speecli of cities calls turpentine, 'but ''that -df" the forest-'tei-ms'TOore propei'ly gum-; flows from the pine and the 'fir.- 1 Overshoes tor wet weather were coated with it.- 'These werer called in England galoshes7f'frDfflri;h.er-ErenQh rjaloche; our grandmothers calle,d them gums, and used to admonish our motners/nJDt £fco, go -put- m^the^wet withou^'-fcheir gums. The men of the fifties in California wore gum-boots, which sometimes caused in the feet a disease known as gum-boot gout. But in this discrepancy of, names the old country gained 'f'raf^°£ s few victories ' over HJie^New World, a sort of '' f -and^Shahnoni 'affair;. >to , set ) against , jbhe long ' 7 ?Sl l iK?^- ffebtS> 'AWican gULtnjdisappea^^van- *, v H i^Eftgiish ] india-rubb e;:;;rLe ;:;;rL -:: i ':f;:| \ '■, great quality of not knowing whenhe'is'bea'tbn.' )jai O'the'i-s"6la'im dt ; als6. ■> Whethenxthey ••> i^MiftP- P&u&l Tigiify to it, or a''greater'^ora')less,vbr;'jany ?"ight r at i all,' I! m4y l be discussed' iri ij "cpnnedtion'j-with other ./i^H^Sbi ..jvh'at';is' r tp 'tlie p'oint'no^ J -is,.that-the' American z. people f^(Bre s .lilihd;tb l> their defeft-fi- in <tlie 4 guin-iridia-rubbcr 3-)fl 1 1-fp l 9P''.', r lifdeed, I ;. \re!ii66k I "iso' kindly to'the victorious Jnamo, r.^ e r,^T',W yG > ■°i 1 jrach' J friendls'-' terms • with l it) tliatJwor.soon '! "'spokeM'-familiaijly of '^'} l ""| !T / v^|f p V} m r'™ay liK.y'e survived^ in j some^outrofcti/e-way ■rj ?&W'\wfcffl Ve r'ss&P® Wi r ?«gh' ! tlje ,laind-asi if •maiifeerand iu t c9L%ejna?i4e/,;born^ x T^^ of iaSMWj#! Us the^ Btecafiie^rubbfers^fi' vHeAonighfe-mear a i l&m-M& 4}X^W'2^Y e H n^ d i^^lsoKperei'^jßntly [i<J» b fe j^a^afdftiHktled, 1 S^htf^Wd Jrff hersife YlEWij fcl lfiiß/ Jfe *Sl f *f,F a^ ü become r i^an^'imipoEtantßajitjcle of > a^^wf;iVa%« g fe ioO^^ct^phool Asia* and jSfffioJP; f &La I WHah ar'i^(J9lp «9^ a 4 e +t I ?cpmes a sllte'Sf^concbrovecsyisgi cLajjgerauaniv^feQfnfflfW'eXgfito^from^w >i JBBf&o^te "jM is jrtSOoPJ^^^^pß^ngo^Ref orm . Afesocmtimi 7 jts^^^erican iifeSfife. p3'M§ m^d^enf by«W»WMtes«ootr/dwafeia TPArMl s §i{i tv^ P6pbleVtvfer"e ti rree".f %nd • 'Ua^pyritundefothej: mild MVB9 mima^W^r Jg^S^V^dcftald&jbMVßhitforfh o^^ I^9jb b l^ s 2.^P < ?| ;a f?M'^ *rtao«Jbfcoooo abiiajdftntlXr'f ?^Vhen the fancy took tnem xhey^ b.unted«thev;elGphantj f qr^ia,, tusks

3S?-iSw2 p ? r ? fo^^i s ( s fe n ' and thus they dwelt at ease 'MtJcto'ktott of--.fthe.>©elgian= ! «Kasai Goxripahyv/arrisreTd ataongst Jthemtiw-Lth onerxthoughtj/{oneiirisati»ble«longikg4r«ubberfi Bffihenleveatythingiwasiohrangedsr n sh,e fgreatihouses -feU sto -rwnsj/lth'e, bsfladostrieeisr wer^^uns^Y^p\,.the, v lmiflifi l d i^ajdn^b^en^^aimed-j f,J*^king;r.efl^^^^^fß&aiWf ,J*^king; r .efl^^^^^fß&aiW c^ c . m ?fe ( sidefaWe heardtKe' shfieks b'r r wretch^d' / mehr<a < ifa •gtiota^ .r-Anai this' is^tliei^tateTol^hiifgsito^rroilfclwas ■ hoped ->that whete.the^iPreef7SiJate;rwas -put yft nd j the authority, of, the [Belgian Gov.er.iimenitte^abltshed, these evils would cease. The world has been disappointed of its nope. , .;','j This'i S ; ( t)ie Sto^;jild l by if^^ i etoß^i^Aß l^aiation,' teAw'Wfepiiti'&WtfmM a^Jen^f'itsl , <^Qers. l^p I .th > c Br,iftsli J ,rpreign Jsecret'a;WJ $ecret'a;W WM {ftecPW'fee! grounds of official lHtefvention/- '' Is' ji it Jt^ud? ff ' 7 'lifjfrests i! 011 Q e authority afeiEu^bo! in the Bakuba countryy^he-company of Kasai maintains^ ™at it is -utterly Ja^se,. It segms that the missionaries! have >if6t' .ilways beenl bf tW/Mme^fifil $&{*& matterfor the company claims to. possess letters in which they£ speak of the Kakuba as" bairbardus ""savages, of their king \- L\ikengo,r.as a; tyran,t_, ;/ who^arins liisfj^en-.to ,a,ttack theg' missions, and.' the , company's, ,fac,tqries^/,pf )( >the company's^ • agents as -amiable, jus£ and /pompassLonaffce, hopes that, the. authorities j will iepr,e,ss,, I tim barbarities'' of ' the -Kakuba king conscious,, ,is ;Il th'fi mnocence that. ,it,; has prpsecuted.^missipixaries.'Jor lseU ■ The news has just, arrived i^at^these/gamed j a yerdipt on' .the, ground , that ,it cpuld ;J not^ %' sW^V tha£ tb^ cPtj'anyi had suffered any damage,, ,^'liich n wflnld- imply thatfihe^nisi sionaries had^aiot,! proved thej^'pliarges.'.,, Etoweyer] one cannot allow a telegram of ,a , few,' luxes';" ta settle so gßave 1 a controversy. \y c , may suggest, however;' "tnat"' We truth will very probably turn . put ;to, , b,e that': 'the A'appv 'state 1 of. the Bakubas before^the advent tof 'fhe".^company ' haW 1 been 1 greatly misrepresented ;, that ,Lu,'kerigo, Ayhohas' learjied^the value of itubber, ■ is., the real, author. o£ h^;hjatj' atropi'ties" have taken place;, that ,the; company, hpt? being' '.directly 'r.espon* sible, has not exerted itself , as, diligently jap it" mi|ht < ''h>ve done to protect the natives ;,', .that by'/receiying^liiilca'nko's rubber it has profited ,by his misdeeds' ;\ ah'd :tlia|t donie of its agents, on their own responsibility, 'without" the kn'ow^ ledge of the company, ha,ve encouraged him" in 'his .wicked!!, ness. If this be 'the true, state,, , of" the'! case/ the , Kasai Company is no worse /than the best of siicnir&'ding companies past and present. As, fpr the, Belgian 'Government!, it may be , trussed, ..to ..protept.'tjipse' whom', so 'riia'ny 'of its noblest sons are .engaged in, evangelising' /, ' ' ''" !'! ' ;