THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPHI,
MOTORING SUPPLEMENT.
SATURDAY, JUNE
∙1927.
RUBBER ROMANCE.
THE SYMPATHETIC PASSENGER.
THE LATEST IN MOTOR TRANSPORT.
MOTOR
SPIRIT SHELL
MOTOR
OILS
CENTRAL FILLING STATION
OUTSIDE CITY HALL, HONGKONG.
The Asiatic Petroleum Co., (South China) Ltd. Hongkong.
New
1,000 STUDEBAKERS
Each Day!
STUDEBAKER
CARS OUTCLASS IN POWER & FLEXIBILITY ALL OTHERS OF THEIR SIZE AND WEIGHT.
HONG KONG DELIVERED PRICES.
Tourer.... Business Coupe
Custom Coupe Custom Sedan
·ERSKINE SIX.
16.54 H.P-107" W.B. -.
2 Beater
5 seater G.$1,200 1,200
4 senter
senter
1,300. 1,300
WITH WIRE WHEELS.
1,455 -1,485 1,490
STANDARD SIX.
27.34 H.P.-113" W.B.
Folding Top Phaeton
*5 seater G.$1,450
Duplex-Roadster ....
3 seater
Folding Top Sports-Roadster Duplex-Phaeton
2 seater
5 Boater
Folding Top Tourer
7 seater,
Coach (2 Door)
6 seater
1,530 1,600
Country Club Coupe
3 Beater
1,690
Custom Victoria
4 Beater
1,700
Custom Sedan
.5 seater
1,710
5 seater
1,780
6 seater G.$1,785
Folding Top Spots Roadster
3 seater
3 seater
5 scater
Custom Brougham
ǎ seater
1,835 1,870 1,905, 2,030
4 scater
2,050
5 seator.
2,065
2,000
36.04 H.P.-127" W.B.
Duplex-Phaston
7 seater G.$2,220.
Folding Top Phaeton'
7 seater
2,220
"President" Sedon
7 seater
"President" Berling
7 senter
"President" Limousine
7 sentor
2,675 2,755 2,926
Custom Berline
BIG SIX '120" WHEELBASE.
36.04 H.P.-120" W.B.
Duplex-Sports-Phacton
Duplex Roadster...
Club Coupe
Custom Victoria. Chancellor
Custom Berline
Fire Chief Duplex-Roadster .. 3 soater
BIX SIX 127′′ WHEELBASE
All prices include 4 wheel brakes spare wheel, tire and tube, windshield wiper, hundview mirror bumpers, spare horn, tools etc., etc.
THE HONGKONG HOTEL GARAGE
25, Queen's Road, Contral. (THE HONGKONG & SHANGHAI HOTELS, LTD.)
ኒኔ
How the Trade Came East.
To-day ninety-five per cent of the world's consumption of rubber comes from the Middle East, from Sumatra, Java, Malaya, Ceylon, India and Cochin China,
This hasn't always been the case, The story of the transfer of this vast industry from South America half way around the world, is one of the most interesting romances of business,
[By: Cyril A. Potts.]
Whenever a new motorist comes to me for advico I always start off by saying, "Whatever you do, be discriminating in your choice of passonger." I speak from bittar experience, for time after time my pleasure has been utterly spoilt by the Individual whom I have been unlucky enough to have by my side.
I am no, highbrow, and I claim Rubber comes from a milky sub-no special sensibility to the beau- stance called latex that flows from ties of Nature, but there is some- the bark of rubber (hevca) trces, thing about the peaceful country-. which grow in what is called the side which soothes my soul and rubber belt, extending about ten de-alls me with a deep content, pro- grees north and south of the equa-vided no. jarring note asserts. tor.
Hoclf.
ir.
Trees are tapped by cutting a One Sunday evening, not so long small strip from the bark, and the ago, I was foolish enough to men latex which flows out is collected tion in front of my friend the in bucketa. It in coagulated (some-lawyer that I intended taking a thing like the curd separates from run through the lanes of a particu- the, whey as milk turns sour), and larly lovely bit of country for the this curdlike substance is listed off, good of my soul. Immediately, run through rollers, and comes out the lawyer asked if he might ac- in sheets of pure rubber. It is then company me. What could I do but dried and is ready for shipment. úagent?
The natives of South America
evening of perfect and of Africa, who were first to peace, windless and serene, Long gather rubber for the market, pour shadows striped the fields and ed this quid over a stick turned dappled the distant hills. The low slowly over a fire, gradually form-sun painted the woods with nu- ing a ball of rubber, in which shape tumn tints, although the year was the primitive product originally yet young. The keynote of the! came to market.
It was an
countryside was colopr, rich glow- Outside the Congo, South Ameri-ing colour, which would have lent ca was the great, rubber producing an atmosphere of mysterious area of the world until about 20 beauty to the most commonplace of
At that time 90 per scenes.
But this scene was not cent of the world's rubber came commonplace. Far from it. Even from Brazil.
in monochrome it would have ar-
years ago.
quillity, its typical Englishness, if
The above is a picture of a combined wheel and track car. The conversion from one to the other only takes half a minute. Last Wednesday, interesting demonstrations were given at Shatin of a eix-wheeled Morris type, which accomplished similar work to that shown above.
Within five years the rubber pro-rested the gaze by its deep, tran- ERRING MOTORISTS. ducing industry was moved almost bodily to the Far East, and to-day and for a number of years, the East has furnished the great bulk of the world's needs in rubber, the balance being wild rubber, mostly from Brazil and Africa.
Chicago's Safety Schools.
may coin an unauphonious word. I drew up on the summit of a little hill. Beneath us, framed. by the branches of magnificent trees, lay a perfect valley, down the middle of which tinkled a little, ambling
Chicago, May 16th.-A system stream. A black and white farm of "safety schools," where motor- Wichham, had shipped some rubber house, all warm with the setting fists violating minor traffic regula-|
The explanation is that a far sighted Englishman, Sir Henry
T
made an accent which, to
of 1876, set them out in Kew Gar-an "arty" term, pulled the picture dens, London, and shipped the together, while sombre woods, with strangely gleaming tops, threw young shoots to Ceylon.
back the hills and gavo them added Rubber planting was encourag-distance. I gazed entranced, until ed, and gradually a few plantations the lawyer broke the spell. sprung up, were extended, spread over the East Indies and Malays.
The Rubber Boom.
and
through Chicago.
The system was inaugurated on! the west side and ainee its incep tion 20,000 reckless motorists have been lectured at a loss of fines estimated at $75,000.
"That farm," he said, "belonged to a man called Bloggs. It was The north side parks have mortgaged up to the hilt, and the adopted this plan that has worked mortgagees foreclosed. We were successfully on the west side, and acting for the mortgagees, and put it is believed that schools may This movement was insignificant the property up for sale. I forget soon be held in all parts of the at the time and attracted little what it fetched, but I know it went city. notice, but by the first decade of for a inere song. By the time the the present centuryhen the au- mortgage was paid off and we'd tomotive industry was settling into got our costs, there wasn't a penny plant the "rod" has found favour with motorists themselves. The its stride, it was becoming obvious left for the Bloggs family. I that the forests of the Upper Ama- don't know what became, of them." lectures are delivered by members zon were no longer able to furnish "Did you ever see a more ex- of the traffic commission and are
instructive and interesting. crude rubber in the volume neces-quisite valley?" I murmured. sary to meet the fast-rising de-Everything in keeping: Not a mand.
jarring note."
The idea of education to sup-
Often a class has 500 members. Motorists learn the reason why
Wild rubber trees might be found "It's bad land for sheep, sald various traffic ordinances are pass- as far as a mile apart, and the the lawyer, angely. "Too damped and have a chance to ask ques native rubber gatherers had to They get a lot of foot-rot, and tions.
Officals say that
the
travel long distances to get the rub-other diseases too. Of course, the "students" are benefited by the ber. After that it had to be ship-timber is worth a bit, but it is not schools and their motoring man- ped perhaps 2,000 miles down the a good soil. If it were put on the ners improve. Amazon before it even started its market to-day I doubt if it would
ocean voyage for the world's fetch £3,000. Farms aren't fetch
marketa.
ing anything like what they did
On a plantation, however, trees three or four years ago. Every- may be planted as closely together
If
as 200 to an acre, and a single na-body wants small holdings. tive can tend from 50 to 600 trees. that were mine, I'd
came
the
I let in the clutch with a jerk
The most acate scarcity of rub ber came about 1910 when the in-that must have strained the trans- sistant demand of the fast growing mission, consequently I never automotive industry drove the price heard the unfolding of the lawyer's up to one, two and three dollars a plans, but my trip was completely pound. At this juncture plan-spoilt,
Now, when I sally forth, I sally tatlon rubber
into breach. The thousands of acres secretly and alone, unless the ideal planted in the Middle East were passenger is at hand. If, by an just coming into full bearing. The unkind fate, I am forced to take early planters reaped a generous the man of law, I shun the country- reward for their efforts and fore-side and take him to towns where he enn gloat over County Courts. sight.
Rubber plantation securities and District Registries:
I also shun the effusive female, soared. Everybody, began setting out plantations. The added supply who must really take her Kodak in we ace something nice to eventually brought the price down ce to a reasonable parity with produc-
In a weak moment I took one of tion coat.
It happened that the boom in the latter species to the Devil's rubber in the Middle East was coin- Bridge. in North Wales. She cident with some serious crop fail- glanced casually at the glorious ures on the toffee plantations, panoramu spread out before us. The British government urged the murmured, "How sweet," and, planters to net out rubber instead. turning her back upon it, anapped With the final result that the East the cafe of the hotel. These are lost its leadership in coffee to just two examples of the kind of South America at the same time thing the wise motorist will avoid that South America relinquished like the plague. the rubber industry to the Middle Dast,
tuke.
The beauty spots of England are becoming fouled and vulgaris- This was the most-gigantic trade ed by the tripper and the motor- in the history of basic commodities. coach, but there is beauty enough To-day the British control about and to spare in places still unad- If you are blessed, 58 per cent. of the world's acreage vertised.
of plantation rubber, the Dutch or cursed, with the seeing eye. about 15 per cent, the rest being these are the spots to seek; but if divided between native, French, you seek, seek alone, unless you Japanese and American owners, are fortunate enough to light upon. Two American rubber companies that rara avis, the really gympathe own planations, Goodyear and onetic passenger.-The Morris Owner, other.
There are 4,800,000 acrès got out in rubber in the Middle East; re- presenting a total investment "of $850,000,000.
JAIL FOR JAY WALKING.
NOVEL ENGINE.
Lacks Essential Parts. Sydney, Australia, May 26th.- An inventor here has designed an internal combustion engine that can run without crankshaft, con.. The special traffic commission necting rods, camshaft, valves or that has been investigating tramle timing gearal"
It's a circular affair of .... Bix in Chicago recommends that jay- walking be prohibited, with ault-cylinders with pletons but a mov- able gonaltics for violation. Ing cylinder head. It is said to be Podestrians should be forced to much smaller than any, present obey traffle algnals, the commis-type of engine with the same sion urges
power, and to save much in fuel and oil consumption.
OPEN
for cummy croazia
HEY YOU - YOU CAN'T RUN THAT CAR WITH "YOUR LIGHTS OUT
"THASS NOTHING,
OFFICER -
1. CANT RUN WITH
'EM ON.
EITHER
CLOSED
for stormy weather
Two Cars in One
HEN the can smiles, an unob protected by safer four-wheel brukes. famous Studebaker six-cylinder motor, famed throughout the world for Ita last ing quietness and absoluts depend- ability. Its longer life la proved by 1002 Studebaker cars with registered serviçə records of 100,000 to 350,000 miles each. We invite you to enjoy a trial run ią this Studebaker Duplex Phaeton si your convenience.
Wert shop on you in thirty Beneath the lacquered bonnet is the
seconds, without leaving the seat, side enclosures concealed in the hood can be rolled down. Then this Duplex Phaeton to completely enclosed-storm-proof! Only Studebaker offery this convenient, comfort-adding feature. This unique body is imounted on the sturdy Studebaker chassis, crudled on extralong springs and balloon tyres,
HONGKONG HOTEL GARAGE 25, Queen's Road Central
STUDEBAK BR
BUILDERS OF QUALITE
VEKICKER TOX M4 XEARS