After months of investigation into the properties of other chemicals the writers decided that the only one which satisfactorily answered all requirements was sodium bisulphite. The writers make no pretension to any claim of having discovered the properties of this substance, which was a common chemical, and widely known. Even its action on latex was suspected before they engaged upon the work. These matters are only mentioned because the credit, if any, should be given to the laboratories of the Rubber Growers' Association. As soon as it began to be known on the market that sodium bisulphite was being used in the preparation of pale crepe, a great outcry was made, and estates were warned that no more rubber prepared in this way would be accepted. It was said that the chemical would destroy the "nerve" of the rubber,[2] and it was definitely stated that rubber prepared with this chemical was brittle. It must be remembered that brokers had some legitimate excuse in raising objections to the introduction of new and strange chemicals for preparing rubber, as they were quite without means of judging whether the rubber had suffered harm or not. Still, on the other hand, private tests had been made in conjunction with Messrs. Beadle and Stevens for fully eight months before the name of the chemical was mentioned in reports, and they had decided from the results of vulcanisation tests that the chemical was quite innocuous. Then, and only then, did we consider it advisable to recommend the use of sodium bisulphite in general estate practice. Owing to the initial prejudice against rubber prepared with sodium bisulphite, the results of our preliminary work were published by permission of the Rubber Growers' Association.[3] The original instructions to estates regarding the proper employment of this chemical were given in the private reports issued by the Rubber Growers' Association in 1911. At the present time it is probably accurate to state that it is now used by all estates preparing fine crepes. Representatives of manufacturers have sometimes given us to understand that the question of paleness of colour in such rubber is of no such importance as is impressed upon us as producers. While we are prepared to believe, we can only plead that from our point of view the supply arises from the demand. Such are the conditions governing the sale of rubber that, irrespective of the requirements of the ultimate user, we have to market rubber which is valued almost completely upon its appearance at the time of sale. [2] Williams, International Rubber and Allied Congress, London, 1914. [3] "The Employment of Sodium Bisulphite in the Preparation of Plantation Rubber," Beadle, Stevens, and Morgan, _India-rubber Journal_, August 2, 1913.