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impossible to start a regular campaign, because most estates are 

 already infected with the disease, and labourers coming from 

 Southern India are also infected; and therefore I do not think 

 much amelioration of this disease can be expected until 

 adequate treatment and notification of the disease is under- 

 taken on the estates, just as they have been with success in 

 British Guiana recently. But as regards malaria, although in 

 Ceylon we have been discussing this question for well-nigh 

 sixteen years, I am sorry to say we cannot show the brilliant 

 results which have been achieved in the Malay States. We 

 have not got out of the stage of discussion and general com- 

 mittee work started by the Government, and I am afraid that 

 until a permanent Malaria Board, or something of the kind, 

 is formed, and a competent staff of permanent officials are 

 told to set measures going, we shall not achieve much result 

 in mitigating malaria in Ceylon. For one reason, we may 

 say that conditions are rather different from those of the 

 Malay States. In our hill country, in altitudes above 2,000 ft., 

 we have no malaria at all, and between 1,000 and 2,000 ft. only 

 a few spots which are slightly malarious; while, on the other 

 hand, in the low country we have intensely malarial districts, 

 in some of which the splenetic index is over 80 per cent., and in 

 many others very high indeed. But so far we have not gone 

 in for any practical scheme which has done any permanent good. 

 Therefore, I think it is quite essential that for the permanent 

 reduction of malaria in these malarial districts we should have 

 a Malaria Board, with a permanent staff of officers, to carry 

 on the work in a complete manner. 



Mr. E. G. BROADRICK (British Resident, Selangor, Federated 

 Malay States) : Sir I would like to say just a few words on 

 the attitude of the Federated Malay States Government in 

 regard to the liquor question, which has been brought up 

 to-day. The addiction of the Indian coolie to liquor has been 

 a source of anxiety to everybody connected with him for a 

 great many years past. I remember the time when port wine 

 was his favourite drink. It was said it could be laid down in 

 the country at two dollars a case, exclusive of duty. It has 

 now been superseded by spirits of European origin, and there 

 are constant complaints by the planter of his coolies being in- 

 capacitated, and of permanent bad results being effected in his 

 labour forces, owing to the amount of liquor consumed by the 

 coolies. It has now, by an enactment passed not long ago, 

 been made a criminal offence to sell European spirits to any 

 agricultural labourer of Indian origin, and proceedings have 

 been taken under this enactment in several cases with very 

 good results. Convictions have been obtained, and it is well 

 known now that spirits may not be supplied to Indian coolies. 



