89 



the present condition of the kampongs. The Asiatic does not see 

 the necessity foi* treating a disease which does not often kill the tree 

 and which is not eradicated by the most careful and steadily 

 continued tfeatment. He regards the measures required of him as a 

 nuisance, since they involve work to which he is not inclined, and 

 also as being inefficient inasmuch as they do not result in the 

 disappearance of the disease from his plantation. As a result he 

 prefers paying a small fine of from ^2 to $10 inflicted on him by the 

 magistrate to expending the same sum in carrying out the treatment 

 required. 



The alternative course of action open to the inspecting officer — 

 namely, of carrying out the work in the small holdings and recovering 

 the cost would involve the employment of such a number of gangs of 

 trained coolies and trained mandors, as is at present entirely 

 beyond the resources in European supervision of this Department. 

 All that can be done at present is to use coolies to treat the disease 

 in such of the small holdings as are most seriously infected and 

 have been most consistently neglected. 



The satisfactory treatment of pink disease in the kampongs in 

 general can, in the writer's opinion, only be attained as a result of a 

 comparatively lengthly educational pi'ocess which will gradually' 

 accustom the owners to do what is required of them and lead them to 

 recognize that the measures are for their own good. A state of 

 things ultimately should be obtained comparable to that which 

 exists in the routine control of coconut beetles. Attempts to hasten 

 unduly the educative process necessary are certain to be without 

 effect, and only patient and continued efforts will have a lasting 

 result. 



The degree of attention paid to instructions varies considerably 

 in different States. In Perak where the disease is most prevalent the 

 instructions receive but little attention. In the one badly infected 

 district of Selangor instructions are often obeyed fairly well 

 especially when a large fine is inflicted from time to time. In the 

 Negri Sembilan the disease is much less prevalent and often disappeai*s 

 entirely for a portion of each year even in those districts which are 

 comparatively the more infected. The occasional cases found have 

 mostly been treated as required. In Pahang work is being some- 

 what newly commenced and not much can be said about it at present. 



Lalany. — Shortly after inspection work commenced, it became 

 evident that the lalang so often present on small holdings should be 

 removed, irrespective of whether these contained rubber or coconuts, 

 more especially when they bordered on clean estates or other clean 

 holdings. In this case also it was decided to commence by giving 

 advice only, until the small owner should become more accustomed 

 to an idea which is entirely contrary to his usual happy-go-lucky 

 methods. 



