177 



the commercial aspect of the question. As the attendance that 

 morning was so small they Avould do well in leaving it to the 

 Planters' Associations to discuss, 



Mr. Berengbr said that in regard to large experimental areas, 

 he hoped they would be placed in charge of different men, as one 

 man should not be given the charge of widely different products. It 

 was only by specializing that the best results could be gained. 



The Chairman : As there are so few present, I suggest that 

 the Penang Chamber's proposal be passed on for discussion by 

 the various Planters' Associations. 



Ml". MuNRO said that the matter was of such importance that he, 

 personally, was prepared to say that they might even go so far 

 as to say that they might ask the Government to give no more 

 first class land for rubber at all if that was going to be encouraged. 

 But it was no use discussing the matter in that way if the whole 

 thing was not going to be properly threshed out. He quite agreed 

 that it was a matter for the IJistrict Planters' Associations now 

 to take up, and he hoped they would discuss it at a very early date. 



Mr. Coombs said that the resolution of the Penang Chamber of 

 Commerce Committee showed a healthy sign of vitality in this 

 country with regard to the development of agriculture. He felt 

 that the subject should be properly taken up and discussed by 

 the various Planters' Associations and that they should formulate 

 a constructive programme. 



Closing of the Conference. 



Mr. R. W. MuNRO, a Vice-President of the Conference, said : 

 We have now finished the last item of our programme and I would 

 like to make a few general remarks, as Mr. Kindersley, although 

 with us now, is still not well enough to be able to speak. It is 

 unfortunate that Mr. Kindersley has not been able to attend any of 

 the meetings we have had. 



I think that I would like to say, on behalf of the planting 

 communit3% a few words regarding the success of the Agricultural 

 Conference. I may remind you that this inauguration of an 

 Agricultural Conference, which is, we hope, to be an annual one, was 

 not the result of a sudden " brain wave " at all. It is a scheme that 

 has been talked about for a very long time. It was certainly about 

 two years before the war started that Mr. Lewton-Brain approaclied 

 a large number of us about starting it. Of course, there were many 

 things that militated against it and rendered it quite impossible to 

 set on foot so desirable an idea. 



That the Conference has been a very decided success was very 

 marked, I think, throughout. I think the interest taken in the 

 papers is difificult to imagine. I believe the small attendance this 



