INTRODUCTION 7 



supplies of copra are not waiting in Malaya to 

 be bought cheaply from inexperienced natives. 

 Copra sales are largely in the hands of Chinese 

 produce dealers, who are astute men of business. 

 They have English-speaking clerks, are familiar 

 with market prices, and are accustomed to 

 receive daily bids for their produce from 

 European firms representing big British and 

 continental trading companies. People on this 

 side, therefore, should not be misled by haphazard 

 statements regarding untold quantities of copra 

 only awaiting capital to purchase it. Malaya 

 came through the rubber boom without a blemish. 

 Speculators may have lost money in shares and 

 crazy finance, or through irresponsible valuations 

 and reports ; but one cannot recall a case of 

 deliberate misrepresentation. The country may 

 rightly be termed the Land of Promise, and 

 now that a few words of warning have been 

 put on record we may turn to the attractive 

 side of the subject. 



COCONUTS AS AN ATTRACTIVE INVESTMENT 



" There are large tracts of land, rich in alluvial 

 soil, in Malaya, well suited for coconuts, and 

 these await the advent of enterprising capitalists. 

 The industry itself is but in its infancy, and is 

 bound to expand on the introduction of more 

 enlightened methods for the preparation of 

 copra and the extraction of oil ; and the de- 

 mand for fats for human consumption (such as 



