39» 



Indian Depots. — The Government have been recommended to 

 move the Negapatam depot to Madras from which port it is sug- 

 gested that the steamers should sail direct to Penang. This de- 

 parture, however, your Committee venture to think would be an 

 altogether ill-advised experiment. It seems sufficiently plain that 

 in dealing with an ignorant but every conservative class of men, as 

 the Tamil coolies undoubtedly are, many unfortunate misconceptions 

 as to the change may arise, and emigration may be seriously im- 

 peded. Without in any way questioning the suitability of Madras 

 for the purpose suggested, we none the less feel that the Negapa- 

 tam depot should certainly be maintained until the coolies have got 

 accustomed to the Madras route, when, if it has in the meantime 

 been demonstrated that the latter is beyond all doubt the best, the 

 Negapatam depot might be done away with. We desire to em- 

 phasize this opinion very strongly, for we consider that an issue of 

 great importance is involved, at the same time we are sstisfied that 

 the Government will not arrive at any final decision, without duly 

 weighing the arguments for and against the proposals. 



Malay Peninsula Sugar Industry Association. — A letter 

 was received last September from this body inviting the co-opera- 

 tion of your association in formulating "a scheme of recruitment of 

 coolies in India. M It was felt however that our interests in this 

 question were divergent and that no good could result from an 

 acceptance of the offer. 



Experimental Gardens. — In the early part of the year your 

 Chairman was asked by the Resident-General to visit and report 

 upon a block of approximately 72^ acres in the neighourhood of 

 Sungei Rengum Estate, Batu Tiga, which had been selected and 

 cut out by the Superintendent Experimental Plantations. The re- 

 port sent in, whilst not suggesting that the land was in any way 

 exceedingly rich, was in favour of the selection. Upon the matter 

 being brought before the Association in meeting however, it was 

 decided that an area of 72 J acres was insufficient for the purpose, 

 and, one member who was well acquainted with the locality stating 

 his belief that the block in question was quite unsuitable on the 

 grounds that the remaining 1 27 J acres which had not been inspected 

 were impossible to drain, it was resolved to ask the Government to 

 postpone a final decision until a Committee of 5 members had visited 

 and reported upon the whole 200 Acres. This suggestion the 

 Government acceded to with the result that the block was con- 

 demned. Mr. W. W. Bailly on behalf of the Selangor Rubber 

 Company then ofrVred the Government 200 acres of the Sungei 

 Rengum Estate adjoining Batu Tiga Station, on certain terms which 

 the Government accepted ; the land was visited by a second Com- 

 mittee and reported to be suitable, and the gardens will be started 

 as soon as the Government obtain a transfer of the land, a transac- 

 tion, which, for various reasons, has been considerably delayed. In 

 the meantime the Superintendent has started his nurseries on a 

 piece of Government land adjoining the 200 acres. A special Com- 

 mittee consisting of the Chairman of the Kuala Lumpur Gardens 

 Committee, Messrs. E. V. CAREY and C. MEIKLE, has been ap- 



