539 



The home markets, who could obtain rubber of a much higher 

 quality from other sources, refused to buy the Guinea rubber, which 

 thus remained on the hands of the merchants, who in many cases 

 w< j re compelled to sell at a loss. 



In the meantime European goods were accumulating in the mer- 

 chants' stores at Conakry, as they had given their orders before the 

 fall in prices. But the natives, alarmed at the low prices they 

 were offered for their rubber, (50 per cent, less than the year before) 

 only sold enough to pay their taxes and to buy such European 

 articles as had become indispensable to them. As they had long 

 ceased to cultivate anything but rubber, the fall in that article found 

 them with nothing to replace it. 



UNITED PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION, P. M S. 



Minutes of a General Meeting of the United Planters' Associa- 

 tion, F. M, S., held at the Selangor Club, Kuala Lumpur, on Mon- 

 day, 1 8th August, 1902. 



Meeting commenced at 12.15 noon. 



Present: — Messrs. E. V. Carey (Chairman), C. R. Meikle, 

 K. B. Skinner, M. S. Parry, H. C. Rendle (Members of Com- 

 mittee), Messrs. A. M. Barnwell, F. M. Bell, A. G. Tanner, 

 R. M. Mitchell, W. McD. Mitchell, P. Stephenson, P. W. 

 Parkinson, W. Nicholas and H. M. Darby (Honorary Secretary). 



1. The notice calling the meeting having been taken as read, 

 the minutes of the last General Meeting were also taken as read, 

 and duly confirmed. 



2. Read letter from the Honorary Secretary, Negri Sembilan 

 Planters' Association, naming the Chairman, the Honorary Secre- 

 tary and Mr. S. MOORHOUSE as the representatives of that Associa- 

 tion on the Committee of the United Planters' Association, also ex- 

 pressing regret that prior engagements prevented any of the Negri 

 Sembilan Planters' Association members attending the meeting and 

 asking that in future the members of their Association be consulted 

 before fixing the date of meeting 



The Chairman said that he was very glad to hear that the Negri 

 Sembilan Planters' Association members of Committee had been 

 elected, but regretted that the 30 days' notice given of this meeting 

 was not sufficient. 



The Honorary Secretary was instructed to write to the Honorary 

 Secretary, Negri Sembilan Planters' Association, that the members 

 present regretted the inability of the Negri Sembilan Planters' As- 

 sociation members to attend, and that in future the Honorary Secre- 

 tary of their Association would be consulted as to date of meetings. 



3. Government correspondence — 



(a) Read letter No. Misc. 2897/1902 from Secretary to Resi- 

 dent-General to the Chairman covering correspondence 

 between the Resident-General and Superintendent, 

 Straits Settlements Emigration Depot, Negapatam, re- 

 garding the appointment of an Assistant Superintendent 



