547 



Resolved that the letter be forwarded to the " Agricultural 

 Bulletin" for publication. 



{b) Read letter from Mr, C. li. S. Baxendale to the Chairman 

 regarding the Burmah Experimental Gardens and Live 

 planting of a large acreage of Para rubber, and suggest- 

 ing that a question might with advantage be asked in the 

 House of Commons. Also the Chairman's reply, suggest- 

 ing that Mr. Baxendale should attend the meeting. But, 

 as Mr. Baxendale was not present, it was decided to let 

 the question stand over in the meantime. 



(c) Read letter from Mr. Salisbury, Gapis Estate, Perak, to the 



Honorary Secretary, United Planters' Association, com- 

 plaining of the high rate of freight charged on the Perak 

 Railways on all kinds of coffee — cherry, parchment, or 

 clean coffee — and stating that he is being charged % 

 duty on copra, on a newspaper quotation, and not upon 

 the rate at which it is actually sold. 

 The Chairman said that there were cases in Selangor where duty 

 had been charged on coffee when the price was under §19, and 

 that the duty so charged had been refunded ; as regards this, no 

 doubt the Perak Government would do the same, if a precedent 

 was given. He suggested that Mr. Salisbury should refer the mat- 

 ter of duty on copra to Mr. C. Meikle, who is very much interested 

 in coconut cultivation, and see what could be done. 



Mr. Meikle said he thought the Government should be approach- 

 ed in the matter of allowing coffee in the cherry or parchment to 

 be sent by railway at the lower grade of charges, for inferior goods, 

 and that he thought it was very unfair that duty on copra should 

 be charged at the newspaper quotation when the local price was 

 so much lower. 



Resolved that the Honorary Secretary write to Mr. Salisbury 

 and give him the particulars of refund of the duty on coffee in 

 Selangor, and suggest that he should communicate with Mr. Meikle 

 and bring the question up again at a later meeting. 



(d) The Chairman reported that the Honorary Secretary had 



received a draft for £2 JS- Sd. from Messrs. Sanderson 

 and Co., London, being the balance due on the Aden 

 shipment of coffee. 



6. Coconut Beetle. — The following resolution was proposed by 

 Mr. E. V. Carey and sec mded by Mr. C. R. Meikle : 



"That in view of the alarming spread of the coconut beetle pest 

 the Government be asked to appoint a special European Inspector 

 in each State, whose duty it shall be to see that the provisions of 

 Enactment V. of 1 898 are strictly enforced. 



"That in the opinion of this Association, it is essential that all 

 trees which have been badly attacked shall be deemed to be 

 'beyond recovery' and forthwith uprooted, split up and burned, 

 unless the owner can satisfy the Inspector that such trees have 

 been regularly attended to in the past and are at the time of 

 inspection free of beetle. 



