()U I 



1 am given Lo understand that in your own c ountries you use your 

 wealth in making advances to agriculturists and others, and it is a 

 business which, under proper safeguards, we should like to see you 

 take up here and so aid in the development of the country and by 

 the introduction of agriculturists, assist in rendering the fertile 

 lands, and abundant waters of these States revenue producing. 



The Government would be prepared to consider in a liberal spirit 

 applications by bond fide applicants of Indian origin for land for 

 agricultural purposes, provided that the applicants engage to cul- 

 tivate one or two crops annually. 



I am told, moveover, that it is the custom of your people, on the 

 annual balancing of your accounts, to put aside a proportion of the 

 profits for charitable and educational purposes, for temples, rest- 

 houses, and for new ventures, but I am not aw r are that in this coun- 

 try you have devoted any portion of your large profits to these very 

 proper and useful purposes. 



The amounts that you set aside at present for charitable purposes 

 do not, so far as I am aware, take the shape of an organised system 

 benefiting this country, but your own country, India, only, and I 

 expect from you that in the future you will consider the wants of 

 the country in which you reap your wealth. I now ask you to con- 

 sider these points and in due course lay them before your principals 

 with a view of inducing them to assist in developing the resources 

 of these States, by, for instance, taking up land, or inducing others 

 to do so for permanent settlement and cultivation, by the introduc- 

 tion of communities of one caste who will live as nearly as possible 

 in the same way as they do in their own country, or in other ways 

 that may occur to you and to them. 



As you are well aware this country does not suffer from droughts, 

 as the southern parts of India do and therefore money invested in 

 rice and grain-growing would be a safer investment here than there. 

 The facilities of transport are here immeasurably greater — better 

 roads and more railways in proportion to the area of the country — ■ 

 and there exist good markets locally and in the Straits Settlements. 



Some of you will know about the waste lands near Madura that 

 were affected by the bringing in of water by the Periyar Water 

 Scheme to v\ork land that some of \ou must have known for many 

 years valueless and unproductive from want of water — now paying 

 the Government a water cess of from Rs. 2 to Rs. 8 per acre per 

 annum, and proving highly remunerative to the owner and cultiva- 

 tors. Here the land is equally good and if ploughed as frequently 

 as is the custom of your people would probably yield more crops 

 than land in India, the rainfall and climatic conditions generally 

 being more favourable. 



I can also tell you that the Government is expending one and a 

 half million dollars on Irrigation Works in the padi-growing district 

 of Krian, Perak. 



Mr. HlLL is going to India, and the words I have said to you 

 will be written down in Tamil and, if you desire it, " Telegu, " and 

 copies will be given you to circulate amongst your friends. 



If you will have a list made out of your firms here and your prin- 



