274 



Mr, Lake considers that the point at issue had been 

 evaded. What they did ask, was to be consulted on the 

 way their money was to be spent. 



Mr. Parkinson points out, that however excellent men 

 and planters the Government nominees in question may be, 

 it does not follow that they represent the opinions of the 

 majority of planters. 



Mr. Gibson maintains that the whole question is one 

 of principle, and that there should be no taxation without 

 representation. 



The Secretary is instructed to reply that the matter 

 is still under consideration, and Mr. Lake undertakes to 

 formulate a Resolution to be placed on the Agenda of the 

 next Meeting. 



VIII. Reports and Accounts. The Annual report 

 having been taken as read, the Secretary explains the Ac- 

 counts. 



Mr. Harrison, in proposing the adoption of the Report, 

 thinks they may congratulate themselves on the results 

 achieved during the year. The establishment of a Fe- 

 deral Council for these States would remove one of the 

 grievances which had been so frequently raised, namely that 

 they had practically on opportunity of criticising any En- 

 actments that concerned them before they became law. The 

 particulars as regards the constitution of the Council 

 were awaited with interest, and it was to be hoped that it 

 would have full powers as regards all internal legislation. 



The actual results of the working of certain estate 

 hospitals since they were opened amply justified the com- 

 plaint they made as to the unjust incidence of the 5% 

 minimum rate. The following figures from Estate hos- 

 pitals in the healthy districts of Selangor were of interest 

 and from them it would appear that even now many estates 

 were being taxed far higher than they should be. Taking 

 the figures of 5 district hospitals which serve 9,733 coolies, 

 266 beds had been provided, the average number of beds 

 occupied daily amounts to 109.2 and the maximum in any 

 one day was 169. Under the 5% rule 179 beds would have 

 to have been supplied. 



The Association had been somewhat severely criticised 

 in some quarters of its action in having voted a compara- 

 tively large sum of money as a reward for the discovery of 

 a cheap and effective means of eradicating white ants, but 

 their critics could hardly realise what their annual expen- 

 diture on trying to get rid of white ants now amounted to, 

 nor what an infinitesimal sum per estate the reward would 



