545 



in such products in Europe and Australia in order to introduce this 

 article to them with a view to a future market. 



The oil from the seed is a drying oil not unlike linseed oil in 

 appearance and smell, and probably will prove as good as, if not better 

 than, the latter oil in manufacture of paints and varnishes. Manu- 

 factures or dealers wishing to have samples of the seeds either decorti- 

 cated or in the shell should communicate with this department. A 

 profit per acre after paying all expenses of picking, husking, packing and 

 shipping of at least $5 to $8 may be earned on estates with trees in 

 full fruit bearing. While the demand for considerable quantities of 

 seed for planting purposes continues, this method of disposing of seed is 

 vere much more profitable than the sale for oil, but with an immense 

 number of trees producing fruit the supply for planting purposes will 

 soon greatly exceed the demand and an additonal market is needed. 

 If the seeds are left on the ground they germinate freely and money 

 must be spent in weeding out the young plants. 



The questions in regard to the best methods of preparation and 

 packing of the seed in exporting it for oil purposes continues to engage 

 the attention of the Department of Agriculture, and a further report 

 will be issued. 



Labour. 



The supply of coolies for rubber estates, which is the most import- 

 ant factor in the prosperity of such an industry, has during 1907 not 

 given any reason for alarm. The total number of coolies on rubber 

 estates in the Federated Malay States on 31st December was 58,073, 

 as against a total at the same date in 1906 of 39,274, an increase of 50 

 per cent. This increase has been about equal in the different races 

 working on estates, with the exception of Chinese not so great an 

 increase is recorded. A considerable number of Tamils have come from 

 work in the mines to agriculture, to which they are probably better 

 suited ; this was due to the fact of the new regulations in regard to 

 returns of Tamil employees under" The Tamil Immigration Enactment." 

 Government has undertaken to organise the machinery for controlling 

 and helping the continuous import of coolies, and this implies a con- 

 tinuity of police and a constant care which on number of individual 

 efforts, however well directed, could effect. 



Estate Labour, Malay Peninsula, 1907. 





Federated 

 Malay 

 States. 



Straits 

 Settlements. 



Johore. 



Total. 



Tamils 

 Javanese 

 Malays 

 Chinese 



43,824 

 6,029 

 2.872 

 5,348 



5,361 

 1,336 

 1,543 

 6,606 



462 

 173 

 423 

 894 



49,647 

 7,538 

 4,838 



12,848 



Total ... 



58,073 



14,886 



1,952 



74,911 



