625 



Loans to Planters. 



12. Mr. Alma Baker thought that some fixed standard of cultiva- 

 tion should he laid down by Government for the guidance of the officers 

 administering the Loans £\md, specifying the degree and nature of culti- 

 vation required. He knew of two instances in which, acting on the 

 advice of Mr. Carruthers, estates had been allowed to get dirty. An 

 amateur had been sent to value them, but the loan had been refused as 

 the estates had been reported to be abandoned. Mr. Carruthers had 

 written strongly on the subject, as he considered that, when an estate 

 was clean, it lost plant food and was 25 per cent, less valuable than one 

 kept dirty. 



It was absurd to send an amateur valuer like a District Officer, who 

 would say thatan estate was abandoned when it was being kept in, 

 accordance with the recommendation of such an authority as Mr. 

 Carruthers. Some standard must officially be declared, as otherwise 

 great unfairness would result. 



Mr. Macfadyon pointed out that it was difficult to lay down a general 

 rule like that. If any injustice had taken place, it would be better to 

 follow up the special case. They could not eliminate the personal 

 equation from any report of this nature ; and all they could really ask 

 Government to do was not to employ amateurs. He would therefore 

 propose as an amendment : — 



" That for the purpose of Estate valuations, the Government do not 

 go outside their own scientific staff of officers of the Department of 

 Agriculture." 



Mr. Alma Baker then withdraws his original motion and seconds 

 Mr. Macfadyen's, which is thereupon put to the meeting and passed 

 unanimously. 



Shipping Rings. 



13. The Hon. John Turner gives notice that, at the next meeting 

 he will bring forward a motion asking Government to legislate against 

 Shipping Rings in the Colony. 



14. Resolved that the next meeting be held at 10 a.m., on December 

 6th, 1908, at Seremban. 



The Meeting terminated at 1.30 p.m., and at the close only the 

 following gentlemen remained, viz., Messrs. Irving, Macfadyen, Lamb, 

 Palmer, Crawford, Ritchie, Darby, Boyd, Baker, Turner, Harrison and 

 Zacharias. 



H. C. E. Zacharias, 



Secretary. 



Minutes of an Emergency Meeting of the Planters' Asso- 

 ciation of Malaya, held at noon on October 18th, 

 1908, at the Selangor Club, Kuala Lumpor. 



Present : — For the Malay Peninsula Agricultural Association : 

 The Hon. John Turner, Mr. R. G. Palmer, Mr. D Ritchie, Mr. John 

 Lamb ; For the Kuala Lumpor District Planters' Association : Mr. F. G. 

 Harvey, Mr. E. B. Skinner, Mr. A. J. Fox, Mr. C. Burn-Murdoch, Mr. 



