698 
the  tropical  agriculturist.  [April  i,  1896. 
It  is  intended  to  plant  up  with  Tea  this  year 
200  acres  of  jungle  laud  as  well  as  51  acres  now 
under  Coffee,  and  a comniencenicut  of  these  exten- 
sions has  already  been  made. 
The  expenditure  on  Capital  account  this  season 
is  estimated  at  11101,578,  which,  in  addition  to  the 
above,  includes  the  cost  of  rebuilding  and  enlarging 
the  Factory,  additional  Machinery,  the  erection  of 
two  new  Bungalows,  and  large  accommodation  for 
coolies,  as  well  as  Nurseries,  etc.  for  further  extensions. 
The  yield  of  Tea  in  1891  is  estimated  at  200,000 
lb.  against  an  expenditure  of  1105,048.  This  sinn 
includes  the  extra  cost  of  manufacturing  a consider- 
able proportion  of  the  crop  on  neighbouring  estates 
instead  of  in  the  Company’s  own  Factory,  which, 
however,  is  expected  to  bo  ready  for  working  in  May. 
The  appointment  of  an  Auditor  for  the  current 
year  will  rest  with  the  Meeting. 
By  order  of  the  Directors. 
Whittall  c&  Co.,  Agents  A Secretaries, 
Colombo,  13th  March,  1898. 
the  remaining  10  acres  of  old  Cardamoms,  which 
are  now  almost  exhausted. 
The  estimates  for  1898  are  127,000  lb.  Tea,  400 
bushels  coffee,  and  .500  lb.  cardamoms,  against  an  ex- 
penditure on  Working  Account  of  R42  701.  The 
estimate  of  coffee  crop  is  merely  a preliminary 
one,  as  it  is  impossible  at  this  early  period,  to  judge 
how  much  will  be  gathered  by  the  end  of  the  year. 
A further  sum  of  115,220  has  been  allowed  in  the 
Estimates  lor  upkeep  of  young  clearings  and  exten- 
sions, whilst  an'  engine  and  boiler  will  probably  be 
needed  to  provide  against  any  temporary  failure  of 
watji’  power. 
In  terms  of  the  Articles  of  Association,  Mr.  C.  A. 
Ijoechman  now  retires  by'  rotation  but  is  eligible  for 
re-election. 
Tlie  appointment  of  an  Auditor  for  the  current  year 
will  rest  wi  h the  meeting. — By  order  of  the  Directors, 
Whittall  & Co., 
Colombo,  Feb.  28,  1898.  Agents  & Secretaries. 
MAHA  UVA  ESTATE  COMFANY. 
At  the  anmml  ordinary  general  meeting  of  the 
Malia  Uva  Estate  Company,  Limited,  lield  on  Marcli 
21,  the  report  and  accounts  were  adopted  and  a linal 
dividend  of  8 p-.'r  cent  was  declared  making  16 
jier  cent  for  tlie  year.  Theie  were  pre.sent 
Messrs.  C.  A.  Leechman  (in  the  Cliair)  and 
G.  W.  Carlyon.  Directors  ; Mes.srs.  W.  H.  G. 
Duncan  and  A.  Ihomson  (by  their  Attorney  Mr. 
G.  W.  Carlyon)  Mr.  H.  Tarrant  (by  bi.s  Attor- 
ney Mr.  C.  A.  Leechman)  and  Messrs  J.  Mac- 
Liesh  and  E.  S.  Ander.son  (by  tlieir  pro.xies  xVIr. 
G.  W.  Carlyon).  The  following  is 
TIIK  REI'OUT 
Acheaok. 
Tea  in  full  bearing 
144 
acres 
„ „ partial  bearing 
155 
»» 
,,  not  in  bearing 
Coffee  amongst  Tea  (180  acres) 
308 
Cardamoms  in  bearing 
10 
j» 
„ not  in  bearing 
80 
u 
Grass 
15 
n 
Total  Cultivated 
890 
acres 
Jungle  and  Waste  land 
219 
Total  of  Estate — 909  acres 
The  Directors  have  pleasure  in  submitting  to  the 
Shareholders  the  Accounts  of  the  Company  for  the 
past  years. 
The  crops  secured  during  the  season  were  105,472  lb. 
Tea  2 453  bushels  Coffee,  and  815  lb.  Cardamoms, 
which  were  sold  at  average  net  prices  of  52  cents 
per  lb.  1118'80  per  bushel  and  Kl'lS  per  lb.  respec- 
tively. The  weather  was  generally  favourable  for  tea 
and  coffee,  and  the  estimate  of  the  former  was  largely 
exceeded,  whilst  the  Coffee  crop  proved  to  be  an  ex- 
ceptionally good  one.  , , . . 
After  making  ample  provisions  for  depreciation  of 
Buildings  and  Machinery-  the  net  profit,  including  a 
small  balance  from  1894,  amounted  to  K 18,590-79. 
An  Interim  Dividend  of  8 per  cent  was  declared  on 
the  3rd  August  last,  absorbing  R22,800  and  the 
Directors  recommend  a fi-ial  dividend  of  8 per  cent 
making  18  per  cent  for  the  y'ear.  The  sum  of  R990-79 
wb  then  be  left  to  be  cairied  forward  to  the  current 
VI  rr’".  account.  c i i j 
‘ During  the  year  :i0  acres  of  land  were  planted  witn 
C'rdamom-.i  and  8 acres  of  old  Cardamom  fields  with 
Tea  whilst  about  5 acres  of  land  were  purchased  from 
a neighbouring  proprietor.  The  Directors  are  pleased 
to  report  that  ail  the  young  clearings  are  progress- 
in'^  favourably'. 
The  Capital  was  raised  on  the  1st  .Jammry  1895, 
to  R285  tXX)  by  the  issue  of  90  shares  at  par,  and  the 
DireotoM  propose  to  offer  the  remaiuiug  shares  (30) 
to  shareholders  in  the  course  of  the  year,  at  a pre- 
mium to  be  fixed  hereafter. 
It  is  intended  to  plant  this  year  10  to  15  acres 
more  laud  with  Cardamoms  and  to  replace  with  Tea 
Cori’Kii  Planting  in  Klang.— The  Singapore 
Free  PresA-  of  the  11th  iast.  has  an  editorial  article 
dealing  with  the  abandonment  of  the  blocks  of 
“ supposed  coffee  land  ” at  Klang  purchased  by- 
Messrs.  T.  N,  Cbristie  and  W.  Forsyth,  in  wliicli 
it  is  .said,  Unit  the  “ only  party  that  has  pro- 
fited out  of  their  loss  is  the  Government  of 
Selangor,  vhich  is  well  in  pocket  to  the  extent, 
in  one  of  riiese  cases  we  understand,  of  .some 
•'?lo,00U,  fov  .vhich,  as  investigation  has  proved 
unfortunatoiy,  the  Government,  tlirougli  no  fault 
of  its  own,  has  given  no  valid  consideration. 
The  position  is  one  out  of  which  there  is  only 
one  way,  seeing  that  we  are  bound  to  credit 
a Government,  until  the  contrary  be  pro- 
ved, with  the  princijiles  of  a gentleman 
and  man  of  business,  instead  of  the  predatory 
iiisti'.uds  of  a Sbylock.  We  do  not,  of 
coarse,  assume  fur  a moment  that  the  Govern- 
ment will  do  anything  else,  than  that  which  self- 
interest  as  well  as  ordinary  honesty'  dict- 
ates, and  we  therefore,  take  it  to  be  granted 
that  the  planters  who  have  felt  it  necessary  to 
throw  u|)  their  land,  on  whii-h  they  have  sunk 
money  in  most  cases  in  useless  clearing,  will  he 
given  the  open  oi>tion  of  selecting  similar  areas 
in  any  other  localities  witliin  the  .^tate,  with  a 
fair  time  for  the  exercise  of  that  option,  say  one 
y'ear,  in  lieu  of  the  handsome  prices  extracteil 
from  ap|)licaiits  for  land  liy  the  easy  proce.ss  of 
imtling  nj)  a Iniiited  numher  of  blocks  in  one 
area  and  then  putting  the  applicants  against 
each  other  by  dint  of  auction.  We  shall  yet 
hope  that  by'  a liberal  ami  lionourahle  policy 
towards  the  disaii|)oiiited  planters  the  Sclangor 
Governmeiit  will  do  itself  a good  turn  by  still 
securing  Messrs.  For.syth  and  Christie  among  the 
members  of  the  planting  community' of  Selangor.  It 
is  now  in  the  pow'erof  the  Selangor  Government  to 
make  for  itself  a decent  name  amongst  the  liold- 
ers  of  [ilanting  cajiital  elsew  here.  The  world  is 
wide  and  .suitable  a<eas  for  planting  enterprise, 
are  gaping  by  the  hundred  thousand  acres  in 
many'  tropical  lands.  It  should  he  the  i»olicy 
of  Selangor  to  tempt,  not  to  choke  off  Ity  a 
Scrooge-like  policy',  the  men  whose  advent 
wouhl  ho  hut  the  beginning  of  a proces.sion  of 
investors  for  where  one  eminent  planter  goes, 
otiiers  are  rer.dy  to  follow,  relying  on  his  judgment 
am:  on  his  experience.  Biu;  w-here  one  or  two 
eminent  planters  gj  and  have  reason  given  to 
them  to  refr. till  from  stay'ing,  that  is  a lesson  that 
w'ill  be  greedily  assimilated  by  hundreds  outside 
who  .are  w'atching  the  result  of  their  e.\periment. 
We  have  some  faith  in  the  Selangor  Government, 
if  left  to  itself,  and  its  own  a))preciation  of  the 
po.sitioii. 
