IHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
5^3 
Feb. I, 1898 .] 
patient scientific investigation. And then, after 
some sliow of readiness to help tlie cacao planter, 
-for which thanks are due to Sir \\est 
Eiflgeway, — there lias been a rather mysterious 
withdrawal, which has placed on a few private 
proprietors the obligation of securing the ser-. 
vices of a Specialist to investigate a trouble in 
which every cacao plantation, large or small, 
is interested, and therefore the country generally. 
For, our cacao exports now represent a value ap- 
proximating to one-and-a-half million of rupees 
annually. We do not underrate w hat Mr. Willis is 
doing to further knowledge on agricultural subjects, 
including the cacao pest; but he has proceeded 
rather on his personal initiative than at the 
instance of the Government. What we depre- 
cate is the tendency of the Government to take 
too narrow a view of its responsibilities and 
duties, to look only to the immediate present, 
and to favour a strictly rupees-and-cents view of 
every question, even in regard to such com- 
paratively light matters as the employment of 
a Scientist involving an outlay of five or six 
thousand rupees i>er annum. When the Island was 
under the cloud of depression, the Government 
added to the burdens of the taxpayers. That was, 
perhaps, in a way, inevitable ; but it proceeded on 
the assumption that the best way of increasing the 
revenue wgs by the simplest expedient of doub- 
ling certain levies. Of course, its anticipations 
were not all realized in connection with the re- 
venue from Stamps and Customs. INot only so; 
but an impulse w’as given to Crime, for when 
impow-crished people found resort to the Courts 
to establish their rights rendered more difficult, 
they began taking the law into their own hands. 
The chief grievance, however, is that when pros- 
perity returned to the island, there was no reduc- 
tion or removal of the special levies. But rather, a 
new' engineof taxation has been found — which many 
think will be widely used, should “depression” 
recur — in increased Bailway fares. Take again the 
entirely unjustifiable enhancement by Sir Arthur 
Havelock cf the Kerosine Oil Tax, to meet a 
conlingency of his ow'n creation. The appre- 
hended deficit in the revenue did not happily 
arise from abolition, but when a reduction w'as 
applied for, and the interests of agriculture 
W'ere specially pleaded in connection with oil 
engines which are a convenience on tea estates 
which have no firewood available, there was any 
■ amount of quibbling in order to escape an ob- 
vious obligation. Now, a reduction has been 
tardily granted, but applicable only to oil used 
for machinery ! 
But to return to the question of Salt, the 
revenue roughly makes a profit of E2 
per cwt. a year on 450,000 cwt., or say 
a nett annual average of E900,000 by the 
monopoly. The production of a larger quantity 
cannot inconvenience in the least tlie Govern- 
ment which has the work chiefly done by 
contract, and has to arrange only for receiving the 
salt into its stores and for issuing the same. The 
probability is that the contract rates can be 
lowered for larger colleetions. The only reason 
advanced, in the past, against issuing salt at 
a cheap rale lor agricultural purposes was 
that it could not be eflectually denaturalized. 
The Ceylon Government was eontent to wait 
for an article that would render adultera- 
tion perfect, and it has renewed its refusal 
to help Ineal agriculture during the SO year* 
that Geimany has been strengthening the hands of 
lier ^agriculturists by the issue of cheap salt. We 
have already expressed our thanks to the 
Government for the tardy and round-about conces- 
sion of a Salt Committee ; birt we hold that, even 
if it is impossible to denaturalize salt, the Govern- 
ment would lose nothing by the concession. 
Assuming that the wealth of local Coconut produce 
is increased to begin with, by only El, 000,000 
a year, would the planters concerned, be able to 
avoid contributing at least 1 per cent of their 
profits to indirect taxation ? That would represent 
E10,000 a year — a handsome insurance against 
any loss from the use of cheap salt for culinary 
purposes ! But it is not for coconut laud alone 
that cheap salt would be used. Other cultiva- 
tors would benefit by rt, while salt would rid land 
of grubs and other insect pests, and cattle 
would thrive on a free exhibition of salt and 
be protected against disease. We bespeak, 
therefore, for our local Agriculture, not alone 
as touching salt, but in every w’ay, a far more 
considerate and sympathetic treatment at the 
hand of our Government, as its truest wisdom. 
AN AGEICULTUEAL COLLEGE. 
Ceylon is far ahead of the Straits in one respect, 
it possesses an Agricultural College, where W'e un- 
derstand, several schools are being conducted, amongst 
which are those specially devoted to the seperate 
education of students in agriculture, veterinaiy, 
science, forestry, and daiiy-farming. Quite receiUly 
a technical school has been added, with, it is said, 
the brightest prospects of success. Now if there be 
any particular knowledge cf more value than all others 
in the Straits, it should be that concerning agricul- 
ture and forestry. And yet, there is no establishment 
or institution, of even the most humble character, 
where the local youth can acquire any scientific train- 
ing in reference to those two importairt subjects. 
Consequently, the Straits aspirants to knowledge 
in that direction must needs go elsewhere, and, 
Ceylon being not far distant, they naturally mi- 
grate there for a seasorr of instruction. One of 
these student s, Mr. A. E. Jeremiah, has achieved 
the latest success, and it is about him that a Ceylon 
contemporary has been pleased to say a few words 
of well-deserved commendation, which we give else- 
where. Of the ten prizes, offered for competition 
at the Agricultural School, this youthful Scientist 
has secured those for (1) Senior class 1891, lor pro- 
ficiency in Agriculture. (2) Agricultural Chemistry 
and (3) Dairy Work given by the manager of the 
Dairy. lie has been also awarded a first-class certi- 
ficate for 1897. We congratulate both the student 
and his family ; the former on having made the best 
use of his time at College, and the latter on having 
had the good sense to permit the youth to do first 
a profession suitable to his tastes, and to send him 
■ though probably at considerable expense, to the best 
available source of knowledge on the subject, re- 
quired to be studied. Everybody knows how staunch 
a supporter technical Science had in Sir Cecil Smith, 
arrd we presume that the present Governor is no 
less ready to do all that might be necessary to pro- 
mote the success of an institution devoted to the 
study of that and kindred sciences. Yet if the Straits 
Settlements and the Native States, are even to have 
Schools for Agriculture and Forestry the first move- 
ment in that direction must come from persons 
intimately associated with the practical side of the 
question. We must, therefore, look to Messrs. H. N, 
Kildey, C. Curtis, Leonard Wray, A. B. Stephens 
and Eobert Derry and the numerous planters around 
us, to take the initiative, feeling sure that, afterwards 
the several Goverments in Malaya, if properly ap- 
proached, will be easily persuaded to do all that 
may be required of them towards establishing an 
Agricultural College on lines suggested by the experts 
we have named.— Feuang Gaxette, Dec. 22, 
