Feb, I, 1898.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 533 
The crop for the past six months has sold consider- 
ably in excess of estimates, and prospects generally 
are more favourable for the ensuing year. 
The Directors wish to express their satisfaction 
with the work done by the Staff in Ceylon, 
Under Clause 97 of the Articles, Mr. 0. Hanuen 
r#ti 'es from the Board, but being eligible offers him- 
EClf for re-election. 
5Bhe appointment of Auditors also rests with the 
shareholders under the Articles of Association, and 
Messrs. Fuller & Wise, the present Auditors, offer 
themselves for re-election. C. STRACHAN, 
24th December, 1897. Chairman. 
BOUND FOR TKAVANCORE- 
Mr. and Mrs, Donald Reid, of Western Dolos- 
bage, leave before the end of the inontli to take up 
their residence in Travancore. Mr. Reid has been 
appointed to the management of the Hereford 
plantation, Sheneotta, Travancore, belonging to 
the Messrs. Miller, which has very fine tea and large 
reserves. Mr. Reid — who is an experienced and 
much-esteemed Ceylon planter dating from the 
coffee days — will have a better climate in his new 
charge ; but the counti y is primitive still in re- 
gard to roads. However, there is “ a good time 
coming” for Southern Travancore; for when the 
long-e.xpected Railway is made, it will pas# clo.se 
to Hereford estate. We congratulate Messrs Miller 
in getting so good and valuable a manager, and 
we trust Mr. and Mrs. Reid will prosper in their 
new home. 
THE GAME PROTECTION SOCIETY 
OF CEYLON. 
REPORT OF THE HON. SECRETARY. 
PAST HISTORY, 
The question ot Came Protection in Ceylon has 
received considerable attention from prominent 
sportsmen and officers serving under Government 
for many years, and in 1888 a Committe, con- 
sisting of General Lennox and Messrs. Downall, 
F. C. Fisher, R. W. levers, and C. LeMesurier, 
was appointed by the then Governor to consider 
and report upon the existing laws relating to the 
protection of game. It w'as recognized then that 
game was decreasing rapidly and that the laws 
were inoperative. Remedies w'ere suggested, and 
amongst these an annual license on guns was recom- 
mended and a duty on guns locally manufactured. 
Elephants and buffaloes received due attention, 
and it was proposed to raise the cost of license, s to 
kill or. capture these animals, and a heavy export 
duty on hides and horns of dear and buffaloes was 
recommended. As a result of the deliberations of 
this Committee, Ordinances 10 and 11 of 1891 were 
passed by the Legislative Council, and, with the 
Ordinance No. 6 of 189,3 and the P>oclamation of 
1894 prohibiting the export of hides of sambhur 
and spotted deer, w'ere brought up to the Game 
Laws as they exist at the present time. 
That these are somewhat defective and lament- 
ably inoperative will, I think, be admitted by 
Government itself, and it is for the Game Protec- 
tion Society to devise and propose some scheme 
whereby the condition of the wdld beasts of the 
Ceylon forests may be ameliorated. 
MR. T. FARR’S VIEWS. 
To me it seems clear that until the active 
co-operation of the officers of the Forest and 
Survey Departments is secured, with the sanction 
and support of Government, the Game Laws will 
never serve the purpose for which they were framed. 
A legislative enactment, such as the Madras 
Forest Act, combined with an Act giving special 
powers to officers of the Crown, would, I am 
convinced, do much good and would be an im- 
mense boon to the Game Protection Society in 
the prosecution of its work. 
I would urge in addition that the revenue 
derived by Govern meut from the sale of game 
licenses and from fines inflicted on olfender.s again.st 
the Game Laws be either placed at the disposal 
of the Society or expended by Government in the 
protection of game. 
My object in this paper is to furnish fo mem- 
bers as lull a report as space will permit of the 
work of the Society since its initiation in 1894 ; 
and upon perusal of the following pages it will^ 
I hope, be admitted that we have not been idle. 
WORK DONE. 
Although no drastic measures have marked its 
progress nor radical changes in the Legislature 
borne witness to its power a beginning has been 
made which, with better and wider representation, 
will develop into a sound and powerful organization. 
There are many difficulties to contend with in 
undertaking the proiection of game in a country 
so varied in its natural featKies, w'here its forests 
extend for miles and miles beyond tlie every-day 
influence of tlie European, and where the 
uuscruimh u.s native or Moorish trader can carr.y 
oi\ his nefarious trade at Uie cost of thousands 
of lives undetected and unchecked. There are, 
too, when endeavouring to check the wanton 
destruction of the wild beasts of the forests, the 
interests of the difl'erent classes to he considered. 
The hona fide villager should be given a free 
hand in tlie matter of his food supply, and the 
cultivator should have no restrictions placed 
upon the due protection of his crops ; but the 
law should be made far reaching in its scope 
and reieiitless in its administration when dealing 
with tho.se who, for purposes of trade kill down 
hordes ol deer which the most rabid of non-])rotec- 
tionists can never assert those created for that end. 
MEETINGS HELD. 
The following reports of mee'ings held ami 
resolutions passed will speak for itself, and if 
Government has been inclined to turn a deaf 
are to our recommendations and to leave us severely 
alone, we have not failed to endeavour to make 
ourselves heard. 
On the 23rd May 1894, a meeting was held 
.at the Bristol Hotel, Colombo, at which the fol- 
lowing gentlemen were present : — 
n B Rear-Admiral W R Kennedy [jn-t siding). 
Captaiu Lyon, a.d.c. Milo MacMahon, Esq. 
Colin Murray, Esq. H Glyn Eocles, Esq. 
E Gordon Reaves,, Esq. T Y \Vright, Esq. 
A P Green, Esq. 
F H C Webster, Esq. 
E H L Thomas, Esq. 
R V Webster, Esq. 
A H Thomas Esq. 
Richard Jackson, Esq. 
Edmd Jeffries, Esq. 
Hawtrey T Thwaites, Esq. 
W Waddon Martyn, Esq. 
Gerald Browne, Esq. 
E Rosling, Ei^q. 
Commander Fisher, e.n. 
Di'ummond Deane, Esq. Lieut. Hiokley, e.n. 
R W levers, Esq., c.c.s. Jjieut. Hume, e.n. 
Alex. Murray, Esq. Lt-Col. Corse-Scott, RW 
J E A Dick-Lauder, Esq. Regiment. 
Tlie following resolutions were proposed and 
carried : — 
1 Tliat this Society be called the Game Pro- 
tection Society of Ceylon. 
2 That H. E. Admiral Kennedy he Honorary 
President and R. W. levers. Esq., c.c.s., Pre- 
sident of the Society, and that E. Goidoti Reeves, 
Esq., be Honorary Secretary. 
3. That H.E. the Governor he asked to pro- 
hibit the export of Hides and Horns of spotted 
deer and Sambhur for at least 3 years, piovided 
only that Government reserves to itself the right 
