[ am given to understand that in your own countries you use you, 
wealth in making advances to agriculturists and others, and it is a 
business which, under proper safeguards, we should like to see yo 
take up here and so aid in the development of the country _anc I by 
the introduction of agriculturists, assist in rendering he fertile 
lands, and abundant waters of these States revenue 
The Government would be prepared to consider m a libera spirit 
applications by bond fide applicants of Indian or 'g m '° r ' a ™ T 
agricultural purposes, provided that the applicants engage to cul- 
tivate one or two crops annually. , , 
I am told, moveover, that it is the custom of your people, on t 
annual balancing of your accounts, to put aside a propor 
profits for charitable and educational purposes, or , 
bouses, and for new ventures, but l am not aware that in this con - 
try you have devoted any portion of your large profits to these ve y 
proper and useful purposes. 
The amounts that you set aside at present for charitable purp os 
do not, so far as I am aware, take the shape of an organised system 
benefiting' this country, but your own country, India, 011I5, ana 
expect from you that in the future you will consider the wants of 
the country in which you reap your wealth. I now ask y °o to con- 
sider these points and in due course lay them before you p I 
with a view of inducing them to assist in developing the resources 
of these States, by, for instance, taking up land, or > nd “cmg others 
to do so for permanent settlement and cultivation, by the int ™d 
tion of communities of one caste who will live as near y as p s 
in the same way as they do in their own country, or m other nays 
that may occur to you and to them. . , , 
As you are well aware this country does not suffer from droughts, 
as the southern parts of India do and therefore money invested in 
rice and grain-growing would be a safer investment here than theie 
The facilities of transport are here immeasurably greater better 
roads and more railways in proportion to the area of the 
and there exist good markets locally and m the Straits Sett eme . 
Some of you will know about the waste lands near Maduia that 
were affected by the bringing in of water by tbe Per, y ar ^ e ’ 
Scheme to work land that some ot you must have known foi many 
years valueless and unproductive from want of water— now paving 
the Government a water cess of from Rs. 2 to Rs. b pei acre per 
annum, and proving highly remunerative to the owner and cultiva- 
tors. Here the land is equally good and if ploughed as frequent y 
as is the custom of your people would probably yield more I 
than land in India, the rainfall and climatic conditions general!) 
being more favourable. , 
I can also tell you that the Government is expending one and a 
half million dollars on Irrigation Works in the padi-growmg district 
Mr. HILL is going to India, and the words I .have said to you 
will be written down in Tamil and, if you desire it Telegu, 
copies will be given you to circulate amongst your uen s. 
If you will have a list made out of your firms here and your pun- 
