5 * 
in so many parts of the Federated Malay States is simply the fact 
that money is to be made more easily, more quickly and more con- 
genially by following other employments, and so long as that con- 
tinues to be the case, no well-meant suggestions such as that now 
under consideration will attract the ryot away from the better-paid 
business. 
4. I cannot therefore give my support to the proposals made to 
you, because I believe that to lay out money in the manner indica- 
ted would be to throw it away. 1 am reminded that an effort which 
was made some six years ago to establish rice mills in Krian failed 
because of the want of interest in the project shown by those con- 
cerned with the growth of the product. 
I have, etc., 
H. CONWAY BELF1ELD, 
v Acting British Resident , Perak. 
The Resident-General, F.M.S. 
Office of the Protector of Labour. F.M.S. , 
No. P.O.L. 557/1903. Serembait, 12th December , ryoj. 
Subject : 
Encouragement of Agriculture among Natives. 
Sir — 
With reference to your letter No. 7259/03, dated 7th ultimo, on 
the subject of encouragement of agriculture among natives, I have 
the honour to state that the paper prepared by Mr. STANLEY ARDEN 
appears very reasonable and l am of opinion much benefit may be 
derived by following the suggestions. 
2. In support, I mention Arachis Hypogoei, ground nuts (six 
months’ cropping). The results in Southern India, on old soil that 
no one would look at here, with an uncertain rainfall and a very 
small production per acre, are satisfactory to the ryot, very satis- 
factory to the merchant (one firm, I know, cleared ,£6,000 last year 
in the article), satisfactory to the shipper, for you see steamers 
waiting on the coast to fill up with 10,000 to 40,000 bags, satisfac- 
tory to the Government as arrears of the Government taxes, etc., 
in the districts where the article is grown are almost unknown. 
They are said to grow the crop on the land again and again and 
then it gives better crops of grain. The land is ploughed frequently. 
3. 1 have not had time to justify the expression of more than 
an opinion that I must qualify as superficial. 
4. The facts that Mr. Stanley Arden states are familiar to 
me, and I agree with what he says in para. 8 : three acres at three 
cents, at $1 5=4135, for a man and his family living in their own 
house ; but most of the native coffee gardens changed hands at such 
