6s 
4 The native owners themselves would proiit by being im- 
mediately able to dispose of their produce and in addition thev 
ought to obtain a better price than at present and these advantages 
might induce them with more ready cash in hand, to give moreat- 
tention to their plantations. 
5 - The material gain and saving is in the transport and the pro- 
ducer should certainly reap his share of it. Suppose for instance 
such a depot was erected at Rembau in Tamp in District, Negri 
bembi/an , where there is a large area under coconut cultivation 
belonging to natives and there is no nearer market at present for 
the, r surplus than Seremban. The cart hire to Seremban from 
Keinbau is at least $3 per cart carrying say only 300 to 360 nuts 
whereas quite seven times this quantity of nuts made into copra 
could be carried at same cost. Kuala Pillah is also similarly situ- 
f . °d and I should sav there are other districts where the assistance 
1 nave suggested might be found beneficial to the natives. 
6 Another matter I would mention is that I consider a ^reat 
deal might be done m the way of catch crops by the natives & Of 
course as tong as many of the plantations were in the lamentable 
and unsatisfactory condition as when f arrived the matter appeared 
utterly hopeless but now some of them are keeping their plan ta 
tions better and with the conditions it was desired at the recent 
Residents Conference in Taiping to impose on newly alienated land 
I shall endeavour during the current year to do what I can to <Wve 
them some hints on the subject. My staff too without necessarily 
interfering with their present work might on their rounds perhaps* 
under my instructions, render some assistance in teaching the 
natives something about this. B 
7. Alluding to para. 8 of Mr. Arden’s letter of tgtl, September 
1903, 1 believe many of the apparently abandoned coffee lands, where 
there are few of the coffee trees still to be seen, might be well worth 
recultivating by the natives ; the ground would not be very difficult 
o clean, many of he coffee trees could I think be brought into 
bearing and the sale of the product go a long way towards Expense 
ol upkeep. Coconuts and other catch crops could also be planted 
where the useless coffee trees have to be dug out and in other vacant 
spaces. 
S. In conslusion my further suggestion and one I strongly re- 
commend ,s that a system of rewards, for some time at lfast be 
introduced and prizes given for well kept plantations as an induce-' 
1, lent to the natives to take more interest in cultivation generally. 
I have, etc., 
L. C. BROWN, 
The Federal Secretary, F.M.S. ° f C “ ^ FM - S ' 
Kuala Lumpin'. 
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