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views on the progress made by the Colony during the decade which 
had passed since his previous visit. What he has to say now will 
be equally interesting to our readers, and was given in an interview 
with a Times of Ceylon representative immediately after landing at 
Colombo. It reads as follows ; — 
“What do I think of the F. M. S. as a rubber-producing 
country ?” 
“I consider for the growing of Para plantation rubber it would be 
exceedingly hard to beat,' but I have not seen Java. The trees 
seem to grow equally well on ‘bukit’ or hilly land as they do on the 
alluvial flat. On the former the work of opening up the land is not 
so expensive as it is on the flats which require costly drainage works. 
Some planters are of opinion that the rubber on the flat lands will 
prove the better ‘milkers’, while others hold a contrary opinion. I 
do not suppose there is really sufficient evidence one way or the 
other for any one to state the case with absolute certainty.” 
“ How does the growth compare with Ceylon?” 
“I went over several Ceylon estates before going to the F. M. S. 
and I have no hesitatipn in saying that the growth of, say, a 4-year 
old tree in Ceylon is a year behind one of the same age in the F. M. 
S. There is nothing, however, in this fact or any others which may 
shew in favour of the soil and climate of the F. J&l. S. being better 
for the more speedy -development of the tree, to prove that more 
satisfactory commercial results will be obtained there as compared 
with Ceylon. A planter in choosing between the two countries 
has to decide, after weigh ingf up all "the pros and cons, which place 
is likely to give him the best return on his capital.” 
“Have you come tp any conclusion on this important view of the 
question?” 
“Well, I think it would be somewhat premature of me to do this 
until I have thoroughly digested the figures I have of the two 
countries, and even then one has to take into consideration the 
probabilities as to the future labour supply for this ever- extending 
cultivation, and which country is going to stand the strain best. 
Undoubtedly the cost of labour is much higher in the F. M. S. 
than in Ceylon. A Tamil gets 8^. per day there as against 5^. 
in Ceylon, and in the former country he does not perform an filing 
like the same amount of work. European supervision also is on a 
much higher scale of salaries; there is also an export tax on rubber, 
and freights are higher. Against all this there may be the possi- 
bility of a higher yield of rubber per tree, but so far I have no 
proof of this. 
“The opening out of new plantations is going merrily on. All 
over the country estates are being carved out of the jungle. 
Hitherto estates have been opened out in close promixity to the 
railway or alongside roads, but planters are gradually working 
outwards. I have no idea how many acres are being cleared for 
planting this year, but it must be very considerable. 
