237 
use, and have made mention of all the more important dyes now 
known to Balau and Sarebas Dyaks. 
JOHN HEWITT. 
MINUTES OF THE MALAY PENINSULA 
AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 
A gen ral meeting of the Malay Peninsula Agricultural Associa- 
tion was held on Tuesday June 26th at 5, Weld Quay, Penang, the 
following members being present. 
The Hon : J. TURNER, President, in the Chair. 
Mr. T. Boyd, Vice-President 
„ T. Symons 
,, A. Crawford 
,, G. Stothard 
„ W. M. Miller 
„ D. Ritchie 
„ ' G. Palmer 
„ G. Palmer (Junior) 
H. Sperling 
,, Wilson 
„ M. H. Graham, Acting Secretary. 
The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. 
The President asked what succes,. had attended the effort to 
obtain medically examined free coolies '['he Acting Secretary replied 
that so far not a single one of these ce Tie had come over and that 
Mr. Davies, the Association’s Agent at Hegapatam, held out no 
hope of getting any unless th recruiters fee was raised from that 
now offered, viz.: Rs. 15 to Rs. 24 the same as for Statute Immi- 
grants as the recruiters had to take the sanfte risk of rejection by the 
doctor in both cases. 
After some discussion as the fitness of the free coolies now 
coming over without rr.er jal lamination Messrs. Palmer and 
Sperling decided to each .ake a trial shipment of twenty-five. 
A letter dated March from me Secretary of the United 
Planters’ Ass on ■ read in answer to this Association’s Secre- 
tary’s fitter r : h March giving its views on the necessity for levy- 
ing pr -ru.vge ' to cope w ith the Immigration difficulty and of 
r, ang Gove; u nt to fo: rr a Labour Bureau. In it full sympathy 
with these views was expressed. 
Mr. TURNER said that many people at home who are floating 
rubber companies seem to think that the labour supply in the country 
is ample for its need and entirely overlook the fact that a large 
proportion has to be imported. That this fact led to keen competi- 
tion for the free labour already in the country and that even now 
the rate of wages was rising. * This condition would undoubtedly 
become more and more acute as rubber came into bearing. For to 
