2 
other expedients had to be tried. First of all, in April all the women living in 
lines and willing to work were engaged, a measure retaining to some degree the 
husbands. Then in May the pay of the gardeners, as contrasted with the coolies, 
was raised, lest the best men should be lost. Next, from June 1st a Rice 
Allowance had to be added to the pay of all, making it about 10 per cent better; and 
finally from October 1st, a further 5 per cent had to be conceded. 
The Tamil labour of the Economic Garden, which largely houses itself in the Bukit 
Timah Road, showed its tendency to leave the Department only in February ; and 
from then to June, when the Rice Allowance was conceded, the force gradually 
decreased in size and efficiency. From June onwards the competition of rubber 
estates near to the Garden several times drew off labour, but the average number 
retained was fair. 
On the Government House Domain, where the housing is good, and where 
proximity to the town is an inducement to engage, it was only necessary to concede 
Rice (or War) Allowance from October 1st. In the Waterfall Gardens, Penang, 
where the scale of pay had been revised towards the end of 1916, and where the Tamil 
labour is well housed, a 10 per cent increase from November 1st sufficed. 
The changing prices of stores made work : and two contracts were so badly met 
that they had to be cancelled. Of manure it was never possible to obtain enough. 
Finance. 
The grants by Government for 1917 contained nothing essentially different from 
those for 1916 except an increase of about $1,300 for the salaries of the Field 
Assistants, and of this $300 has been saved by the employment of a Foreman- 
Gardener vice Overseer, as mentioned above. 
There were considerable savings by reason of undrawn salaries. 
A. Singapore Gardens . — The position of the Gardens Committee on January 1st, 
1918, and on the first day of the three preceding years was as follows : — 
1915, 
/p/<5. 
1917, 
1918. 
% 
$ 
$ 
$ 
In the Bank and in hand 
Outstanding debts to the Gar- 
1,553 
2,777 
3, 2 47 
1162 
dens 
366 
439 
634 
327 
Value of rubber in hand 
1,224 
8S2 
1,264 
2,299 
making 
3H43 
4,098 
5H45 
3,788 
less payments in advance 
513 
303 
419 
574 
Total ... 
2,630 
3,795 
4,726 
3, 2I 4 
An analysis of the sources of the revenue furnishes the following table : — 
By the sale of ornamental plants and seeds 
By the sale of economic plants and seeds 
By the sale of rubber 
By recoveries of expenditure in connection with 
sales, e.g„ packing ($298.77), cartage and coolies 
($132.12), freight ($167.76) 
By recoveries not connected with sales 
$ c. 
781 37 
886 90 
2,631 00 
598 65 
T594 03 
4Jg|L,?7 
2,192 68 
Total ... $6,491 95 
Of the revenue, $1,264 was derived from rubber in store on December 31st, 1916. 
Deducting this from the receipts by rubber and adding the value of that which was 
in store on the same day of 1917, the value of the rubber made in 1917 is found to be 
$ 3 , 666 . 
Neither in rubber, nor in the sale of ornamental plants, nor in the sale of econo- 
mic plants and seeds was the estimated revenue attained: for although more rubber 
was made than in any previous year, the fall of the market prevented attainment, and 
