Annual Report of the Director of Gardens for the Year 1919* 
The three Committees of Management for different Gardens within the Depart- 
ment, with the coming in of the year 1919, ceased to have their own banking 
accounts, and paid their balances into the Treasury. The oldest of these Commit- 
tees is the Gardens’ Committee, Singapore : at its creation in 1878, it was composed 
of the Colonial Secretary, the Colonial Engineer, and a member of the Agri- 
Horticultural Society which had founded the Gardens in 1859. The official 
predominance, then so evident, was reduced in 1884 by the increase of the Com- 
mittee to five, and by appointing all its members by name, instead of by title, 
except the Director of Gardens. It has since been increased to eight, with a 
majority that is quite unofficial. 
Under these circumstances it was natural that the Government when largely 
increasing the votes to the Gardens, making themselves in fact wholly responsible 
for funds, should desire to direct the application of these more closely ; and this has 
been done by dividing the money provided under several separate votes where 
formerly one. lump sum was given. 
The two other Committees, — for the management of the Waterfall Gardens, 
Penang, and for the Government House Domain — were created respectively 
in 1916 and 1914, the former of three members, two being officials, the latter purely 
official. Since 1916 the former has been undergoing enlargement by the increase 
of the unofficial element, following the natural course of its precursor. 
H * 
On these Committees in 1919, the following very kindly served : — on the 
Gardens Committee, Singapore : Mr. St. V. B. Down (to December, 17th); the 
Hon’ble Mr. H. W. Firmstone, Mr. W. E. Hooper (to July 16th); Mr. J. G. 
Hubback (from December 18th) ; the Hon’ble Mr. W. Lowther Kemp (from 
April 28th); Mr. W. P. Ker (from September 15th); the Hon’ble Dr. Lim Boon 
Keng; the Hon’ble Mr. H. Marriott (to September 3rd); the Hon’ble Mr. C. G. 
May (from April 28th) ; the Hon'ble Mr. F. J. Pigott (to January 28th) and 
Mr. E. C. H. Wolff (from September 4th); and on the Committee for the Manage- 
ment of the Waterfall Gardens, Penang , the Hon’ble the Resident Councillor (Mr. W. 
C. Michell to July 24th, and Mr. G. A. Hall afterwards) ; Mr. L. M. Bell and 
Mr. Laurie C. Brown. The Committee for the Management of the Government 
House Domain was composed of the Aide-de-Camp to His Excellency the Governor 
(Mr. M. E. Sherwood) and the Director of Gardens. 
It is of passing interest that with the changes in control of expenditure, the 
volume of correspondence from the Gardens to the Secretariat in 1919 rose from 
the annual average of 150 letters to 243, and the correspondence with the Treasury 
from the average of 130 to 323: but some of this increase was brought about by 
general conditions. 
Staff. 
On July 20th Major T. F. Chipp and Mr. F. Flippance took up their respec- 
tive duties of Assistant Director of Gardens and Assistant Curator, Singapore 
Gardens. 
The services of Mr. J . d’A. Pereira, an extra-Assistant Curator, thereupon 
ceased. The services of Mr. E. H. Mathieu, also an extra-Assistant Curator, were 
retained to enable the Director to go on overdue furlough. The Director left the 
Settlements on September 12th ; and Major Chipp acted for the rest of the year. 
