Annual Report of the Director of Gardens for 
the Year 1920. 
the Commktees'of^Ma^nagenientT — 6 *° g °° d “ *° their Services U P™ 
anA < i ar ^ ens ’ Committee, Singapore.— Messrs. D. Beatty (from Tune 8th( 
Fe rua^hrfcr W^rT?' 0, the ? on ’ ble Mr ' H ' W. Firmstone (to 
(to Octol.fr Messrs W.G. Hennings (from November 9 th), E. S. Hose 
bll B S - 
the "' ? ReIi dSr CoZdlJr (Mr hZl^o 
St &V m.T1XS£^ 
17th), and Mr. Hastings Rhodes (from July 16th). The Committed of 
Management for the Government House Domain consisted of the DirectX 
of Gardens^ with the A, de-de-Camp to His Excellency the Governor 
Staff. 
T F he ffnm. eCt A r W f as °” ieave until June '3*. Up to that date Major 
Major Cmer’nmrtff Ul . rector ' acted as Director. On December 14th 
S i , proceeded on leave, prior to transfer to West Africa Except 
H,4. M 0r ,c per,0d 0f de P utation to lay out the Gardens at Bel Reliro Penane 
HI, Mr. hLiprANCE was at his post of Assistant Curator, Botanic Gardens* 
Singapore ..throughout the year; and Mr. Mohamed Haxiff, except fora short 
period of illness, was in executive charge of the Waterfall Gardens Penano- 
Mr. E. H. Mathieu remained in the service of the Department until Tuly a lit' 
.avmg executive charge of the Economic Garden. Mr. G. B. Deshmukh 
worked uncer himj until then, and afterwards took over his charge 
Mr. Rasta wi bin Jalil, Foreman Gardener in the Botanic Gardens died on 
July 7th— a great loss to the Department in which he had served 33 years. 
Labour. 
Labour uneasy at rising prices, was difficult to retain, and after the first 
.quaiter of the year, the forces were never at proper strength. In March in 
Singapore, all the younger Javanese— mostly mowers— were induced to leave 
for a rubber estate; but the older Javanese’ in service, who are married and 
smtablv housed in a compact colony of their own, stuck by the Department ■ 
the Tamils changed considerably. In Penang almost ail the trained men 
were lost over the early months of the year; and great difficulties were 
experienced in maintaining the amenities of the Gardens after that mf- 
ortnne. There is wisdom in domiciling a force of married men. Twice in 
Singapore, and twice m Penang, wages were increased; but the Department 
had lost men and it was impossible 111 the general scarcity of labour to rebuild 
the forces satisfactorily. By the sanctioned increments the coolie’s wage 
stands at 70 cents per diem m Singapore, and at 62 cents in Penang The 
per r cent on Z°T B 75 ’I' 93 ^ “ nt ,.°" the wa ^ e of T 9 l6 ’ or to 20 and 60 
at a wale ? ° { Sl " Ce ' 9l6 rellab,e watc, ™“ have been hard to get 
ar a \\ age increased by 56 per cent. s 
