9 
3. My views on this important subject have been so often brought before the 
Government, and are so well known, that I would only refer to the correspondence re 
the Indian immigration scheme; also in regard to the introduction of Chinese settlers; 
also in my minute of 2nd October, 1891, on the mode and incidence of taxation in the 
Native States, and also on the subject of the introduction of Siamese padi planters. 
4. Briefly, I would say that the Government should grant free passages, land rent 
free for three years, sustenance on guaranteed work for six months, with drainage of 
land, irrigation, and roads and paths. 
I have, &c., 
NOEL DENISON, 
Superintendent , Lower Perak. 
V. 
SELAMA, 15 th February, 1892. 
To the Secretary to Government, 
Taiping. 
Sir, — I have the honour to report in answer to Circular No, 
2. In this district there are about 1,000 or more acres of padi land under culti- 
vation, but the supply is not equal to the demand, there being a quantity of rice 
imported from Parit Buntar. 
3. A great deal of land is still available, but, in order to bring it into cultivation, 
outsiders. must be induced to take it up. To do this we must hold out some induce- 
ment to them, such as giving the land for three years rent free. I feel sure, if this 
were done, that a large amount of land would be taken up at once, as, until a few years 
ago, these terms were given and answered very well. 
4. In some parts of Kedah, land is let for a number of years rent free, which 
has induced many people to settle there in preference to Selama. 
I have, &c., 
F. BEDE COX, 
Acting Asssist ant Magistrate, Selama. 
VI. 
Batu Gajah, 15 th February , 1892. 
To the Secretary to Government, 
Taiping. 
Sir, —In reply to your memorandum of the 7th January, forwarding a letter from 
the Colonial Secretary on the subject of the rice supply of the Colony and Native 
States, I have the honour to report that up to the end of 1890 but little attention was 
paid to padi planting in this district, as the Kinta population are almost exclusively 
miners, and they have had little experience in padi planting. 
2. In 1891, however, some Sumatra Malays at Gop'eng, under the auspices of 
Imam Prang Jeberumun, have taken up about 100 acres of land for wet padi, and have 
been most successful, as they are now harvesting a very heavy crop of rice, and will 
make a large profit, owing to the very high price of padi in this district. 
3. . Since receiving your Memorandum I have consulted the various Malay chiefs 
and Chinese headmen in Kinta on the subject of padi growing, and having the suc- 
cessful experiment of the Gopeng Sumatra Malays to point to, I found them, as a 
rule, very willing to render assistance to the Government in this direction. They say 
that, if the Government will assist by irrigating the land, they are quite willing to 
bring in people to take it up. The Datoh Penglima, Kinta, and Toh Muda Wahab 
offer to bring in a large number of Patani and Kelantan Malays. Imam Prang and 
Eaja Mahmud say they can get a considerable number of Sumatra men, while several 
of the Chinese towkays say they are willing to try padi planting with Chinese coolies, 
who, they expect, will be able to obtain two crops of rice in a year. 
4. The question, therefore, in this district is one of irrigation. But, until I can 
obtain an estimate of the cost of irrigation works, I cannot make any recommendation 
as to whether the Government should undertake the work or whether it would be 
desirable to leave it to private enterprise. 
5 - The area of land available for padi cultivation in Kinta is, roughly, some 
10,000 acres. Of this, 5,000 acres are situated in the Kampar valley, 3,000 acres near 
