6. I am very strongly of opinion that, in this connection, money should be freely 
allowed to the District Officers, quite independent of the Public Works Department, for 
the purpose of making foot or bridle-paths, to make it possible to get at the land. 
I do not mean that money should be given on the basis on which the Public Works 
Department ask for money for bridle-paths- — Matang to the railway was $4,000 per 
mile, for instance — but I think it should be given on the scale on which the Resident 
allowed us last year, as a supplementary vote, $3,900 to construct 26 miles of bridle- 
path at, $150 per mile. These preliminary foot and bridle-paths are of the greatest 
use wherever they go ; the suitable land is taken up, and they can later on, if required, 
be made into a better class of road. 
7. In the same way, when it is found that a drain or canal, to carry off surplus 
water, will lead, without doubt, to land in quantity being taken up, the money should 
be forthcoming; both the paths and drains should be looked upon as remunerative 
works, bound to pay for themselves in time. 
8. I think it an excellent idea to attempt to introduce such grains as dholl and 
ragi. The latter is, I believe, the staple food of millions in Southern India, and is 
so easily cultivated that I should think it would commend itself to the somewhat 
indolent Malay, being sown broadcast and being simply dependent on rain to make 
it grow like other dry grains, no irrigation whatever being required. 
I beg to suggest that a supply of these seeds be supplied to all District Magis- 
trates, with instructions as to their cultivation. 
I have, &c., 
ARTHUR T. DEW, 
Collector and Magistrate, Matang. 
VIII. 
Batang Padang, 
14 th March, 1892. 
To the Secretary. to Government. 
Taiping. 
Sir, — In reply to your Circular No. -Jj- I have the honour to report as follow's. 
2. Of land available for padi cultivation there is a very large area in this district; 
the valleys of the Bidor, Sungkei, Slim and Bernam rivers contain many thousands of 
acres of land suitable for this, besides which there are smaller areas in the Chenderiang, 
Batang Padang, Bikum and other valleys. 
3. The padi lands of this district possess a great advantage over much of the 
lands of the coast country in the facility with which, at a small cost, they can be irri- 
gated with a never failing supply of fresh water, thus rendering the crops independent 
of rain. 
4. Padi is grown to a small extent in all the'mukims of the district, and the 
rice is acknowledged to be of very good quality. The average yield per acre is very 
large: the Penghulu of Slim this year returned the average crop of his mukim at one 
thousand gantangs per orlong. The chief rice producing mukims in this district are 
Slim and Ulu Bernam. The former produces more than sufficient for the support of 
the population of the mukim. The padi fields of this valley are very fine: the soil is 
excellent and the water supply abundant. The population is composed chiefly of 
Sumatra Malays, who, however, have been long settled here, and the Penghulu is an 
active man who understands the cultivation of this grain and who is interested in his 
mukim. 
5. The chief thing necessary to make this a great rice producing district is 
population. At present the whole population is only about eleven thousand, scattered 
over something like 1,800 square miles, and when it is remembered that of this popu- 
lation 3,000 are Sakeis and the majority of the remainder are miners, it will be seen 
how very sparse the population is. 
6. As people come in and take up the land, assistance should be given in the way 
of irrigation works, the expenses of which might be recovered by charging a slightlv 
increased rent for such lands as are benefited by these works. 1 am of opinion that 
these works should be carried out by the Government, instead of assisting by means of 
advances to the people, as has been done hitherto. A very great step will have been 
gained when the people have been taught to use light ploughs. 
C 
