IO 
be treated separately, as district sub-departments from other Crown Lands but that 
all Crown Lands, Reserved and Unreserved should be treated together as one Estate. 
He condemned the present system of monthly passes to cut timber as wasteful, 
and I hope that effect will be given to his suggestions for superseding this system of 
passes to coolies, by issuing' passes for specified trees, with no limitation of the 
number of coolies to be employed. The change would be analogous to that from time 
work to piece work and the advantage would be all on the side of the Government, 
It is the easiest thing in the world for the owaer of a timber Kongsi to employ a 
number ,of men without passes among his other coolies. These unlicensed men cut 
regularly, and accept the risk of being caught when the Forest or District Officer 
makes a surprise examination of the Kongsi — not a very “sporting" risk, consider- 
ing that the Kongsi are always in the middle of the jungle and that escape and con- 
cealment till the examination is over are by no means difficult. Each man so 
employed means a monthly loss to Government of his licence fee of S3. The total loss 
may not be very great but it could be avoided by issuing the licence, not to the man 
but for a specified tree or number of trees. This is the system established I believe 
in Burma and Ceylon and the details could easily be adopted to the needs of the 
Straits. Mr. Hill and Mr. CURTIS left the Dindings on the 2nd July continuing 
the tour via Perak. 
This matter is not however strictly connected with the Reserves and should 
not perhaps be included in a Report dealing only with the Reserves. The Revenue 
of this District is however so largely derived from forest produce that the inclusion 
may be justified. There are of course no licensed cutting operations in the Reserves. 
8. There were no fires in any of the Reserves. Their isolated position, generally 
at a distance from cultivation and cleared ground, at present forms a safeguard. 
The Pundut side of the Lumut Reserve is the only one where the proximity of lalang 
causes danger of the spread of fire. 
9. The two new Reserves of Teluk Muroh and Ulu Bruas are well timbered 
hills. The former is one of the largest of the Reserves, the boundary cut round it 
* ^ 
being probably 5 or 6 miles in length. 
F. J. HAIL LI FAX, 
Acting District Officer, Dindings. 
24th "January , igui. 
MALACCA. 
LAnd Office, 
r Malacca , 28th January, igoi . 
Si,- ; — 1 h a ve the honour to report on the Bukit Bruang Forest Reserve for the year 
1900. 
2. I have been over the whole of the boundary line since taking charge of the 
Land Office in September, with the exception of a small piece, at the South West 
corner leading up to the Sungei Gapam, where the line disappeared in a thick growth 
of scrub. I have taken steps to get this part re-opened. 
3. The Forest Rangers do not inspect the Reserve, their time being fully 
occupied in dealing with land application and similar work. 
4. The staff consists of a Corporal and a Forest Guard. 
5. There is still a very large stretch of lalang on each side of the northern 
boundary, but it appears to be gradually giving way to small bushes and trees and 
if protected from (ire will no doubt disappear in a few years. 
6. » There were no prosecutions during the year. 
7. The Nursery of Forest Trees, under the personal supervision of the Resident- 
Councillor, was maintained and a number of trees planted out. This however is a 
work which requires special knowledge and should be under the control of an officer 
with the necessary technical training. A Superintendent of Government Plantations 
and Forests has been provided for in the Estimates ior 1901. 
8. The plantations of rubber trees appear to be doing satisfactorily. 
I have, &c., 
A cting 
G. HALL, 
Collector of Land Revenue. 
