staff and advised them in their work* Gar¬ 
den work continued throughout the Japanese 
occupation, hut greatly deteriorated for 
various reasons. More than half the out 
door staff (49 men) were sent by the 
Japanese military to work in the Siam-Burma 
railway; some of those remaining were taken 
for planting experimental crops of medicinal 
fibre and dye plants in the adjoining Tyer- 
sall estate, and latterly all spent part 
of their working time in food production; 
tools also were gradually reduced both in 
number and Quality. Fortunately the motor 
mowers were maintained in good running 
order throughout, so that the grass of the 
main lawns never got out of hand. Many 
outlying parts of the Gardens were neglected 
and became overgrown, and there were consi¬ 
derable losses in some collections of 
smaller plants. Stocks of pot plants were 
greatly reduced. 
Wages for locaj. staff at the end of 
the Japanese occupation were less than 
double the wages of 1941, but prices 
gradually increased to about 500 times those 
of 1941, with the exception of a small and 
diminishing fixed-price ration of rice, 
sugar and oil. Municipal employees, includ¬ 
ing those of the Gardens, were at a great 
disadvantage as compared with persons 
employed directly by the Japanese military; 
but most of the Gardens staff, both indoor 
and outdoor, remained at their work. Had 
they not done so, the Gardens could not 
have been maintained as they were, nor so 
Quickly rehabilitated in 1946, In this 
connection, special credit is due to Mr.Quan 
Ah Gun, Chief Clerk, and to Dr. Furtado. 
Of the men who were sent to work on the 
Siam-Burma railway, twenty-two lost their 
lives. These included both Indians and 
Malays • 
Prof. Koriba obtained permission for 
Messrs. Holttum and Corner to remain in 
the Gardens and continue their botanical 
