I. STAFF 
Mr. M. R. Henderson, Director of Botanic Gardens, 1949-54, who had 
been on the staff since 1924, went on leave prior to his retirement on the 
6th June. Mr. J. W. Ewart, Curator, acted as Director from that date until 
the arrival of the new Director, Mr. J. W. Purseglove, on the 23rd August,, 
on transfer from the Uganda Agricultural Department. Professor R. E. 
Holttum retired from the Chair of Botany at the University of Malaya and 
left the Colony in October. Dr. Holttum was appointed Assistant Director of 
Botanic Gardens in 1922 and was Director from 1925-49. The University 
conferred upon him the honorary degree of D.Sc. before his departure. He 
has retired to Kew where he will continue his taxonomic studies of Malayan 
plants. I am happy to record that Mr. H. N. Ridley, c.m.g., f.r.s.. Director 
1888-1912, celebrated his 99th birthday in his home at Kew on the 10th 
December, and that Mr. I. H. Burkill, Director 1912-25, now in his 85th 
year, is still actively engaged on botanical research. Thus, all four past Direc¬ 
tors, beginning from 1888, are alive, which must be a record for any depart¬ 
ment in the Colonial Service. 
2. Mr. H. M. Burkill, son of Mr. I. H. Burkill, was appointed Assistant 
Director and arrived in Singapore on the 14th December. With the appoint¬ 
ment of an Agricultural Officer, Singapore, Mr. Ewart ceased to act part-time 
in that capacity and resumed full-time his post of Curator of Gardens. He 
proceeded on six weeks’ annual leave on 4th December. Mr. G. H. Addison, 
Curator, Parks, was on vacation leave from 6th February until 14th September. 
Mr. J. Sinclair, Curator of the Herbarium, and Dr. C. X. Furtado, Assistant 
Botanist, were on duty throughout the year. Thus by the end of the year 
the Gardens had its full complement of senior staff for the first time since 
before the war. The list of the staff is given in Appendix /. 
3. Mr. A. G. Alphonso, Horticultural Assistant, left Singapore on 27th 
August to attend a two years’ course of training at the Royal Botanic 
Gardens, Kew. 
4. The Director was Chairman of the Plant Protection Conference for 
South-East Asia and the Pacific Region convened by the Food and Agricul¬ 
tural Organisation of the United Nations and held at Singapore from 13th- 
to 17th December. The Conference was attended by twenty-two delegates 
and observers representing ten Governments. A Draft Plant Protection Agree¬ 
ment for the region as a whole was drawn up, which, when ratified, should 
prevent the entry of destructive diseases and pests, and more especially the 
South American Leaf Blight of rubber (Dothidella ulel). 
5. At the International Botanical Congress held in Paris in July, Mr. 
Purseglove was elected to the Committee of L’Association Internationale des: 
Jardins Botaniques. 
II. LABOUR 
6. The average number of labourers employed per month in the Gar¬ 
dens was 81 and at Government House Domain 56. Health and attendance 
were good throughout the year. All labourers received increases in salary 
recommended by the Ritson Salaries Commission, which were retrospective 
from 16th June, 1953. The average daily salary of a daily-rated labourer or 
