BACK FROM KELANTAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 3018, 17 January 1912, Page 8

BACK FROM KELANTAN.

RUBBER GROWER'S EXPERIENCE

DUNEDIN MAN'S ACCOUNT.

Mr George Bell, one of the managers jf the Dominion Rubber Company, who is at present on a holiday visit to Dunedin, was approached last week by an Otago Daily Times representative, and gave a few interesting detail of rubber-growing in Malay, and also of the conditions of life prevailing there. Mr Bell has been working on rhe Dominion rubber plantation for the past four years, and says they have now about 560 acres planted with trees, and that about 1000 trees will "be ready for tapping in about three months' time. The first plot of 125 acres was planted with about 300 trees to the acre, but the management then decided that it would get better results if the trees were not so thickly grown; so the next portion laid off had only 200 plants to the acre allotted to it, and the third plot 150 trees to the acre. When the trees are thought to be ready for tapping they return about lib of rubber per annum, and this amount in creases annually till between 21b and 31b can bo drawn off. All the trees on the estate —those planted earliest being now just over three years old—are looking in good condition, but it should be explained that some of them come to maturity much quicker than others. Mr Bell states, however, that onwards from about February the number of trees becoming rubber-bear-ing will gradually increase on the total mentioned above. Indentured labour is employed on the citato, and at the present time about. 100 Malays and 400 Chinese coolies are working there. The climate in Relantan was stated to bj not at all unhealthy, although the heat in the day time runs to 94 in the shade, cooling off during the evening to between 70deg and fcOdeg, and Europeans, therefore, do not find the heat sufficiently oppressive to prevent them from sleeping. Owing to the fact that the Messrs Bell take ovory care of their men and employ a Chines? doctor to prescribe for them in cases of illness, there is not a great deal of sickness on their estate, which Mr Bell says is the healthiest in Kelantan. Mr 801 l and his co-manager, Mr W. B. Bell—who were well-known cyclists when resident in Dunedin, —stili use the bicycle to ride round their e6tate, through which a fine road runs, and there are also plenty of side tracks; and, even with this means of transport, they are kept busy from sunrise to sunset looking after the work on the plantation. The coolies—who are indentured for 200 days—work from 6 o'clock in the morning till 4 p.m., and receive in wages eight cents per day, their keep and housing, and any medicines which they may require. The men are mostly fed on rice and dried fish, and Mr Bell states that thoso employed on the " Kusiah " Estate are most tractable and easily managed, but that on some of the adjoining plantations the white overseers think fit to carry revolvers, a practice much resented by the colourod labourers

There are plenty of tigers in the vicinity of the " Kus-iah" Estate, and Mr Bell has brought back with him a beautiful tiger «kin, the original owner of which was shot within 400yds of his house. This tiger had come down to the homestead and killed a young bullock; but one of the coolies turned the tables on the offender by arranging a " trap gun," which the tiger himself fired, and received the bullet In tho neck. The tigers, however, are said to be practically harmless unless interfered with, and are looked on with a favourable eye by rubber planters for the way in which they keep down tho wild pigs and deer, which 6oon mako short work of the young trees if they only get amongst them. It was the rainy season when Mr 801 l left Malaya, an'd, as showing how it c*!l rain in those tropical districts, ho states that Win of rain fell in 24 hours the day previous to his leaving, and that the river was up about 35ft. The chief requisite to enable rubber trees to flourish properly is an ample rainfall, and it is interesting to note that even in the dry season tropical showers of about half an hour's' duration fall nearly every afternoon. Last year tho rainfall over tho Kelantan dfetricV Stalled 105 in.

Singapore is some two days' gigaming Isom Kelantan, which ia situated L» tho

mouth of the river which runs past the Kusiah Estate. Mr Bell says this town is a great ship-ping port—a free one, —and in it and the neighbouring Kuala Lumpur all nationalities of the world are to be met with. He was very much impressed with the fine motor cam seen in these towns, and as Mr Bell was himself an expert in motor cars before leaving Dunedin he can speak with authority on this subject. Singapore has a large number of wealthy Chinese in its environs, and these almost without exception own motor cars driven by Malay and Chinese chauffeurs, who, Mr Bell says, will take a " lot of rubbing out as drivers."

The Dominion rubber plantation is situated in the Duff Exploration Company's tract of country, which embraces some 300 square miles of country, and on which dredging, sawmilling, and rubber-growing are carried on on a vsry extensive scale. From this company and the King of Siam the local company has secured a lease of its estate for 999 years.