As regards the probable crops for 1921, it is not possible at this juncture to tell you what the rubber output is likely to be, as one cannot foresee whether it will be necessary to enforce greater restrictions than are at present in vogue, but I can tell you that if the times had been normal the combined estimate would have been at least 2,500,000 Ib. The coffee crop is expected to be between 6,000 and 7,000 piculs and the hemp harvest between 7,000 and 8,000 piculs.
As you will have seen from the report the cost of production for both estates is higher than it was for 1919. In the case of Limburg the increase is entirely due to the higher rates of wages that had to be paid owing to the competition for labour from neighbouring sugar and tapioca estates.
The same reason applies to Djarngan, in addition to which the whole of the general expenditure was charged against working this year and the smaller output had the effect of increasing the cost per Ib. of all overhead expenditure such as salaries and upkeep of gardens.
1920 was the wettest year in the history of the company, the abundant rainful causing much damage to roads and watercourses on both estates besides encouraging the growth of weeds and thus materia!- ly increasing the cost. of upkeeping the various gardens.
Nothing definite has been decided yet about dredging the lake, but the new manager of Limburg is now going into the matter and wa hope shortly to receive the result of his investigations. Whatever scheme is finally adopted is bound to be an expensive on but unfortunately the work will have to be undertaken very shortly as the lake, in its present condition, is not only a source of considerable danger to the factory but the flow of water is getting so reduced that our cheap motive power, that is to say the Belton turbine, is in jeobardy of having to top through shortage of water.
The statistics with regard: to the output per acre per annum are of course upset by the restriction of output now in force.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.