Description
Papers of Thomas Bradwall Barlow
30/1: Letters to managers 5 January 1965 – 28 December 1966. Comprising:
- letters to Gordon H. Lang, Barlow & Co. (Malaya) Ltd and John K. Barlow, acting head of the Kuala Lumpur office during Lang’s leave, (JUN – SEP 1965);
- including general estate management, negotiations relating to merger with Bousteads to form Barlow Boustead Estates Agency Ltd/ Sdn Bhd (by OCT 1966);
- formation of Barlow Bulking Ltd to handle storage of palm oil at Port Swettenham;
- formation of Barlow Holdings (Malaysia) Ltd;
- question of floating of Tebrau Rubber Estates Ltd as a local company;
- Malaysianisation of the rubber industry – formulation of scheme by Rubber Growers’ Association to replace European planter’s by means of natural wastage and non-recruitment (AUG on);
- withdrawal of Barlow group rubber companies from Malaysian Planting Industry Employers’ Association over wage negotiations and question of Sunday no tapping rule, efforts to set up rival association;
- retirement of A. J. Hunter as visiting agent (1965) and Ian A. MacDonald, manager, Bradwall and Sagga estates (by 1967);
- discussions with Malaysian government on question of setting up a local rubber market in Kuala Lumpur (DEC 1966).
30/2: Letters to managers 4 January 1967 – 31 December 1968. Comprising:
- letters to Gordon H. Lang, Barlow Boustead Estates Agency Ltd/ Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur;
- including slump in rubber prices following 15 years of healthy prices, impact on Malaysian rubber industry compounded by ‘dumping’ of Indonesian rubber in Singapore market, measures taken to effect economies in replanting and tapping;
- threat from synthetic rubber industry;
- work of palm oil selling committee, organisation of Barlow Bulking Ltd, arrangements for shipping of palm oil;
- letter from Thomas B. Barlow to The Times deploring early troop withdrawals from Malaysia and Singapore (11 JAN 1968);
- letters to Ian A. MacDonald following his retirement from Bradwall estate, question of continuing as visiting agent in doubt from policy of Malaysianisation of estate management (19 AUG 1968).
