Sandakan
From: W.B. Pryer
To: Jose Rizal
Rizal’s project to lease land in British North Borneo entailed considerable correspondence, as the following letters show. Mr. Pryer is the manager of the Dunlop Corporation in Borneo.
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Sandakan, 3 April 1892
DON JOSE RIZAL
AS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE TAGAL SYNDICATE
SIR,
With reference to our various conversations as to the purchase of land by you, the following is the arrangement which I understand we have arrived at.
You are to have the option for eight months of purchasing 1000 acres of the Corporation lands situated on the Byte, Gum Gum Kabeli or Dewhurst Bay.
During the next ensuing three years you are to have the option of buying further 5000 acres of land at the same places.
The conditions on which this land is purchased are:
1. The price is to $6 an acre payable ⅓ when the arrangement for purchase is completed ⅓ within 12 months.
The leases are to be for 950 years.
The selection of the particular lots of land is to be subject to the approval of the Manager of the B.N.B. Dunlop Corp. Lmtd. and also to there being no previous claim of any kind to any part or arrangement to let it to anyone else.
All the land is subject to the Land and other Laws and regulations in force in British North Borneo.
Should there be any improvements on the land so purchased by you, you must repay to the Dunlop Corp. the cost of such improvements without any profit being added thereto.
During the next 3 years (from this date) you are to have the option – with a proviso as noted below – of purchase of a further area of land up to 10,000 acres in extent on the Benjuya and Maroap rivers, and if the railway concession falls through on the Moaund as well at $4 an acre the terms and stipulations the same as in the case of the Byte lands already mentioned above —provided however that a 4 month notice is given that this option is proposed to be exercised during which 4 months the Dunlop Corp. is to have the power of confirming or disallowing this option.
You are further to have the right during the next 3 years of settling on the Dunlop Corp land up to 20 families to begin with, on the following conditions.
The Dunlop Corp. will fill and rough clear the land, build houses and rough plant gardens, and also if so required provide food not exceeding in value a total of $27 a family, the amount spent for house & food to be a loan, total not to exceed $57, repayable within 3 years without the addition of any interest for the period.
The lease to be for 21 years, the rent to be one third of a picul of Manila Hemp (worth $9 per picul) per acre per annum or other produce of an equivalent value in lieu thereof.
The settlers can commence on as small an acreage as they like, taking up more land afterwards at any time within the said period of 21 years, the total amount so taken up not to exceed 20 acres per family. Should any of these settlers wish to buy the land so leased to them at any time within the period of 21 years, they are to be able to do so paying $10 an acre for clearing and filling plus the price of the nearest block of land bought by you under this agreement. Should the settlers themselves have filled and cleared the land or any portion of it they are not to pay the $10 an acre for improvements for such portion.
Any alterations in this agreement as proposed to be made hereafter to be a matter of arrangement between the various parties interested.
I am, Sir,
Yours faithfully, W. B. PRYER
Manager, B. N. Dunlop Corp,
04-719 [Misc.]