140 Hoiv to Pay for Uic War 



home labour supply, why not extend the principle (without 

 waiting for an Imperial Parliament to do so, since I fear 

 that this will not come during the next session of Parlia- 

 ment) to inter-colonial and inter-imperial labour gener- 

 ally ; whites for Australia and Canada ; negroes for Africa, 

 West Indies, and elsewhere ; coolies for Malaya, West 

 Indies, Mauritius, British Guiana, &c. ? The idea has 

 already been put in use in the shape of the Emigration 

 Agents in India, and the Protector of Immigrants at the 

 planting centres, or the Planters' Labour Bureau in the 

 Federated Malay States. The results, however, do not 

 seem altogether satisfactory. The planters (the same as 

 African mine-owners) ask for more, whilst the House of 

 Commons, or influential opinion behind it, protests and 

 threatens to give less. The other day an important Com- 

 mission sat to consider the question of Oriental labour in 

 Mauritius, the West Indies, Natal, and elsewhere, and 

 money was spent in getting over witnesses to give evidence 

 against the purely planting financier, who tends to dominate 

 London opinion on the subject when it comes up for dis- 

 cussion on this side. The report issued was, I believe, 

 in favour of continuing the system at present in vogue ; 

 at least, several planting organs in the colonies employ- 

 ing the coolies, indulged in retorts, more noted for smart- 

 ness than tact, at the expense of their opponents, which 

 lead one to feel that they at least were satisfied with 

 the results of the inquiry. But laugh as these supporters 

 of Oriental Immigration may, at the expense of their 

 opponents who have the courage of their opinions (which, 

 locally, are very unpopular among the moneyed classes) 

 and are not afraid to express them, it would be as well to 

 notice the growing attention being given to the matter at 

 home," and the increasing objection to all forms of tied 

 labour. Evidently the opponents here see only the harsher 

 and more or less unfair treatment meted out to the less 

 able-bodied immigrants by the " task " system, or other 

 matters gathered from local knowledge, or Government 

 reports, and are unable to realize the advantages. If the 

 planters, therefore, wish to see the system continued they 

 will have to see thai their backsliders and the over- 

 grasping element are either refused supplies or forced to 

 mend their ways, for once let the public on this side 



' .\s, for instance, the articles running in the Daily Chronicle of 

 London, October 26, November 2, 1910, &c., on "Coolie Labour in 

 British Colonies, and its Evils, which calls for Redress,'" by Mr. John 11. 

 Harris, and since republished in panii)hlet form. 



