CEYLON 161 



the work on the plantations. Government dispensaries 

 and hospitals are established in all districts, and these 

 are attended to by resident Government Medical Officers. 

 In 1912 official statistics showed 550,000 Indian coolies 

 and 150,000 Sinhalese and other nationalities engaged 

 in agricultural work in Ceylon. On September 30, 1911, 

 the published returns gave 421,305 Indian coolies em- 

 ployed in 1,830 estates ; of these the males numbered 

 218,709, and females 202,596. The great majority of 

 these labourers are thoroughly conversant with ordinary 

 plantation work, and a very large percentage of them 

 have become skilled tappers. The children grow up on 

 the estates, and develop ability and intelligence in all 

 branches of rubber production, as occurred in connection 

 with coffee and tea planting in former years. Nearly 

 all these coolies are Tamils, immigrating to Ceylon 

 from the Madras Presidency, where they formed part of 

 a population of some 30,000,000. With the linking up 

 of the Ceylon railway system with that of Southern 

 India the transport facilities for these immigrants will 

 be greatly improved, and the agricultural industry of 

 Ceylon reap a corresponding benefit. These coolies 

 are recruited by kanganies sent out from the estates, 

 and the cost of their passages is advanced by the owners 

 of plantations. They are under no indenture, although 

 an indenture ordinance exists in Ceylon, and after due 

 notice and payment of any indebtedness they are 

 legally free to leave the estate for employment else- 

 where. Many complaints are heard in regard to this 

 condition of affairs, but on the whole the system works 

 on fairly satisfactory lines. The wage rate varies from 

 40 cents for men to 25 cents for women, and 18 cents 

 ii 



