26 Timehri. 
very much doubt from personal recollection whether this is actually the case 
—but whilst section 202, sub-sections 1 and 2 of Ordinance 18 of 1891 still 
remains unrepealed, I have authority for questioning the correctness of the 
given reason for the alleged reduction. These sub-sections are as follow :— 
**(1.) Every Indian introduced during the season commencing in 1898 
“or any subsequent season, who completes a continuous residence 
“ of ten years in the colony and during that time obtains or becomes 
“entitled to a certificate of exemption from labour shall, unless 
“he surrenders as hereinafter provided his right thereto, be entitled 
“to be provided with a return passage to the port in India whence 
“he sailed to this colony, on payment by him if not destitute or 
“disabled, of the sum hereinafter specified, but if destitute or dis- 
“abled, then without any payment by him. 
“(2.) The sum referred to in the preceding sub-section shall be in 
“the case of any male immigrant one-half and in the case of any 
“female immigrant one-third of the passage.” 
Previous to the year 1900, when the above sub-sections were enacted, the 
proportion payable was one-fourth and one-sixth respectively. The only 
change made in 1900 was the introduction in the Ordinance of power to 
surrender his or her right to a return passage by accepting instead a grant or 
transport of land or a money payment in lieu thereof. This was to facilitate the 
Government’s settlement scheme already referred to. And few they are who 
have exercised this power. Nor must I omit to mention that the children or 
dependents and the wives of such imported immigrants as aforesaid, are still 
entitled to free passages to India with their parents, guardians or husbands, 
except under certain exceptional circumstances which need not be detailed 
in this place. 
The East Indian, like most other people, remains in the colony because he 
makes a better living here than anywhere else. And with the facilities given 
him for rice cultivation by the sugar estates people—facilities not given to any 
other race—he rapidly acquires a competence. With his own labour and 
those of his family his expenditure for rice cultivation is almost nil, excepting 
the payment of about $4 or $5 an acre per annum as rent. During the period 
when his rice is growing he obtains work on the sugar estates at the average 
rate of one shilling orso perday. The entire scheme enures for the benefit of 
both sugar planter and labourer, and therefore it continues. The planter 
advises him with respect to his planting and reaping of rice in such a manner 
as does not clash with the labour requirements of the sugar estates. These 
great facilities the East Indians do not fail to take advantage of, and the 
scheme succeeds. 
For the rest, his social and domestic arrangements are not at all different 
from those to which he is accustomed in India. He is left alone to pursue his 
religious or no-religious functions at his own sweet will. He is not ems 
barrassed by aself-condemnatory conscience, neither is he plagued like other 
men with persistent applications of the doctrine of contentment and submis- 
