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United Planters' Association, F. M. S. 



REPORT FOR 1905. 



GENTLEMEN, — Your Committee have the honour to submit for 

 your consideration the Ninth Annual Report of the United Planters' 

 Association, F. M. S. 



Meetings. 



During the year six meetings were held, of which five at Kuala 

 Lumpur and one at Seremban. 



All Meetings were fairly attended, although it is regrettable that 

 owing to the nature of the Association's constitution, all Members 

 have not been able to be kept as thoroughly in touch with the con- 

 duct of the Association's business as could be wished. 



The Chairman. 



The Association has sustained a great loss through the departure 

 of Mr. W. W. BAILEY, your chairman for the past three years, who 

 always took the greatest interest in the Association, and whose 

 services both in his public and private capacity were at all times 

 ungrudgingly given to all Members. In many ways he has, as your 

 Committee are aware, been of the greatest assistance in the corres- 

 pondence and necessary interviews with Government. His departure 

 for Europe, and retirement from active management took place 

 earlier than was expected and we were only able to express to him 

 in a small measure our regard and appreciation for his services. 



Labour. 



Of all the various points taken up by the Association during the 

 year, the to all Members by far most important has been the ques- 

 tion of Labour. We are glad to be able to report to you that the 

 free ticket system, as introduced by His Excellency the High Com- 

 missioner (details of which appeared in our last Annual Report) has 

 proved an unqualified success and of the very greatest assistance 

 to all concerned. 



It is to be regretted that many Members did not in time make 

 use of all their tickets last year, nor returned them to the Secretary, 

 with the result that these tickets were unfortunately forfeited. This 

 is all the more regrettable, as the returns supplied by the courtesy 

 of the Superintendent of Indian Immigrants show that the number 

 of free coolies actually brought in were far in excess of the number 

 of free tickets granted to the Association and we sincerely trust that 

 in future all members will take full advantage of these free tickets. 



According to the Superintendent of Indian Immigrants, the num- 

 ber of coolies on Estates has increased from 6,069 at the end of 

 1904 to 9,672 at the end of 1905. The proportion of women is 

 satisfactory. Returns recording 87 births were sent in, but there 

 must have been considerably more not recorded. 



The returns sent in show that in Negri Sembilan 1,038 coolies 

 were imported from India and 200 recruited locally ; that there were 



