Il8 



of pay should be able to sell to another estate, coolies which have 

 cost nearly $20 a head to import, is so absurd that the time seems to 

 have come when the law should protect us from this practice being 

 carried on in future." 



Negri Sembilan Planters' Association : 



'"That this Association approve that every locally recruited 

 Tamil cooly shall be assessed at a rate of $20, and that the sum be iiTe- 

 coverable from the cooly, and that the amount so obtained be used,. 

 ^irstl3^ to pay for the proper administration of the scheme, and 

 secondly, to pay a bonus for every cooly imported from India but that 

 this Association are not in favour of the Government being exempt. 



"This Association are also in favour of the formation of a scheme 

 for advertising the Federated Malay States in the cooly districts of 

 Southern India on somewhat similar lines to those that Mr. Hill put 

 into practice some years ago when he was Pratector of Labour." 



Klang District Planters' Association : 



" That the members of the Klang District Planters' Association 

 are of opinion that the decision arrived at by the Sub-Committee 

 appointed by the Planters' Association of Malaya to go into the 

 question of the extra assessment on locally recruited Indian labour, 

 be approved of ; and that such cess should be as high as possible and 

 should not be less than $20 per head. The employer of such labour 

 to be liable, in addition, to payment of any assessment in respect 

 of each cooly levied under Immigration Fund Enactment and that 

 the members of the Klang D. P. A. strongly urge the Planters, 

 Association of Malaya to approach the Government without delay, 

 with the object of ascertaining what steps are being taken to see that 

 the existing law regarding registration of coolies recruited locally is 

 vigorously enforced- " 



Batu Tiga Planters' Association : 



"That this Association recognizes that steps are necessarj^ to 

 check local employment of Tamil labour, and authorizes its delegates 

 to vote according to their discretion at future P. A. M. meetings on 

 the subject. " 



Kelantan Planters' Association: 



" We regret we have not been able to hold a meeting and there:-, 

 fore unable to give the views of this Association in time for the P. A. 

 M. meeting on the I2th inst." 



Mr. Gumming said that, as they knew, H. E. the High Commis- 

 sioner had come up to discuss the labour question with them. 

 Opinion among the planters had not been unanimous, but it was no 

 use going to Government unless it was. Briefly touching on the* 

 evils of local recruiting, and theisuggested ren:iedies, he was uncertain 

 whether a differential assessment could be collected. Some planters 

 were for it, and some against. Another proposal was to raise the 



