121 



but only to raise it for those who did not recruit ; in other words, it 

 agreed with the proposal passed by the Negri Sembilan Planters' 

 Association. He proposed that the present assessment of $5 should 

 remain, but that an extra rate of $8 (making in all $13) be put on 

 coolies locally recruited. The next point was one of calculation. He 

 believed that it had been proposed that it should be found out if each 

 cooly had been recruited or engaged locally. But this was not, he 

 considered, feasible. However, there were other ways of arranging 

 the assessment and he proposed that the cess of five dollars should be 

 paid on every cooly imported during the previous year, that the num- 

 ber of coolies so recruited be deducted from the totaljlabour force on an 

 estate, and that the higher rate should be paid on the balance of coolies 

 remaining. This scheme would induce people to import coolies. The 

 planters were, he believed, prepared to pay money if they could retain 

 their labour, but the higher rate would prevent those who did not 

 import labour from getting the labour brought over by those who did 

 import. 



Sir John Anderson pointed out that the proposal put forward 

 would mean that the Government would pay very much less. He ex- 

 plained that, if an estate had a total labour force of 2,000 coolies and 

 imported 800 in the previous year, it would pay $5 per head on the 

 800 = $4,000 and $13 per head on the balance of i,200 = $15,600, making 

 a total of $19,600. From this would have to be deducted a bonus of 

 eight dollars per head on the 800 coolies recruited during the previous 

 year — $6,400 making an actual payment of $13,200 or an average pay- 

 ment per head on the total labour force of about $6.80. He put the 

 scheme to them, but would assure them, that as far as the Government 

 were concerned, it was very anxious to help the planters in the matter 

 and if possible to come to an arrangement with them. Labour must 

 be got into the country somehow, and the Government would do what 

 it could to co-operate with the planters in the matter. Regarding the 

 question of a loan, the amount of the loan would not stand in the way 

 of its being granted, if only reasonable provision was made to admit 

 of the Tamil Immigration Fund paying it back. It was not proposed 

 that the loan would have to be paid back in two or three years, its re- 

 payment could be postponed for a long period, but the Government 

 must have some assurance about the method of getting back the 

 proposed loan of $1,000,000, or whatever amount might be fixed on, 

 from the Immigration Fund. 



H. E. and the other officials then withdrew. 



Mr. Gumming proposed that the Meeting go into Committee, to 

 discuss the proposals they had just listened to. 



On open Meeting being resumed, it was proposed by Mr. Skinner, 

 seconded by Mr. Gibson and carried unanimously, that a financial 

 sub-committee of four members of the P. A. M. be formed and the 

 Government be asked to appoint as many ofiicial representatives as it 

 desired, to join the planting members and consider the merits and 

 details of the various schemes submitted. 



