130 



The object of the Singapore Protectorate will be 

 to see that they proceed to their proper destination : their 

 departure will be notified to the Chinese Protectorate in the 

 Federated Malay States. 



C. J. Saunders, 

 Secretary for Chinese Affairs. 



Singapore, 7th February, 191 1. 



12. RECRUITING IN BENGAL. 



The Secretary placed on the Table the following letter : 



9th February 1911, 

 46, Northam Road, Penang. 



Dear Sir, 



Indian Labour. 



With reference to the above question, I understand that the 

 Government has stopped, or is about to stop, all indentured labour 

 from India to the F.M.S. Under these circumstances, I beg to lay before 

 you the following suggestion. That free labour be imported from the 

 Bengal side of India where the class of labour (agricultural) that is 

 required on rubber plantations is plentiful and easily obtainable. 

 Owing to the failure of the Indigo Industry and the closing down of 

 nearly all the concerns, there should be no difficulty in securing 

 coolies at a cheap rate more especially as I am told no coolies are now 

 being sent to Jamaica as formerly. The districts I refer to are Behar 

 in Terhort and Gurrockpore in the North Provinces. I was an Indigo 

 Planter in Behar and thoroughly know the whole district. Should 

 you think there is anything in the idea, I am prepared to take up the 

 matter and would return to India to recruit and send out coolies from 

 Calcutta to Penang or any other Port. I should make my headquar- 

 ters in Behar and would put the coolies on board myself in Calcutta 

 as recruited. Should it be deemed advisable, I could come with them. 

 The cost of a cooly's passage from Calcutta is $12, but I think I could 

 arrange for a substantial reduction through Messrs. Apcar & Co., 

 and Jardine. 



I am prepared to give this scheme a fair trial for three months 

 starting for Calcutta at once and would accept 400 dol. (four hundred 

 dollars) a month and pay my own expenses in India including the staff 

 of recruiters etc. I should have to engage. I shall expect my steamer 

 passage also from here to Calcutta and back if I returned with the 

 coolies myself. 



Should the scheme prove successful, a new arrangement could be 

 made and an agreement drawn up between us, personally I am quite 

 confident of success. 



I enclose my credentials and trusting to have the favour of an 

 early reply. 



Yours faithfully, 



C. M. Gumming, Esq., (Sgd). S. Gordon Simes. 



Seremban. 



