163 



Mr. Cumming summing up, reminds the Meeting, that more and 

 more coolies were going back to India owing to the high rate of 

 wages, but there was a lot of local recruiting. The whole idea of the 

 committee was, by a surtax, to hit the local recruiter. The surtax- 

 was small to begin with, but the idea was to raise it. The planting 

 communit}^ was a strong bod}^ representing a large amount of capital. 

 If they stuck together and found out what they really wanted, they 

 would get it. Many thought planters were better off under the old 

 system. He believes the initial fault lay in the doing away with 

 recovery of advances. 



He would now formally propose :— 'That this meeting approves 

 of the majority report of the joint committee appointed to consider 

 the labour cess, as per their minutes of February 19th, 1911, provided 

 the Government will not introduce the necessary legislation as a per-^ 

 manency, but limit it to remain in force only until such time as their 

 present contract with the B. I. S. N. Co. expires, when it is desirable 

 that the whole question of subsidy and cess be re-opened." 



Mr. Gibson seconds this proposal, which is carried unanimously- 



4. ABSOONDING. 



The Secretary reads the following letter : 



The Batang-Padang District Planters' Association. 



To the Secretary, 



Planters' Association of Malaya. Tapah, 7th March, 191 1. 



Dear Sir, 



I have been instructed by the Committee to write to you remind- 

 ing you that "The Enactment No. 12, 1910, an Amendment to the 

 Labour Enactment, 1904 No. I General" (i.e. Absconding of coolies to 

 be a criminal offence) is not yet brought into force and to ask that the 

 P.A.M. use their influence to have this Enactment made law as soon 

 as possible. 



Yours faithfull3% 



M. E. Callard, 



Secretary, 



Resolved to ask the Chief Secretary, that this Enactment be 

 Gazetted to come in force as soon as possible. 



6. CHINESE LABOUR. 



The Secretary reads the following letters : 



Office of Secretary to the Resident,. 

 Confidential Selangor, 



Sir, Kuala Lumpur, 13th March 191 1. 



I am directed to state that His Excellency the High Commis- 

 sioner has under consideration the question of improving the im- 

 migration of Chinese labourers into the Federated Malay States and 



