162 



end, and therefore he did not think there could be any ex- 

 cessive call upon his time. 



The motion is then put to the meeting and carried toem. 



con. 



VIII. Recruiting Allowance. The Secretary reads 

 the following correspondence : 



14th December, 1908. 



The Chairman, 



Immigration Committee, 



Penang. 



Sir, — I have the honour to inform you that at the last 

 meeting of my Association, held on the 6th instant, the re- 

 cent rule made by your Committee, fixing the total of re- 

 coverable advances at $3 per male immigrant, was made the 

 subject of much adverse criticism. 



The members of my Association wish me to this point 

 to entirely leave out of the question the merits of the new 

 rule itself, but they feel that they cannot too strongly pro- 

 test against the manner in which your Committee make 

 drastic financial changes affecting the interest of employers 

 of labour, without giving this Association any opportunity 

 of expressing the opinion of its members. 



Rush legislation of this sort, as inaugurated by the 

 advent of the Indian Immigration Fund Enactment, is 

 hardly likely to produce good results, nor is it conducive to 

 that co-operation between your Committee and the Planting 

 Community, which to foster is in the best interests of the 

 Industry in particular and of this country in general. 



(Sgd.) H. C. E. Zac harias, 



Secretary. 



24th December, 1908. 



Sir, — In reply to your letter dated December 14th, I 

 have the honour to inform you that no rule fixing the total 

 of recoverable advances at $3 per male immigrant has been 

 passed by the Immigration Committee. 



2. In connection with the question of recoverable ad- 

 vances, 1 would call your attention to the terms of Section 

 26 of The Labour Enactment 1904, No. 1 (General). 



(Sgd.) L. II. Clayton, 

 Chairman, Immigration Committee. 



To The Secretary, 



The Planters' Association of Malaya, 



Kuala Lumpur. 



