166 



Mr. Macfadyen seems to see two divergent views, with 

 a very strong underlying current of agreement. He would 

 not offer his own opinion with regard to the coolies, as his 

 experience of them had been only a short one, comparative- 

 ly. He had found, however, that if he wrote off a debt, the 

 kangany was only too glad to claim it himself. The really 

 important point was, however, that they found themselves 

 committed to an arrangement that affected their pockets: 

 and they were told that that arrangement might be only a 

 temporary one — which alone condemned it. That no tax- 

 ation should be imposed without representation, was a 

 fundamental maxim of the British race; but this had been 

 done; while, further, the Immigration Committee possessed 

 great legislative power— greater even than that of the State 

 Councils — for, whereas, the latter were restricted in their 

 scope, the Immigration Committee was controlled by no- 

 body under heaven. He proposed that, if necessary, they 

 should carry the matter to H. E. the High Commissioner, 

 and failing satisfaction there, then to the Secretary of State 

 for the Colonies, or, finally, should move Members of the 

 Commons to ask questions in the house. It seemed to him 

 that, as the situation stood at present, it was one that they 

 could not accept with the slightest vestige of self-respect. 



Mr. Macfadyen then proposes that voting on this sub- 

 ject be deferred, until the discussion on item 6 has taken 

 place. 



This point of order is seconded by Mr. Parkinson, put 

 to the Meeting and carried by 12 to 7. 



IX. Mr. Irving, rising to propose paragraph 4 on the 

 agenda, intimates that as the motion standing in the name 

 of the Kapar District Planters' Association was covering 

 the same ground, he would withdraw his own and now pro- 

 pose : 



"That at the Annual General Meeting of the Planters' 

 Association of Malaya, every member of any affiliated As- 

 sociation be allowed to attend and vote." 



He characterizes the present system as quite unsatis- 

 factory, as it often happened, that a District Association 

 was in favour of a measure, which their own delegates 

 might disapprove of. This present system gave no chance 

 to any planter, who was not on the Planters' Association of 

 Malaya and be knew there was great dissatisfaction. 



Mr. Bosanquet seconds the motion. 



Mr. Gibson is afraid this motion would defeat the very 

 end, for which this Association was founded. He would 

 suggest that the word ''speak" he suhstituted for "vote." 



Mi-. Harrison sketches the initial difficulties, they had 



