280 



He suggests that these Boards consist of the D. 0., the 

 District Engineer and two resident planters. 



Mr. Macfadyen considers it inopportune to bring up 

 this question before the Federal Council is constituted. 



Mr. Mr. W. Duncan thinks it was impossible to dictate 

 to Government how to spend its own money. 



Mr. Skinner appears of Mr. Maefadyen's suggestion 

 to keep the matter for discussion in the Federal Council, 

 lie understands that the Federal Council will be formed 

 about July. The estimates came up in August, and it 

 would be a great mistake to bring this matter up before the 

 formation of the Council. 



Mr. Smith thereupon withdraws his motion. 



XIV. Limitation of Coolies ' Credits. Mr. Hun- 

 ter proposes the following motion standing in the name of 

 the Kuala Selangor District Planters' Association: 



'* Th at the P. A. M. be approached with a view to ob- 

 taining legislation by which the Estate Tamil Coolies' 

 credit should be limited to $10 recoverable at law." 



If this suggestion became law, it would make it impos- 

 sible for the Kangany to practice usury and it would stop 

 the Kedai-Keeper getting control of thier labour. The 

 Government had already restricted the coolies' credit to- 

 wards his employer. Why should it not restrict it towards 

 the Kedai-Keeper f 



Mr. Lake Sympathizes, but thinks the motion was class 

 legislation with a vengeance. The remedy was in the em- 

 ployers' hands. They could pay coolies weekly. 



Mr. H. F. Browell supports the motion. He thinks if 

 it was class legislation, so was the policy of the Government 

 of bringing coolies over free. 



Mr. E. B. Prior, does not see how the Government could 

 limit the amount of liability which a cooly could contract, 

 He was a free man. 



Mr. Gibson is also in sympathy with the idea but con- 

 siders it too crude in its present form to be submitted to 

 Government. 



Mr. Parkinson supports Mr. Hunter. 



Mr. Harrison says that Mr. Hunter had hit the nail on 

 the head. The non-recovery of recruiting debts was like- 

 ly to land them in serious difficulties. It was an ill-advised 

 action, betraying absolute ignorance of the Tamil cooly. 

 He and Mr. Cumming would express their opinions strongly 

 at the next Meeting of the Indian Immigration Committee. 

 The recovery of debt would in future be a matter between 

 cooly and kangany. They now had a good opening to re- 



