395 



4- The Secretary reads the following letter to hand from the 

 Federal Secretary : — 



No. 2365/1910, 4th July, igio. 



Sir,— With reference to your letter dated the 5th May, 1910, 

 suggesting an amendment to "The Praedial Produce Protection 

 Enactment," I am directed to point out that by the amending 

 Enactment of IQO/ the definition of 'plantation' was extended to 

 include rubber estates, and the definition of ' produce ' was extended 

 to include latex and seeds. 



There does not therefore appear to the Acting Resident General 

 to be any necessity for the suggested amendment. 



I have, eic, 



(Sgd). E. C. H. WOLFF, 



for Federal Secretary. 



The Secretary informs the Meeting that he has consulted their 

 legal Adviser, and that it would seem, that the Federal Secretary had 

 missed the point altogether. By a recfent decision the law read that 

 latex meant only the latex as long as it was in a fluid state and that 

 as soon as it became rubber it was outside that definition. Therefore, 

 it had been suggested that they should have the words "and any 

 other produce of any plant or tree" inserted in the Enactment. 



The Secretary is instructed to take steps in this direction. 



5. RECRUITING ADVANCES. 



The Chairman says that was a matter which had had their 

 attention on several occasions and the members of the Association 

 were by no means unanimous on the point. In view therefore ol" the 

 very large influx of Indian and oth^r labour under the existing 

 conditions, he thought they would agree that the least sair! in 

 the meantime on the matter, the better. 



Resolved to let the matter rest there. 



6. ABSCONDING COOLIES. 



The Chairman says this was a very important point and n") 

 doubt would lead to some amount of discussion. Most of them 

 recruited coolies from India : they came over here to their estates 

 and then very often they walked off the estate without giving the 

 Manager any notice. The coolies were then arrested and brough: 

 before a magistrate. Some magistrates recognised that the coolies 

 should be punished and inflicted small fines, but other magistrates 

 would not recognise the offence and simply ordered that the coolie be 

 taken back to the estate, fn)m which he often absconded again the 

 very next day. There was no desire whatever on their part to force 

 the labourer on to an unhealtliy estate, irom which he wished to get 

 away, their object being merely, to prevent large numbers of coolies: 

 walking off without giving the managers any opportunity of replacing 

 them. Steps should be taken to protect their interests in the matter^ 



