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and appeared never to have seen a mamoty or changkol in their 

 lives. In Sumatra they had a short way of dealing with such — they 

 simply sent them back at the expense of the recruiting agents. Here 

 we had no check on them. He had complained to the Penang 

 agents, who repudiated responsibility. Meanwhile, too, their price 

 was rising, and had risen from $45 to over $60 per head. His last 

 lot cost him, landed on the estate, $67 a man. The system of 

 making advances also needed correction, whereas the Tamil coolie 

 landed with a few annas only in his possession, the Javanese had 

 $10 or more, with which they could watch their opportunity to bolt. 

 They would not bolt as they so often did within a few days of 

 landing if they had not this money in their pocket. Their inferior 

 physical condition was due to absence of proper medical super- 

 vision. If we could not have our own Medical Officer stationed in 

 Java we might perhaps have one over here to reject the unfit and 

 send them back. 



Mr. Gibson then put his original motion, which was seconded by 

 the Chairman. Mr. Day proposed as an amendment that the 

 P. A. M. be asked to send a representative to Java to enquire into 

 the cost of recruiting and to see if it is not possible to obtain 

 absolutely healthy coolies. This was seconded, pro forma by 

 Mr. T. N. Pearse, and, on being put to the meeting, was declared 

 lost. Mr. GIBSON'S motion was then put and carried with one 

 dissentient. 



The question of reduction of wages then came up for discussion, 

 and the Secretary read a number of letters both from heads of 

 Government Departments and planters in answer to the circular 

 recently sent out on the subject. After the letters had been read 

 the Chairman said that it appeared from what they had heard, that 

 Government refused to commit itself, though it was obvious that 

 there was a pretty general consensus of opinion in favour of 

 reduction. It was absolutely necessary to check the rise of wages. 

 He remembered the time, not so long ago, when we were 

 turning aw r ay labour at 18 cents a day. We had to consider what 

 was a fair day's wages under present conditions. He quite realised 

 the difficulties pointed out by writers of the letters, both official and 

 otherwise, of obtaining labourers in certain places or for certain 

 work, except at high rates, but he thought those employers whose 

 labour worked under normal conditions might reduce. 



Mr. KNIGHT said that if we reduced wages to 30 cents we should 

 be down to the level of Ceylon wages, and the result would be that 

 more coolies would go to Ceylon, instead of coming here. The 

 higher rate paid here was their inducement to come — 35 cents would 

 not be so drastic. 



Mr. Day agreed with Mr. KNIGHT and pointed out that if 35 cents 

 were fixed the coolie would be getting about the same number of 

 dollar cents as the Ceylon coolie got rupee cents, as could be shown 

 by check rolls. The coolie in Malaya would still have the benefit 

 of exchange, and could still remit more from here than from Ceylon. 

 It was absolutely necessary to preserve some inducement, Ceylon 



