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ment, who decided to bring in this bill, to be tried as a temporary 

 measure for one year, on the full terms, to see if it was workable, and 

 your Committee are of opinion that further steps should be taken to 

 have the tax made more equitable before the end of the year. 



Sluice Gates. This matter has been taken up by the Government 

 and gates are being erected at the outlets in the district, the properties 

 interested paying a 6 per cent assessment on the cost of the gates. 

 However the gates which have already been erected are not working 

 satisfactorily and this matter is under the consideration of your 

 Committee. 



Labour. 1. Labour has been sufficient during the past year and 

 there seems to have been no difficulty in recruiting new coolies. The 

 total force in the district now is about 6,000 coolies against 4,729 at 

 this time last year. The Estates in this district have suffered great loss 

 through crimping, or, rather by their coolies being induced to give notice 

 to leave to go elsewhere for higher wages. If this sort of thing could 

 be stopped the labour force would not be so unsettled, and the necessity 

 for heavy yearly recruiting would almost be done away with. 



2. Sunday Names. It was unanimously 'passed at a meeting of 

 the Planters' Association of Malaya held at Kuala Lumpor on January 

 19th, 1908, that Sunday Names should be abolished as from the 12th 

 February 1908, the date of the commencement of giving free passages 

 under the Tamil Immigration Fund Bill, on all coolies coming into the 

 country, and no Sunday Names to be given to any cooly after the first 

 July 1908. Your committee further recommends that a maximum 

 rate of wages be paid in this district and that, as far as possible, 

 coolies should be paid according to the work they are able to do, as 

 per the circular issued or 1st March, 1908, and printed herein. It is 

 hoped that the members of your Association will combine in this 

 matter, and so help to reduce the cost of labour which has, owing to 

 competition, increased very much during the last year or two. 



Circular of Labour. 



Dear Sir, 



I am instructed by my Committee to advise you that the 

 different points of the above subject were discussed at the last meeting 

 of the committee held on January 30, 1908, particulars of which are 

 given below, to enable you to consider them before they are discussed 

 at the next general meeting of your Association. 



1. Sunday Names. Eeferring to the resolution passed at the 

 last General Meeting of your Associatiop, it was unanimously decided 

 at the meeting of the Planters' Association of Malaya, held at Kuala 

 Lumpor on. January 19th last, that no Sunday Names be given to any 

 coolies arriving in the country after the 12th of February, 1908, because 

 their passages would be paid for after that date under the Tamil Immi- 

 gration Fund Bill, and that Sunday names to all coolies employed 

 previous to that date would cease to be given after July 1st, 1908. 



2. Hours of Labour. This matter was also brought up at the 

 meeting of the Planters' Association of Malaya as above. It any 

 action is taken in this matter your Committee suggests that in this 

 district the future working hours of coolies should be from 6 a.m. to 

 i p.m., with one hour off in the middle of the day from 11.30 to 12.30 



