399 



If of course a cooly originally lit became unfit later on during his 

 service, the Estate, was properly to be charged with the expenses of 

 sending the man back to his country. 



Mr. C. L. Gibson supports Mr. Parkinson and deplores any further 

 Government interference with their recruiting. He also thinks that 

 medical examination at Negapatam will materially enhance the cost of 

 recruiting. 



Mr. Jarvis feels sure that the majority of unfit coolies are not 

 free estate coolies but Government-recruited men. The most unfit 

 physically were the Malayalams, Moslems and others, with the immi- 

 gration of which classes Government had experimented during the past 

 year. 



Mr. J. Gibson then proposes that the repatriation expenses be 

 borne by the Immigration Fund, but fails to find a seconder. 



Mr. Boyd all the same favours previous examination at the Coast. 



Mr. Harrison thinks that the whole question refers more to the 

 past, when there was a constant shortage of labour, and that it is one 

 not likely to be of any importance for the future, when labour is be- 

 coming so plentiful that importers can begin to pick and choose. He 

 would take this opportunity of urging planters to stop paying excessive 

 commissions for recruiting. Nobody now-a-days need pay more than 

 $10. 



Mr. Darby states that his kanganies never get more than $1 for 

 every cooly recruited, and he believes that the excessive commissions 

 just referred to by Mr. Harrison are usually charges made by the 

 professional recruiters, who are not generally resorted to by planters 

 at all. 



Mr. Harrison then proposes that repatriation expenses be borne 

 by the respective importers. 



Mr. Darby, in seconding this proportion, suggests that all members 

 be also circularized and asked to discourage immigration of unfit coolies. 



The motion is then put to the meeting and passed. . 



Compensation Under "Prevention of Diseases Enactment." 



VII. The Secretary reads the following letter from the Agents, 

 Bukit Panjong Estate : — 



Klang, 6th June, 1908. 



Dear Sir, 



We shall be obliged if you will lay the following facts before your 

 Association and request them to represent to Government the neces- 

 sity of altering the present legislation with regard to the destruction of 

 property under the "Prevention of Diseases Enactment." 



On 2nd March last a death occurred on Bukit Panjong Estate 

 which was reported, by the, clerk on the Estate, to the dresser at Kuala 

 Selangor as a case of cholera. It would appear that the dresser ac- 

 cepted the clerk's version of the cause of death, and the District 

 Medical Officer was sent for. It was afternoon on the following day 

 (3rd instant) when the Medical Officer left Klang : consequently he 

 could not have reached the Estate until nearly 24 hours after the death 

 had occurred. 



