410 



A Committee of 5 Members, i.e., Messrs. R. Pears (Chair- 

 man), Buyers, Bryce, Burgess and Malet, was appoint- 

 ed to deal with the question of Tamil Labour and the 

 result of their deliberations was placed before you in the 

 Report written by the Chairman on the 27th July, 1907. 

 Permission was obtained from the M. P. P. A. to use their 

 machinery for the purpose of recruiting Coolies in India 

 till the Immigration Ordinance should come into force. 

 The Johore Government was asked to give a subsidy in aid 

 of the Tamil Immigration Scheme so as to enable the 

 Immigration Committee to lower the Assessment from 

 $10.00 to the rate current in the F. M. S., viz., $5.00 

 per head. 



This the Government kindly consented to do and 

 offered $5,000.00 annually for this purpose, but the 

 contribution was not accepted by the Immigration Com- 

 mittee on the ground that the amount offered was not 

 sufficiently large. 

 The Johore Government was asked to endeavour to obtain 

 a reduction of the rate of assessment but replied saying 

 that they did not think it would be of any use to try 

 and make any further alterations in the Scheme at the 

 present time. 



The Johore Government was written to and invited to enter 

 into negotiations with the Government of the Nether- 

 lands India in order to facilitate the importation of In- 

 dentured Javanese Labour into the State. 



This request w r as not consented to by the Government 

 but it was generally understood that the refusal arose 

 out of no unwillingness to help the Planters but that at 

 the time it was not desirable to anticipate any action in 

 this direction that might be taken later on by the Straits 

 Settlements and Federated Malay States' Governments 

 on the lines of the Tamil Immigration Ordinance. 



The Government was asked to expedite the opening of the 

 new railway line between Gemas and Rantau Panjang 

 and promised that when arrangements had been conclud- 

 ed with the constructing engineers and the authorities of 

 the Federated Malay States this would be done. We 

 understand this portion of the line has now T been opened 

 as requested. 



A letter was written to Government asking that free license 

 be granted to Planters permitting them to shoot, trap, 

 or otherwise destroy all animals, birds, &c, that are 

 destructive to crops. 



In reply the State Secretary stated that this request 

 had been duly submitted to His Highness the Sultan who 

 had replied that he had already spoken to the Secretary 

 on the matter and that such course as w 7 as then suggested 

 by His Highness might be adopted. 



