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European Community. We wish to express our appreciation of the 

 work clone in the hospital during the past year under most unfavoura- 

 ble circumstances. 



7. Labour. — The year under review sees the introduction of the 

 Tamil Immigration Fund Enactment. This Act has been severely 

 criticised by the members of the Association recorded at their meeting 

 of 5th August, 1907, that they were unanimously in favour of legis- 

 lation on the labour question. Whether this Enactment will have 

 the desired effect of flooding the country with '.Indian labour still 

 remains to be seen, but one point at least has been gained : the Gov- 

 ernment has recognised that every employer should bear his part in 

 introducing labour into the country. That the Enactment bears 

 heavily on old established Estates is undoubtedly true, but it must be 

 remembered that a very large proportion of the assessment falls upon 

 the Government itself as being one of the largest employers of labour. 

 A weekly service has been established between India and the F. M. S. 

 which should prove attractive to the coolie. It seems at the present 

 stage difficult to forecast the amount this assessment will produce, but 

 your Committee are given to understand that, should the funds prove 

 sufficient, those employers of labour who pay the first assessment are 

 likely to receive a rebate. 



Sunday Names. — The question of Sunday Names has been under 

 consideration and this Association agreed that, provided all employers 

 of labour were unanimous, they should be abolished. 



8. Ad valorem Duty on Rubber. — Your Committee are of opinion 

 that the Government should be approached with a view to the abol- 

 ishment of duty on rubber. It seems unfair that the rubber producers 

 of these States should be placed at a disadvantage by paying duty 

 when the adjacent British and Dutch Colonies pay none. 



9. Land Tenure. — The increase in premium and quit rent, which 

 the Government saw fit to impose, are still in force and a large amount 

 of capital which would have found its way into this State has un- 

 doubtedly been diverted to other countries where land is cheap and 

 labour conditions more favourable. 



10. Drink Question. — This question has again received consider- 

 able attention among the planting community with regard to their 

 Indian coolies. Your Committee are of opinion that the present 

 condition of affairs in this respect is absolutely disgraceful. To raise 

 revenue licenses are promis3UOUsly issued to Chinamen, in the major- 

 ity of cases with absolutely no Government Supervision over the 

 quality of liquor sold, and quite recently a case has occurred which 

 goes to prove that some supervision is absolutely necessary. All that 

 the planting community would ask, whilst recognising that a certain 

 amount of drink is necessary to the coolie, that propsr supervision 

 over the quality of the liquor sold be exercised by the Government as 

 is done in India. 



11. Postal Communications and Telephones. — The importance of 

 telephonic communication has now become a necessity. This State is 

 very much behind hand in this respect. Your Committee are glad to 

 report steps have been taken to improve matters by the establishment 

 of losal post offices and a telephone exchange at Seremban. 



