JU.\B 1, 1903. J THE TROPICAL 
AaRICULTURIST. 
855 
The Commissioners recommend that we 
should station ;in agent in South India for 
recruiting purposes, and that he should be 
sent early in May, if possible. I shall be 
glad if estates who are willing to support 
a recruiting agency will send in ilieir 
names to Mr Philip, stating also the number 
of coolies required A registration fee of 
10 cents per cultivated acre per annum 
would probably meet the expenses of the 
agency, and in fiddition the coolies would 
cost from R15 to R20 per head, according 
to the distance they would have to travel 
in India and Ceylon. It should be to the 
advantage of all estates to maintain such 
an agency, as estates now well supplied 
with labour are equally interested in the 
establishment, if possible, of a new form 
of recruiting. If tlie cost of bringing over 
the coolies is borne by the estate, a saving 
in head-money should be effected, and as 
this amounts on an average to over R12 
per annum, the cost of recruiting would, 
in eighteen months, be recovered I wish 
to ascertain at an early date, what sup 
port would be given to a recruiting agency ; 
but promises now made will not be con- 
sidered binding until a more detailed scheme 
can be submitted. — I am, 8ir, yours faith- 
fully, A. C. KINGSFORD, 
Chairman, Planters' Association of Ceylon. 
{The report referred to.) 
In accordance with the resolution passed at the 
general meeting of the Planters' Association held 
at Kandy on February 17th, 1903, Your Com- 
missioners have visited Southern India and beg to 
submit the following preliminary report. 
Your Commissioners left Ceylon on the 16th 
of March, and proceeded straight to Madras to 
present their credentials. They found that G. 0, 
244 {vide appendix) liad been sent out to all 
Collectors and District Officers in the Madras 
Presidency, and, having got all the information 
they could from the officials in Madras, they 
left for Chingleput, and proceeded through North 
Arcot, S. Areot, Tanjore, Trichinoply, Madura, 
Tinnevelly, Coimbatore and Kistna. 
The Indian officials gave them all the infor- 
mation at their disposal and helped them in 
every way and they personally have to thank them 
for their kind hospitality throughout the trip. 
Your Commissioners having travelled through 
the Presidency for six weeks have come to the 
following conclusions : That the scarcity of labour 
is due to the following causes ; 
1. The 9,000 crops of all grain during 1902 and 
1903 and the increased acreage under ground nub 
in the Trichinopoly, S. Arcot, Tanjore and other 
districts — a giound nnt has been imported from 
Mauritius wliich is.said to give three crops a 
year and thus affords employment practically 
throughout the year. 
2, The want of organisation with regard io 
recruiting. 
S. The greater inducements held out to labourers 
to emigrate elsewhere. Your Commissioners were 
asked to report on the whole question of 
labour and actual recruiting did not come 
within their province unless it could be effected 
without interfering with the more important 
part of their mist^^ion. They found it impossible 
to recruit unless they devoted practically 
their whole time to it as recruiting necessitates 
either staying; in one central place wiiile sub- 
agents are out in the villngvg po^^sibly for a month 
or being at the beck and call of a telegram from a 
sub-agent wliich oiiglit take one 2 )0 miles in order 
to verify a statement as to number of coolies and 
amounu required for advances. Your Commission- 
ers came across two cases wliere coolies Itad been 
borrowed "for this occasion only " and when it 
came to putting them into the train, it was found 
that they were employed in a neighbouring mill or 
some other work. 
The district of Coimbatore should be a good 
ground but the poorer tlie people the more conser- 
vative they are and they prefer to earn a living 
wage of 2 annas at home, rather than exile and 5 or 
6 annas a day. 
The Telugu districts north of Madras, are also 
favourable for emigration, if the difficulty of the 
language can be overcome, and the extra expense 
ot trainage allowed for. 
Your Commissioners beg to offer the following 
suggestions which they think are necessary with 
a view to establishing the immigration of labour 
to Ceylon on a sound basis. 
1. That a reliable Agent should be appointed 
whose duty it would be to have a thorough 
knowledge of every taluk in the Presidency, and 
his first work should be in the Telug Districts 
in order to work up a connectiou with Ceylon 
from that part of the country. 
2. Tbat a labour bureau should be started by 
the P A in Kandy, whose duty would be to col- 
lect and publish all available informtion as to 
crops, weather, and health of each taluk ( division) 
of each district in theM idras Presidency. 
3. That a strong sub-Commitlee with legal help 
should study the New Maiiras Labour Act. The 
Straits Settlements Labour laws, and the Emigration 
Act of India, to see whether any similar ordinance 
in Ceylon would benefit the Planting Community 
or failing any new oidinance, what inducements 
should be offered to immigrants in order to make 
Ceylon more favourable in the cooly's eyes than 
other countries. 
Your Commissioners would only add that action 
should be taken at once, as May appears to be the 
opening month for coolies generally to think of 
emigrating and your rivals are already in the field.. 
Your Commissioners have collected a lot of figures 
and intetesting matter, which they will lay before 
the Committee on their return to Ceylon, all 
bearing on the conclusions and suggestions men- 
tioned in this report. 
Your Oommissioners visited Tataparai (Tuticorin) 
Pamban, Ammapatam and Tondi, the four ports 
from which all the immigrants to Ceylon book ; and 
think that until the railway from Negapatam to 
Pamban or wherever the Indian Government decide 
to think up is finished, it would be ver> bad policy 
to close the parts of Ainma|>atnm and Tondi aa 
they consider the countiy inland most favourable 
for coolies, if properly worked. 
(Signed) Edg.-vr TURNER. JoHN' Hill. 
Madura, S India, April 17tb. 1903. 
[Some further matter may be added later to- 
);;ether with the cip|>eudices referred to.] 
