THE TTJOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [July 1, 1903. 
RECEUITING LABOUR SOUTH INDIA, 
FURTHKR IMPORTANT NOTES. 
Gamniaduwa, June 5lh. 
The following particulars, willi reference to re- 
cruiting in new districts, may prove of interest to 
your readers :— Tliere appears to liave been some 
difficulty in getting off the first lot of 15 coolies from 
Bezwada, even after they were on the Station plat- 
form, with train fare paid to Ohingleput, South 
Indian railway, and provided with tin tickets. It was 
thought they would be forwarded on to Tataparai, 
but, on reaching Ohingleput, it was found the tin 
tickets were useless until Tataparai was reached. 
So the coolies were detained until their fares from 
Ohingleput to Tataparai were paid. There is not 
one scrap of difference in the fares or anything oft 
to emigrant coolies travelling by rail. At Guntur 
my son met the Superintendent of Police, a very 
smart chap, who had orders from Headquarters to 
give all the assistance he could. There had been 
recruiters in the Bezwada and Guntur districts 
hunting for coolies for Natal, so the coolies 
feared he meant taking them there. Of Bezwa,da 
he wrote :— "I made the acquaintance of a splendid 
fellow and a clever Engineer. He is in charge of 
the Bezwada head sluice works, and you may ima- 
gine theimportance of the work, as the canal— when 
complete— will irrigate abouteSO.OOO acres of paddy 
land. He has a whole fleet of canal boats, stern 
wheelers, paddle boats, and twin screw steamers 
of all kinds, all shallow draught." From Cuddappab 
. he wrote on the 25th ult. :— " You will be glad to 
learn that my information with regard to 
ABUNDANCE OF LABOUR 
here is correc:. There are large numbers of coolies 
" to be had within a radius of about 40 miles and, 
lam sure, any number can be supplied. It will, 
' of course, take some time to get them together, 
'' but they are here and inclined to emigrate. 
" I have been four days here and in that time 
seen a good deal of the district. It is barren and 
poverty-stricken in the extreme (except below a 
tank), but the coolies are much better than one 
Avould expect from the appearance of the country," 
The rail fare from Cuddappah to Tuticorin is 
K3, thecooly lands in Tuticorin in about 28— 29 
hours, in time to catch the B. I. boat next day. 
On the evening of the 25th he left Cuddappah 
for Naudalur where 100 coolies were said to be 
waiting for him, but as nothing has been heard 
of them, he must have been misinformed. On 
the 29tb, he again writes from Cuddappah, 
that he had been in every village within ten 
miles, and twice to villages 10 miles from Yerrag- 
untta. He adds : *' I have 
SEVEN AGENTS IN THIS STRIP 
and all are confident that they can get 
labour. From what I can see myself there is an 
abundance of good labour here and they are 
very keen on trying Ceylon ; but all dread that 
they will be caught and sent off to Natal. 
They dread that more than you can believe. Once 
they are satisfied we are dealing fairly with 
them, we will have no difhculty in getting as 
many cooliefs as we want." 
"Heat hepe is about 105 to 110 in the shade. 
At Proddaturit must have been 115 ; it was awful.'' 
" As the Collector is not eicpected at Cuddappah 
until 1st June, I am the only European (he writes) 
within 30 miles in any direction, and the Folic 
Inspector and Talisildars uU say that with a wor 
from the Collector he could get any nuinbei of 
coolies." 
On the 3l6t, he writes again from Bezwada 
that he is sending off a small gang. They had been 
waiting there for some days. 
The prospects for recruiting are extremely favour- 
able, and the getting cf large numbers together 
is only a matter of a few days. 
9th. — The .'small gang of 4 arrived on the 7ih 
and a gang of about 50 is due this week. J. W. 
THE MIDLAND (CEYLON) TEA PLANTATIONS 
COMPANY. 
REPORT OF THE DIRECTORS. 
The Directors beg to submit the accounts, duly 
audited for the year ending 31st December, 1902. 
The receipts for the Season are £5,499 Ss Id ; Lms 
Working Expenses in Ceylon £4,905 Is 7d ; London 
Charges, Depreciation, Interest, Ac. £bG3 2b Id — 
Total £5,468 3s 8d. 
The Profit on the Season's Working being £31 1» 
5d Against Debit Balance at 3l3t December, 1901, 
on Profit and Loss Account £1,311 163 9d ; Lenving 
Balance of Loss £1,280 ISs 4d. 
Xhe crop secured was 272,470 lb, and the net aver- 
age selling price was 4'8d per lb. Had it not been for 
the abnormally wet weather the crop would hare been 
heavier, bat the return is 10,000 lb in advance of the 
previous season. 
The Directors find it necessary to mako provision 
to the extent of £350 for depreciation, as there has 
been no opportunity since 1899 of writing ofif any sums 
on that account. 
With the limited means at their disposal the Direct- 
ors have been successful in carrying on the afiaira 
of the Company, but the time has come when farther 
nj;'uuring is absolutely necessary, and they have 
resolved, during the current season to permit an 
expenditure under this head of a sumnot to exce«d 
£270. 
The first debenture-holders havinfj agreed, through 
their Trustees, to waive their claims of interest 
during the two years ending December 31st, 1903, the 
London Agents engage during the current season 
(as they have done in the one just closed) to finance 
the ordinary work of the Company, and keep the 
estates in a proper state of cultivation. 
Everything that can possibly be done to reduce ex- 
penditure has been carried out. The second mortga- 
gees (in sympathy with the debenture holders) hav« 
waived their claims for interest, the Trustees and 
Ceylon Agents have relinquished their fees, the Direc- 
tors seek no remuneration, and the London Agents 
accept a nominal sum for office rent and secretarial 
work. 
At the request of the debenture-holders, through 
their trustees, Mr. E Rosling, of the Ceylon Planters' 
Association, was asked to report on the Company's 
properties in January last. His report was very 
satisfactory to your Directors, as it contained nothing 
but approval of the management, and suggested no 
alterations or possible economies. A start has been 
made in one of the Company's factories in the 
manufacture of green tea for the Canadian market 
and the results, so far as can be judged at present, 
are likely to be satisfactory. 
The course of the tea market has lately become 
much more favourable for Planters, and it is hoped 
that the current year will enable the Company to 
show results of a satisfactory nature. 
It is with very great regret the Directors record 
the death of their Chairman, the late Mr. M F Evans, 
His place on the Board has been filled by the election 
of Mr. P G Spenoe. Under the Articles of Associa- 
tion, Mr. Aitken retires from the Board, andj being 
eligible offers himself for re-election. 
