Oct. 1, 1903.] 
tHE TROPICAL 
ACRlCtJLTlTRlSt. 
265 
streams. The Indian prefers his own liquid; the 
difference is very great to any ordinary palate. 
FREE COOLIKS. 
These now are free coolies coiniDg from 
India at their will— ie., returning to the 
Federated Malay States after beinf; home : 
time-expired indentured immis^rants and those 
moving freely from place to place attracted 
by high wages, relaiions, or other causes ; 
more largely employed by su^ar planters than 
formerly; largely employed always by Government 
Public Works and Railway Departments. The 
system adopted by Government Departments, 
daring the early part of 190'2, of issuing a ticket 
with a statement of the eoolie^i' wages account for 
the preceding month, with his pay, has borne good 
fruit. Complaint^i, of delayed wages and, not 
knowing their accounts, are of the past. 
An experiment in one unhealthy locality ot issue 
of rations and pay was Cried. The results were 
most sacisfactory to the health of the coolie. 
Kations and a daily rate of pay should be always 
the system insisted on tor " construction works " 
or in unhealthy localities. Districts that, when 
opened five to eight years are most healthy, are 
often at their inauguration very unhealthy. If a 
coolie goes there and is not well, and earns short 
wages, I am convinced he ^^ ill not and does not 
feed himself sufficiently well. The only remedy is 
to give him daily wages for each day he does work 
and a monthly allowance of food issued weekly 
whiclh he gets whether he works or not ; if a wil- 
ful idler, the laws provide for his adequate punish- 
ment (he will work in the jail without the wage). 
I am glad to say that the largest Government 
employers supported this view fully at the meet- 
ing in Penang on the 8th October, 1902. I am 
sure it is the easiest as well as the surest method 
of improving our health returns. It will be 
economical by reducing hospital charges and in- 
creasing efficiency of labourers. When the coolie 
is so highly paid that a few days' work supplies 
his food, 1 still believe it will be the better and 
cheaper system to agree with him for rations and 
pay per working day for reasons given above, 
KANGANY'RECRUITED COOLIES. 
Generally there exists the best understanding 
between the employer and the employed. The 
employer almost invariably speaks the language 
fluently and has had a special training in looking 
after this class of labour. The difterences are 
trivial and call for no comment. The officers in 
charge of Indian immigrants in Perak, S^langor 
and Negri Sembilan all confirm the happy relations 
existing between employers and employed. I 
attribute this largely to the fact that 
the men's accounts are settled monthly and 
the heavy advance system has nob yet deve- 
loped. 1 strongly deprecate any change from our 
present good system to that of delayed payment of 
wages and hedvy advances. It is noted in Negri 
Sembilan that all estates do not pay monthly, lo 
is also noted in Perak that native contractors 
and rumah kichil system will require watching ; 
and the native contractors in Selangor are also 
noted as being irregular in tlieir p lyments. It is 
needless to add that these will have attention. 
Otherwise the reports are all favourable. All the 
labourers that have been brought from India have, 
on enquiry, stated they have been well treated 
aad liberally fed on the voyage from India. 
MORTALITY. 
The Jeath-rate of the whole Indian population, 
including that of our bad returns, is fairly 
satisfactory — a death-rate of 43*7 per milleagainst 
a death-rate in Madras ranging from 35 to 44. 
For the first six months of the year 1902 our 
death-rate was 52"96. The death rate of our 
kangany- recruited people, old residents and new 
comers, mixed, theie are not official records for ; 
but there i? every reason to believe it to be 
accurate as far as it goes. Some estates are left 
out. 21*6 per mille is very satisfactory. 
The birth rate of 6 per thousand of the 
kangany-recruited class is also promising. We 
have to remember the small percentage of married 
men and it compares with a birth-rate of the 
Madras Presidency varying from 21 to 40. The 
birth-rate for the whole Indian population is 6'97. 
The total addition to the number of Indian 
residents in the Federated Malay States was 
1,156 during 1902. The increase is smaller than 
that of former years, of which I have no accurate 
record. 
The plenty after the deartii in India, and the 
prices not having yet fallen, have rendered the lot 
of all labourers very prosperous there. There is a 
margin of plenty beyond which low prices induce 
emigration ; as well as the margin of scarcity 
which forces emigration. In the first case, 
attraction draws immigrants ; in the second case 
necessity compels them. A happy medium of 
attraction can be the only stable basis for an 
adequate supply. 
THE SYSTEMS OF RECRUITING 
in use during the year were :— (i. ) The in- 
dentured immigrant recruiting ; (ii.) The 
kangany recruiting ; (iii.) The free coolie, 
or rejected immigrant when referred to in 
recruiting sense (otherwise he is a voluntary 
emigrant from India) ; small in number and 
only sent over at the end of the year. It will be 
desirable to see how these people acclimatise and 
benefit by their emigration. There are also under 
this heading a considerable number who have paid 
full passage money, and who account for part of 
our increase of 1,156 £iot otherwise traceable ; men 
who have been in out-of-the-way places, earned 
high wages, gone to India and returned here to 
work again. I occasionally meet small bodies of 
them. They are always well off, in good spirits, 
and content. 
The kanganj -recruited coolies have been of the 
usual satisfactory type and physique during years 
of plenty. The indentured men are of good 
quality, but the supply has by no means equal- 
led the demand. 
The medical inspection for Straits emigrants 
is stated to be more severe than that for other 
Colonies. It does not appear necessary that it 
should be so, more especially after the new Enact- 
ment, already approved by the Government and 
employers, is passed for them. The labourer will 
be assured of sufficient good nourishment whilst 
learning agricultural work. At present he gety 
good food but only trained agriculturists are 
passed 
The State aided passage ticket system from 
Negapatam has been in force during the year, 
we shall not derive the benefit we ouglit from this 
until onr wants and attractions become more 
widely advertised in India. 
I have attached to this report certain compara- 
tive statements with other Colonies(Form IX.) that 
