622 
THE TROPICAL A^RIOULTUmST 
[March 2, 1891 
and .succeeded in making the first yard of jute bag- 
ging Dundee has ever since been the chief manu- 
facturiug centre of articles made from jute. From 
207 208 bales imported into Dundee in 1870, there was 
a rap'id increase, until in 1883 the imports amounted 
to 1,013,109 bales. AVithin the last seven years new 
methods of decorticating jute have been invented, 
and cloths of finer texture can now be made, 
so that the increased demands have caused the imports 
to advance even more rapidly than during the preceding 
thirteen years. 
Many substitutes have been tried for jute by southern 
manufacturers. None of these have as yet been made 
a success. Cotton bagging has been made for several 
years. The objections have been the expense and 
failure to protect the cotton from dirt and moisture. 
Several of the firms which have tried to manufacture 
it have either failed or turned their attention to some 
other field until there are but two left, and these are 
doing business only on a small scale. 
The process of making cheap bagging from the fibres 
of the cotton plant is stiil in its infancy. Favorable re- 
ports of its development have been received from 
several sources during the year. This may in time 
prove a success, but at present the outcome is doubtful. 
No material is manufactured at less cost per yard than 
jute. After cost of production, shipment to Calcutta, in- 
•urance charges and ocean freight have been added, it is 
placed upon the American market at an average price 
of 3c. per pound, and at th's low rate the profits 
are large. The bagging made from it is exceedicg'y 
strong and can endure almost any amount of rough 
handling. It has frequently happened that when 
cotton bagging has given out in course of transporta- 
tion jute bagging has been substituted. Many steam- 
ship lines refuse to carry cotton as freight if covered 
with any substance other than jute. 
The increase in the size of the cotton crop is well 
shown in the increased demand for ju'e bagging. 
Tbe mills, although they have been greatly enlarged 
within the past year, find it impossible to keep up 
with their orders. Manufacturers have given consumers 
the benefit of the change in tariff rates. The imports 
for the last 
ten years in 
tons were 
as follows : — 
Tons. 
Tons. 
1880 ... 
82,471 
1885 ... 
98,343 
1881 ... 
68,631 
1886 ... 
83,054 
1882 ... 
84,186 
1887 ... 
88,514 
1883 ... 
... 125,318 
1888 ... 
... 116,163 
1884 ... 
... 64,389 
1889 ... 
88,665 
— Bradstreet's. 
LABOUR 
SUPPLY 
IN THE 
STRAITS, 
Ex-Ceylon Flantees Giving Evidence. 
Labour Commission. — Present, Capt. Cameron, 
Messrs. Powell, Turner, McGregor and Brown. 
Mr. John Anderson recommended a Government 
agency in Singapore, abolishing independent coolie 
depots and brokers. If the Chinese Government could 
be persuade 1 to co-operate in the emigration it would 
do good. There should be fixed rates for brokerage 
and importation expenses, and over-charges should he 
made penal. The trade should he encouraged to re- 
main in Singapore as a distributing centre. Direct 
traffic with North Borneo was not to be encouraged. 
Cost to Darvel Bay would be $65, while through Singa- 
pore it was about $95. He thought the direct traffic 
to Sumatra from Obiua was no cheaper, and in some 
cases dearer, than through Singapore. He objected to 
eitates being harassed by medical or other Govern- 
ment officers, when if left alone they were getting well 
enough. Witness had been in the Government service 
('anghter). The Trafalgar Estate would be better 
closed than further hampered. 
At 1-30. the Oommissioners adjourned until Monday, 
at 11 a. m. 
Singapore, Jan. 19th, 1891. 
Present : — Oapt. Cameron R. k. President, Messrs. 
J. Turner, A. Macgregor, E. A. Brown (Secretary) 
and R. P. Gihbes (Assistant Seorelary). 
Jlr. C. E. St. Caulfield, Manager Pulo Obin coffee and 
pepper estate, had been connected with the estate for 
nearly three years ; in the Straits 9 years and in 
Ceylon since ’58; Free Tamils are employed on Pulo 
Chin, formerly Javanese were employed there, and over 
also indentured coolies. Tlie latter were unreliable in 
their work and regularity, and were more expensive, 
so their indentures were cancelled and they were em- 
ployed on higher pay as free coolies. He used to be 
on Loon Choo estate. Did not see any way to avoid 
unsatisfactory Contract labour. The headmen bring 
enough. He considered it unsatisfactory to take a coolie 
to court at preseni". A monthly indenture was snfli- 
cieut. Of course if any inducement the coolie would 
leave but the contract had no effect in that respect, 
the only way of keeping the men being by offering 
them sufficient inducement to stay. The headmen got 
them from India at their own risk, being paid their 
charges. They receive no payment until the men ac- 
tually arrive at the Estate. If they ran away befoie 
tbe charge is repaid the headman was responsible. 
They had no difficulty in getting sufficient coolies or 
in keeping them. The arrangements for the Native 
States, owing to the keen competition, were not satis- 
factory. When a man ran away there was a great deal 
o;f difficulty to get them back again. More protection 
was needed for the employers and more coolies were 
wanted. A system of discharge tickets, without which 
employment could not be obtained would be useful. 
That would only keep a man till the end of the mouth, 
but unless there was a good reasm other employers 
would not take him on. That was the system in Ceylon, 
where there was a great demand for labour and it 
answered very well there. It was an understood 
thing among planters that a labourer was not to be 
taken on without knowing where he came from. The 
employers here should combine to fix a maximum rate 
of wages and work the discharge certificate sj-stem, 
on all estate work throughout the States and the 
Colony. It would not be possible to make it illegal 
to employ others than those with a discharge ticket ; 
the planters them.selves must agree upon it. In Pulo 
Obin he had sufficient coolies ; the headmen brought 
them; there was no legal contract with headmen; 
their disbursement was examined. The rate of wages 
was unduly high but paying that rate was the only way 
to keep them. His coolies were paid for Sunday labour, 
although they did network: this had a good effect. 
Twenty days was the average work of an ordinary 
coolie ; a good man did 24. The only guarantee that 
a new man came frcJi from India was his appearance, 
which was unmistakable. The tindal made a good 
profit out of the coolie, no doubt. Government was a 
large employer ; it should agree not to take on men 
without a discharge t'cket. Rectuiters did exaggerate 
but the coolies wrote home telling their friend what they 
got, and that-it was the usual rate of pay. The rate 
of wages should vary with the price of rice, say from 
18 to 20 cents a day. Sufficient coolies would be got 
without contract or indenture of any kind whatever. 
The demand at Pulo Obin was not of course so keen as 
in the Native States, but combination would do much 
to prevent crimping. The exceptions would be so few 
that it would not matter. The reasonable cost of a 
coolie from India would be SIO to $12 ; it varied from 
$6 (without passage) to $17. The Planters’ Associa- 
tion could settle as to the amount of wages to be paid 
for different kinds of work, and it would be fixed by 
the price of rice. Increased cost of carriage to a dis- 
tant estate would be a fair charge on the estate. 
Mr. W. Turing Mackenzie, manager of Miohatl- 
stowe Estate, Johore, and in charge of Drumduan Es- 
tate ; had been in the Straits two yeais and 14 years in 
Ceylou. He had only afew Cainese. He had no in- 
dentured Tamils now, tliough they were nearly all 
originally indentured, a few being picked up here. 
Ho had no experience of indentured Tamils and 
wanted nothing to do with them. Had never got 
any new coolies here, though one trial had proved 
lamentable, five coolies (two persistent malin- 
gerers, and two sick ones) having cost $360. 
That was partly tbe fault of the recruiter he 
sent but partly the fault of Ordinance. He knew 
the latter wai iu iorce hut did not know it threw so 
