THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept.  2,  1S95. 
1 66 
partial  critic, — as  well  as  Mr.  Young  liiniself — 
Would  confess  that  liis  most  practical  and  uotaljle 
suggestion  for  the  improvement  of  the  Cooly  La- 
bour Supply,  was  his  starting,  or  ratlier  revival 
of,  the  proposal  for  an  Indo-Ceylon  llailway. 
'I'hat  being  tlie  fact,  we  would  expect  tlie  Plan- 
ters' Association  to  back  uj)  their  Special  t'om- 
inissioner, — to  be  in  the  very  forefront  in  urgin'^ 
on  this  great  and  notable  work, — in  place  of 
its  Chairman  truckling  to  petty  official  and  a 
niiserably  local  unofficial  opinion,  by  telling  us 
“it  is  hardly  within  the  range  of  practical 
politics.”  How  is  it  to  be  brought  within  that  range? 
How  was  sanction  for  a Railway  to  Nanuoya  first 
and  then  to  Haputale  secured — after  seven  years’ 
battling  in  the  one  case  and  sixteen  in  the  other? 
Not  certainly  by  the  Association  or  any  of  its 
leaders  stating,  this  does  not  mean  “ practical 
politics.”  We  might,  however,  pass  this  over  on 
the  part  of  the  Chairman  if  lie  did  not  add 
the  really  childish  remarks  to  apparently  justify 
his  position,  that  the  journey  by  rail  would  be 
too  expensive  for  the  cooly  and  possibly  bring 
him  too  near  his  home.  The  one  proposition 
we  would  suppose,  might  be  regarded  as  anta- 
goni.'tic  to  the  other  ! Rut  fancy  anyone  sup- 
posing tluit  a Company,  or  other  owner  of  an 
Indo-Ceylon  Railway  would  not  a<lapt  their 
rates  so  as  lo.  catch  the  great  cooly  traflic 
from  Southern  India  to  Ceylon  ! Is  it  any 
wonder  that  the  “Stamtiim  Committee”  struck 
out  two-thirds  of  tlie  foolish  sentence  of  the 
Chairman  and  contented  themselves  with  say- 
ing (evidently  not  with  unanimity)  : — “ The 
ipiestion  of  the  Indo-Ceylon  Railway  .seems 
hardly  witliiu  the  range  of  jiractical  politics  as 
yet.”  It  is  a case  with  us  of  lieing  “ thankfu’ 
tor  sma’  mercies ;”  but  certainly  the  day  will 
come  when  the  gentlemen  who  subscribed  to 
this  half-hearted  declaration  will  be  ashamed 
that  they  did  not  <lo  their  little  best  to  show 
the  world  that  they  were  practically  and  speci- 
ally interested  in  an  Indo-Ceylon  Railway  and 
that  they  were  jirepared  to  welcome  and  en- 
courage every  effort  put  fortli  to  mature,  ami 
secure  the  lieginning  of  what  must  be  one  of 
the  most  notable  works  of  imiirovement  ever 
undertaken  in  Ceylon  or  Soutliern  India.  For 
the  planters  it  not  only  means  a far  more 
abundant  supply  of  coolies  with  the  means  of 
tapping  new  and  over-populated  districts,  Imt 
it  also  means  cheaper  anil  more  regular  freights 
from  the  great  additional  importance  wliich 
must  be  given  to  the  ]>ort  of  Colombo. 
For  the  coolies,  it  would  not  only  mean 
freedom  from  much  e\i>osure  to  wet,  cold, 
m.alaria,  fever,  and  fatal  illness ; hut  also 
a great  saving  of  time,  which  means  money  to 
them  and  their  em))loyer.  We  need  s.ay  no  more 
for  the  jiresent.  I’here  is  no  better  means  of 
bringing  any  desirable  undertaking — howexer, 
large — within  “the  range  of  jiractical  jiolitics” 
than  by  urging  it  on  jmblic  attention  and  by  get- 
ting together  all  possible  information  conccniing 
it.  .\  xvork  that  has  been  the  subject  of  two 
important  Reports  froin  leading  Fngineers  in  ( ky- 
lon  and  Soutliern  India,  with  estimates  and  the 
results  of  surveys, — that  has  been  taken  up  by 
a strong  Syndicate  in  London  with  the  favour 
it  is  umler.Uood  of  the  India  Ollice  authorities, 
if  not  of  I hose  of  the  Colonial  Office,-  -can  scarcely 
we  think  be  treated  with  the  oflhand  remark 
that  it  is  not  yel . or  “ hardly  yet  within  the  range 
of  jiractical  politics.  ” 
Gctta  Pekcua  in  thk  Stiiaits. — In  Piiluuig,  after  1 1th 
August,  a Govoniiucnt  notitication  prohibits  absolutely 
the  search  for  and  export  of  gutta  pereha. — 
THE  LAIIOI  R SCPHLY  QUESTION 
IN  CEYLON. 
L.VnoL'It  SUI'I’LV  .ST.ANDIN'i;  t'OM.M tTTKK. 
Minutes  of  proceedings  of  a meeting  of  the  Labour 
Supply  Standing  Committee  held  at  Kandy  on  Friday, 
the  Pith  day  of  July  189.5,  at  three  o’clock  in  the 
afternoon. 
Present. — Messrs.  A.  Melville  White,  (Chairman 
Planters'  Association  of  Ceylon);  A.  Philip,  (Secretary, 
Planters’  Association  of  Ceylon);  Hon.  Mr.  Giles  F. 
Walker  (m.l.c.),  Messrs.  W.  D.  Gibbon,  James  West- 
land,  J.  H.  Barber,  II.  S.  Duff  Tytler,  A L.  Cross, 
W.  Maitland.  A.  W.  S.  Sackville,  .John  H.  Starey. 
The  notice  calling  the  meeting  was  read. 
The  minutes  of  proceedings  of  a meeting  of  the 
Labour  Supply  Committee  held  at  Kandy  on  Thurs- 
day, the  10th  August,  1893,  were  read.  Resolved  : — 
“ That  they  be  and  they  hereby  are  confirmed.” 
Considered  memorandum  by  the  Chairman  on  the 
Labour  Question.  Resolved: — “That  as  amended  it 
be  adopted  and  published  ; (2)  that  copies  of  the 
memorandum  be  forwarded  to  the  Ceylon  Chaniber 
of  Commerce,  and  to  the  various  District  Associations 
for  consideration.” 
The  Labour  Supply  Standing  Committee  then 
adjourned.  A.  Philip,  Secretary. 
Memorandum  referred  to 
THE  LABOUR  QUESTION  MEMORANDUM. 
The  so-called  Labour  Question  may  be  conveni- 
ently divided  into  5 parts,  some  of  which  are  no 
doubt  inseparably  connected  with  the  others,  and  act 
and  react  on  each  other. 
These  are  : — I The  supply  of  and  demand  for 
coolies. 
II  F'acilitating  the  journeys  of  coolies  to  and  from 
Ceylon. 
III  Coast  Advances  and  local  advances. 
IV  Crimping. 
V The  “ tundu  system.” 
In  one  or  other  of  these  forms  the  Labour  Ques- 
tion has  ever  recurringly  been  before  the  Planter.s' 
Association  almost  since  its  foundation. 
It  is  desirable  to  remember  that  the  Planters’ 
Association 
(a)  has  no  power  to  bind  even  its  own  members 
to  caiT}'  out  its  decisions,  much  less  non-members ; 
(b)  its  members  are  scattere  1 all  over  the  country 
and  cannot  be  summoned  to  meet  at  a moments 
notice  and  without  something  f.iirly  important  for 
discussion,  attendance  involving  an  absence  from 
other  business  of  from  2 to  3 days. 
(c)  although  the  work  of  the  Association  is  deputed 
to  be  carried  on  by  a committee  o!’  12.!  members 
yet  the  real  work  is  voluntarily  done  by  at  most 
10  members  wlio  attend  nearly  every  meeting. 
Consideration  of  these  conditions  seems  to  indicate, 
(1)  that  the  Planters’  Association  is  in  no  position 
to  undertake  the  actual  recruiting  and  introduction 
of  coolies  to  Ceylon.  It  has  no  machinery  and  no 
funds  for  the  purpose.  Private  effort  has  been  suc- 
cessful hitherto  in  increasing  the  labour  force  in 
Ceylon  from  time  to  time ; and  if  any  scheme  for 
combination  is  launched  it  will  bo  found  oest  to  group 
a few  neighbouring  estates  which  are  short  of  labour 
or  which  for  other  reasons  desire  to  join.  These 
have  the  motive  of  self-interest  to  make  them  work  the 
scheme,  it  is  in  a inanagcablc  compass,  each  would 
(orsliouldi  know  the  me.ii  employed  as  recruiters, 
to  whom  advances  could  be  given,  one  of  their  num- 
ber might  go  to  the  cooly  di.stricts  if  necessary,  and 
being  a small  body  agreements  binding  every  one 
could  be  entered  into  at  little  cost.  Such  combina- 
tions will  not  be  accomplished  however  until  the  Labour 
Question  is  a good  deal  more  acute  than  it  is  at  present. 
It  is  desirable  however  to  state  as  emphatically  as 
possible  that  it  is  not  and  ought  not  to  be  any  part 
of  the  functions  of  the  Association  to  procure  coolies 
for  those  who  arc  short  of  labour  or  in  any  way  to 
interfere  between  employer  and  labourer  exceiit  by 
way  of  recommendation.  This  has  been  the  invariable 
attitude  in  the  past,  and  circular  after  circular  has 
boon  i.ssued  by  the  Planters'  Association  and  Chamber 
of  Conuneroo.  Notoriously  the  I'ccommoudatiouii  iu 
