214 
Supplement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist. 
[Sept. 1, 1897. 
the coast, the home of the immigrant labourer, 
it follows that the required forces are in great 
measure drafted from the already existing planta- 
tions. No great foresight is therefore needed to 
prophecy that the simple plan of taking from Paul 
to pay Peter, or froui Peter to pay Paul is not 
conducive to their mutual benefit. 
lu the meantime, as the shifting of labour is 
the direct result of immediate or prospective 
gain to the labourers, advances on coolies have 
gone on increasing all over the Island. To what 
extent advances have already risen is shown in 
the evidence afforded in the late desertion case 
of Rowlands to. Valliamma. It appears that the 
sum of R274'50 was not considered too high for 
two women and one boy. And this brings us 
once again to 
THE I.AW OF COXTHACTS. 
It is unfortunate that Superintendents do not 
regard in all its gravity the requirement that 
the contract of hire and service is one that should 
be entered into directly witli the labourer and 
not with the kangani. 
It is often the case that negotiations are carried 
on entirely with the kangani who offers to place 
the labourers on the estate upon the payment of a 
certain sum of money, which is called an advance. 
In the case under consideration, ihe advance 
per head amounts to as much as R91‘o0, a sum 
considered high for Ceylon even by Mr. Justice 
Withers. The Superintendent, Mr. Rowlands, natu- 
rally thought that nil things and conditioms 
were done and fulfilled by him to entitle him 
to consider- that the labourers who found 
their way to his estate, were to all legal intents 
and purposes his servants. If the entry of the 
servant’s name on the check roll, the occupation 
by them of rooms in the lines, and the receipt 
of a few measures of rice were elements that 
sufficed to su])port an implied contract, how 
much more would not the payment of so large 
a sum of money to save the cooly from his 
persecuting creditors, the Chotty dealer and the 
Moorman trader, afford confirmatory proof of a 
contract between the labourer and the Superin- 
tendent, — so at least must have thought the 
Superintendent. 
But the Court held that there was no contract 
proved between the parties to support the charge 
of deseition. It cannot be too often repeated 
that the requirements of the Labour Ordinance 
should be strictly adhered to by the employer 
before he could claim the benefit of its provisions, 
so as to bring an offender before a summary 
Court of Justice as a criminal. 
The subject of advances to coolies is one that 
has engaged, no doubt, the best' actention of the 
foremost planters in the Planters’ Association, 
among whom too are men of legal attainments, 
and it has more than once been recommended to 
the Planting community bj^ those best able to 
foresee difficulties, that advances should be 
made to the labourer direct and not to the 
kanganies. 
The usages and customs between planters and 
coolies which obtained in the past, and were re- 
garded as a sort of unwritten or common law have 
grauually come to the ground, and in the present 
day the planter who relies on these usages reckons 
very frequently without his host, 
Ithas been contended that this is not a practical 
suggestion. It may or may not be so ; but now 
that advances are going up gradually to three 
figures x>er head it would not be out of place to 
state that whatever may be the conveniences 
afforded by the system of making advances in a 
lump sum into the hands of the kangani to enable 
him to pay the debts due by his gang, or by cheque 
to the employer who sends out his “ tundu,” it 
would be well for the Planting community to 
consider whether they should not introduce a 
rule, that in all cases new coolies should be 
individually seen by the Superintendent upon 
their arrival, and whenever it is practicable that 
the advances should be ascertained as separate 
debts and placed against each man and woman 
as stated or acknowledged. Such acknowledge- 
ment by cooly and entry by Superintendent cannot 
fail to be of service to the Superintendent in 
Court. 
And if such a system had been in vogue among 
planters, the case under review could not possibly 
have failed from a want of evidence of the con- 
tract to serve, since to acknowledge the receipt 
of the advance parties had to meet face to face as 
master and servant. 
In the case of Rowlands vs. Valliamraa the 
Superintendent has not only failed in the case of 
desertion, but stands a slender chance of recover- 
ing his advances from the three coolies to whom 
he granted a “ tundu.” 
« 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
The two varieties of paddy seed received from 
the Agricultural Department of Madras some lime 
ago were sown in the School of Agriculture 
grounds last sowing season and the crops are 
now coming into ear. We owe our thanks to the 
Director of Land Records and Agriculture of the 
North-Western Province of India, for three varie- 
ties of paddy received from Cawnpore. The seed 
paddy we have been so fortunate as to secure 
was sent on our application for the best ap- 
proved varieties. Some of this seed will be 
grown at the School of Agriculture and the rest in 
the Matale district. 
We make no apology for publishing in full 
the Report of the Superintendent of the School of 
Agriculture on the working of the .several establish- 
ments under his charge during last year. Few of 
the public have the opportunity of reading the 
Administration Reports of heads of departments, 
and we have no doubt that there are many who will 
be glad to note the progre.ss made by the dairy, 
and to be provided with the financial details of the 
concern. Owing to the (.ublication of this re- 
port a good deal of other matter has to 
stand over. 
The Colonial Veterinary Surgeon thus refers in 
his report for last year to t lie “obscure disease” 
more thau once written about in the pages of 
the Magazine, and once treated of under the 
head of “Hepatitis”: — During the year .sev'eral 
cows appeared to be slightly unwell at in- 
tervals and to change colour gradually, lirincipally 
white cows. The first thing noticed about 
