Oct. r, 1897.) 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
247 
HOW TO ECONOMISE THE AVAIL- 
ABLE LABOUR SUPPLY ON OUR 
TEA PLANTATIONS.” 
We have just been going over the answers 
received to our Circular on the above subject. 
They number between three and four score in 
all, and some of the more experienced and 
practical planters in the country are among our 
contributors, as well as not a tew who are known 
as among the more energetic and interested of 
the younger generation of planters. We have 
also one or two contributors from among our 
local Engineers, these having been invited to say 
w’hat machinery, inventions or arrangements they 
would recommend to the notice of our tea-planters 
as means of economising Cooly Labour. We 
feel sure, therefore, that the Correspondence 
will be regarded with considerable attention 
by Proprietors, Agents and Superintendents, 
more especially at a time when “ economy” 
is in the air, — the one policy which we 
hear on every side, as rerpiisite to counteract 
tlie efi'ect of low piices and low exchange. It 
will be remembered that our “ questions” covered 
a good deal of ground, including Estate Tramways, 
Wire Shoots and otlier similar labour-saving ap- 
pliances in field or factory. Then, certain remarks 
were made about “ Weeding” and “ Draining” and 
the cultivation of crops to dig into the soil ; 
while finally certain questions were preferred as 
to the best means of attracting anil keeping 
coolies on estates, and of saving them from 
current temptations, or falling into the hands of 
crimps. Young planters cannot fail to benefit 
by what their seniors have to say on many of 
tiiese topics, and still more by suggestions which, 
though they may not be practically adopted, or 
even suitable for adoption in all cases ; yet are in- 
valuable, because of making young men think 
for themselves on points connected with their 
planting profession which, perhaps, have not 
hitherto come specially under their notice. It 
seems to be generally agreed that the younger 
generation of planters (as a whole — of course 
there are exceptions) do not secure the con- 
fidence of the coolies to the same extent as 
their predecessors. “ How do you manage to 
have always as many coolies as you want and on 
such moderate advances ?” — was our question the 
other day to a manager, not a hundred miles 
from Dikoya district, and his answer was sug- 
gestive as to the great value the average cooly 
attached to the “master” who listened to his 
little complaints, quarrels and grievances, and 
generally treated his labourers as so many 
children in respect of their dependence on himself 
in their troubles. As an ex-coffee manager puts 
the case for the “days of old”; — 
Raiuasamy, Menatchy and little Soondurum, used to 
get their Castor oil, Quinine, Dover’s powder and Turpen- 
tine at the hands of their Durais and they — master 
and labourer — were in touch. Now all that is changed. 
The Head of the Medical Department gets Knighted, 
a few coolies may be saved when attacked by some 
disease that requires special medical care ; but hun- 
dreds of men, women, and children die of diseases 
because such were not taken in time, and because the 
simple dose of Castor oil. Quinine and Dover’s powder 
administered by the Factory Manager becomes 
obsolete, through these armies of Dispensers and 
Medical Assistants being let loose on plantations. 
31 
Then, as to labour-saving contrivance.s, have 
we not in many parts of Ceylon, to learn some- 
thing from our neighbours in Northern India ? 
For instance, the Chairman at the Loudon meet- 
ing of the Jokai (Assam) Tea Company, two 
months ago, mentioned among other things, 
For years we have been extending our cultivation 
replanting old inferior China fields with indige- 
nous plants, thus doubling their value, replacing tem- 
porary buildings with permanent ones, improving the 
accommodation for our coolies, providing good water 
and laying down light railways and tramways in order 
to economise labour. We have now about 30 miles of 
railway and tramway on our estates. A large share of 
the cost of these improvements has in former years been 
charged to block ; but revenue bore a considerable 
share of it. On this occasion we have charged the entire 
cost to revenue. Notwithstanding this we have the 
satisfaction of being able, after paying the usual 
10 per cent, dividend, to add £1,191 to the reserve 
fund, and to carry forward £987. My colleague, Mr 
Lawrie, has lately raised an important question as' 
to the proper method of making up the accounts of 
a tea company so as to do full justice to the pre- 
sent shareholders, and at the same time to keep the 
necessary guarantees for stability and security 
which are of fundamental importance. Mr. Lawrie 
proposes that instead of debiting revenue vvith the 
cost of maintaining new cultivation on a variable 
area, no year’s revenue should bear the cost of main- 
taining an area of young tea exceeding 5 per cent, 
of the mature plant. I think tuat the proportion sug- 
gested would be fully ample to provide for any pro- 
bable depreciation in the plant. We have still to spend 
a good deal of money to bring some of our gardens 
up to the standard of equipment I would like but 
taking them as a whole, they will, when the improve- 
ments now in progress are completed, compare not 
unfavourably with any other estates I have seen. * * * 
The report expresses some apprehension that, 
owing to the large number of coolies we have lately 
imported, taking advantage of the large emigration 
caused by the famine, we may have more labour than 
we actually need. I have no fear on this head. The 
tea plant responds gratefully to good cultivation ; an 
extra hoeing never fails to give an ample return in 
the quantity and quality of the crop. But besides this 
safety valve, we have decided to plant a fine tract of 
about 300 acres which lies on our own railway be- 
tween Panitola and Kampti-Gwali Gardens, and 100 
acres on our Tippuk estate, which is almost all held 
in fee simple. The abundant supply of labour may 
enable us to go on somewhat more expeditiously with 
this work than we would have done otherwise. 
Every proprietor is interested in what maV 
be done to conserve the liealth of coolies, to keep 
them up to the full working strength, and in all 
that may save them unneces.sary labour. Ho v 
can coolies in The present day care to abide 
on plantations which require the caniao-e of tea 
chests or even rice-bags for more thair a mile 
or two or three miles, on their heads or backs’ 
Other things being equal, such estates must 
suffer a great disadvantage and surely the iiro- 
prietor ivho does everything in his power to 
make work easy for his coolies, to make their 
lives comfortable and absolutely healthy with 
an ample supjily of good water, must score. 
We are accustomed to boast of our progress on 
Ceylon plantations ; but where arc we to find 
even on the largest or best equipjied in the 
islandj **30 miles of niilwa-y or trani^vay” to 
expedite carriage? No doubt, on the Hat and 
extensive Assam estates, the facilities for layin<' 
rails are much greater ; hut still, a good deal 
should be done here in this way, and in estab- 
lishing wireshoots, to relieve (he coolies of work 
they do not like, and to make the workin g’ of 
certain estates more economical. ° 
