March i, 1898.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 633 
5. The attitude of the Madras Government is 
unfavourable to the Hare Island Scheme. We are 
informed on the lest authority that that Govern- 
ment have no objection to the Tataparai dej)Ot 
scheme on the lines laid down in Mr. Wilkin- 
■son’s letter of 1st November, 1897. The coolies 
being a free immigrant no compulsion of any 
sort will be permitted, and he must be perfectly 
free to come and go. It -will, therefore be 
impossible to prevent him from visiting Tuticorin 
if he chooses, even after he has been conveyed 
to Hare Island, and also it may be supposed 
that the Madras Government will not sanction 
any prohibition of Tuticorin residents visiting the 
Island. If o. this ofitself would almost be enough 
to condemn the Hare Island Scheme. Whereas by 
the Tatapa ai scheme the avoidance altogether 
of Tuticorin would be likely to work automati- 
cally. 
6. ' The possibility of this route becoming less 
used must be taken into consideration in view 
of the statement by the Governor of Madras when 
on tour lately inreply to the address from the 
Municipal Council of Madura. He said he was 
convinced of the advisability of the project of a 
line from Madura to Paumben, and the certainty 
of its remnnerativeness, and the Supreme Govern- 
ment has now recognised the expediency of the 
line being constructed. It follows that this line 
will probably be sanciioned in the near future, 
and the time for completion is estimated by the 
Railway anthoritie at about two years after sanc- 
tion has been received. This line in conjunction 
with the North Road and the Noithern Railway 
and the steamer service from Paumben to Colombo 
would undoubtedly divert a large amount of cooly 
traffic from Tuticorin. Expert opinion has been 
given that steamers can be laid alongside the jetty 
at Paumben, and coolies can walk on board, a 
great advantage over embarkation by launch or 
lighter. By the Madura-Paumban railway an 
alternative route will be available in the event 
of cholera closing the Tuticorin route, and the 
coolie will have the option of continuing his jour- 
ney by sea to Colombo, or by the northern land 
route according to his destination. 
6. By these means also should the port at 
Colombo be temporarily closed, the influx of coolies 
whether from Tuticorin or Madura could still go 
on via Paumben and Mannar. 
7. The Existence OF A Depot and Possible 
Quarantine Stati"N at Ragama.— As this 
station has been established and is now in use, and 
will not be discontinued so long as the Colombo 
route is open for coolies, it seems unnecessary 
to go to the expense of a quarantine station 
on the Indian side, and it is doubtful whether 
quarantine could be established on that side or 
whether such quarantine would be accepted 
as sufficient on this side Coolies could not 
be expected to place themselves voluntarily in a 
quarantine station at Tuticorin. Neither Tata- 
parai nor Hare Island intended to be a quaran- 
tine station, but only depots and resting places. 
Is it therefore necessary to go to the expense 
of the Hare Island scheme for a depot merely ? 
The Arrangements for Remitting Funds 
TO Coolies in Transit. — The Sub-Committee 
consider that owing to the jiosition of Tata- 
arai on the railway and telegraph line, it will 
e easier for the bankers at Tuticorin to pro- 
vide banking facilities at that depot than at 
Hare Island. 
In fine the Sub-Committee approve of the 
Tataparai scheme, and prefer it to the Hare Is- 
and scheme, not only on the score of expense, 
which (were Tuticorin the only probable and 
permanently popular route) would rot be an un- 
superable objection, but because on the whole 
the former scheme seems to meet the necessi- 
ties of the cose by being more likely to accom- 
plish the object in view— which is to promote 
immigration by preserving the cooly from in- 
terference and tampering at Tuticorin, and 
from lisk of infection, whilst at the same time 
falling in with the views of the Madras Gov- 
ernment. 
The Sub-Committee hope to report later on 
upon the Northern route after visiting Paum- 
ben — but meanwiiile would point out that in 
their opinion now that tiie railway has been 
sanctioned to Anuradhapura, that route should 
be made as convenient and popular as po.ssible, 
and at the same time nothing should be done 
to compel the coolie to use that route or to 
interfere with his freedom of choice if he prefer 
the sea route. 
The Sub-Committee recommended that an 
European Assistant Immigration Agent be ap- 
pointed at Tuticorin to inaugurate the depot, 
and make arrangements for facilitating money 
transactions between planter and kangany. 
Further as a result of their personal inspec- 
tion the Sub-Committee make the following re- 
commendations : — 
RECOMMENDATIONS. 
I. That two K. S.* type steamers with bilge- 
keels be run. 
II. That better bulwarks and shelter be pro- 
vided for both launches and steamers. 
III. That large placards in Tamil be posted 
at the jetty, coolies depot and railway stations 
warning coolies not to pay anything more than 
the actual cost of tlieir ticket, and to report 
any cases of attempted blackmailing to the Agent 
on the spot. To facilitate identification the launch 
boatmen should be numbered. 
IV. Inasmuch as the Tataparai scheme is an 
experiment, the Committee recommend that Go* 
vernment be requested to obtain the consent of 
the Madras Government to the continuance of 
the arrangement indicated in paragraph four of 
the letter dated 26th July, 1897, from the Go- 
vernment of Madras to the Government of Cey- 
lon, (whereby the Collector of Tinnevelly has 
been directed not to make to private parties any 
further a.ssignments of land on Hare Island) so 
as to allow an opportunity (if necessary) of re- 
considering the Hare Island scheme. 
(Signed) J. N. Campbell, 
,, James Ryan, 
,, A. Philip, 
Secretary. 
A SEPARATE REPORT BY MR. HARCOURT SKRINE. 
In dissenting from the views of the three 
members of Committee who have signed the 
report, I am aware that my own views of the 
necessities of the Immigration question go a 
good deal further than what the Government 
appears to think necessary, and are perhaps 
tinged by my recollections of three years spent 
at Tuticorin during a period when cholera was 
unusually prevalent, and when I am satisfied 
that a Tataparai establishment would have had 
to be abandoned. 
I also cannot disconnect from my mind the 
further question, in which the whole island of 
Ceylon is interested, of the requirement, ulti- 
mately, of some guarantee for the health-bill of 
the Colombo Port it the Coolie Route is to be 
* T4ie K. S. type is similar to the “ Katoria. 
