June i, 1898 . j 
TFIE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTDRIST. 
809 
the planter, without in any way affecting its pictures- 
que appearance, and much experimental work could be 
carried on. — R. Debby, Supt. Govt. Garden. 
INTEREST ON ADVANCES TO KAN- 
OANIES AND KELANI VALLEY 
COOLY FEDERATION. 
At the request of the Ohairman, Mr. Maclure brought 
up the following resolution at the meeting of the 
JIaskeliya Planters’ Association the other day : — ■ 
“That ill the opinion of this Association the tin.io 
has come when interest should be charged on all 
advances to kanganies other than advances for the 
purpose of procuring labour from India, and that 
the matter be recommended to the consideration of the 
labour federation.” 
Mr. Tait seconded. 
Mr. Maceube said that he thought every! aiiter 
would admit that the advance system which used 
10 work well enough in the coffee days had of late years 
been much abused, and it was now a source of anxiety 
and worry to them all, and possible loss too in the 
future. The question was, did they do everything 
they could to discourage its abuse ? It seemed to hi.n 
that at present they rather encouraged it by giving 
out large advances to kanganies free of interest which 
the latter lent out at a heavy rate of interest. Now 
he would ask them to put themselves in the kan- 
gauy’s place ; if money were placed at their disposal 
and they could lend out that money at a good rate 
of interest would they not get as much as they 
possibly could? Mr. MacLure said he would say 
the kangany would be a fool if he did not schema 
and woi’ry to get as much as he could on thase 
terms, and that was just what he was doing as 
they (the planters) all knew to their cost. The 
system of advancing large sums of money to kan- 
ganies free of interest was opposed to all business, 
principles, and it lent itself to abuse. For > in- 
stance he would ask what there was to hinder a 
kangany when he succeeded by false pretences 
in extracting Rl.OOO out of his Dorai from 
going to the neighbouring estate or even to the 
caddies and lending that 111,000 at, say 10 per cent, 
interest to another estate kangani or to a bazaar man, 
and thereby carving a nice little annual income 
^ of BlOO at the expense of the estate. Mr. MacLure 
said he believed if the truth were known the uses 
to which their advances had been put it would astonish 
them (the planters.) Continuing he said the profit 
on rice and interest on 3 to 4 months’ pay due to 
the coolies used to be set off against interest on ad- 
vances. He submitted there had not been much 
profit on rice lately and now-a-days most estates paid 
monthly, and even if the price of rice should go down 
he thought they ought, after recovering former losses, 
rather to let the eooly have it almost at cost price. 
By making a profit and considering it a set off 
against interest on advances they took from the 
cooly and gave to the kangany; now if anything he 
thought they ought rather to take from the kangany. 
For some years back the kangany had been slowly 
and steadily adding to his pay. In many oases the 
head money had been increased, names were given 
for looking after work which was never done before, 
and he demanded and got R30, R40 and R50 a head 
for his coolies when, before, he was content with R5 or 
RIO a head. The result was it had been made such 
a paying thing that the crowning ambition of every 
cooly was to be a kangany, and there was a con- 
sequent competition among the kanganies for coolies 
and to that competition among the kanganies was 
due the increased advances (far more than to com- 
petition among Dorais.) The kangany was con- 
tinually scheming and intriguing to increase his 
connection whether the estate wanted coolies or 
not. Mr. MacLure went on to say that some 
planters were of the opinion that what they wanted 
was a greater supply of labour, and that things would 
en right themselves — that with a more plentiful 
pply they should be in a position to dictate, The 
speaker asked how it could be said they were short 
of labour, and how could they expect more coolies 
to flock in from the Coast when for 8 or 9 months 
of the year one heard of 5 to 4 and even 3 days’ work 
in the week. It was only for a few months during 
the rush that they could do all with some more 
coolies. Those of them who could recall the coffee 
days would remember that they had the same diffi- 
culties then in crop time. Crop often drop off 
the trees for want of labour to pick it, and yet *they 
never heard of such enormous advances in those days. 
The worst of it was that it wais teaching the cooly 
reckless and extravagant habits, and Mr. MacLora 
said he thought, therefore, it was their duty by 
ever v means m their power to combine to keep down 
a ’ V ances, and now was the time to do it — later on it 
'..ight be difficult. Perhaps the fact of the kangani 
having to pay, say, 1 ) per cent, interest for advances, 
would make him think and hesitate before demanding 
a large sum ; perhaps it would not ; in any case the 
money would be earning interest for the estate. 
Mr. MacLiire went on to say there were two ways 
by which kinganies could be charged interest on 
advance — one was by charging them interest on the 
total amount of advances, and at the end of the 
yeir crediting each interest in a sum representing, 
s ly, R20 per head for any hona fide coast coolies 
brought to the estate : the other way would be to charge 
interest on all advances exceeding RIO per head. 
Perhaps the latter would be the better and simpler 
plan. Mr. MacLure, in conclusion, said that for 
some years b ick they had meekly submitted to the 
exorbitant demands of the kangani, and it was now 
time they put their foot down. The speaker trusted 
that those who agreed with him in thinking that 
the- kangani had had too much of his own way 
lately would have the courage of their convictions 
and vote in favor of the resolution. (Applause.) 
On the vote being taken, it was found that only 
five had voted in favour of the motion the majo- 
rity raising their hands against it. 
The resolution was thus declared lost. 
THE KELANI VALLEY COOLY FEDERATION. 
The rule of the Kelaui Valley Federation, with a 
covering letter, were next laid on the table, the 
letter showing that 83 out of 87 planters had agreed 
to abide by the rules. 
TEA PLANTING IN SUMATRA : 
MR, WM. BAKER OF BADULLA OPENING 
THE FIRST TEA ESTATE IN SUMATRA, 
Mr. H. R. Porter of Mes.srs. Walker Sons & 
Co., Ltd., has retiirneil from atrip m Sumatra. 
He left by the Austro-Lloyds s.s. “ Trieste” on 
the 29th March ami returned hy the P. & O. ss. 
“ Ciiiisan” on tlie 29th April. His visit was 
of a purely business nature, but a good deal of 
pleasure followed in its train, and Mr. Porter 
s[)eaks in the highest terms of the manner in 
which he was received and the cordial hospi- 
tality which was extended to him by the Dutch 
planters who, he says, are very like the British 
Colonists ill their jovial and courteous manner to- 
wards strangers. The Dutchmen in Sumatra as yet, 
know little ornothing about tea plan ting, their/orfe 
being the cultivationof the sootliingweed although 
they may become gradually educated in taste and 
liking to the growth of tlie leaf which, when 
properly brewed, yields the cup which cheers 
but does not inebriate. His purpose was to visit 
the first tea estate opened up in Sumatra, 
belonging to the British Deii-Langkat To- 
bacco Company which owns over 35,000 acres 
planted with the fragrant weed, tobacco. The 
managers and superintendents of these to- 
bacco plantations are, of course Dutch ; but 
the labourers are either Javanese or Malay 
coolies who understand the work well and in 
