THE CONDUCTOE, SYSTEM. 
power they possessed then anywhere now exists.. 1 
have known of some of these men’s monthly p^y from 
the estate alone averaging upwards of £5 or £6 or 
even more. Tlie system of pay was from one to two 
shillings a head on every cooly who arrived under his 
influence, and one pound a month extra from the estate 
as a substantial token of head kanganiship. Nor was 
this all. He often, almost always, had a private gang of 
his own, generally the largest on the estate, from 
which he drew an additional salary, of say a penny 
a head per day, on the out-turn. After this the con- 
doctor system began to come into use, more extensively. 
Educated Sinhalese, who could speak English and 
Tamil, Portu^oese, Burghers, in fact any one with a 
smattering of English, who could “ call the rHl ’ and 
do up the check- roll, no matter what their antecedents 
had been, or whether or not they kn'"W anything about 
coffee; their pay was from £3 to £5 per month, and 
the head kangani was subject to them. He did not 
flourish under this new arrangement ; there was now 
a check or spy on his transactions, and the one would 
bring tales to the master of all sorts of misdemeanours 
committed by the other. The head kangani’s power 
gave way, and very often his office and influence be- 
came lower, until it began to be realized that his place 
and position were nominal and unnecessary. The head 
kangani, however, would not give way without a 
struggle. He would leave, and take all the coolies 
Avith him, but, when it came to the point, it was found 
he could take none, or few, these few being only 
»ome of his personal attaches or those who were 
largely indebted to him. The coolies, although ap- 
parently devoted to him when he was in power and 
favour, after he was gone began to speak all manner 
of evil of him, candidly told all his misdeeds and how 
he had robbed and cheated both them and the master. 
The peculiaritj of the coolie is such, that, so long as 
any one is in power, they will studiously conceal and 
aAmid speaking of all his evil doings, but whenever 
he is in disgrace, or discharged, everything comes out. 
So that the indignant master is apt to exclaim, ‘‘Why 
did you not ^ell me all this sooner?” But the head 
kangani would sometimes make a final and frequently 
a successful effort. He would gain over the conductor 
to his side, and the two would act in unison, quite 
understanding each other, but before long there would 
be some quarrel or dispute, and the master would 
often be quite put to his wit’s end, in order to deter- 
mine who wffiowas righ' and who was wrong, a difficult 
que ration to settle, simply because no one would, or 
perhaps could, speak the truth. 
