54i 
H 1 quite agree that Dr. Foston should be empowered to extend 
the period of Licenses at his discretion, and \ also think with the 
' Resident-General that all Recruiters of free labour should be provi- 
ded with Licenses. It is the simplest matter for employers to ob r 
tain these Licenses in the Federated Malay States and such slipshod 
methods as sending Recruiters over, fortified only with letters, 
should not be encouraged, otherwise there would appear to be no 
object in having the License system at all. 
“ It sometimes occurs, however, that a cooly, who has returned 
to his country, is anxious after a while to come back to his old 
estate ahd bring some of his friends with him. In such a case it 
would be rather hard if the planter or employer at this end were 
compelled to send a special man with a License to bring the coolies 
over, arid I think that Dr. Foston should be empowered, under 
these circumstances,, to issue State-aided tickets upon receipt of 
a communication from the employer explaining the situation, or even 
upon application from the leading cooly, if satisfied of the bond 
fides of his story. 
“ Having before us the undoubted fact that the country is still very 
much under-slocked as regards Tamil labour, it would appear to be 
impolitic to put any obstacles in the way of immigration if sufficient 
cause can be shown for a departure from the orthodox system in 
certain special cases." 
(d) Read letter No, H.C. 4247/02 from the Resident-General 
to the Chairman enclosing three copies of his Annual 
Report for 1901 and a copy of a letter from the High 
Commissioner in which his Excellency refers to the 
courageous and persistent determination of the European 
Planters in the Federated Malay States. 
The meeting heartily approved of the Chairman’s reply that the 
Planters were much gratified at the cordial reference to their work 
to which both the High Commissioner and the Resident-General 
had given expression. 
(e) Read letter No. Misc. 3785/(52 from the Secretary to 
Resident-General to the Honorary Secretary, United 
. Planters’ Association, enclosing for the information of 
Association copy of a circular Despatch from the Secre- 
tary of State regarding the recent Sugar Conference at 
Brussels. 
The papers were laid on the table for the information of the 
Members of the Association. 
(/) Read letter No. C.S. 3741/02 from the Secretary to Resi- 
dent-General to the Chairman, covering, for the infor- 
mation of the Association, a copy of the new agreement 
between the Straits Settlements Government and the 
British India Steam Navigation Company, Limited, for 
a special mail and cooly service between Penang and 
Madras or Negapatam. 
The Chairman called attention to the fact that the agreement -had 
been -published in the Selangor Government Gazette of nth July 
and said that all employers of labour should pay particular attention 
