206 
UNITED PLANTERS* ASSOCIATION, 
F. M. S. 
Report for 1906. 
Gentlemen, — Your Committee have the honour to submit for 
your consideration the tenth Annual Report of the United Planters’ 
Association, F. M. S. 
Meetings. 
During the year four 'General and seven Committee Meetings 
were held ; and in addition one conference of Delegates from all 
affiliated bodies. 
Labour. 
The question of introducing labour in sufficient numbers to 
develop the large areas of land in private hands and for maintaining 
the land already under cultivation in its highest state of productive- 
ness continues to be the most important matter before the Planting 
Community. Large numbers of Indian Immigrants arrived during 
the early part of the year until the unfortunate outbreak of cholera 
in August, when recruiting received a check from which it has not 
yet entirely recovered. 
According to figures accorded by the courtesy of the Superin- 
tendent of Immigrants the number of coolies employed on estates 
on 31st December 1906, was 19,354 as against 9,672 at the end of 
1905, a satisfactory increase, but it is to be hoped that the figures at 
the end of 1907 will show a much larger increase. 
From a considerable nu Fiber of estates no returns have been 
received, so above figures are only approximate. 
According to figures obtained from the same source, during 1906 
12,686 coolies were imported from India into Selangor, while there 
were 696 deaths and 2,776 coolies absconded. 
In Negri Sembilan 2,186 new coolies arrived from India, there 
were 245 deaths and 406 absconders. 
The total employed on 3£st December was divided as to 16,263 
in Selangor and 3,091 in Negri Sembilan. 
Competition for labour in the recruiting grounds of Southern 
India, is probably keener at the present time than it has ever been 
and it is to be hoped that every employer of labour in the Federated 
Malay States will help towards the common cause, by doing all in 
his power to make this country popular with the cooly, and, once 
the fact is generally known in India, that this is a country where 
good money is to be earned, and where individual coolies are well 
looked after, it is to be trusted that a constant stream of immigrants 
will set in, which will never stop until all our wants are satisfied. 
As an instance of what the employment of labour in this country 
is doing for the poorer districts of India, it is interesting to record 
that during 1906* the sum of Rs. 2,004,555 was remitted to India 
