146 
United Planters’ Association, F. M. S. 
REPORT FOR 1905. 
Gentlemen, — Your Committee have the honour to submit for 
your consideration the Ninth Annual Report of the United Planters' 
Association, F. M. S. 
Meetings. 
During the year six meetings were held, of which five at Kuala 
Lumpur and one at Seremban. 
All Meetings were fairly attended, although it is regrettable that 
owing to the nature of the Association's constitution, all Members 
have not been able to be kept as thoroughly in touch with the con- 
duct of the Association's business as could be wished. 
The Chairman. 
The Association has sustained a great loss through the departure 
of Mr. W. W. Bailey, your chairman for the past three years, who 
always took the greatest interest in the Association, and whose 
services both in his public and private capacity were at a 11 times 
ungrudgingly given to all Members. In many ways he has, as your 
Committee are aware, been of the greatest assistance in the corres- 
pondence and necessary interviews with Government. His departure 
for Europe, and retirement from active management took place 
earlier than was expected and we were only able to express to him 
in a small measure our regard and appreciation for his services. 
Labour. 
Of all the various points taken up by the Association during the 
year, the to all Members by far most important has been the ques- 
tion of Labour. We are glad to be able to report to you that the 
free ticket system, as introduced by His Excellency the High Com- 
missioner (details of which appeared in our last Annual Report) has 
proved an unqualified success and of the very greatest assistance 
to all concerned. 
It is to be regretted that many Members did not in time make 
use of all their tickets last year, nor returned them to the Secretary, 
with the result that these tickets were unfortunately forfeited. This 
is all the more regrettable, as the returns supplied by the courtesy 
of the Superintendent of Indian Immigrants show that the number 
of free coolies actually brought in were far in excess of the number 
of free tickets granted to the Association and we sincerely trust that 
in future all members will take full advantage of these free tickets. 
According to the Superintendent of Indian Immigrants, the num- 
ber of coolies on Estates has increased from 6,069 at the end of 
1904 to 9,672 at the end of 1905. The proportion of women is 
satisfactory. Returns recording 87 births were sent in, but there 
must have been considerably more not recorded. 
The returns sent in show that in Negri Sembilan 1,038 coolies 
were imported from India and 200 recruited locally ; that there were 
