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4- The Secretary reads the following letter to hand from the 
Federal Secretary : — 
No. 2365/1910, 4th July, 1910. 
Sir, — With reference to your letter dated the 5th May, 1910, 
suggesting an amendment to “The Praedial Produce Protection 
Enactment, v I am directed to point out that by the amending 
Enactment of 1907 the definition of ‘ plantation’ was extended to 
include rubber estates, and the definition of ‘ produce ’ was extended 
to include latex and seeds. 
There does not therefore appear to the Acting Resident General 
to be any necessity for the suggested amendment. 
I have, etc., • 
(Sgd). E. C. H. WOLFF, 
for Federal Secretary. 
The Secretary informs the Meeting that he has consulted their 
legal Adviser, and that it would seem, that the Federal Secretaiy had 
missed the point altogether. By a recent decision the law read that 
latex meant only the latex as long as it was in a fluid state and that 
as soon as it became rubber it was outside that definition. Therefore, 
it had been suggested that they should have the words “and any. 
other produce of any plant or tree” inserted in the Enactment. 
The Secretary is instructed to take steps in this direction. 
5. RECRUITING ADVANCES. 
The Chairman says that was a matter which had had their 
attention on several occasions and the members of the Association 
were by no means unanimous on the point. In view therefore of the 
very large influx of Indian and other labour under the existing 
•conditions, he thought they would agree that the least said in 
the meantime on the matter, the better. 
Resolved to let the matter rest there. 
6, ABSCONDING COOLIES. 
The Chairman says this was a very important point and no 
doubt would lead to some amount of discussion. Most of them 
recruited coolies from India: they came over here to their estates 
and then very often they walked off the estate without giving the 
Manager any notice. The coolies were then arrested and brought 
before a magistrate. Some magistrates recognised that the coolies 
should be punished and inflicted small fines, but other magistrates 
would not recognise the offence and simply ordered that the coolie be 
taken back to the estate, from which he often absconded again the 
very next day. There was no desire whatever on their part to force 
the labourer on to an unhealthy estate, from which he wished to get 
away, their object being merely, to prevent large numbers of coolies 
walking off without giving the managers any opportunity of replacing 
them. Steps should be taken to protect their interests in the matter 
