38 
had to be consulted in some form or other the position of govern- 
ment would be strengthened ; the public would be given the security 
it has a right to demand and it is more than probable that in most 
cases a resort to extreme measures would be rendered unnecessary 
by the pressure which might in this way be brought to bear. Some 
such machinery would have been elaborated, I feel sure, had even 48 
hours been allowed on deliberation : and that this could not have 
been granted, it is impossible to believe, seeing that eight days were 
allowed to elapse before the powers conferred were made use of 
I move “that this Association strongly deprecates the precipitancy 
with which the Labour Enactment, 1911, was passed through Federal 
Council.” 
The Chairman thinks every member of that Association would 
have voted for the Bill after having heard the guarantee of the 
Government, who were about to redraft the Bill. The conditions of 
the Tamil labour force on the estate referred to were an absolute 
disgrace. All the unofficial members of the council objected to the 
procedure, but it was felt it was not right to vote against the 
measure after receiving the Government’s guarantee that the enact- 
ment would only be applied to one group of estates, and that a fresh 
Bill would be submitted to them at the next Federal Council. He 
felt confident from what Sir Arthur Young and the Chief Secretary 
to Government had said that they had every intention of consulting 
the planting community on the steps they proposed to take in this 
direction in future. 
Mr. Gibson regarded the Government’s actions from another 
standpoint. If this Enactment went home, the man in the street, 
who had invested his money and did not know exactly the position 
or conditions of the country where his investmen was, but got to know 
the Government of that country could turn round and take away the 
labour of the estates he had invested his money in, it might be the 
means of bringing about a panic and doing tremendous harm to the 
rubber industry. Those were the far reaching effects of such an 
action on the part of the Government and it was the bounden duty of 
the Association to impress on the Government that «uch high- 
handed legislation was intolerable. 
He had great pleasure in seconding Mr. Macfadyen’s motion. 
Mr. Macfadyen’s motion is then put to the meeting and carried 
unanimously. 
10. Honorary Members. 
The Secretary reports that Mr. A. C. Corbetta has applied for 
Honorary Membership and explains that the present lules do not 
provide for this. 
Mr. F. G. Harvey proposes, Mr. A. J. Fox seconds, and it is 
agreed to, that a new rule to that effect be drafted and submitted 
to the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. 
