98 
and appeared never to have seen a mamoty or changkol in their 
lives. In Sumatra they had a short way of dealing with such — they 
simply sent them back at the expense of the recruiting agents. Here 
we had no check on them. He had complained to the Penang 
agents,, who repudiated responsibility. Meanwhile, too, their price 
was rising, and had risen from $45 to over $60 per head. His last 
lot cost him, landed on the estate, $67 a man. The system of 
making advances also needed correction, whereas the Tamil coolie 
landed with a few annas only in his possession, the Javanese had 
| to or more, with which they could watch their opportunity to bolt. 
They would not bolt as they so often did within a few days of 
landing if they had not this money in their pocket. Their inferior 
physical condition was due to absence of proper medical super- 
vision. If we could not have our own Medical Officer stationed in 
Java we might perhaps have one over, here to reject the unfit and 
send them back. 
Mr. Gibson then put his original motion, which was seconded by 
the Chairman. Mr. Day proposed as an amendment that the 
P. A. M. be asked to send a representative to Java to enquire into 
the cost of recruiting and to see if it is not possible to obtain 
absolutely healthy coolies. I his was seconded, pro forma by 
Mr. I . N. Pearse, and, on being put to the meeting, was declared 
lost. Mr. Gibson’s motion was then put and carried with one 
dissentient. 
The question of reduction of wages then came up for discussion, 
and the Secretary read a number of letters both from heads of 
Government Departments and planters in answer to the circular 
recently sent out on the subject. After the letters had been read 
the Chairman said that it appeared from what they had heard, that 
Government refused to commit itself, though it was obvious that 
there \vas a pretty general consensus of opinion in favour of 
reduction. It was absolutely necessary to check the rise df wages. 
He remembered the time, not so long ago, when we were 
turning away labour at 18 cents a day. ‘We had to consider what 
was a fair day’s wages under present conditions. He quite realised 
the difficulties pointed out by writers of the letters, both official and 
otherwise, of obtaining labourers in certain places or for certain 
work, except at high rates, but he thought those employers whose 
labour worked under normal conditions might reduce. 
Mr. Knight said that if we reduced wages to 30 cents we should 
be down to the level of Ceylon wages, and the result would be that 
more coolies would go to Ceylon, instead of coming here. The 
higher rate paid here was their inducement to come — 35 cents would 
not be so drastic. 
Mr. Day agreed vvith Mr. Knight and pointed out that if 35 cents 
were fixed the coolie would be getting about the same number of 
dollar cents as the Ceylon coolie got rupee cents, as could be shown 
by check rolls. The coolie in Malaya would still have the benefit 
of exchange, and could still remit more from here than from Ceylon. 
It was absolutely necessary to preserve some inducement, Ceylon 
