487 
Mr. Lake supported Mr, Skinner, and urged that it was impossible 
to do anything definite until they knew what the financial position was. 
Mr. J. Gibson said that the rebate should be on coolies already 
paid for. There should be no differentiation between old and new es- 
tates. Many young estates had recruited an enormous number of coolies 
to get through with the programme laid down for them. Now many 
had completed this, in fact wanted to get rid of coolies. He knew one 
estate with a force of 800 which wanted to get rid of 300. It would 
be an injustice if such estates were treated differently from older estates. 
Mr. Macfadyen said that in 1906 he imported 85 coolies with five 
free tickets. If we confine ourselves to the present year we do what is 
fair. If we extend the rebate outside this year, we shall gratify few, 
waste money, and be unfair. 
Mr. Darby really thought that nobody wanted rebates at all for 
what had happened in the past. All they wanted now was to ensure 
that for the future the cess would be levied on newly-engaged coolies 
only. 
Mr. Clayton thought that that would give a loophole to the miners 
to get out of paying the cess altogether. Another difficulty was with 
temporary workers. They had to follow up contractors whose labour 
force varied very much, one day 10 and another 200. Mr. Darby’s 
suggestion made it unworkable as regards contractors, though simple 
with estates. 
Mr. Macfadyen moved that the rebate be confined to 1908 coolies, 
by substituting “1908” for “1905” in § 7, 1. 
Mr. Fox reminded Mr. Clayton that no free tickets had been in 
force during the first six weeks of this year, and he thought those 
estates who had recruited during that time were entitled to first relief 
out of any accumulated funds. 
Mr. Harrison said that his personal idea to deal with any surplus 
was to give a free return ticket to any coolie who had uninterruptedly 
served one employer for, say, two years. At present Selangor w-as full 
up with labour and the other States would shortly be so too ; but enor- 
mous acreages were coming into bearing in another three or four years 
and the labour force required then would be as nothing compared with 
what filled their requirements now. By adopting his suggestion he felt 
sure they would break the back of the bolting difficulty. The coolie 
getting a free passage would be able to take his savings back with him 
intact. This would popularize the country and would represent an 
advance over anything done by the countries with which we have to 
compete. 
Mr. Macfadyen then proposes and Mr. Fox seconds: — 
“That the Immigration Committee be asked not to take any 
action in regard to rebates until the accounts for the working of the 
Indian Immigration Fund Enactment during 1908 have been presented 
to and considered by this Association.” 
Mr. Skinner having withdrawn his original motion, Mr. Macfadyen’s 
motion is put to the Meeting and carried unanimously. 
