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Chinese labourers on estates are mostly empolyedt 
on contract work, Indians and Javanese on daily wages. 
The standard of wages’ for Chinese is higher than 
for the others. The relative value of their labour is 
a matter of opinion but obviously when Chinese receive 
higher wages it is because their employers consider 
their services more valuable. 
One reason why Chinese command higher wages 
is the competition for their labour by other forms of 
more arduous employment to which Indians and 
Javanese are not attracted. 
It is difficult to arrive at an estimate of the average 
earning of Chinese estate labourers at the present 
times as conditions are still abonormal but $15/- to 
$18/- per mensem may be taken as a rough 
approximation. 
In the Federated Malay States the prevailing rates 
of wages for Indian labourers are 40 cents for men 
and 30 cents for women and similar rates obtain for 
Javanese. Lower rates are paid to Indians in the 
coast districts of Selangor where wages of men range 
from 27 to 35 cents a day and for women from 22 tO' 
30.* 
On the mines the Chinese work largely on a profit 
sharing basis and their earnings vary with the price 
received for the ore. In times of prosperity they can 
earn very much more than as agricultural labourers 
and as soon as the price of tin rises labour is' attracted 
from the estates to the mines. 
* At a meeting held on 9th February, 1924, the Indian 
Immigration Committee acting under Section 141 of the 
Labour Code (cf. Appendix D.) have subject to the approval 
of the Chief Secretary to Government fixed standard rates 
of wages in the Kuala Selangor District at 35 cents for men 
and 27 cents for women. 
