Encouragement of the Lesser Industries, i 2 1 
Taking a week at random, I find that their attendance 
for work for five days on the two estates ' Skeldon' and 
' Eliza and Mary' is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 
Thursday, and Friday : — 
' Skeldon' 
43 
162 
297 
33i 
302 
' Eliza & Mary' 
104 
135 
159 
97 
"3 
Total... 
147 
297 
456 
428 
4i5 
The total adult population of East Indian immigrants is 
790, and of Chinese 1 18. This table shews an average of 
368 at work per day ; so that of the total adult population 
40.5 per cent, worked that week. Perhaps, it may 
be said, " If these people are of so much value to 
the estates, why do not the latter themselves afford the 
necessary encouragement?" The answer is that the es- 
tates do this as far as possible. Wherever the cultivated 
land of the villagers borders on the estates, the author- 
ities of the latter afford them drainage, roads, and 
everything else, not excepting medicine and medical 
attendance in the Estates Hospitals at times, for nothing. 
But in the outlying districts surely the Government, 
the intention having been proclaimed of endeavouring 
to retain the immigrants in the colony by encouraging 
their small industries, ought to take the initiative by legis- 
lating so as to instil into the by no means dense intellects 
of the labouring people full trust in their legislation. 
The Chinese especially are most industrious. On Lot 
72 or Hong Kong, they have a peculiar apparatus such 
as I have never seen elsewhere for husking and cleaning 
their rice, of which it seems they have some 100 acres in 
Q 
