Juerit
..
い
沢
**
356
7.
Assisted Emigration has long been established
between this Port and the Netherlands India (to Banka and
Billiton). It is conducted on the part of the Dutch Authorities
in a generous and liberal spirit, with which I have no fault to
find.
Emigrants are given a free choice of remaining or re-
turning, and it has been the practice to send them back without any
cost to themselves and to provide them on arrival in Hongkong
with a sum of $5.00 to cover any expenses after their return
here and men rejected by the doctors are similarly treated. No
complaints have been received from returning Emigrants or others.
The Dutch have incurred the heavy cost of establishing a special
line of ateamera for this Emigration, which in turn assists the
trade of this Port, while this Government in order to thoroughly
supervise the Emigration to the Netherlands and the Straits has
created a Sub-department of the Registrar General'a Department
which examines and questions every individual before embarkation.
In these circumstances I trust Your Lordship will not insist
upon the prohibition contained in the concluding words of your
despatch. I venture to assure Your Lordship that I am personally
and the Registrar General of this Colony is equally
-
moat
solicitous of the welfare of these Emigrants, and most anxious
to