N°
314.
494
58284
RE
༢
GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
HONGKONG27th October, 1920.
My Lord,
I have the honour to inform Your Lordship that questions have arisen connected with the emigration of Chinese labour from this Colony to Cuba and to put before you the details that follow with a request that I may be
instructed as to the proper course to adopt in the matter.
2.
It would appear that the Government of Cube.
requires agricultural labour, principally in view of inter-
national obligations connected with sugar production; and
has temporarily suspended its exclusion laws to permit the
introduction of Chinese labour. The method adopted has
been to license companies or individuals to import the
labour under a deposit guarantee (of 850 for each labourer
imported) for the observation of the Cuban laws and regula- tions. No attempt appears to have been made to control the
recruiting methods at this end; and the Cuban Consul him- self appears to have no jurisdiction in the matter. The complete control lies with Cuba, and from a translation of
the Cuban Act supplied to me by the Consul, it would
appear that the primary and only concern of the Cuban
Government is to see that the coolie when imported shall
not become a charge on that Government, or a competitor in
business in the Republic: the regulations covering the
RIGHT HONOURABLE
VISCOUNT MILNER, G.C.B.,
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&c.