J.
922/1919.
CONFIDENTIAL
sir,
Enclosure No. 2.
4°2
30th December, 1926.
The Honourable,
With reference to a letter C.P. No. 299/25
dated 20th September, 1926, from the secretary for Chinese Affairs, Singapore, to the secretary for
Chinese Affairs, Hong Kong, concerning the recruitment
of Chinese labour for work in the coal mines in
Sarawak, I am directed to inform you that such recruit- ment from this Colony has not yet been approved by the Secretary of State for the Colonies. It is therefore
essential that his consent should be obtained in the
first instance, and this has now been requested in a
confidential despatch, copy of which is enclosed for
your infonation.
2. Meanwhile I am to point out that the
indirect method of recruiting proposed is attended by
obvious difficulties and that careful consideration of
the terms of the contract will be necessary, particularly
of those relating to the repatriation of rejected and
time-expired emigrants.
3.
ho principal difficulties comected with
the suggested indirect method of recruiting are two:
firstly that while the recruiter's hands will be
The Colonial secretary,
strengthened
Singapore.