PUBLIC RECORD
OFFICE
Reference :-
3
4
5
6 T
C.O.885
21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
SIR,
(J. & P. 4050.)
8
Enclosure 3 in No. 11.
Foreign Office, 8 December, 1910. WITH reference to your two letters of the 9th ultimo, on the report of Lord Sanderson's Committee upon coolie labour, I am directed by the Earl of Crewe to inform you that the subject is being discussed with the Government of India, to whom the views of your Society will be communicated.
2. I am to point out that in paragraphs 76-80 of their report the Committee have made recommendations as to the recruitment of labourers in India which are designed to secure the objects which the Society desire.
3. His Lordship, as at present advised, considers that the periodical visits to the Colonies of officers of the Government of India, recommended in paragraph 54 of the report, would afford more satisfactory safeguards for the welfare of the coolies than any administrative change which lessened the direct responsibility of the Colonial Governments.
4. A further communication will be addressed to you when a reply is received from the Government of India.
39588
SIR,
No. 12.
BRITISH GUIANA.
I am, &c.,
R. RITCHIE.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 27 December, 1910.)
(Confidential.)
Government House, Georgetown, Demerara, 6th December, 1910. I HAVE the honour to inform you that since the receipt of the Report of the Committee on Emigration from India to the Crown Colonies and Protectorates, careful consideration has been given by this Government to those of the remarks and recommendations made in it which in any way affect either the East Indians sent to British Guiana or the system of immigration which is in force, in order to decide as to the action which should be taken with respect to them. I will take them seriatim and state what has been done, or what it is proposed to do, in each case.
2. In paragraph 50 the Committee state that the number of prosecutions in British Guiana appears to them to be considerably higher than it should be; and this point is. further elaborated in paragraphs 231 and 232. The matter has, I beg to say, received the attention of the Immigration Department of the Colony for many years past, and constant endeavour has been made to get the managers of
sugar estates to exercise a closer influence and a more effective supervision over their indentured immigrants so that matters of easy adjustment may be dealt with by them, and only exceptional cases taken into the Magistrates' Courts.
3. In the third paragraph of the "Notice of Official Visit" form (copies enclosed) which is used by the immigration agents, the employer is asked to bring before them any immigrants who are unable to maintain themselves or whose cases he may desire to bring under the notice of the Immigration Agent- General, and many cases are thus dealt with: But it is not, as a rule, considered advisable for the immigration agents to intervene between employer and employed in view of the bad effect which such intervention might have on the discipline of the estate, and the influence of the immigration agents themselves.
4. It is considered that so far as British Guiana is concerned there is no necessity for a local enquiry as suggested by the Committee, inasmuch as the facts and the causes of them are already known. All that is wanted is an effective remedy.
I have now, with the advice of the Executive Council, given directions, in order to more completely limit the prosecution of immigrants, that the immigration agents when visiting estates are to make lists of all prosecutions since their last visits showing each specific case, its cause, and the result. Such lists are to be forwarded, with their remarks, to the Immigration Agent-General, whose duty it will be to bring to the notice of the estates authorities any case in which it is considered that the prosecution was unnecessary, with an intimation that should similar prosecutions continue he will have no alternative but to bring the matter before the Governor in Council, with a view to the consideration of the question as to whether further allotments of immigrants should be made. the exercise of this pressure upon them, managers of estates will respond more It is hoped that, with
9
closely to the wishes of the Government in this matter, and will considerably lessen the number of prosecutions by giving individual and more efficient supervision.
5. With regard to a limitation of the power to arrest without warrant (para- graph 231), I have the honour to state that instructions have been given for au amendment of Section 127 of the Immigration Ordinance, 1891 (No. 18 of 1891). to be prepared for the purpose of restricting the powers of the police to cases where there are reasonable grounds for suspecting desertion or contemplated desertion, and of providing that immigrants when arrested shall be taken to the nearest immi- gration agent or to the estates to which they belong-the provision requiring such immigrants when arrested to be taken to the nearest police station being deleted from the section,
6. It is suggested in paragraph 54 of the report that good would be done in many ways if periodical visits were made by an officer of the Indian Government to Colonies or Protectorates receiving East Indian immigrants. It is considered here that such visits are desirable, and the Members of the Executive Council advised quinquennial visits. This Government is therefore prepared to adopt that suggestion.
66
From Secretary of State, 2 June, 1909. To Secretary of State, 3 August, 1909.
7. In the matter of correspondence between immigrants and their relatives and friends in India (paragraph 55), I am satisfied that all possible measures have been taken in British Guiana for facilitating and encouraging the transmission of letters, and I have the honour to refer to the despatches noted in the margin.* In this con- nection I transmit a copy of a minute which I have obtained from the Postmaster-General. 8. With regard to the suggestion put forward in paragraph 56 of the report that a nominal return should be periodically forwarded from each Colony to the Office of the Protector of Emigrants in India showing the distribution of the coolies to the various estates," in order that he may be in a position to afford information to enquirers, instructions have been given to the Immigration Agent- General to forward an annual return as regards British Guiana immigrants. I have to state, however, that the return will be limited to immigrants who have not completed their five years' period of indenture, as it would not be possible, without additional expense for staff, to follow the movements of immigrants after they have become free to quit the estates to which they were sent.
9. Reference is made, in paragraphs 72 to 83, to the system of recruiting and to the amalgamation of agencies. The former matter is one that can be more readily dealt with by the emigration agents in India, but I have not requested the British Guiana emigration agent to give his opinion with respect to it, as I have assumed that you will prefer to take more general action. While the taking of any steps that would have the effect of lessening the introduction of men of the vagrant and loafer type (paragraph 75) and the removal of any prejudice on the part of the influential and respectable classes against recruitment (paragraph 76) would be welcomed, it is hoped that any action which may be considered necessary in connection with concentration of area and more effective supervision (para- graph 80) will be taken without its having the effect of materially increasing the cost of each recruit.
10. I brought before the Executive Council the proposal (paragraph 81) to amalgamate the two agencies in Calcutta, and the Council advised against amalga- mation. In that advice I concur. There are, I think, more arguments against amalgamation than for it. The question has been under consideration more than once, and I have the honour to refer to the despatches noted in the margin,† and more especially to my despatch of the 30th November, 1906.
From Secretary of State, Confidential, 29 September, 1903.
To Secretary of State, Confidential, 21 October, 1903.
From Secretary of State, 255,8 October, 1906.
To Secretary of State, Confidential, 30 November, 1906.
From Secretary of State, Confidential, 3 June, 1907.
(1) The number of children
educated;
11. The limitation of hours of work for children is referred to in paragraph 427. I am looking into this matter, and I have directed the Immigration Agent-General to give me the following information :-
on each estate who are, or who are not, being
• 14643 09 and 28361/09 ; not printed.
† 34441/03, 40337/03, 33381/06, 17703/06, 17204/07: not printed.