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8. With the remarks in his paragraph & I am generally in agreement, but I think it improbable that the Indian or local Government authorities will go out of their way actively to assist or stimulate Colonial recruiting, in view of the jealous criticism to which they are already constantly exposed from the Indian Tea Associa- tion and the influential anti-emigration party represented by Mr. Gokhale and his followers.
9. I defer making any recommendation as to whether the new up-country depôt should be located at Benares or at Faizabad until I have discussed the matter further with Mr. Marsden. £500 for new coolie lines is in excess of what will actually be required: while the But it will probably be found that his estimate of annual rental of the new Calcutta and up-country depôts (if Mr. Farrington's premises are taken) should not exceed £300. Agency is £720 per annum, so that in rent-charges alone an annual saving of some The present rent of the Trinidad £400 will be shown; from this, however, must be deducted the rent of the house to he occupied by the officer in charge up-country-say, £120 per annum.
10. With the functions of the up-country depôt I have dealt at length in my letter of the 9th instant.* and I need say little more here beyond reiterating my convic- tion that Mr. Marsden's idea of despatching emigrants direct from up-country to Calcutta for immediate embarkation is both unnecessary and unworkable. Apart from the objections to detaining the emigrants even a day longer than is necessary in the neighbourhood of their homes, and overlooking the many obvious difficulties that would attend the simultaneous transport of such large numbers of men, women, and children over a journey of some 500 miles and dealing with them on arrival, such a proposal appears to me devoid of any single point to recommend it. Given the necessary accommodation-and it exists already under the best of conditions- for collecting and housing an entire steamer's complement at Calcutta, I fail to see what possible advantage would result from usurping the functions of the Calcutta depôts, functions for which they have been specially designed at heavy expense and which they have admirably fulfilled hitherto. The structural cost of a depôt up-country suitable for the prolonged detention of intending emigrants would be very great, hardly less, in fact, than in Calcutta: it would have to be entirely walled or fenced in, and its prison-like appearance and the indispensable discipline main- tained would of themselves be sufficient to strike panic into the heart of the timid native at that early stage of his venture. emigration, would go far towards antagonising all the country round.
Such a depôt, so far from popularising
11. I am also unable to concur in Mr. Marsden's suggestion that the Madras Agency should be devoted exclusively to the interests of Fiji. It is true that this Colony, for geographical reasons, cannot participate in the advantages of the joint- steamer system: but it is probable that the Fiji planters would strongly object to their supply of North Indian labourers being altogether cut off, and no adequate reason exists for doing so. call at Madras after leaving Calcutta and to receive half her complement of The present arrangement of chartering a steamer to emigrants at each port has worked smoothly so far, and there would appear to be no necessity for discontinuing it. Moreover, British Guiana has recently expressed a desire to import Madrasis, and for this purpose the Madras Agency will of course he required. In my view the latter should be regarded for the present as a valuable auxiliary for completing the requisitions of all our Colonies, and it would be well to bear always in mind the fact that the Southern Presidency is likely to prove even more important in the near future as a recruiting ground than the northern dis- tricts.
12. The whole question of apportioning and adjusting each Colony's share of expense under the new amalgamation will be dealt with separately in connection with your letter, No. 37022, of the 3rd instant, f just received."
13. I have recently been in communication with Mr. Conran with reference to the suitability or otherwise of his present depôt for the purposes of the combined Agencies in future, and on the subject of recruiting conditions in the Madras Presi- dency generally: hut as it is desirable to obtain explicit information on certain points not dealt with by him in his replies, I am instructing Mr. de Boissière to proceed to Madras this week for the purpose, and I will address you again on this subject after he has submitted his report.
• No 103.
↑ No. 98.
161
14. Referring to emigration from India to Dutch Guiana (Surinam), I can only endorse all that Mr. Marsden has written on this subject. The inclusion of the Dutch Agency in the scheme of amalgamation is greatly to be desired in the interests of all parties, including Dutch Guiana itself, which could then count on a regular instead of, as at present, only an intermittent supply of labour. The dis- advantages to our own Colonies of permitting Surinam to work independently have been repeatedly pointed out by Mr. Marsden and myself, and the present moment offers a most instructive illustration of them. Coolies are urgently required for despatch in this month's steamer to Jamaica, as no further shipments will be possible this season, owing to the contractor's failure to provide tonnage in February or March and as the Trinidad Agency stopped recruiting at the beginning of this month, I turned all the Trinidad recruiters on to work for Jamaica. January being usually a fair recruiting month, there was a good prospect of my being able to obtain the balance of 600 emigrants still required, but Surinam began recruiting some two weeks ago and the flow of emigrants for Jamaica instantly stopped. have found it necessary to raise my rates of commission to the highest figure we have yet offered, but, in spite of this and of the doubled recruiting staff, it is very doubtful if I shall succeed in collecting even 500 emigrants, although I have deferred the date of embarkation for five days. Comment seems unnecessary. The com- mencement of recruiting for Surinam connotes for us, under present conditions, shortage of coolies, greatly increased rates, and later despatch of our steamers.
15. Paragraphs 18-21 of Mr. Marsden's letter hear on points in regard to which I am desired, in your letter, No. 22576, of the 19th December last,* to furnish a report after consultation with Mr. Marsden, and I therefore defer dealing with them till after his arrival in Calcutta next month.
I have, &c.,
R. P. GIBBES,
Government Emigration Agent for British Guiana.
Enclosure in No. 107.
COMPARATIVE STATEMENT SHOWING THE PERCENTAGE OF SICKNESS AND MORTALITY
1907
1908
1909 1910
1911
AMONG THE EMIGRANTS.
No 61 Depot.
No. 21 Depôt.
Year
Remarks.
Sicknews.
Death.
Sickness.
Death.
13-20
1.51
36.81
4.08
17.57
1.82
17.38
+96
7.50
⚫67
19:27
2:27
23.63
1-86
28.03
5.95
20.42
-70
17:41
31
Average for 5 years:-16 46, 1:31, 23·78,"2·81.
3657
No. 108.
COLONIAL OFFICE to THE GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION AGENT AT CALCUTTA FOR BRITISH GUIANA.
(Sent 4.40 p.m., 12 February. 1913.) TELEGRAM.
Your letter of the 9th of January. Consider it absolutely necessary that whole matter should be discussed with Marsden on lines of my letter 19 December.‡ While he is prepared to accept some modifications, Secretary of State for Colonies must insist on full consideration and joint report.-UNDER-Secretary of STATE FOR THE COLONIES.
• No. 90.
3389
† No. 103.
‡ No. 91.
L