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with the Governor's views upon the proposals for granting retiring allowances to the clerks at Calcutta whose services it is proposed to dispense with, and as to the new financial arrangements which it is intended to introduce.
2. In reply, I have the honour to report that the Legislative Council has passed a resolution approving of the grant from the Planters' Immigration Fund to such of the clerks employed at the Trinidad Emigration Agency at Calcutta as may be compulsorily retired in consequence of the amalgamation of retiring allowances or gratuities computed in the manner provided in the Pensions Ordi- nance and the Regulations thereunder for non-pensionable offices.
I have also to report that this Government agrees to the proposals for taking the total expenditure of the amalgamated Agency at the close of each financial year and dividing it amongst all the Colonies which make use of the Agency in the manner proposed in paragraph 13 of the Agents' letter of the 3rd April, 1913.*
3. There is no other observation that I can usefully offer on the correspondence, but the Protector of Immigrants has furnished the following suggestion with regard to the staff of the sub-Agents :-
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"I notice that two sub-Agents have already been appointed to the Cal- cutta Agency. Another will probably be required for Madras, but before any appointment is made I would suggest that the requirements of the Colonies for next season (1914-15) be ascertained if possible; as it may be, in view of the present state of the affairs of the new Colonial Company, that far fewer than the usual number of requisitions will be made, and that these can be easily filled by the Calcutta Agency.
T
It would be also as well 'to go slowly,' owing to the fact that if the penal clauses of the Ordinances governing emigration be inserted, as proposed, in the agreements of new recruits, emigration, as already pointed out by those who know, will not only be greatly reduced, but in all probability stopped altogether."
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Enclosure 1 in No. 150.
The ACTING DISTRICT MEDICAL OFFICER, Navua, to the HONOURABLE THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER.
Ankylostomiasis at Lobau and the other Vancouver-Fiji Sugar Company's Estates. Herewith the whole correspondence up to to-day dealing with the matter of ankylostomiasis on the Vancouver-Fiji Sugar Company's Estates.
2. My points are:-
(a) The death-rate on these estates is about twice as high as in any other
district in Fiji.
(b) Cause of that death-rate is the drain on the coolies caused by the very
severe ankylostome infection.
(c) All other known preventives to this infection are looked on as merely accessories to the wearing of boots or shoes and putties or gaiters. The protection of the feet and legs is the only rational method when dealing with coolies.
(d) I have frequently seen Indians working in the wet in boots and putties without any detriment to their health, such as is feared by the Manager of the Vancouver-Fiji Sugar Company, to judge by his last letter. (e) The wearing of boots and gaiters is recommended for natives in Clifford Albutt's System of Medicine," Vol. II., Part II., article" Ankylosto- miasis," A regulation compelling parents to provide shoes for their children is in force throughout the ankylostome-infected areas of Queensland, and similar regulations are in force in other Colonies. (The final letter of the Manager, Vancouver-Fiji Sugar Company, Limited, does not convince one of anything except that he knows his case is thoroughly bad. He has far too much sense to attempt to back his opinion on a professional matter against that of a medical man, except to win by bluff. Against his "long experience of coloured labourers I set my short experience of coloured labourers combined with a long professional training, and add that I have often seen Indians working in the wet in boots and putties, and they have not suffered any more from chills than the unshod Indians.
I have, &c.,
S. W. KNAGGS,
Acting Governor.
14th July, 1913.
SIR,
P. HARPER.
"
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
PELLC.O. 885
21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
No. 150.
FIJI.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Received 1 October, 1913.)
[Answered by No. 183.]
(No. 369.) SIR,
Government House, Suva, Fiji, 23rd August, 1913. I HAVE the honour to forward a copy of a letter from Dr. Harper, District Medical Officer, Navua, enclosing a copy of correspondence with the representatives of the Vancouver-Fiji Sugar Company on the subject of the prevalence of anky- lostomiasis among the labourers employed on the Company's estates.
2. I enclose also a copy of a report by Dr. Harper on week-end thymol treat- ment for ankylostomiasis, and suggest that, as has been recommended by the Agent- General of Immigration, instructions should be issued from the Colonial Office to' Surgeon-Superintendents of steamers employed in the transport of emigrants to Fiji from Madras or Calcutta to note carefully all cases in which symptoms of anky- lostomiasis appear among emigrants during the voyage, and to administer in each case the treatment suggested by Dr. Harper.
I have, &c.,
• No. 119.
BICKHAM ESCOTT,
Governor.
Navua, 31st May, 1913.
I BEG to address you on the subject of the very high death-rate in this district. In previous years the death-rate among the indentured Indians of this district has been roughly double that of other districts of Fiji. The bad average of the Vancouver-Fiji Sugar Company has been masked to a certain extent in official reports because the vital statistics are given by districts, and so the vital statistics of the Vancouver Fiji Sugar Company are made up with those of the estates of Crosse and Studholme, which have a very low death-rate.
Therefore, things are really worse than they appear from the official reports. This
year, if we continue at the present rate, things cannot be much better than in previous years. Yet the majority of the diseases from which our coolies die are preventable. The death-rate is almost entirely in the hands of the overseers. Might I venture to make a suggestion which seems to me to be a practical means of ensuring the overseer's interest in this matter?. I would suggest that some system of bonus be adopted by your Company for the overseer whose lines and vital statistics are best every year. The factors to be taken into account are not equal in all respects, but details could be arranged to meet this objection. To come to matters which I know to be practicable, I will divide my remarks in the present letter into two heads, namely, measures against dysentery and measures against ankylostomiasis.
Dysentery.
During the last month two more infants from Tamanua lines have died of dysentery (verified by post-mortem examination) which was contracted in the lines. True dysentery such as this is preventable. There has recently been a very great improvement in the sanitary condition of the Tamanua lines. Even at their best,
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