PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
C.O.
Reference:-
885
21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
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of the grant of retiring allowances, computed in the manner provided in the Pen- sions Ordinance and the Regulations thereunder for non-pensionable offices," to certain clerks employed at the Trinidad Emigration Agency at Calcutta.
2. Under No. 22 of the Regulations scheduled to Ordinance No. 175, the pre- scribed allowances may only be granted to non-pensionable oflicers who have served fifteen years or upwards, and under this Rule some at least of the clerks mentioned in the letter from the Emigration Agents of the 3rd of April last* would not be entitled to receive retiring allowances of any description. The proposal contained in the eighth paragraph of the letter to the Emigration Agents of the 8th [ 24th] of May last (which would allow of a three-fourths pension after ten years' service, and a gratuity upon the same basis for service of less than ten years) was deliberately adopted, as compulsory retirement may involve considerable hardship in the case of some of the clerks in question; in these circumstances, I shall be glad to learn that the Legislative Council agrees to the procedure which I have recommended, and as I gather that it may be desirable to dispense with the services of the clerks in question as from the 1st of January next, I shall he glad to receive your reply as early as possible
I have, &c..
33884
No. 158.
L. HARCOURT.
COLONIAL OFFICE to THE GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION AGENTS AT CALCUTTA.
GENTLEMEN,
[Answered by No. 178,]
Downing Street, 31 October, 1913. WITH reference to your letter of the 3rd of April last, and to my reply of the 24th of May, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to transmit to you the accompanying prints of despatches which have been received from the Governors of Trinidad, British Guiana, Jamaica, and Fiji, with regard to the grant of retiring allowances to the Clerks at Calcutta with whose services it is proposed to dispense, and with regard also to the proposals for dividing up amongst the four Governments the total expenses of the Agencies in India.
2. You will see that while the Governors of Jamaica, British Guiana, and Fiji accept without qualification the proposal contained in the letter to the Emigration Agents of the 24th of May,t the Governor of Trinidad refers to the grant of retiring allowances computed under the Pensions Ordinance and the Regulations. It is not quite clear what this implies, but as the Trinidad Regulation with regard to non- pensionable offices would not permit of the grant of allowances except in the case of those clerks who have served continuously for fifteen years or upwards, Mr. Harcourt is inviting the Government of that Colony to agree specifically to the grant of allowances exactly as proposed, and as accepted by the other Governments concerned.
3. I am to request that you will submit a return, which should be prepared on the basis indicated in your [ ?Colonial Office] letter of the 24th of May,t showing the amount of the gratuities or allowances which you recommend in the case of each of the clerks who are to be compulsorily retired. You will understand, however, that Mr. Harcourt can give no undertaking as to the grant of these allowances pending the receipt of a reply to the despatch which he is addressing to the Governor of Trinidad. 4. You will note that the Governors of all the four Colonies agree to the arrangement for treating, as a whole in the first instance, the expenses of the Agencies, including Madras, and Mr. Harcourt approves of the new arrangement taking effect from the date proposed in the fifth paragraph of your letter of the 14th of August last. i.e., the 1st of January, 1914.
5. You will observe that the Governor of British Guiana proposes that the total expenditure should be divided in proportion to the number of immigrants and return immigrants according to the cost of handling each class, and I am to invite an expression of your views on this proposal.
• No. 119.
† No. 121.
Nos. 119 and 121. i30276; not printed.
§ Nos. 149, 142, 140, and 138.
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6. Mr. Harcourt is consulting the Governor of Jamaica on the question whether coolies from Madras may be recruited for that Colony in the event of a shortage in the northern recruiting districts; but no coolies for Jamaica should be recruited from Madras until the Governor's approval has been obtained.
37724
I am, &c.,
HENRY LAMBERT,
No. 159.
for the Under-Secretary of State.
THE GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION AGENT AT CALCUTTA FOR BRITISH GUIANA to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received 1 November, 1913.)
SIR,
| Copy to Governor, Fiji, 24 November, 1913. Miscellaneous. L.F.]
61, Garden Reach, Calcutta, 16th October, 1913. In reply to your letter, No. 30813/13, of the 19th ultimo,* I have the honour to inform you that none of the Bengali clerks attached to the Calcutta Agency for Trinidad, &c., are qualified to act as interpreters in Hindustani, as they have no knowledge of the written character of either Urdu or Deva-Nagri. Mr. Marsden reports also that, even if a knowledge of the written character is not essential, none of his clerical staff are willing to accept an appointment out of India.
38298
have, &c.,
R. P. GIBBES,
Government Emigration Agent
No. 160.
JAMAICA.
for British Guiana.
MR. C: W. DOORLY (LATE PROTECTOR OF IMMIGRANTS), to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received 5 November, 1913.)
SIR,
27, Northbrook Road,
Lee, London, S.E., 4th November, 1913.
WITH reference to a conversation which I had to-day with Mr. Grindle, of the Colonial Office, I have the honour to inform you that some two or three years ago the question arose whether the Government of Jamaica would be willing to receive emigrants from Madras. The matter was referred to me as Protector of Immigrants, and I recommended that the Emigration Agent should be informed that it was not desired that Madrasis should be sent to the Colony.
2. I had no strong reasons for offering this advice, as I had had no experience of the people, but I had heard that other Colonies were not altogether satisfied with labourers from Madras, and, further, it seemed that there might have been difficulty in securing reliable interpreters, as I knew of no person in Jamaica who could speak Tamil. did not consider that there was any good reason for making the experi- ment so long as we could get suitable emigrants from Calcutta.
3. Since then I have had to deal with several shipments of immigrants. The cost of recruiting these people has been extremely heavy, and many of them have turned out to be unsatisfactory workers. As it is now so difficult to obtain suitable labourers in the old recruiting districts, I think that, in all probability, Jamaica would benefit by consenting to receive emigrants from Madras. The difficulty with regard to interpreters might be overcome by sending out at first a certain number of immigrants who can speak some English, and one or two persons of sufficient intelligence to fill the position of Government Interpreters.
4. If I were now in the Colony, and my opinion were asked, I should have no hesitation in recommending that no further objection be offered to the introduction of these people.
• No. 143.
I have, &c.,
CHAS. W. DOORLY.
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