CO882-(2-3) — Page 52

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.882

2 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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employers to rations their immigrants for two years after arrival. There has not been time to ascertain its results; but if a judgment may be formed from the Table before us, it may be expected to have very beneficial effects. After the second year the people appear to be acclimatized.

5. The number of coolies under indenture in 1870 was 8,236, among whom there were 359 deaths, equal to a mortality of 4-3 per cent. But of these deaths, 239 occurred among 3,953 immigrants who were in their first or second years, being equal to 6 cent., while in the remaining 4,281 immigrants there were only 120 deaths, equal to per 2.80 per cent. Even among the newly-arrived immigrants, therefore, the death-rate of 1870 was not so high as before 1869, notwithstanding that it is swelled by the excessive mortality in their second year of the immigrants who arrived in 1869, to which I have before referred. The death-rate among new arrivals in 1870 was only 34 per cent.- less than half the average mortality of new arrivals in the four previous years. If any justification were required for maintaining the Rationing Ordinance, notwithstanding its want of popularity with both employers and immigrants, it is to be found in these facts. No doubt some of the immigrants do not work out the value of their rations, but these, Dr. Mitchell says, are principally the delicate and weakly, who, if they had not been rationed, would have perished: while the Returns show, in many instances, that the rationed immigrants work better than the unrationed. The objections of employers to the system may reasonably be expected soon to pass away. Apart from all question of humanity towards the immigrant, they must feel that the preservation of the lives and health of the labourers whom it has cost them so much to introduce, is commercially of much greater importance to them than any small loss they may incur from the inefficiency of some of tliose labourers during their first two years.

6. In addition to the 8,236 immigrants working out their industrial residence, there were 9,020 others-including those working on bounty, the free, and children-among whom there had been during the year 160 deaths, equal to a rate of 174 per cent. The deaths among the whole number of Indians on estates, 17,256 in number, were 519, equal to a rate of 3 per cent.

7. The number of absentees, the Agent says, is considerably smaller in proportion than in former years, another beneficial effect which he attributes to the Rationing Ordinance.

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8. On the 26th August the "Atalanta sailed with 401 return emigrants for Calcutta. Of these, 214 adults, described as "ordinary labourers," deposited for transmission to India 6,8301., or nearly 321. a-piece, while the deposits of the remaining 14 amounted to 3,8091., or more than 2861. a-piece. The latter were, no doubt, tradesmen, and, as may be inferred from the Agent's observations, men who had made their money by speculation.

9. During the year 120 immigrants commuted their right to return passage for grants of land of 10 acres each, under the system recently established. It has, it appears, been objected to this system that 10 acres exceeds what a man can cultivate himself, and that, as these settlements increase, the settlers will be likely to come into the labour market as competitors for labourers with the planters. To obviate this objection, the Immigration Agent suggests that the lots might be reduced in size, and the difference made up to the immigrant by a money payment. The system has been too short a time in operation to show exactly how it will work; but the Governor's despatch of 15th April last, inclosing the Report of the Superintendent of Crown Lands, described the effect of the Indian settlements on the supply of labour to plantations as the reverse of what the Immigration Agent attributes to it. Experience will show which is correct, as the system develops itself.

10. The conduct of the people is said to have been very good, the only serious offence having been the unpremeditated murder of a foreman by two immigrants. The commitments for offences, other than breach of contract, had fallen from 787, in 1869, to 351, in 1870.

11. The restriction placed by the Immigration Ordinance on the allotment of new immigrants to an estate where the mortality of the preceding year had exceeded 7 per cent., appears to be producing its effect. The number of estates that came within its operation in 1889 was 20; in 1870 the number was reduced to 10. The whole number of immigrants on these estates was 600.

12. Among the labourers on estates are a certain number who come from other Colonies, having there worked out their industrial residence. Some of these have applied to the Governor, to know whether Trinidad would provide them with a return passage, on their undertaking to work for a certain number of years under indenture. The Governor requests instructions on this point, explaining at the same time why he thinks an indenture of four or five yours would be sufficient in their case. The concla-

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sion to which he comes is that a four years' indenture would probably be sufficient. In this I agree. It is clear that, not only would the Colony incur no expense for the introduc- tion of the immigrants, but, as an acclimatized and instructed labourer, his four years' service would be more valuable than the five years' indenture of any new immigrant that could be procured. It is, therefore, a matter of policy to offer such terms as will tempt immigrants who have completed their industrial residence elsewhere, and are dissatisfied with their position, to come to Trinidad; and there is always a probability that men, sufficiently independent and self-reliant to change their Colony in the hope of bettering their position, might eventually accept the advantages offered by the Indian settlements to those who prefer to become settlers, instead of returning to India.

I have, &c.

T. W. C. MURDOCH.

(Signed)

PRINTER AÐ VEK POREIGN OPPICH By T. maburon,—19/2/72,