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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.885

21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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opinion as to the desirability of establishing such a prison, and I will, when an opportunity is afforded for giving effect to the suggestion, submit my proposals on the subject for your consideration and decision.

7. The Protector of Immigrants does not consider it advisable, and the local Committee agree with him, that any amendment should be made in Sections 140 and 141 of Ordinance No. 161, which deal with immigrants unlawfully absent from the plantations to which they are indentured, nor is it desirable, for the reasons given by the Protector, that the period of absence necessary to constitute desertion should he increased from three days to seven days.

8. With regard to the limitation of hours of work for the children of indentured immigrants, which Lord Crewe's Committee consider in paragraph 427 of their report should be restricted by regulation, the local Committee express a similar opinion, from which, however, the Protector of Immigrants dissents. The Executive Council, having discussed the matter with Commander Coombs, have come to the [same] conclusion as he has done, namely, that there is no need at the present time for the enactment of such regulations here.

9. It will be seen from the Protector's report that the suggestion made by Lord Crewe's Committee (paragraph 55) that every endeavour should be made to facilitate and encourage correspondence between the emigrants and their friends and relatives at home has been anticipated here, and that the necessary facilities are afforded in the matter by the Immigration Department.

10. The model form of immigration report recommended by the Committee (paragraph 439) will be adopted in future.

I have, &c.,

GEORGE R. LE HUNTE,

Governor.

Enclosure 1 in No. 26

REPORT by the ACTING GOVERNOR.

ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY,

PLEASE refer this report for the observations of the Protector of Immigrants

on the matters relating to this Colony.

The questions requiring consideration are:-

A.

Prosecution of immigrants for breaches of indenture.

The Committee consider that the number of prosecutions in this Colony is considerably higher than it should be (page 14), and are of opinion that an enquiry should be held into the provisions of the Ordinances which deal with the penalties imposed on the indentured labourers for breach of contract and absence from work (page 71). They also think (page 72) that consideration should be given to the complaint that labourers imprisoned for such offences are confined in company with criminals sentenced for offences of a more serious description. They are further of opinion (page 72) that enquiry should be made into the working of the Ordinance which sanctions the arrest without warrant of any immigrant found without a pass outside the limits of his estate, and as to whether it is necessary to still maintain it in its present shape, whether the right of arrest without warrant might not be specifically limited to cases where there are reasonable grounds for believing that the immigrant is a deserter or contemplates desertion, and whether the period of absence from work which constitutes desertion might not be extended from three to seven days, or to some intermediate period.

I propose to appoint a Committee to consider these questions, but shall be glad in the first instance to be furnished with the Protector's opinion with regard to them.

B. Facilities to be afforded to immigrants to correspond with their friends in India.

I believe that in this Colony ample facilities in this direction already exist, but the Protector will be able to say whether they can be extended.

C. Appointment of an Emigration Agent in Benares, the establishment of a depôt there, and the combination of the two agencies in Calcutta (page 20).

These are matters on which the Emigration Committee will in due course have to be consulted, but it will perhaps be best to wait until they are brought forward in a more concrete shape.

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D. The question of the appointment of an Indian official to periodically visit the Colonies which recruit labourers in India (page 15) is one for the consideration of the Indian Government.

E. The suggestion (page 72) that there should be a representative of the Indian population in the Legislative Council will be considered by the Governor.

F. Limitation of hours of work for children (page 104).

I shall be glad to receive the Protector's report on the Committee's observations under this. This question might perhaps be also considered by the Committee which I propose to appoint as in A.

G. Model form of immigration report (page 107).

The Protector of Immigrants should follow this form in his future reports.

24 August, 1910.

Enclosure 2 in No. 26.

S. W. K.

OBSERVATIONS by the Protector of Immigrants on the matters relating to this Colony_referred to in the report of the Committee on Emigration from India to the Crown Colonies.

A. Prosecution of immigrants for breaches of indenture.

(a) There is no doubt the Committee is right in their opinion that the number

of prosecutions for this cause is much higher than it should be

In my annual report this year I have called attention to the fact that the convictions under this head are less than in 1908-09. the same immigrants are being constantly convicted before the S. J. P., which swells Also there is no doubt that the numbers.

In my opinion it is all a question of management; some estates never, and others rarely, require to have recourse to the courts, while, on the other hand, there are some who do not seem able to carry on their work without their help.

By management, I do not refer altogether to the manager, but to the, on some estates, young and overbearing overseers, unaccustomed to command and discipline, who treat the immigrants harshly and without tact, provoking them to breaches of the Ordinance, for which they at once bring them up, instead of with kindness. pointing out their faults, and encouraging them to do better. The majority of East Indians have much finer feelings that these young men imagine, and are swift to appreciate kindness and forbearance.

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There are also on many estates coloured creole overseers, and sirdars, or "drivers as they are called here, who look upon the immigrant as one of an inferior race, instead of the contrary, and treat them accordingly, causing them to rebel, refuse to work, and eventually to abscond.

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Of course, know there are many "bad ones impossible to do anything with.

sent over here, whom it is punished; but I believe a great deal more use is made of the court than is necessary. These have to be brought before the S. J. P. and Desertion and vagrancy are the two principal crimes. The number of deserters, I am pleased to say, is much less than it was, but still much too high, there being the end of last year 375 out of 11,235 under indenture, equal to 3.3 per cent.

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The number of immigrants convicted of vagrancy-being off their estates without a pass-and apprehended by the special constable attached to this Department, and those belonging to the estates, was less in 1909 than before.

The proximity of Trinidad to the Spanish Main, and the facilities for getting across, is one of the principal causes of desertion. There is no doubt that a larg number of Trinidad immigrants are located there, the demand for them is great, and while they keep their health the pay is good, but once let them get sick and no one cares if they live or die. These facts have been obtained from those who, after spending some years in Venezuela, have returned to the Colony.

These men by promises of high pay induce their fellow countrymen to leave their estates and go across with them, receiving, as I understand, a bonus for each one brought over, and though the penalties under the Immigration Ordinance for so doing are very severe, it is, I regret to say, very rarely that they are caught.

Again, Fast Indians who have become "free" and have purchased land, require labour, they induce "friends from the estates to visit them, and then force these people to work for them on starvation wages, thereatening, if they do not, they will denounce them to their proper employers as deserters, when they will be punished

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