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33847

No. 76.

GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION AGENT AT CALCUTTA FOR BRITISH

SIR,

GUIANA to COLONIAL OFFICE.

(Received 26 October, 1912.)

[Answered by Nos. 90 and 91.]

British Guiana Government Emigration Agency,

61, Garden Reach, Calcutta, 9th October, 1912.

*

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, No. 22576 (Confidential) of the 16th August last, transmitting copies of correspondence on the subject of the proposed amalgamation of the emigration agencies at Calcutta, and desiring to be furnished with--

(a) an expression of my views on the points put to Mr. Marsden in your letter of the 12th July last, and on the suggestions and proposals contained in his reply of the 18th Julyf; and

(b) a detailed estimate of the saving which may be expected to result from

a fusion of the staffs of the agencies.

2. Since my letter of the 11th April last§ (embodying certain recom- mendations relative to the amalgamation) was written the entire question of the continuance of indentured emigration from India must, I think, be regarded from a new standpoint in view of the possibilities foreshadowed in the corres- pondence initiated by the Government of India in their letters of which copies were forwarded to

you under cover of my letters of of the 22nd August last, respectively.||

the 19th June and payment of recruiters by a per caput commission is, it is true, no new one; but The proposal to abolish the the danger underlying this suggestion has been revived in an acute form by the views expressed in paragraph 6 of the despatch of the Secretary of State for India (No. 68, of the 12th April, 1912) to the Indian Government, in which he reiterates his adherence to the opinion he had expressed a year previously that this system of payment must be abolished, and intimates practically that it would be better for indentured emigration to the Colonies to cease altogether than that the system of payment by commission should continue. No alternative method is suggested, probably because no feasible alternative exists; therefore, if His Lordship insists on practical effect being given to his opinion, it seems certain that emigration will, ipso facto, be shortly put an end to.

3. I duly received your letter, No. 21039/12, of the 15th August last, enclosing copy of the Secretary of State's despatch to the Marquess of Crewe, of the 29th July last,** with reference to the suggestion of the Government of India that the attention of intending emigrants should be specially drawn in future to the penal clauses attaching to their agreements; but I am still ignorant whether the Government of India contemplate any modification of their proposal. I can only repeat that in the event of their declining to modify it, the results as regards emigration will be no less a death-blow than the abolition of the present system of remunerating recruiters. 4. It seems to me that in these circumstances it would be premature, if not superfluous, to elaborate any estimates of cost or to develop any detailed plans in connection with the proposed amalgamation, the continued existence of the emigra- tion agencies being contingent on the decision to which the Secretary of State for India may come on either or both of the questions referred to; and, unless I receive further instructions from you, I propose to defer action on your letter under reply until these questions have been settled. But the matter is one of some urgency,

in view of the fact that the present premises of the Trinidad. &c., Agency must be vacated by the end of 1913 at the latest, and that new premises should be con- structed and ready for occupation by that time. Office may reasonably be asked to decide with the least possible delay what action I beg to suggest that the India they propose to take on the points in question.

I have, &c.,

R. P. GIBBES,

Government Emigration Agent for British Guiana.

34004

SIR,

No. 77.

INDIA OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received 28 October, 1912.)

[Copy to Governors, Trinidad No. 363, Jamaica No. 305, and British Guiana No. 267, 31 October; and Fiji No. 292, 6 November, 1912. L.FF.]

India Office, Whitehall, London, S.W.,

WITH reference to Mr. Lambert's letter of 26th September, 1912, No. 28,307,*

26th October, 1912. I am directed by the Secretary of State for India to forward, for the information

of Mr. Secretary Harcourt, copy of a telegram from India, from which it will be seen that Lala Chimmanlal is the name of the Indian gentleman selected as a colleague for Mr. J. McNeill in his visits to the West Indian Colonies and Fiji.

A further communication regarding the arrangements for their visits will be made to you on the receipt of the despatch promised by the Government of India.

I have, &c.,

T. W. HOLDERNESS.

Enclosure in No. 77.

From VICEROY, 14th October, 1912.

Please refer to correspondence ending with your telegram of 24th July. Depu- tation of officers to Colonies. We have selected Dala Chimmanlal, nephew of Rai Nathimal Bahadur, Commercial Representative, Legislative Council of Lieutenant- Governor of United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, as Indian colleague to accompany McNeill. We request sanction to following terms for the two officers. McNeill should receive two-thirds Indian salary, period of deputation counting for service in India, and Chimmanlal £50 per mensem. actual expenses by rail and steamer and guinea and a half a day or such daily Both should receive, in addition, allowance, when not travelling by steamer, as your Lordship may deem fit. Chimmanial leaves Bombay, 2nd November, per s.s. China." Despatch follows.

29708

L

No. 78.

COLONIAL OFFICE to INDIA OFFICE.

your

SIR,

I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to acknowledge the receipt of

Downing Street, 29 October, 1912. letter of the 20th of September,† enclosing a copy of correspondence with the Govern- ment of India upon various points arising out of the recommendations of the Sander- son Committee.

2. It appears to Mr. Harcourt that there is little divergence of opinion between the Marquess of Crewe, the Government of India, and himself, in regard to the general principles that underlie the system of indentured emigration from India to the Colonies; and there are not many matters in the correspondence enclosed in your letter which appear to require comment on his part.

3. Mr. Harcourt has duly noted the references contained in the correspondence with the Government of India with regard to the education of Indian children in the Colonies, and the facilities afforded to the Indian population of acquiring land, and on these points he desires me to offer the following observations.

4. It will be seen from the correspondence already communicated to the India Office that the Governors of the Colonies concerned are alive to the importance of providing adequate education for the children of Indian immigrants; and the subject will no doubt be carefully discussed with the representatives of the Indian Govern- ment upon their approaching visit to the Colonies, with a view to considering what further improvements are possible.

• No. 70.

↑ No. 68.

• No. 65.

† No. 57.

‡ No. 58.

§ No. 53.

Nos. 55 and 67.

1 No. 63.

** No. 59.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O.885

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