CO885-(20-21) — Page 534

203

། ?། ་། ་།

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.885

21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

estates that the managers are accessible, and command both the respect and regard of the indentured immigrants. On other estates the relations are less satisfactory, and the most of the trouble seems to be that there are no arrangements for allowing immigrants to air their grievances at an unmistakeable time and place. On small estates the manager may casually come in daily contact with all the immigrants. On large estates he does not. It would be well if on all large estates a regular orderly-room system was adopted. It is not a matter for legislation, but might be secured by departmental influence. A manager may think he is accessible, and may repudiate indignantly any suggestion to the contrary, but he may be grievously mistaken. It is not what he thinks, but what the immigrants think, in a matter of this kind that is important. There would be less discontent and fewer prosecutions if more time was spent and more trouble taken in creating a belief that grievances were given a patient hearing. We merely suggest that indifferent managers should, under departmental pressure, do what good managers now do. There will be fewer complaints over a manager's head if he has a regular and orderly arrangement for listening to complaints and miscellaneous applications.

Land Grants.

The Government of India is most anxious that an immigrant should, at the end of his ten years' industrial residence, be able to choose freely between remaining as a settler on the land or returning to India. That the choice may be for settlement on the land should be easy. Taking five acres as a reasonable holding, it will cost over 60 dollars to purchase the land. It must then be cleared and planted, and the settler must keep himself, in health and in illness, till the land is fully productive. His difficulty will be in the first few years. We recognise that he must pay for his land the occupancy price fixed from time to time. What would minimise his difficulties would be the grant of permission to pay this amount in four equal annual instalments, the title to the land being withheld until the price was paid in full. During these four years the grantee would have no power of alienation, and failure to pay instalments would involve forfeiture if the Sub-Intendant considered that there are no palliating circumstances.

At present the grant of land has been unavoidably restricted in certain areas. We think that the Immigration Department should assist immigrants by obtaining information as to the localities in which land is available near roads, villages, &c., and notify the facts briefly at immigration offices and at other places where immigrants resort.

Annual Report.

The annual report might give more facts regarding matters of importance. General remarks regarding the condition of people are less valuable than explanation of statistical facts regarding earnings, sickness, complaints against employers, &c. carefully compiled tables of prosecutions showing each estate separately, the effect of the rainfall, &c., on employment of indentured and unindentured. It would seem well to require Inspectors to summarise these matters for their own charges so that the Protector might abstract from their annual reports any item of special import- In the absence of some such system for collecting carefully ascertained facts, the matter in the annual reports will tend to become stereotyped, and invite criticism not merely of the report, but of the system with which it deals.

ance.

Enclosure 2 in No. 127.

NOTES OF CONFERENCE WITH EAST INDIan Delegates.

16th May and 19th May, 1913.

PRESENT:

His Excellency the Governor.

The Honourable Colonial Secretary,

The Honourable Attorney-General.

The Honourable Acting Surgeon-General.

The Honourable Protector of Immigrants.

Mr. Arnauld de Boissière.

Mr. McNeil.

Mr. Chimmanlal.

The Governor read the recommendations sent by the delegates to the Protector of Immigrants and the despatch of the Secretary of State (Confidential) dated 31st December, 1912.

The recommendations were then considered in detail and the following decisions arrived at:-

+

1. General Recruitment.-Physique of immigrants to be improved. No doubtfuls to be sent. Emigration Agent to be written to on the subject.

"}

2. Recruitment of “ Returns."--" Return" immigrants from Trinidad, British Guiana, and Fiji to be recruited; those from Natal and Surinam to be rejected, many disturbances on estates having been traced to them.

3. Recruiters.-Class of Indian recruiters to be improved. An experiment

to be made with some time-expired men of good character who will be sent from Trinidad to India to act as recruiters. Emigration Agent to report on the matter.

4. Treatment of cases of ankylostomiasis on board ship.-Emigrants to be examined in Calcutta depot for ankylostomiasis. A list of those infected to be given to ship's surgeon, who will see that they are treated for the disease during the voyage. On arrival in Trinidad any still infected to he kept under treatment at the depot until cured. Extra staff required to cope with the disease on board to be employed.

5. Section 92. Placing of other immigrant on rations.-In order to be able to follow up health of immigrant during first year of indenture-

Pass ";

(1) he is to be weighed at Calcutta and weight included in

(2) to be weighed at depôt, Trinidad, on arrival, and weight included in

"verification"

paper;

(3) to be weighed fortnightly on estate;

(4) a thorough examination to be made by the Medical Officer of each immi- grant during the first year of his indenture instead of cursory one

now held.

Section 232. Muster Roll-Law to be amended to authorise the Medical Officer to prescribe any diet to an immigrant whilst convalescing or whilst an out-patient. The charge for such diet to be the same as that of the existing ration (Section 91).

Treatment of free immigrants in estates' hospitals not found practicable under existing conditions.

6. Presence of Inspectors amongst the indentured labourers in the field.— Inspectors to go amongst the immigrants in the fields whilst they are at work so as to give them every opportunity of making complaints.

7. Facilities to be provided for immigrant to see the Inspector in Office.- In order to allow immigrants to be certain of making their complaints to the Inspector in office, Monday fixed upon as the day when he should always be in office. This to be explained to the immigrant before allotment.

8. Part VIII. Labour and Wages. Section 120. Mode of making estimate of Wages.-On complaints of excessive tasks Inspectors to visit sites and to fix size of tasks. In event of procedure before the Magistrate he is to help the immigrant, provided that he is satisfied that the immigrant has cause of complaint, but not otherwise.

Testing of Rations. Inspectors to test quantity and quality of rations. Method of prosecutions by Managers.-Prosecutions of immigrants by managers not to be laid except with the sanction of the Inspectors.

Immigrants to be allowed to lay charges without interference. Qualifications of Inspectors.—A good colloquial knowledge essential [sic]. Desertions. Section 145. Default by Manager in not preferring charge against a deserter.-Previous sanction of Inspector not required to prosecute deserter. Prosecution not to be compulsory, but managers must give immediate notice of desertion to Protector and Inspector.

ORDINANCE.

Section 16. Visiting of plantations by Inspector-Previous notice to the Manager is not necessary, see Section 8.

Section 51. Disposal of sick immigrant on board ship.-A very careful medical examination of every immigrant now carried out at depôt. Legal sanction to be given thereto. Immigrants unfit for indenture to be kept at depôt and repatriated by first return ship