CO885-(20-21) — Page 553

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TILHC.O.885

21 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

32388

SIR,

(No. 267.)

234

No. 142.

BRITISH GUIANA.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

(Received 16 September, 1913.)

Government House,

Georgetown, Demerara, 28th August, 1913. I HAVE the honour to reply to your despatch, No. 121, of the 31st of May last,* requesting my views on certain points in connection with the arrangements for the amalgamation of the Immigration Depôts in India of the Colonies still recruiting immigrants under indenture from that dependency.

2. The question of the retiring allowances or gratuities to the clerks dis- placed by the amalgamation does not apparently affect this Colony, but I quite agree that such allowances or gratuities should be granted and charged to the Colonies concerned.

3. It seems doubtful, considering the size of the ships employed in carrying immigrants, whether depôt accommodation for only 800 immigrants at Calcutta is sufficient.

4. In connection with the arrangements to be made for recruiting at Madras, I would point out that it is believed here that Messrs. Parry proved reliable and satisfactory Immigration Agents for the Government of Natal through a long series of years, and that the conclusion of an arrangement under which that firm could be entrusted with recruiting work in Madras for the West Indies and British Guiana would be welcomed. In any event, is obvious that the old Fiji depôt is unsuit- able, and Messrs. Parry's depôt acquired for Fiji might be sufficient for all the Colonies. It would probably prove more economical, as well as leading to more satisfactory recruiting, if the Agency were entrusted to Messrs. Parry subject to a certain amount of supervision by an Immigration Agent.

5. A recent communication received from Mr. McNeill, the senior member of the recent delegation from the Government of India, recognises the unsatisfactory recruitment in Bengal of recent years, many men being sent belonging to non- agricultural castes, and to this much of the recent dissatisfaction and unrest may be due, as such men never settle down contentedly to field labour, and prove a focus of discontent and agitation against authority. It is to be hoped that the new arrangement for up-country depôts will eliminate such causes for complaint against the Indian recruitment.

6. A great point in favour of the Madrassi immigrant in this Colony is that, coming from a lower latitude, more nearly that of the British Guiana coast, future generations of the original immigrants are not likely to deteriorate in physique as do all races introduced from latitudes where the seasons are more pronounced and distinctly cold winters prevail.

7. I consider it would be better to pool all expenditure and divide it in pro- portion to the number of immigrants and return immigrants handled, but not necessarily reckoning each immigrant and return immigrant on the same scale, but according to the cost of handling-for instance, supposing a Calcutta immigrant cost £6 to handle, a Madras one £5, and a return immigrant £1, then each of these might be reckoned as six units, five units, and one unit of cost respectively, and be charged to the Colony concerned in this proportion, the unit of expenditure being determined for each year by the division of the total expenditure by the grand total of the number of units thus arrived at.

I have, &c.,

30813

No. 143.

WALTER EGERTON.

COLONIAL OFFICE to THE GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION AGENTS AT CALCUTTA.

[Answered by No. 159.]

GENTLEMEN,

Downing Street, 19 September, 1913. WITH reference to paragraph 8 of your joint letter, No. 237/20 of the 3rd of April, 1913,† and paragraph 8 of the reply from this Department of the 24th of

• No. 123.

↑ No. 119.

235

May last, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to transmit to you an extract from a despatcht from the Governor of Fiji suggesting that it might be practicable to employ as clerks and interpreters in Fiji some of the clerks in the Calcutta Agency with whose services it is proposed to dispense.

2. I am to request that you will consider the qualifications of the clerks con- cerned, and report whether there are among them any whom you could recommend as qualified to act both as clerks and Indian interpreters.

33014

No. 144.

I am, &c.,

H. W. JUST.

THE GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION AGENT AT CALCUTTA FOR TRINIDAD, &c., to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received 22 September, 1913:)

SIR,

(Confidential.)

Trinidad Government Emigration Agency, 21, Garden Reach,

Calcutta, September 4th, 1918. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Confidential letter, No. 21579/13, of the 8th ultimo,‡ enclosing copy of a letter from the Governor of Trinidad regarding certain recommendations made by the two Emigration Commis- sioners of the Indian Government, now visiting the Crown Colonies which receive indentured labour from India, and desiring to be furnished with the views of Mr. Gibbes and myself on the points raised. Mr. Gibbes, whom I have consulted, concurs in the following remarks."

2.

We are asked in the first instance to improve the physique of the emigrants recruited and to avoid despatching those not fitted for field labour. Before dealing with the remarks which have brought forth this recommendation, I give a brief description of the methods at present employed in the selection of the emigrants and the care taken in rejecting undesirables.

3. From the time of their recruitment until embarkation, they pass through

the hands of six medical officers, of whom three hold full European qualifications, when those coolies considered unhealthy and unsuitable are discarded.

These examinations are made in the following order :--

(1) Agencies' travelling doctors up-country. This is a very full examination

and carried out by two doctors in the service of the Agencies.

(2) Civil Surgeon of the district where coolies are recruited. Generally an I.M.S. or R.A.M.C. Officer. Examination rather superficial and not compulsory under the Act. This costs Re. 1 per head and is done as a matter of policy, so as to keep some of the officials favourably inclined to emigration.

(3) Resident Doctor in Calcutta Depôt. Very thorough examination. (4) Consulting Surgeon to Agency. A senior I.M.S. Officer, who visits the Agency twice weekly, inspects all new arrivals and pays particular attention to those cases referred to him by the Depôt doctor. At a final examination, a few days before embarkation, he inspects all the coolies with the Surgeon Superintendent of the steamer, who confers with him on those cases put on one side for consultation. Colonel Stevens, I.M.S., M.D., our present consulting Surgeon to the Trinidad Agency, is Professor of Anatomy to the Medical College, Calcutta, and has had an extensive experience in the examination of coolie labour for tea estates, rubber plantations, and various industrial under- takings. He informs me that it is not the practice to carry out so strict an examination of coolie labourers for Indian estates as what is done for the Colonies. Copy of a letter from him on the subject is enclosed.

• No. 121,

† Paragraph 2 in No. 138.

‡ No. 135.

*