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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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furnishing their report, so that they should be in a position to compare the condition of the Indian coolies serving in that country with that of the coolies in the Colonies which they have visited.

3. If Lord Crewe sees fit to adopt this suggestion he would no doubt issue instructions accordingly.

I am, &c.,

H. J. READ,

for the Under-Secretary of State.

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SIR,

No. 172.

THE GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION AGENT AT CALCUTTA FOR BRITISH GUIANA, &c., to COLONIAL OFFICE.

*

(Received 23 November, 1913.)

[Answered by No. 182.]

British Guiana Government Emigration Agency,

61, Garden Reach, Calcutta,

10th November, 1913.

ADVERTING to paragraphs 2 and 3 of your letter, No. 13173, of the 24th May, 1913, and to the Secretary of State's subsequent instructions that the amalgamation of the Agencies should take effect from the 1st January, 1914, I have the honour to point out that it is advisable that the Government of Bengal should be requested without delay to take the necessary steps to gazette me as Emigration Agent at Calcutta for Trinidad, Fiji, Jamaica, and Mauritius in addition to British Guiana.

2. The question whether it is necessary, or possible without altering the present Act, to gazette Mr. Marsden as Emigration Agent here for British Guiana in addition to his other Colonies is at present engaging the attention of the Indian Government. It is pointed out that under the Act as it stands Emigration Agents can only be appointed" in any port from which emigration is lawful; no provision exists for gazetting an officer to be Agent in an up-country city such as Benares and, in any case, it would be incongruous to gazette Mr. Marsden as an Agent at Calcutta when his duties will be entirely confined to the up-country recruiting districts. The Indian Government suggest that the needs of the case can be adequately met by the issue of executive instructions to the local officials concerned, and the matter is still under discussion.

"

3. The Government of Madras should also be desired to gazette either myself or Mr. Doorly as Emigration Agent at that port with effect from the 1st January. I note that the Secretary of State has addressed the India Office on the subject of the Madras appointment, but I have not yet been informed of the result. It is neces- sary, however, that either Mr. Doorly or myseif should be formally gazetted as soon as possible, as recruiting for Fiji at Madras must be commenced in January next.

4. In connection with my own appointment as Emigration Agent at Calcutta for all the Colonics I presume that the gari allowance attaching to the post of Agent for Trinidad, &c., may be drawn by myself from the 1st of January in addition to the allowance attached to my present appointment. I may mention that for some years past the use of a motor-car has been indispensable and that the British Guiana allowance of Rs. 75 per mensem has proved quite inadequate to cover the cost of its up-keep. As the rapid extension of the docks cuts Garden Reach off more and more from Calcutta the Agent's personal transport expenses are increasing in proportion and must continue to do so for some time to come.

I have, &c.,

R. P. GIBBES, Government Emigration Agent

* No. 121.

for British Guiana, &c.

(No. 445.)

SIR,

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No. 173.

FIJI.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

(Received 1 December, 1913.)

[Answered by No. 190.]

Government House, Suva, Fiji, 27th October, 1913.

WITH reference to your despatches* of the numbers and dates noted in the

No. 270 of 3 October, 1912.

No. 2.2 of 6 November, 1912.

No. 313 of 3 December, 1912.

No. 339 of 31 December, 1912.

margin, regarding the mission of the two representatives of the Indian Government who were appointed to inquire into the conditions of life of the Indian immigrants in the West Indian Colonies and in Fiji,

I have the honour to report that Mr. J. McNeill, I.C.S., and Mr. L. Chimman Lal arrived in the Colony on the 19th September last, and left for Sydney on the 22nd instant.

Both gentlemen were my guests at Government House during the time that they remained in Suva.

2. I enclose a copy of a memorandum by the Agent-General of Immigration, recording briefly the movements and proceedings of the delegates during their visit.

3. Memoranda containing the statistical information for which Mr. McNeill, prior to his arrival, had applied were drawn up and handed to him so soon as he reached Fiji.

The delegates were furnished also with maps of the Colony, which had been specially prepared so as to show the various centres to which indentured Indian labour had been allotted. The delegates were supplied later with

4.

(a) A memorandum respecting the draft Regulations of which copies were enclosed in my despatch, No. 370, of the 27th August last, † showing the procedure to be adopted in the disposal of Crown and native lands;

(b) A copy of the correspondence with the Secretary of State on the subject of the arrangements to be made for the education of Indian children; and

(c) A memorandum relating to the classification of prisoners in the gaols of the Colony, and the manner of their employment at works outside the gaols. This memorandum was based on the new draft Prison Regu lations which have been prepared under Section 15 of Ordinance No. 20, of 1913, and will be considered shortly by the Governor in Council.

I enclose also a copy of a memorandum which Mr. McNeill was good enough to hand me two days before his departure from the Colony. I am in accord with all the recommendations summarised in the Memorandum, and I see no insuperable difficulty in the way of giving them effect. I shall be glad to have your authority for acting at once on the suggestions made under the head of " Land Settlement," and for increasing to eight or ten acres the extent of land to be leased to the ordinary Indian applicant.

5. If there are any other points in regard to which you consider that immediate action can be taken, I shall be glad to receive your early instructions.

I have, &a,

BICKHAM ESCOTT,

Governor.

Enclosure 1 in No. 173.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMISSIONERS DEPUTED BY THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT TO VISIT FIJI, FROM DATE OF THEIR ARRIVAL TO DEPARTURE. The Commissioners arrived in Suva on Friday, 19th September, 1913, and on the following day visited the Immigration Department, and the temporary offices in the Municipal Hall assigned for their use.

• Nos. 73, 34004, 86 and 96.

† No. 4 in Australian No. 215.

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