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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

T།T། '| ། TC.O. 885

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

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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the "Elbe," at a date to be arranged by the Colonial Government with the captain of the vessel on her arrival Fiji, and I enclose a copy of the charter party. The surgeon appointed to the "Elbe " for the downward voyage will also take charge of the coolies returning to Calcutta in the ship.

5. I take this opportunity of pointing out, with reference to the last paragraph of the letter of the manager of the Colonial Sugar Refining Company, enclosed in your letter of the 7th October, that we can only accept such vessels as are tendered to us, and that it is obvious that ships cannot be made expressly to suit the fluctu- ating numbers of the yearly indents and the particular requirements of the Emigration Agent in Calcutta, whose wishes, however, we endeavour, as far as possible, to carry out when accepting the tenders.

SIR,

(Pressing.)

I have, &c..

E. E. BLAKE.

Letter from CROWN AGENTS to COLONIAL OFFICE.

Fiji Emigration.

February 9, 1900. WITH reference to your letters of the 25th October and 22nd December last, I have the honour to report, for the information of the Secretary of State, that having communicated with the Emigration Agent for Fiji at Calcutta as to his shipping requirements, we ascertained from him that he wished to have four vessels for the conveyance of the 2,225 statute adult coolies required, the first three to carry 600 each and the last vessel 425, the dates of sailing to be 15th March, 20th April, 15th May and 31st May respectively.

2. Upon the receipt of this information we at once advertised for tenders for the necessary tonnage, steam or sailing, and received two offers, as shown in the schedule of tenders sent herewith.

3. It will be seen that the alternative tender of the British India Steam Navigation Company for the conveyance of the outward coolies in three vessels was a very favourable one, provided that the Emigration Agent could arrange to have the emigrants in the depot in the numbers and on the dates stipulated by the Company. We therefore telegraphed to Mr. Stewart:-

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Lowest tender for Fiji British India Company's steamers leaving 31st March, 30th April, 31st May. Do you agree? Telegraph decision at once";

to which we received the reply:-

"I agree if possible date for embarkation first ship to be 24th March. Do not

guarantee for more than 680 each ship."

4. This reply we communicated to the British India Company, who answered that if the numbers were reduced the rate of £ 10s. would not pay them, and they therefore regretted that they were unable to assent to the reduction.

5. We therefore again telegraphed to Mr. Stewart :-

"British India Company stipulate for 695, 834, 816. Do you agree?”

and on the 7th we received his reply:-

"Cannot agree. I cannot guarantee more than 680 each ship."

6. In these circumstances we have had no alternative but to accept the next and only remaining offer, that of the executors of James Nourse, at the rate of £9 18s. 9d. for 2,225, or £9 8s. 9d. if the four vessels receive full complements, and I beg to suggest that the Government of Fiji should be directed to inform the Emigration Agent, as soon as possible, whether it proposes to avail itself of the reduced rate by increasing the number of emigrants from 2.225 to 2,401.

7. We have accepted the tender of the executors of Mr. Nourse to convey about 200 return immigrants to Calcutta in the second downward ship, at the rate of £9. 38. 4d.

I have, &c.,

E. E. BLAKE.

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16 Letter from the ASSISTANT COLONIAL SECRETARY, Fiji, to the CROWN AGENTS FOR THE COLONIES. GENTLEMEN,

May 1, 1900. I AM directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, No. 5, of the 16th February last, on the subject of the tenders for the conveyance of certain Indian immigrants to this Colony, and, in reply, I am to ask for some further explanation of the acceptance of the tender of the executors of Mr. Nourse in preference to that of the British India Company.

2. The facts of the case appear to be as follows:-That the British India Com- pany tendered at some £19,932 for the conveyance of 2,345 adults, and Mr. Nourse's executors at some £22,111 for the conveyance of 2,225, and that the Emigration Agent, Calcutta, stated his inability to guarantee more than 2,040. On this basis the saving that would have been effected by accepting the tender of the British India Company would have exceeded £2,000. It appears, however, to have been assumed that while only 2,040 coolies would be forthcoming for shipment by the British India, Company, 2,225 would be forthcoming for shipment by Mr. Nourse's executors. The reason for this assumption is not apparent: but even if it be granted that there may have been some ground for it, it is still difficult to understand why the British India Company's tender of £19,932 was not accepted, inasmuch as the cost of passage per adult, for 2,040 coolies, would under it have been only £9 15s, 5d., as against £9 18s. 9d. under that of Mr. Nourse's executors, if 2,225 were shipped, or £10 16s. 9d. if only 2,040 coolies (the number assumed in the case of the British India Company) were forthcoming.

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3. As a matter of fact the Emigration Agent was ultimately able to provide 2,225 coolies, and could, if required, have provided 2,401: and the loss incurred by the non-acceptance of the British India Company's tender has exceeded £2,000.

4. Admitting, however, that this result could not have been foreseen in its entirety when the tenders were under consideration, the question nevertheless remains why the tender of the British India Company, which, even under the more un- favourable hypothesis, was, for the reasons stated in paragraph two, the more ad- vantageous of the two, was not accepted, the number of coolies guaranteed by the Emigration Agent, 2,040, being in excess of the minimum number requisitioned, viz., 2,025. And there also remains the further question, which, though subsidiary, is not devoid of importance, why it was assumed, as it apparently was, that a larger number of coolies would be forthcoming for the vessels of Mr. Nourse's executors than for those of the British India Company.

5. I am to add that the acceptance of the British India Company's tender would have given effect to the urgent and reasonable desire of the introducers for the early arrival of the immigrants.

6. In view of the foregoing considerations it would seem that the introducers of the labour have legitimate grounds for complaint, and the Governor will, therefore, be obliged if you will be so good as to afford any explanation that you may desire to make in the matter.

'I have, &c.,

WM. SUTHERLAND, Assistant Colonial Secretary.

Letter from the CROWN Agents for the COLONIES to the Honourable the COLONIAL

SIR,

SECRETARY, Fiji. Fiji.

June 22, 1900.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 1st May, No. 1530/1900, relative to the acceptance of the tender of the executors of Mr. Nourse, in preference to that of the British India Company, for the conveyance of coolie immigrants to and from Fiji this season.

We think that your letter must have been written under some misapprehension of the facts which governed our action in the matter, and I would refer you to paragraphs 3-5 of our letter of the 9th February to the Colonial Office, a copy of which we sent you in our letter of the 16th of February, which shows that we took every precaution to ascertain the requirements of the Emigration Agent in Calcutta, and the willingness of the British India Company to agree to them."

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