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240
5.
Mr. Browin (Registrar General) considers that
the interests of this Colony demand the complete abolition of
contract labour in the kederutod Halay States as the eventual
solution, while Mr. Burnos in the notes to which I havo re-
ferrod, states that in his opinion it is a matter for congratus- congratus- tion that Chinese indentured agricultural labour has of late
years greatly diminished, He adds that the non-agricultural
labour onlisted by Chinese for mines is not indentured. I have
not seen the roport of the Commission referred to but I assume
that Your Excellency hus found it impracticable at present to
entirely abolish contract labour, and i gather from the telegrams
recent
on leave which passed during my absence that your efforts are now being
directed to limit the length of the contract to 300 days or
1088.
6. i am persuaded however (a) that the contract
should in all cases provide for the repatriation of the labour
to Hongkong at the cost of the employer. If there be wa I
prosume there is, a large unsatisfied demand for labour in the
Foderated Malay States it is obvious that the majority of the
labourers will be content to remain in the country on the expiry
of the contract, so that the repatriation clauso would oost the
employers of labour but little, and as the Registrar doneral
points out, the insertion of the clause will in fact be a
guarantee that the wages offered are attractive. The Chinese
Government will be assured that since the men can return if they
desire to do so, they romain of their own free will, while this
Government will no longer be in the position of knowing full well
that in spite of its efforts the majority of emigrarts have been
induced by false promises made by the recruiter, and may at the expiry of their contracte be compelled to accept starvation
Wages
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