CO129-400 - Governor Sir May - 1913 [3-4] — Page 320

Regards Hamn (letter to Pacific Phosphates Co

w

5010)

>

it is

intended t

clear I think that the

be

1

uniousal application.

ONFIDENTIAL.

Telegraph accnduigh.

715713 AKC

1.8.5.

8.5.13

Sir,

A 2010

313

15293

Inese 5 MAY 15

GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

HONGKONG, 10th. April, 1913.

Bauer Billiton and the Butati Schand what Thi muung is carried one. We have

course to control over content For device there except that none cave Me make after 30 June 1914 in Pr.

Turnlong

would thgraphe Ir darf. 10 things. par. 2. Gove. Strach deel understand

that all watracts in fance in soth freesty lapse on that date. & same offlers & Bone

Decision cannot be reconsidered,

abony 41. 85.13

0.0.

18. 9MAY

Substance

1

Recorded

U.T.A

9/6/1

Ha 30481

With reference to paragraph 3 of your Confident-

-ial Despatch of the 20th. February last, I have the honour to

point out that some misunderstanding of your instructions exists in

regard to the date on which recruitment of contract labour for the

Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States will cease.

2. In your telegram of the 20th. September, 1911,

to the High Commissioner of the Malay States you stated that the JM S

*whole system comes to an end in 1914" but in your Confidential do Despatch of the 28th. idem you informed the High Commissioner that

*the recruitment of labourers....should cease altogether by the

30th. June, 1914".

It has hitherto been understood by this Govern- -ment and, it is believed, by the Government of Singapore that the above instruction conveyed in the Despatch would not preclude the engagement of labourers on a 300 days agreement for a period com- -mencing any time before the above date.

S. It would appear however from paragraph 3 in

your Despatch under acknowledgent that you intended the instruct- -ion to mean that no such engagements could be entered into after some date during this year which would permit the expiry of 300 working days before the 30th. June, 1914.

HE RIGHT HONOURABLE

4. On account of this misunderstanding it is now

LEIS HARCOURT, M.P.,

&C..

&c.,

&c...

extremely