CO129-515-7 Recruitment of Chinese labour for Sarawak 7-12-1928 - 8-4-1929 — Page 2

1.0.4.4. Conf. вств

7.12.28

Fundo. copy h. from I'wark. regarding recruitment for mini Oilfields.

After considerable discussion at an

Inter-Departmental Conference certain principles

in 1978 of procedure were approved These are:-

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(1) Undertakings approved by the Netherlands Government may be permitted to engage men to work in the Netherlands East Indies, provided that the terms appear satisfactory to the Hong Kong

Authorities, but any such permission shall be

iven subject to the concurrence of the Secretary of State being subsequently obtained.

(2) Similar permission may be granted to

undertakings approved by the local governments in British possessions or protectorates, but the

consent of His Majesty's Government must first be

obtained to the employment of Chinese

?

labourers in that possession or protectorate.

(3) Applications in respect of Foreign

Possessions other than those situated in the East

· Indies must be referred to the Secretary of State

in the first instance.

(4) The Conditions of Employment shall be

subject to the approval of the Hong Kong Authorities.

It was at the same time decided that

a previous application for permission to recruit labourers for work in Sarawak might be granted. The difficulty in the present case arises from the fact that the labourer is held liable on arrival in Sarawak for a portion of his passage

money(although the amount which can be recovered is limited by the local law)

The