CO129-565-13 Recruitment of Chinese labourers for employment abroad 1-8-1937 - 30-3-1938 — Page 11

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work per day and workmen's compensation, and in other respects are unreasonable, e.g. insuring the life of a

labourer employed in work of a dangerous nature, and the

requirement for payment of repatriation costs in case of closure of factory (which might be bankrupt) before the

termination of the contract. In the labour legislation throughout Malaya no agreement to labour is legal which extends beyond one month. The Malayan Governments could

not therefore agree to contracts, which are illegal in Malaya, being forwarded to the Overseas Affairs Committee or to the Consul of China in respect of men emigrating to

Malaya.

4. The Principles are in many respects open to objection in that they purport to claim for the Consul of China in the locality concerned a right of investigation and adjudication in foreign territory. I have recently had experience of such activities on the part of the Consul-General, Singapore, and the Consul, Kuala Lumpur, in labour troubles and found that they add greatly to the difficulties of the officers whose duty it is under our municipal law to adjudicate on and settle such disputes. So much was this the case that I had, demi- officially, to warn each of these consuls that he must

cease such interference.

5.

The powers that these Principles purport to give to consuls are improper throughout, but I would draw your attention specifically to the following: No. 4(14) latter part, Nos. 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.

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