The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-10-16

Aoyee,nenfs-In their own country hands are
taken on and paid per diem or per mensFm as oc-
casiun directs, and usually on "a verbal unde'-
standing.
In Cr,lon the custom Is Tor The Coolie TO sign
an ,orerment binding him to the planter until the
crup is harvested. He may then return to India
tor a time But in the majority of cases., especial
ly ui late years, lowing to the recurrence OF the
Indian famlne) they prefer to abide in their new
home, and some are found remaining on the same
estates for five years.
So far as causing trouble anent their contracts
they prefer little or no complaint. provided they
are Justly and humanely treated. and they lnVaria-
bly look to the Planter as their master, adviser,
doctor and friend.
In the West Indies the Hindoo coolie executes an
indeuture with the employer for a term of Eve years
service. and if re engaging for a further term of Eve
years. his return free passage to India is accorded
nina privilege he rarely avails himself of.
misunderstanding a steamer were chartered
for their conveyance ; the " per capita - charge per
adult would not exceed 500 but supposing it
amounted to $50, the outlay would be more than
compensated for by the superiority of the labor and
the reduced rate of wage.
The daily pay received in their own country av-
erages sixpence. In Ceylon it varies from sixpence
I clSui Will du AlTd penny v tAcu u tue
Gang Master Gone to every ten men). e.. 1916 to
So a month.
From this is deducted the cost of the rice they re-
ceive. But for arguments sake, if the above rates of
wages, sc. be doubled we have $3.50 to $40 per
mensem-as against the present rate of labor here,
S18 to $25, OF even $28, inclusive of food.
Presuming the Government would charge itself
with the conveyance of women and childt en- at these
figures
FIRST YEAR.
For East Indian Coohe, Passage per adult, say. $50
Pay, &c. per annum, at a mean rate of s. per men,
Balance in favor Of employer Of Hindoo..~....-~.~ 6
For present labor, Pay per annum at mean rate of
S2l per 252
SECOND YEAR.
II months pay, &c. at IS per 90
Balanace in favor of employer of Hindoo.--~".-.... l58
- months pay, &c. at s21 per mensem ...............$ 252
Or a saving to the employer in 5 years of $3.50 per
laborer. #|. "a t#t.
Supplies for CeylOn are mostly drawn from the
Malabar coast, Singapore and Madras. Those for
the West Indies, from Calcutta, Madras and Bonn
bay but chiefly from Calcutta.
A marked feature in this class of laborer is the
facility with which he adapts himself to domestic
service of all kinds he is t%ractable. docile, faithful.
and abstemious and in immigration is surrounded
by y" LareS anu fenateS, kumlIeu IN MOST cases 10
a . chillum chez and a q hubble bubble a.s.
g Brass pot" and pipe and accompanied
Tin Pinafore parlance) by So his sisters, and his cOu-
sins. and his aunts
Though by no means a swarthy angel, he is a
ready made laborer for plantation and domestic ser
vice and it is not generally known that the hum
blest Indian craftsman is at heart an artist, though
possibly unprogressive, and somewhat too timorously
faithful to tradition for style he is moreover uxor-
ious and of jealous temperament where his wife
and children are concerned. They too, are able and
ready to work in the fields as well as the head of the
family, and the women are very domesticated and of
modest bearing.
From the obligatory recognition by the Indian
Government that famine is no longer to be looked
upon as an accident, but as a regular recurring
calamity, for which timely provision must be annual
ly made, an illimitable and reg ular supply might be
reasonably anticipated on the convention being Sc
cured. H,t5se .H s-#-a .t#4E
1t is always easier to detect a disease than devise
a cure But other fields of labor having proved in
adequate for the requirements of this Kingdom, and
the due developement of the main source of its re-
venue-we. venture to suggest that the attempt
should be made. which, in our opinion (gained from
practical exper1ence) seems to offer so many advan-
tages and these can be vouched for by all cogni.
zant of the details bearing on this question.
We are, Sir, Yours Obediently.
H WHALLEY NICHOLSON.
w. FORSYTH GRANT.
CHAs. D.. MILLER.