The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1881-12-10

Ieisurely selection was i'm many cases
missed. This hurry might have been
avoided by such arrangements for receiving
and providing forthe immigrants as are in
variably made part of the immigration
schemes of o therc countries.
while passing by the Straits Settlements 1
met officials, and planters who were familiar
with Indian coOlie labor in the settlements,
these coolies being generally free emigrants.
though there are many working under contract
and protected by British laws. The coolies do
not understand the duties Of the protector.
They believe he Is put in office to back them up
in any complaint. The planters are dragged of
10 distant Courts on frivolous pretences, and
they urge that they are at the mercy of a despot.
But they accept the situation, as they can obtain
labor from nO other place. These planters
generally hold the opinion that Chinese labor is
much superior To Indian some say that one
Chiuaman Is equal TO three coolies But they
are rather afraid OF the Chinese. because they
refuse to make long contracts, and, moreover,
are intractable.'
u do not hesitate to report that the East
Indians are not suitable or desirable as emf
grants"
.The Maharajah of Johore, one of the Malay
States adjoining Singapore, has lately under
taken to cultivate coffee and gambler. He in
formed me that his own people were too idle
and thriftIess to he depended upon, and he was
therefore looking To China and the East Indies
for lab0rers. II was in part in behalf Of this
sovereign that the Governor Of Singapore made
application to the Colonial Office for Indian
coolies, and was refused"
tFrou TIE Raso1 Of His Erosleney
~. ". AraiaroHg. ma Hq0aiiaH
MJesys C5mmiaioHsr Of Hami-
grafton
THE Armstrong" big gun has been
directed against COolie immigration from
the East Indies and it is TO be ssumed
that its advocates must necessarily be de-
molished. As n specimen of the way in
which the Commissioner has gathered his
information, it is rather curious to read
some portions of his report in conjunction
with the latest papers to hand from Singa-
pore. Hurrying through n few British
settlements I'm Eastern Asia and flying
across India in a railway carriage, inspect
ing 40 plantation where he could see East
Indians at their work, and visiting none
Of the countries which make large use of
this class of labor and are always crying
out for further and increased supplies of it,
Mr.. Armstrong has yet found himself
able TO form an estimate of the value OF
such labor, the character of the coolies
themselves, and their suitability to our own
especial needs. Meanwhile, the planters
in one of the countries in which he claims
to have gathered such reliable and all
embracing information were preparing and
have presented to their Sovereign the fol-
lowing memorial -
d. To His HighHess Sri .45oO5akar, Gem. IT,,
R.C-S.L SC, Sc, .naharGjGh Of JOhOre.
We. the undersigned, who are largely IN.
tcrested IN planting and other operations in
JOhOrc, beg 10 address your Highness on n mat
ter which i Of great Importance to your High,
ness Government and to ourselves, viz, the
. Trfrrlurf1Du of Indian labor into the State OF
Johore.
d" For the purpose Of developing and bringing
90 "a successful issue in JohOre, and in Other
countries similarly situated, such industries rs
the planting Of coffee, tea, ciuchona, cocoa, and
agricultural products Of n like nature, Indian
labor has been proved To be well nigh indispen-
sable.
d. Chinese labor is found, from practical ex-
perieuce, not To be adapted to much of the finer
work connected with planting Of the kinds above
named, besides being too expensive for planters
o. avail themselves OF il beyond a certain extent,
and IIyJur-r and other labOrtrs OF that class
cannot be- procured IN any appreciable numbers.
Recognising these circumstances, strenuous
Efforts are now being made by the Government
81 the Straits Settlements 90 induce the Secretary
. Of State for the Colonies to take steps FOR obtain
iug Indian immigration into Perak and the adj
Joining Native States and We cannot but con
elude that v0ur Highuess i DESTROYS Of procur-
Ing for us, who have invested capital III Johore,
the same benefit and assistance ~ the rulers OF
those States are seeking for other planters.
% The Governor has recently publicly declared
that. II your Highness Will make application To
him. His ENcellcucy Will use his best endeavors
10 obtain the sanction Of the Home and Indian
authorities for the introduction Of that class of
labor into JOhOre.
We therefore pray that your Highness will
Dee pleased To- make the necessary application,
Nc.. Nc.'
Let il be noted i'm regard To this memorial
that it i signed by forty-four firms OF
planters, some Of whom are of British,
some of Malay, some of Arab, and some OF
Chinese nationality. These people live in
q country close To various settlements in
which Indian coolies have for years been
at work, and the opinions they express are
undoubtedly founded on the personal eX-
pericucc and observation of many, if not
all OF them. There is no . uncertain sound
about what they have 10 say. They speak
like men who, having much at stake, have
carefully considered their position, have
decided on the remedy, and are now earn
cStIy bent upon obtaining it.
Let Il be noted further, that whilst the
carefuland exhaustive Investigations ofour
Commissioner lead him To tell Us that "the
10 the Colonial Office for Indian coolies y
for the Maharajah of Johore), " and was
refused" the Memorialists who were adj
dressing the very Sovereign referred TO
speak only Of efforts made by Governor
Weld on behalf OF Perak and native states
other than Johore. His EXcellency was in
Singapore early in May, and the memorial
| Iaarz date I'm Tu1y If this he a fair Sppci-