Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 78

Chinese Coolies

Chinese Coolies.

Chinese coolies were first introduced into Samoa some five years ago, and since then about 1300 have arrived. Conditions at first were not all that might have been desired, and, besides, a class of very poor coolies was at the beginning brought. Time has shown the Samoan planter how to better handle the coolie business, and it is gratifying to know that although the service of some 500 men is now expiring, more than one-half of these have signed new contracts with their old, or with new masters, and have elected to stay on in Samoa. This speaks well for both man and master. The coolies are imported by the Government and are impartially distributed to the planters by a lottery system, which precludes any favouritism. The planter requiring labourers pays about £22 to the Government for each man he think,-he will need on his plantation, this to cover cost of fare, and recruitment in China. The labourer is assigned to the planter on his arrival, and he is fed at the planter's cost, up to-scale which provides him with all necessities. He is housed and paid his wage every month. This is usually very small in the past it has been about 12 shillings per month, but when all calculations are made, it is actually found that each coolie costs the planter about 42s per month for his services. The production of rubber and cacao permits of this expenditure and assures a fine profit to the cultivator whose other economies are right.