HC Deb 03 July 1890 vol 346 cc657-8
MR. SAMUEL SMITH (Flintshire)

I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether his attention has been drawn to a statement made by Doaraka Nath Ganguli, Assistant Secretary to the Indian Association at Calcutta, in reference to the excessive mortality on the tea plantations in Assam, wherein he states that the rate per million of deaths among Act labourers was in 1883, 61.5; 1884, 58.9; 1885, 51.5; 1886, 58.9; 1887, 57.2; 1888, 62.9. The Report of the year 1888 is the latent one yet received, and it does not show (hat, so far as the percentage of death is concerned, there hag been any progress except in the downward direction. In 1888 there were two gardens, in one of which the rate of mortality was 30L6 and in the other 309/"; and whether he will call the attention of the Indian Government to this high rate of mortality, with a view to their seeing that the provisions of the Act for the protection of coolies is thoroughly enforced?

SIR GEORGE CAMPBELL (Kirkcaldy, &c.)

I also wish to ask the Under Secretary of State for India whether of late years any tea gardens in Assam have been closed by Government, as respects indentured labourers, under the powers provided by the law when the mortality has been excessive; and if not, why, having regard to the very excessive mortality in some gardens, the law has not been enforced as it was in former years?

SIR J. GORST

Yes, Sir; the rates of mortality given in the question of the hon. Member for Flintshire (Mr. S. Smith) are correct per thousand. The mortality in the tea gardens has been engaging the attention of the Secretary of State and the Government of India ceaselessly for years past, and, as I have on several occasions stated to the House, a special investigation is going on now. In reply to the question of the hon. Member for Kirkcaldy (Sir G. Campbell), I have to say that no tea gardens have been closed since the year 1884, because, in the opinion of the Sanitary officers, the remedial measures which have been enforced were more efficacious than closure.

SIR G. CAMPBELL

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that either by law or regulation it has been the invariable practice to close these gardens when the mortality has exceeded 100 in the 1,000, and the right hon. Gentleman has admitted that in 1888 there were two cases in which the mortality was upwards of 300 per 1,000?

SIR J. GORST

I believe it used to be the case to shut up the gardens when the mortality rose to a certain amount; but now, under new sanitary arrangements, instead of shutting them up, preventive sanitary measures are prescribed and enforced.