§ MR. HILLS (Durham)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether the Government, of India was ever expressly asked to allow its subjects to work in the Transvaal gold mines under the conditions of the Asiatic Labour Ordinance of 1904, and, if so, what answer it gave; and whether the Government of India expressed its willingness to allow Indian coolies to come to the Transvaal and Natal to work exclusively at railway-making under indenture, subject to compulsory repatriation at the end of the indenture.
§ MR. CHURCHILL (for Mr. MORLEY)The Government of India was never asked to allow its subjects to work in the Transvaal gold mines under the conditions of the Asiatic Labour Ordinance of 1904. The Government of India in January, 1904, was ready to allow labourers to be recruited in India for work on railways in the Transvaal under indentures for two years, to terminate in India, thus securing compulsory repatriation.