§ MR. J. M. ROBERTSON (Northumberland, Tyneside)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies for which mines in the Transvaal the 1,859 Chinese, who arrived in South Africa on board the steamship "Indravelli" on May 13th, were imported; for which mines the 2,000 Chinese, who arrived on May 28th by the steamship "Cranley" were imported; and whether any steps were taken by the Government of the Transvaal before they were admitted into the Colony to ascertain whether they were not criminals or otherwise undesirables.
§ MR. CHURCHILLThe Secretary of State does not know the particular mines for which these labourers were imported. The Government of the Transvaal has no means of enquiring into the antecedents of coolies arriving in the Colony. This can only be done in China but, as employers now realise that dangerous characters will be repatriated at their expense, there is every inducement to the labour agency they employ for recruiting not to ship coolies of this class.