§ Mr. O'GRADYasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether, having regard to the fact that the mortality among Indian indentured labourers to the Federated Malay States amounted in the year 1908 to 84.8 per thousand, the Government of India had taken steps to prohibit the supply of indentured labour to these states?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA (Mr. Montagu)The figures quoted by my hon. Friend are those given in the Report of the Superintendent of Immigration for 1908, but it has since been ascertained that they are incorrect. The correct figures appear to be 31.5 per thousand. Even these figures, however, are far from satisfactory, and in view of them action has been taken to put an end to the system of indentured immigration from India. The High Commissioner has informed the Secretary of State for the Colonies that after 30th June no more indentured Indian labourers will be allotted to the Federated Malay States, 510 and it is estimated that steps which are being taken under the Immigration Enactments in these States will result an the immediate termination of the engagements of at least a thousand labourers.