Death of Sir Colin Scott Moncrieff.

By the death, on April 6, of Sir Colin Scott Moncrieff, who had for some time been in failing health, the Society has lost one of its Treasurers, and one who for many years had been connected with its work and had its interests deeply at heart.

Sir Colin went out to India in 1856 at the age of twenty, as SecondLieutenant in the Bengal Engineers, and made his mark there as a successful engineer. He retired as Colonel in 1883, and went to Egypt as British Under-Secretary to the Public Works Department in Cairo, it having been

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decided to bring a staff of British officials from India to superintend the improvements in the canalization of the country. Of this appointment Lord Cromer wrote in his work, Modern Egypt, as follows:

"The selection was a most happy one. Apart from his very remarkable technical attainments, Colonel Scott Moncrieff was a man of the highest character. The most prejudiced Pasha respected qualities which were so dissimilar to any which he himself possessed. The most venomous journalist paused before he threw his political vitriol over a character so transparently honest. No Englishman employed in the Egyptian service during the early days of the occupation did more to make the name of England respected than Sir Colin Scott Moncrieff."

Among the problems which Sir Colin had to face was that of the corvée, or forced labour system for keeping the canals and Nile embankment in good repair, which was attended with many inequalities and hardships, but in this, as in other cases, "his persistence, his imperturbable temper and his devotion to duty," to which the writer in The Times referred, backed by the loyal support of his assistants, enabled him to overcome all difficulties.

Colonel Scott Moncrieff was one of those who were deeply interested in the Freed Women Slaves' Home at Cairo, which Lord Cromer regarded as "a most important part of the general machinery adopted for the suppression of slavery" in Egypt. He was made a K.C.M.G. in 1887, and left Egypt in 1892. For the next ten years Sir Colin was Under-Secretary for Scotland, and for two years after that was again in India as President of the Irrigation Committee.

Sir Colin was a son-in-law of the late Mr. Edmund Sturge, who did so much active work for the Anti-Slavery Society in earlier days as its Hon. Secretary, and was subsequently Chairman of the Committee. The present Lady Scott Moncrieff is a daughter of the late Mr. Arthur Albright, of Birmingham, who was also closely associated with the Anti-Slavery Society and a very generous supporter of its funds.

The Committee passed a resolution expressing its high appreciation of Sir Colin Scott Moncrieff's services, and sympathy with his family.

Indian Indentured Labour.

SHORTLY after the publication of our last issue, news was published that the Government had decided upon the abolition of indentured labour from India to the Colonies. This is a most important announcement and one which came as something of a surprise, as the report of the Commissioners who were appointed in 1913 to investigate the working of the system in the Colonies and Dutch Guiana (of which an account appeared in our last number) was on the whole favourable to the system, the advantages of which, in the

opinion of the Commissioners, have far outweighed its disadvantages. The announcement was made by the Viceroy, Lord Hardinge, in the Indian Legislative Council on March 20 last, when he accepted a motion of the Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya recommending that early steps should be taken for the abolition of the indentured labour system. His Excellency said that the Government proposed to accept the resolution, and had already taken the first steps towards the abolition of the system in the four British Colonies where it still prevailed, and in Surinam. The Secretary of State had intimated his acceptance of the policy, but it was to be made clear that the existing system of recruiting must be maintained until new conditions under which labour should be permitted to go to the Colonies should have been worked out with the Colonial Office and the Crown Colonies concerned, until proper safeguards in the Colonies should have been provided, and until they should have had reasonable time to adjust themselves to the change. Many improvements had already been made in the treatment of indentured labourers, and more were in prospect. Delay was necessary also in native interests, and mere abolition of the indentures might do more harm than good.

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'Some of the worst evils associated with indentured labour,” said Lord Hardinge, "for instance, the morally undesirable features of coolie life in the Colonies, cannot be attributed wholly, or even mainly, to the indenture, and might be found in much the same degree under a system of free emigration; merely to abolish indentured emigration, a course which implies the refusal to allow any emigrant to leave the country under a contract, would only bring another set of evils in its train. It would mean that recruiters would induce coolies to go without any agreement, but by the grant of advances, or by fraud, while the Government of India would have greatly weakened their power of interference. Consequently an alternative plan for controlling the conditions of recruitment and emigration has to be worked out, and this must of necessity take some little time; but this need in no way detract from the sense of gladness with which Indians of all classes will learn that the indentured system is now doomed."

Lord Hardinge spoke of the recent report of Mr. McNeill and Mr. Chimmanlal, which appeared somewhat to underrate the evils of the system. When examined, however, the report had furnished material which formed an overwhelmingly strong indictment against the continuance of the indentured system. The Viceroy dealt with the question of the low wages earned and those of the inequality of the sexes and the high death-rate owing to suicides. The number of prosecutions had been diminished, largely in response to the repeated and earnest representations of the Government, but even so they were found to be too high. In closing his speech the Viceroy acknowledged the prompt and sympathetic response of the Secretary of State for India and the Government to the representations of the Government of India. He was assured that the end of the system "which has been productive of so much unhappiness and wickedness,

and has been, relatively speaking, of so small an advantage to this country," was now in sight.

"No one," he said, "who knows anything of Indian sentiment could remain ignorant of the deep and genuine disgust to which the continuance of the indentured system has given rise. Educated Indians look on it, they tell us, as a badge of helotry. This is soon to be removed for ever, and it is a source of deep personal satisfaction to myself that one of the last official acts I shall perform in this country is to tell you that I have been able to do something to ensure that Indians who desire to work as labourers in tropical countries may do so under happier conditions, and to obtain from His Majesty's Government a promise of abolition in due course of the system which educated opinion in India has for long regarded as intolerable, and as a stigma upon their race."

Committees in Scotland.

THE Committee has for some time past had in mind the advisability of endeavouring to establish a committee or group of persons in Scotland interested in native questions, to co-operate with our Society. Very valuable help and advice has been received to this end from Mr. J. H. Oldham, Editor of the International Review of Missions. Mr. Harris paid preliminary visits to Edinburgh and Glasgow earlier in the year, and with the help of the leading Missionary bodies and commercial men, approached a number of influential people, as a result of which it was arranged that a formal deputation from our Society should visit the two cities in May to confer with those who could come together for the purpose of hearing statements about the Society's work. Accordingly the President, Sir Victor Buxton, and Messrs. Travers Buxton and J. H. Harris visited Scotland on May 11 and 12, and addressed private conferences in Edinburgh and Glasgow. At each of these meetings a similar resolution was passed to the effect that in view of the importance of watching the interests of native races for whom Great Britain has moral and treaty responsibilities a committee should be formed for this purpose in Edinburgh and Glasgow respectively, such committee to meet annually to consider important developments affecting native races, and also on special occasions to deal with any urgent question which, in the opinion of the Chairman, demanded the summoning of such gathering. In each case it was resolved that the secretarial work should for the present be done from the London office of the Society.

Sir John Cowan presided at the meeting in Edinburgh on May 11, which was held at the Princes Street Station Hotel, when those present included: Sir Charles Bruce, the Dean of Edinburgh, Professor and Mrs Kennedy, Mrs. Oldham, Mrs. Alexander Whyte, Miss M. A. Morton, Miss Begbie, Rev. Frank Ashcroft, Messrs. E. Candlish Henderson, J. McKerrell Brown,

J. Milne Henderson, G. F. Barbour, Ph.D., W. M. McLachlan and Kenneth Maclennan. The President and the two Secretaries spoke as to the work of the Society in the past and the general objects with which it was at present concerned, and in the conference which followed, Sir Charles Bruce, Dean Wilson, Rev. F. Ashcroft,

Dr. Barbour and others took part. It was then moved by Sir John Cowan, seconded by Mr. W. M. McLachlan, that Dr. G. F. Barbour should be asked to accept the position of Chairman. To this Dr. Barbour ultimately agreed, upon the promise of Sir John Cowan that he would act as ViceChairman and assist in any way possible for the duration of the war. A resolution was passed that those present should form the Committee, with the addition of Miss Chalmers, Dr. Ogilvy, Prof. Paterson, Mr. J. H. Oldham and Dr. Drummond, with power to add to their number.

The meeting at Glasgow was held on May 12, in the Merchants' House, under the presidency of Sir Samuel Chisholm, when there were present: Professors

W. M. Clow, John Glaister, and Robert Morton, Revs. Jas. T. Dempster, William Muir, J. Fairley Daly, J. A. C. Murray, Thos. Currie, Charles Richardson, Andrew Ritchie, G. A. F. Knight, and the Very Rev. Provost Deane, with Sir Daniel Stevenson, Messrs. Richard Hunter, J. C. Hunter, James Fulton, Arnold Wilson, Dr. A. W. Russell, and Dr. Chas. Workman. The Chairman briefly opened the meeting, after which speeches were made by the representatives of the Society, and after some discussion the resolution to form a Committee of gentlemen in Glasgow was proposed from the Chair, seconded by Mr. Richard Hunter, and carried. It was further resolved that those present should form the committee with the addition of the gentlemen who had written expressing sympathy with the objects of the meeting. Sir Samuel Chisholm accepted the Chairmanship, subject to the consent of Mr. R. Hunter to act as Vice-Chairman, the latter gentleman being cordially elected to that office.

The Committee feels that these Conferences in Scotland constitute a very satisfactory and encouraging beginning of interest and work in that