Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1842-10-29

SlbefdDte fUE ring VI me paper wien VIC
bank gels a-going, and if any Of you shou'c
want TO find a friend, I'm here. Pass the hi
incorporate the Swamp Light Bath Bark
and the soaring Eagle of America, HIGH above
the mountains peak and The cloud floating
upon bis broad pinions through expansive
ether. will be very much obliged to yen. ]
pass."-Pm.
TIE "THrtK sYsTEM."-Among IT. many
vicious schemes devised by phjlanthropir
Engljshmen for ROLLING he laborirg poor, is
one called the Truck system. It is defined
to bc--tlle practice Of paying ~ages in vari-
Gus trades and manufactures, in goods, or
otherwise than in the current CON Of the
realm !" The subject has at last arrested
the attention Of authority, and an %cxanina-
ton has been mad which develops, to the
Shame Of the nation, the dreadful enormifv
Of the practice. The readerwill understand
the characcr Of the system, after perus
ing the following extracts from the evidence
taken on the examination
The Witnesses from the ncghborhood Of
Bradford furnish a sad picture OF the mean
and unworthy advantages which masters do
not scruple to take of The poor mans depen-
dence on them. At Windmill, near Bradford,
a respectable manufactures asserted that there
were only three masters who paid in money;
and the eX'ert of gain which they thereby
realize may be conjectured by the fact elicit
ed by his examination, that, if he himself had
chosen to follow the prevalent example, he
might have realized, as his foreman and nm.
aging man had assured him, f400 or $500
a-year upon the c4,fS0 which he was IN the
habit ofexpendiug IN wages. Another master
Of Bradford depngeS TO the fact, that on the
groceries and such necessaries in nbicb
these payments arc made, the poor are cheated
by their employers to the extent of some. hing
Ike IS. in he pound. Sometimes the pay
ments are made in stuff, charged against the
workman at a most exorb!tant rate, and
unsaleable into tho bargain. Que mau is
obliged to buy a ha!fload of " potatoes and
Dirt others a quantity of worsted stuff, at
near double it's fair price, another twice as
much milk as his family can consume, another
such a proportion as his master chooses to
infiict upon him Of the sheep which he has
Just killed. The system is described as in
creasing, and no wonder, since, as is natural,
the masters who pay in Money" says a
witness, " complajn that they cannot compete
with the others in Market"
The effect of the truck system upon the
morals and habits, as well as interests, Of tie
poor people subjected 10 it, is just such as
might be anticipated
Il" Is it considered a great grievance to re-
ceiye their wages in goods by the working
classes Yes, it is a very great grievance
in many respects it creates imprevldent hab-
its among the people it causes a reckless
spirit they have no calculation among them
selves as to the amount Of goods they receive
in payment Of their wages it causes them TO
procure whatever they may require without
considering the result, consequently, a great
majority of them are debtors to the masters
besides, when they receive any money, they
sqnaHder it with a reckless spirit like school
boys. @
In what wav are they generally paid!
They get whatever goods they require food
and clothing of all descriptions tie value
being dedurtad on The payday.
Do you ever examine the quality Of The
goods! Yes, | have observed it.
What have YOU observed on that subject!
That they always get the worst goods at the
highest price.
= Have those working people made great
complaints to you? Yes, they have made
continue complaints. | seldom meet with a
workman who is satisfied.
~' Do they consider it tantamount to a rednc-
ton of wages! They consider themselves
robbed in q variety Of wavs, but particularly
in the quality aud the difference in the price
of provisions. find, where the genera! dcal~
ers are allowed to sell their goods 10 the peo-
pie, they can sell the -four Cd. a score pounds
cheaper | find, also, tbat tea is sold at from
Id. I'D, al ounce dearer in the truck shops
than among the general dealers ; butter is 81.
round higher, oAd cheese Id. and I'd. d pound
than amongst II e general dealers.
Is it possible for any man paid in goods
TO make any savings Quite impossible he
has no disposition or opportunity to Go if: and
there is that irrprovident spirit created ~
the system that would prevent it!
"This witness also confirms previous ones
in saving that the men are afraid to summon
their masters, because they would be dis
charged, ard when trade is bad not obtain
employment elsewhere. Very few solicitors
Will act for the workingmen and magistrates,
many Of whom are cOuliected with mil owners,
refuse TO adjudica'e, always recommending
compromises, even IN the cases of ASSAULT
Would any class Of men in this country
dare thus to swIndle ard rob their employees ,
None n the emphatic language of Virgil
:. they dare not sarvs a niger so"
DRoUcHT on II ARKANSAS, &c. A letter
from Fort Smith, on the Arkansas, dated
the 18th instant, states that the country about
there is suffering under a great drought, which
threatens even to kill the cattle. Wafer is
excessively scarCe-on some routes rot 10
be found within fifteen or twenty milesl The
Arkansas river is so low that it cannot be
nayigated by the smallest KEGS.
The three companies Of the Al I~nfantry
! at Forts Gibson and Smith, destined for JET
ferson Barracks, were to leave about the 25,h
instant, and would march to Booaville or to
jefferson city, ana thence descend the Ms
souri, in Steamboats,.