Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-09-22
SLAVE LABOR FOR SOUTHERN RAILROADS.

SLAVE LABOR FOR SOUTHERN RAILROADS.
W. MORSE, STATE ENGINEER OF LOUISIANA.
! trust YOU will excuse me in dwelling so long
upon this portion of my report in consideration Oh
| what conceive to be its Importance 1here mas
been much discussion in reference to the proprlety
of employing white instead Of slave labor, and also
ms to the adoption Of the contract system in place OF
| the one now in use. The State Engineer, whose
| only business is to conduct the internal improve
ments Of the State should certainly be able to hro"
some light upon these questions. a new system
| of bookkeeping has this year been adopted, "hch
enables us to show in detail the expenditures TOT
different objects since took charge of this depart
ment and would also aid us in forming correct orlh-
ions in reference to those subjects. Our provision
bill for the year 1858 amounted to soo3o 81, or
| per head for each negro, including provisions Tor
| superintendent Of every twenty-five hands, St' "
Our clothing bill was 81 29S 10, or so d per mana
In the year 1854 our provision Dill announces 10
S5 SIT 73 which inc udes small bills for sur
| yeving parties Our whole clothing bill amounted
to 81 942 SO, which would make the total cost per
head for negro provisions and clothing S73 9ol-3
This do not think very extravagant when we
consider that the superintendent were all furnished
from the provisions, and that many articles are
required for negroes working on boats and in camp
which they would not want if living on plantations
where abundance of vegetables could be OBTAIN
ed We purchase everything; while on plantations
corn and than half the food necessary to sup
port life raised. As far my experience goes up
the question of the employment OF white or Save
labor (and have employed both, the former on the
Barratria and Lafourche canal, and on the WORKS at
the mouth of the bayou Placquenne0 the result
stand as follows: This department has employed
for the last two years an average OF one hundred
and three negroes, at an average cost 1oF provision
and clothing for the two years of STATS. Nine OF
them have died in the mean time; one from OLD
age two from chronic disease previously acquired
and the other six able men, so that, although nine
have died in the two years, the State has loSt out
four per cent of its capital each year of that time
The account should stand thus, estimating the ne
groes at 81 200 each:
Value of 103 negroes, at 81 200 each, Sl23,6OO
Interest at six per cent. on stock tor one
year. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. STAG %
Loss on stock for one year per cent $500 .4'94f w
Provisions and clothing. ............7,+'S %
Total. 1855 90
Total cost for each slave per year. 1872 90
Cost per month NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. IL 10
One years labor of 1O3 white men, at $50
per month, including provisions. .43, 26O CO
Making difference i'll favor of slave labor
per year of. ......................2 pa, 422 90
White labor at Lockport two years ago cost the
State one dollar per day and board, and the men
whom we hired boarded at that place cost us SO
per month, making the cost equal to 81 81 % per
day, or $4l per month. At Plaquemne this year
Captain Lawes, who was the contractor for public
works, paid his laborers from 81 so TO 81 % ID
per day, they boarding themselves. Thirty five !
dollars, then, per month, for whit labor cannot be
too high estimate, including cost of board. This
calculation is based upon positive facts upon record
in this Office and therefore must be correct. There
is, however item not taken into the account. /
and that is the fact that negroes in this climate will,
for the year round, perform much more labor than !
an equal number of white mem think the @fcr
ence is about two threc--or that twenty negroes
will perform much hard labor thirty white /
men, which would increase the difference in favor
Of slave labor from S23, 1872 TO S3G 40 per year.
This last difference is not alone owing to the fact
that the negroes can work during the Sickly
son, while many of the white laborcrS fail, but to
the fact that they better able generally, and in
my opinion do actually perform one-third more
work. The cost of experimenting white and slave
labor must necessarily be about the Anoh-
cr disadvantage attending the employment Of white
aborers is the fact that they difficult to
control than the negro; and when they know You
are most dependent them they will either de
nand higher wages or leave you. The State force
now consists of ninety men, eight having died
Turing the year four of cholera, two drowned, and
two of old chronic diseases and some ten fifteen
Of those remaining now too old for active and
lard service. We should have four hundrd more, !
part of whom should be placed boats to
earn how to manage them before the old set
yone-twenty five, composed in part of the present
orce and part of the new, to be placed upon new,
arge and strong boat, made expressly open the
atchafaaya and the remainder to be employed
clearing IF the banks of the most important streams,
% that when the snags shall have been removed
hey will continue clear Of them.