The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1865-12-27
Regulations BY the Freedmen's
Bureau.

Bureau.
a HEADQRS BUREAU OF REFU- !
GEES, FREEDMEN AND ABANDONED
i LANDS, STATE or La,
New Orleans, December 4, 1865
]. Circular No. 20.
! The following rules for the Interpretation
, OF Contracts between Employers and Freed
men, are announced.
], /. Blank forms will be distributed iron
+ this Office for the purpose of securing uni
forInity in contracts and to indicate tn
matters concerning which the parties shoul'
contract. Beyond this the bargains mus
be entirely voluntary and unconstrained.
j Laborers shall choose their employers
and it is their privilege, as well as thei
4 duty, to obtain the best terms they can 70
their services.
i All contracts for labor should be made
in triplieate, and should be approved b,
the Agent of this Bureau. for the Parisl
lin which the parties reside; one copy to b
RETAINED by the employer, and the othe
two copies sent to this ofice--One to b
forwarded to Washington.
| Contracts made otherwise than thus pre-
scribed, will not be regarded as binding by
the Bureau nor dis meriting it's interference
Ito enforce them, unless for the protection
] of the laborers.
| III. AS far as practicable, all the members
of the same family should contract con.
Jointly for their labor, SO that the number
of useful hands, and the number of infirn
who have to be supported, may be regarded
in fixing the rate Of pay. The labor o.
minor chrildren may be contracted for by
their parents or guardian, and, in the alb
sencc of either, by the Agent of the Blu
reau.
LII. The monthly wages must be just
compensation for the labor required to be
performed.
". Twenty7six days Of ten hours each
| in summer and nine hours in winter, be
tween the hours Of daylight and dark, shall
be considered month.
Y. Any work in excess of this will be
considered as extra labor, and six hours
will be considered as an equivalent for a
days work, and fractional parts of the six
hours will be paid for at the same rate.
VI. Laborers working extra time will be
allowed a half ration extra for each and
every six hours labor performed.
VII. In addition to the monthly wages
paid to laborers, good and wholesome ra-
tons, comfortable clothing and quarters,
medical attendance and just treatment, and
the opportunity for instruction of children
will be furnished free of charge; but the RAJ
tions clothing and quarters fuel, and other
privileges granted by the employer are part
of the consideration which he pays for the
services of the laborer, and are as really
and fully wages as the money contracted to
be paid, and are always taken into the ac-
count in fixing the amount Of money wa
ges to be paid. A
VII. The ss:.hsaoath day being set apart
ior the Worship of God, no laborer viii be
required to perform any work on that day,
except works of necessity or mercy.
IN. The ration furnished to laborers
shall be as follows: One peck of cornmeal
and five pounds of pork or bacon per week,
and the money value of this ration will be
taken into. the account in fixing the rate of
wages to be paid.
y. The allowance Of clothing will be two
summer and one winter suit for each labor
er or member of the family, or clothing may
be commuted at the rate of three dollars
per month for FIRST class hands, two and one
half dollars per month for second and third
class hands, and one and one-half dollars
per month for children-at the option OF
the laborer.
XI. Quarters shall be such as to protect
the laborer and his family from the inclenl-
ency of the weather, and must contain ac-
commodations for cooking, and, in addition
one-half acre of land contiguous to the
honses, will be set apart for each family for
garden purposes. 4
XII. Should the contracting parties pre-.
fer it, the laborers can engage to furnish
their own food and clothing, their wages
to be regulated accordingly. These sup
plies maybe purchased from the employer,
who must, it he undertake to supply his
hands, in all cases keep regular book ac-
count for each hand, and sell at usual mar
ket rates, which accounts must be open at
all times to the inspection of the agents of
this Bureau; this mode of contract is re-
commended to the freedmen. Should they
desire to contract for certain portion 5of /
the crop, they can do so, and the employer,
in all contracts of this. kind. will be requir-
ed to comply with. Section XVII ofthis cir
cular, and also pay over to the Agent Of
this Bureau one-twentieth Of the value Of
the laborers share of said crop monthly, or
whenever demanded, for school purpose;
this estimate to be based on the average
production of the land under. cultivation. |
XIII. Five per cent. Of the monthly wa
ges of the laborers will be retained in the
hands of the employer, and paid over when
to the agent authorized to re-
ceive it, to be used for the purpose ofsus-
tanning schools for the education of the
children Of the freedmen, and for no other
purpose; and if not demanded for the pur-
pose designated, during the year, the
amount SO retained will be paid over to the
aborer at the settlement of his account
One-half of the balance of the monthly wa
res will be paid to the laborer on the last
lay of each month, and the remaining one,
half viii be retained by the employer until
The contract is fulfilled, when it win bepaid
over to the laboref.
XIV. Should the laborer refuse to do
The work contracted for, or should he leave
The plantation or place on which, or en-
ployer for whom, he has engaged to work,
For the purpose of avoiding labor, without