Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-11-22


of cane cutting and sugar making going on
!, the usage is for the manager to deal out week.
It to the labOrers. syrup from the sugar Kettles
2. which syrup the laboTers are allowed to bo
Il down into sugar cakes to USE or to sell for thei
!, own benefit A large discretion, in this particu
d lar, rests with the manager. as to both tn
: strength and the quantity Of syrup so given
+ and there IS a strong temptation before the man
ayers many of whom are not men Of the high
t est tone for honor or m5rals-tO so dispens
C this bounty as to attach the laborers to the es
tates, and if indirectly it allures to It for th'
next year a few laboreTs from estates wher'
they are less generously dealt by, the manager
is, perhaps, quite as well "a
! The total amount Of sugar laly male "
into sugar cakes from the practice just men
toned, and sold by the shoreTs for their own
profit, is said to be very greAt-msny thous-
ands of pounds. at least judge, moreover,
that of late years the loss to the estate oEDers
in this way has been on the Increase; for the
Colonial Council had under consideration dur
ing the last year, an ordinance 10 put check 70
it, by imposing very stringent regulations on
the sale Of sugar cakes. It was alleged, or At
least implied, that sugar or syrup was stolen to
large extent by the laborers. Yet | noticed
that decided remonstrance to the Royal Gov
ernment against giving validity to the ordnance.
was made by two Of the magistrates who we're
members Of the Council They alleged that
its provisions would injuriously Affect lawful
trading, and as to the imputation that the Ia
borers stole the syrup or sugar, they positively
denied its truth, and pointedly sail in the way
Of reiutation, that while charges OF theft in va
rious ways were cften brousLt against labOreIs
before magistrates, none Wer. brought for theiis
Of syrup and sugar, as ALLEGED They charged
the loss Of sugar directly upon the managers
Sho g1re it to the laborers, &c secure their good
will
But there are other souIces of indirect profit
from the estates to the laborers. besides the su-
gar kettles. The fruit Of such fruit trees as
grow in the laborers' villages IS considered their
oNa as Of right, and generally, the truit-groE-
ing on the estates, such as cocoa nuts, oranges.
bananas, sapodlas, alligator pears, man ngocs, &c,
&c, Is all, except such as may he growing
the gardens Of the owners and mansgers,
free booty FOR the laborers, to gather and sell N
he market. \ large source Of profit is found
~ them in cutting ard selling with liberty from
he managers, bundles Of sticks f5r fuel. OF to
burn the same into coal in little pits which will
produce a, barrel or two Of coal This IS always
marketable at good price. Guinea grass the
staple article for the food Of horses AMI neat
clttle-and other green grass which cattle,
goats and pigs will eats gathered from the
fOad siies and on the borders Of the estates,
.ed up il heavy bundlCs and transported on the
beads Of lab0Iers, male and female. at the close
Of the days work, or on Saturday, to the towns,
20 be sold in the bundle OF retailcd ont hy the
single cent's worth
The liberty to keep fowls and pigs III their
iilages is Of course granted to the laborers FOR
heir own use and for sale. Ponies. also. for
the saddle. or to use in their little oHe-horse
carte (callei " emancipation carts" because
previous to emancipation, the slaves, except ss
special favor TO drivers OF head men, were not al
lowed TO have them), are raised 10y the laborers
tor use or sale, the food coming from the estate.
\ sharp lookout IS kept BY them to secure priv
Heges OF this sort for the future, previous to
mmitting themselves 20 remain on the estate
hen the time for engagement has come.
These various sources of profit, not iaslulei
under the law, but allowed to the laborers,
sometimes, no doubt. from mere good will. and
often because if not allowed the estate would in
eyitably fnl itself short OF hands on the COM
mencemeut Of the year, small as they are indi-
vilually, collectively amount to a considerable
sun IL them-much more, indeed, with the
'irIfty ones, than their wages as fxel by the
Labor Act. One Of the mes, energetic and
prosperous Planters on the Island told me that
.e considered. taking al things into account,
the daily remuneration Of his laborers TO be
equal to fifty cents apiece. It might he so TO
/ them, though | presume the ccst to him falls
/ greatly below that sum. Doubtless some portion
Of what they sold in little lots, especially Of sug
IT, would have brought money into bis Golfer;
/ but mos, Of what they sold would have gone to
waste if they had not saved it to sell lie would
not have turned his thoughts of from sugar.
nolAsses, and rum to market the grass by the
vayside; to send cocoa-uuts to market to be
.etailed at one cent piece; lines at twelve for
cent; calabash dishes at from one to seven
/ seu;s each; and SO Of oth.r trihes.
I, is to be Gotel that these resources, within
the reach Of the laborers for gaining small sums
over and above their regular dsy-wages AMI
rations, instead Of operating as a stimulus L,
more vigorous lator in the fell for the owner
as an Increase Of pay for more ard better work
in a given time would do-pui them under
temptation to be locking cut more sharply 20
promote their own interest by these out-oi the
way gains, than to benei; the estate by hard and
careful work NJ whatever they are directed 10
20. No doubt there fTe some among the estate
,borcrs who take pride an pleasure in the
prosperity Of tire plantation ard intend, from
honest principle, 20 work fsiIiy sHl honestly for
their employer; and there cfu be no doubt,
either, tha; there are many who come far short
oft and not few who Mill ill cut tue parcel
Of valuable articles which thry aIe allowel TO
get from the estale. with additions which they
know they have no right to take, provided they
eel sure Of not being found ont asd punished,
. Of having their petty pilferius Srakel at by
he manager
Though the Labor Act declares isr pering with
laborer to &c; him away from his employer be
re lie mas received his pass punishable oifenee,
al makes owner. or managers, if convicted Of
suy "prsctise tending Wilfully to oounteract ol
iyoil the rules Of the Labor Act, either b'
,iirect or iudirec, means, subject 10 a 6ne no
exceeding two hundred dOllars,' there are many
Ways IN which, as an intelligent Planter said Il
ae, laborers can be, sni are, by uDderhsnc
, means, lured unlaEfnlly from one estate {