The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-05-19
New System OF Labor.

days since, with much interest, your
leader with the above caption. Upon
this subject, ] have ruminatcd consi-
derably Of late, and am convinced
the Kinds County system is not the
policy. II is with no spirit of cavil
that I venture to suggest few obiec-
tions, cursorily, to this system, and
will propose another, in my Judgment,
more feasible and less Objectionable,
as agree with you that all informn-
ton on this subject must be of inte-
rest to your readers.
First, then, I would ask who ever
heard of negro's pig or pigs fatten-
ing upon mast? True, i've often
seen pigs belonging to slaves grow
fat IN the pen, when ostcnsibly they
only ate the husk from the owners
allowance of meal; but every planter
knows that his own pigs fed on that
morsel would starve. But negroes
are now freemen, not slaves; well, so
they are, but that doesn't mako the
pigs require less food, and though
emancipation may have fulfilled pro
phecy by giving birth to nation in
a day, still we've never yet seen the
leopard change his spots, &C., and
hence L say ii every family of om-
ployees in Kinds County is allowed
to raise years supply of meat, the
landlords moicty of the corn crop
Will prove to be but title.
Secondly. This thing of lending
mules to freedmen or EMPLOYEES,
white or black, will destroy any
mans prospect for an abundant har-
vest. a negro never was known to
take good care of a plough animal,
and to give him entire control of an
others mules would be cruelty to the
mules as we'll as loss to the owner.
Thirdly. Allowing an indolent,
thriftless hand or family 80 many
acres to cultivate during the year,
is, to my mind, bad economy. Such
hands can only be made profitable to
the employer by giving them a daily
task, and urging them to complete it
either by persuasion CT by paying
and feeding in proportion to the
quantity of work done. a lazy negro
is generally an enormous eater. Cut
short his allowance, and ho will
easily construe it as an incentive to
work. o
Now for my plan. Let those adopt
or reject who choose. It
suggestive, and, if it conduces re-
Election upon this subject by t. in
telligent planters of the country, r
will be repaid. Task the hoe hands
always. Any Industrious hand will
hoe six acres of cotton, or six "tasks"
OF any other crop, in five days, or he
will gain for himself the half of every
afternoon. Work the plow hands by
the hour, say ten hours day. Re
quire the mules to be hitched to the
plow at half-past 5 o'clock in the
morning. Ats o'clock have the plow
stock watered; allow fifteen minutes
for this Job. "Take out" mt 12.
Hitch up again mt 3 p. m.. and knock
of at Z p. IN. Ten hours and quar-
ter will thus have been consumed in
lie .feld, be the field far from or near
to the quarters or stables This extra
fifteen minutes must bo claimed as
compensation for tho little odd mo-
mcnts that negroes will necessarily
lose, though you work them by the
watch. For instance, at 8 O'Clock,
when the plow stock is watercd, three
out of five negroes, though they be
ploughing directly towards the
branch, will deliberately stop their
teams and ride to the branch and
back, instead Of ploughing on to the
branch. Or, when the boy is going
the rounds with water for the hands,
many plow hand will stop his team
and wait for the boy, instead of con-
tinuing to plough, and requiring the
boy to overtake him, Such moments
should not be lost to the owner
hence, I've added fifteen minutes to
the ten hours.
The stock on the plantation
mules, cattle, sheep and hogs should
be attended to and fed by distinct
employee, or by the master himself;
far better by the latter.
Messrs. Editors, this is the plan
have adopted, and on farm OF twelve
hands and eight plow animals, have
practiced it for nearly two months.
Although the pillow hands lose three
hours ut dinner time, L am satisfied
they accomplish as much work daily
as the hands Of any of the adjoining
plantations, and my mules are in
such good condition, that | am con-
Vince1 Norfhern CORN ot II ~ nor