, 1873-02-22

CepG by special PERMISSION OF the Governor. IL
is very seldom required on the ordinary or first
five weekdays to continue work till late at night
for the labourers wonld not be able to hold out
and be fit for work the following ~day,-unless
there were two patches but it is quite custom
airy on Fridays, and sometimes on Saturdays,
when the weeks work is to be completed, that
the work at the mill and in the boiling house is
kept up beyond the hours 50 stipulated, and for
many years past it has ben omitted to seek per-
mission from the Governor or to obtain his slipu-
latiOn OF the amount Of extra wages to be given.
TIE Iab0urerS are always well compensated for
those eyening-h0urs by various "EXtras,' too
frequently perhaps by the distribution Of Rum,
so that never any difficulty or Inconvenience
has arisen from it and agreeable to this Draft
the parties will be at liberty to make any agree
ment they like in regard to this sort of work
and the remuneration for it, since the fixed
rates of pay for extra work stipulated in 5 10
only has reference to compulsory extra-work
so that all cause of difficulties will thereby be
removed.
ad 9
1t is scarcely requisite to enter into a pro-
Ionged explanation Of the motives for trying to
maintain the relation existing between the Rs
tatcs and their Labourers. 1t is solely thereby
that the labouring population has doYclopcdit-
self and become on the whole the orderly, law
abiding and well to do class Of people which it
undoubtedly at present is. From that reason
then, the dwelling on the Estate and the use Of
a provision ground is maint4ined,-the latter TO
the extent and with the dimensions fixed by
the Ordinance of 25tb July Gath August
l867,-as a part of the fixed remuneration and
it is desirable. that the allowance system now
established on all the Estates should continue
Notwithstanding the higher value, oftentimes
considerably higher value, of the articles de-
livered, the amount to be deducted IN the
money wages for them is fixed the same as
hitherto 25 cts. weekly. The money wages
for LIST and 2nd class labourers are left un-
touched when. paid for ordinary days work,
1t is evident that any notable increase thereof
would be attended with curtailmcntS in other
branches of the remuneration, or perhaps even
lead to the withdrawal Of all allowance, an
event which we believe every person having
any knowledge of the value which those al
lowance5 have for a labourer-family, will agree
with us iD regrottiDg. IF the labourer himself
had to buy the articles Of provision now deliV-
cred him from the Estate, he would have to
pay a price not only much above that which
by law is now charged him for them, but in all
probability higher than that which the Estates
pay for those articles any temporary scarcity
Ii II A4AAAOt5 GA y w 81 III hCOfA
be brought to bear on the lobourer to mention
nothing Of the practice that would creep in, CT
setting up shops on the Estates, where the
labourers would be squeezed. We see else
where, that the employer tries to regain a por-
ton Of the high money wages by supplying the
Iabourers with provisions etc. at oxorbitant
prices together with those exorbitant prices
they have there a c~rediting system, which again
serves to fetter the labourer much worse than
any yearly contract. A tr5Rjng increase in tho
money wages would lead to a retrenchment of
the privileges; these have, as noticed previous
ly by a Majority of this Commission, a very
considerable value. And it is our conviction
that the payment fixed in the Regulations is as
much as can be afforded by the Estates for an
ordinary days work, with the returns at present
reaped from the soil at the same time we do
not also consider it adequate remuneration to
the labourer for his work.
For 3rd class labourers rchildreu and aged
people, the wages are proposed to DO fixed at
7 cents pr. day, which is the rate that for a
long time has on many Estates been customary,
at least in reference to the wages of children.
The wages for mothers with sucking children
under | year of age have been fixed the same
as hitherto, Notwithstanding that according to
S 81 of the Draft they will in future be having
5 working hours [instead of formerly only q
less than other labourers when the children
are in their 2nd year, the mothers will receive
full wages although they will still be having l
working hour less than the others.
AS it has been found right and proper that
x Iobourar in n Docition m contract for