, 1873-03-11
d AFT
OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. FOR THE
SUGAR ESTATES OF ST CROIX.
lTV5M Vouchers attached mereto.)
(Continued)
D i A Z 7

The Undersigned G. Sarauw can not agree
with the remarks made in the introduction to
this report concerning the provisional ordi-
nance Of the 26th of January 1849, and the
state of this island arising from the develop
ment of the same, but he considers it unneces-
sary here to enter into counter observations
his opinion on this matter is known to the Gov
ernmcnt from his off ial reports concerning the
subject, as well as from his views expressed in
public. He append5 hereto copies Of the two
oldest of these reports, the first dated August
18th 1919 and the other November 18th 1851,
because these perhaps may not be found in the
archives here in the colonies, and shall to this
only add, that his views Of the aforementioned
ordinance, and the direction in which alterations
ought to be made, have not changed. That the
details in many points ought to be otherwise
than proposed in the draft affixed to the report
dated the 18th of November 1851 IS indisputa-
BILE, at that time 3 years had elapsed since the
emancipation, now % years have elapsed, and
in the run of these tyears several OF the laws
that were wanting, have emanated. Still there
is one point which has been touched upon by
the majority which he thinks he ought specially
to make mention of, namely what is the rea-
son that our rural population who are so attach
ed to their homes, yet in such large numbers
have removed and sought the towns and foreign
countries Some insist that it is on account of
the stimulated wages which must not be exceed
ed and which the labOurers consider too low,
others saw that il is on account Of the C0nside-
rably higher wages that are given IN ST. Tho
mas and in the neighboring Spanish islands.
He does not believe that the principal reason Of
this emigration rests in this, but partly in the
regulations which make such unnatural enorOach-
ments in the family ties, partly because the
work on sugar estates, when performed In the
gang, must be done ''bef0re the driver" this
functionary standing with his stick in hand be-
hind the "gang'' without working himself. The
stick is used, certainly, at the present time
only in exceptional cases., as a means OF correc-
ton, but this whole apparatus aWakens recol-
l~ections of a time when the driver was the ex-
e|cutioner on the estate, when the sick-house
was the prison with chains, shakes and bill
bOes.
He will now proceed to some points in the
hereto appended draft about which be believes
be ought specially to mention his difference OF
opinion.
There is first, the framing of the 1st 5 which
makes it illegal to employ as day labourers for
estates work, Iabourers who are domiciled any
other place than on the estate, except by a
yearly contract. This kind of labour was in
vogue already before the emancipation, as the
planter who was deficient Of slaves on his estate,
hired free labourers to supply this want in the
same manner also after the emancipation, la
bourers residing in town continued to work on
estates that stood in need Of labour, no legal
contract being entered into, but the tacit under
standing was, that the engagement should be
for a week, the labourer receiving his wages
on the common weekly pay day in reality this
quasi contract lasted much longer, sometimes
See what is stated in this respect in the append
ed reports under the head aArbeidspligtens Udstrek.