, 1881-08-24
P R @ CT E D I N GS
OF THE
COLONIAL G0O@gQ9
OF SH. 0NDIE.
I Conclusion Of Meeting Of st august 1881.

3rd Member for Frederiksted's Country
District (JunghanS) obtained the word,
and said, that as it is requisite, according
to the results Of this Budget to take steps
TO protect or increase the public Revenue,
he would beg to inquire of the Presidency
if the Council could expect to get some
thing submitted for the better protection
of the Revenue from the sale of Rum,
especially in the country districts. If the
Authorities do not look into the matter
promptly, even the present limited revenue
will decline, while the present unlimited
sale of rum in the country could be
brought to yield a handsome revenue, If it
should be impossible Or inadviSable to
stop or check the sale of rum and of pro.
visions now carried OF in the estates.
The present system, under which any
labourer can buy a demijean of rum and
retail it TO the other people on the estate,
is demoralizing to the people themselves
and destructive of the authority OF the
managers on estates no control can be
exercised over the pe0ple.-He thought
that a heavy tax should be put on the
sale of rum, to the benefit of the Treasury,
but then the dealers of rum paying that
tax should be strictly protected.
End Member for ChriStianStei (C0atter)
was sorry that he could bear witness to
the increasing demoraliSa ion OF the
lab0uring classes 10y the unlicensed and
unlimited sale of rum carried on by parties
on estates, in demijeans or even smaller
quantities. The people escape from their
work and keep a,sipping all day of the
contents of the demVeanS, and it is almost
useless to expect obedience, all the less, as
under the new LabOur Regulations, the
authority has in several respects been
taken ont of the hands of the POlicemas-
tiers. and as q consequence not half Of the
available force is at work IN estates.
Heavy fines should be inflicted on those
selling rum in larger quantities than d
labOurer can bug for himself at one time.
AS il is now, the labOurerS neglect them
selves: they have no clothes to change
when they get wet, and naturally much
sickness and debility follow, with doctors
although doctors are now employed Ola
but very few eStateS-and medicine or
else other citizens and taxpayers have to
pay for the support of such people when
sick. while they in health spend most OF
the time in drinking and vagrancy~
Surely, il is high time that Government
should take some active steps to meet the
growing evil and to repress vagrancy Ill
this Island. 1t is the general impression
that we have a pretty good supply OF
labour.f force on the Island, but that it Is
not available, sometimes 3 of the labonrers
being drunk or idling their time to no
good. We have recently got q new
Governor, and we have been told on.
several occasions that the means of inn.
proving our condition are the Improvement
and extension of agriculture ana the
cultivation of the land; but how is it
possible to do SO without the requisite
implements 7 the number of those having
the ability to do so, is not small, but the
tools are wanting, and what can the most
skilful workman do without the requisite
toolss We have all reason to be grateful
for the good season, but to be able to reap
the full benefit, we should have full assis-
lance, and that must be obtained through
immigration, as that is the only available
means. Some time ago the planters for
warded a petition praying for the Govern
ment's assistance in importing foreign
1abourers, and planters were prepared to