, 1882-01-21
V. JUNGHANS-
JAS. WILSON,
J. W. WILLARD.
+. COULTER

End Member for Frederiksted's Country
District ~(JNaghanS) would in introducing
this Draft beg to make the same remarks
as on the former Draft, that this Draft is
open for revision, alteration and improve.
ment, and that he and the other propo-
nents expect and hope that it will meet
with that at the hands of the Government
and this Council. He would add that
while in the former case it was neces-
sary to establish preventive measures
in the present case it is requisite to have
permissive enactments but he felt sure
that the community at large, planters and
others, and the labOurerS not least, would
be benefited if this Draft be made law.
The great point at issue is, if trading in
the country shall be permitted or not, but
at all events to have fixed rules given, that
shall be followed all over the island, since
the existing regulations do not exactly
decide that point. He would then recon-
mend the Draft to the Government and
council.
The acting President said that after hav.
ing laid this matter before the Government
of the Danish Westindia Islands he had
been instructed by His Excellency the
Governor to state as follows:
That the Government after having cOnst,
dered the Draft cannot accede to same, be.
cause the promoting Of same cannot be con-
sidered neceSsitated by the existing circum-
stances and moreover will cause the labour-
erS to be placed in a state Of dependency
to the masters, which it is the duty of Co
vernment III every respect to prevent. Mel
Their can it be overlooked that the Draft will
cause an intrusion on the rights which the
towns are in possession of according to the
existing Laws.
When it is stated in the Motives that
the Draft has been called forth by the
changes in the labOur-relations which have
been enacted in 1879 then the Government
cannot approve Of this view. For prOvid.
ed the rules laid down in the Ordinance
about trade Of 9th September 1858 s 8 are
carried through and the labourers hence.
forth are given an opportunity to receive
on their wages when desired, the same
allowance in Meal and salt provision,
which formerly they were entitled to as
part payment of the stipulated wages
then the state Of affairs are now the same as
before the abolition of the Regulations,
and the labOurer is placed in the same po-
SitiOn in this respect as then.
Government is however willing to cause
an investigation, in how far the existing
rules concerning these matters might
require some modification or eventually
some limited extension, and thereafter Ito
take the necessary steps for alterations,
but for the said reasons the Government
cannot otherwise than most emphatically
oppose the present Draft which is laid
before the Council.
2nd Member for Frederiksted's Country
District (JunghanS) remarked that one OF
the reasons for bringing i'll this Draft Is,
as already stated, the desire to have some
final decision given as to whether it ia
legal and permissible, or not, for planters
and others to sell in the country. He was
quite prepared beforehand for the answer
he would get but he knew, that during
the 26 or q years he had resided in the
Island, it had been the practice kept up
by proprietors or managers all over the
country to sell provisions etc without
causing the abOurer to become dependent
on the planter;and he was convinced that if
the police force were 5 times as large as it
is, it would not be possible to prevent such
sale. 1t must not, either, be forgotten
that the system alluded to by the Govern
ment was, if not Professionally intended
from the very first, at all events of no import
now, after the Labour Regulations to
which they were in a measure attached,
have been entirely abolished and again
it is thatevery privilege accorded to labour-
erS by the Ordinance of 1853 5 s to sell to
one another, that is being misuSed. The
proposed measure'waS never intended. to
bring the labourersi in any state of dependeIf
cy to the planters; on the contrary planters
believe that the proposed measure would
be of great benefit To the 1ahOurars if