, 1882-01-21

tiCe is left undisturbed the question is
now to have permiSSive or preventive
measures, that could be one for the entire
island, and he hoped that the matter would
be furthered.
The Chairman said that, in so far as the
honorable member seemed in doubt as to
the legality of selling provisions oil
estates, he would point out that such
selling is decidedly quite illegal, except
where it is labOurers who sell certain
named article to other labOurers and if,
as the honorable Member says, there are
many shops on estates, then the honorable
Member is also well aware that proSeCu-
tons have been entered against the parties.
There is then now no necessity for a decl-
sion by a new law as to whether that prac-
tice is illegal, and he had been under the
belief that the object of this bill was just
to make it legal if it is not s. intended,
then the Draft is certainly superhuous.
3rd Member Tor Frederiksted's Country
District (JuRghaRS) said, it was just that
privilege to labourers that was being
misused; the Draft aimed at r%emedying
that.
The acting President said, that it is GER
tainly not legal for labOurerS to sell every
thing, but according to the Ordinance Of
9th September 1858 labOurers having last
ing contracts "faste Arbeidere' arespermit-
tedtOsellt to other labourerS general v~ictualS
and candles,-and nothing else. While
4 of the Ordinance of 9th September 1858
prescribes that trade shall only be carried
on in the towns, he could hot understand
how it could be said in the Draft before tie
Council, that the Ordinance of 9th Sep
TENDER 1858 shall be understood so, that all
kinds of trade, spirits only excepted, shall
in future be carried on on estates.-But
the principal objection to the Draft is; that
when shops are to he allowed on estates
and from the Danish wording it would
even seem that it is only the owner Of the
place, and no one on the estate except
the owner, who should have permission
to establish a shop, although this may be
owing to a mistake, as in the English
version, which he now hears is the original
one, it stands "shop- proprietOr"-then the
people on the estates would be placed III
a state of dependency to the employer or
owner. 1t is the duty Of Government to
watch over the interests Of all classes in
the Island, and as moreover the establish
ment of shops on estates would be an
intrusion on the legal rights of the towns,
it is no more than right that the Govern
ment cannot accept this Draft.
LIST Member for Frederiksted'S Country
District (FtemjRO would not say for this
Draft what he had said on the Rum Draft;
for he quite agreed with the view held by
the Government, and he did so from many
reasons; one of these reasons is that it
would be more difficult for persons of the
poorer classes to live, if only l shop be
allowed on an estate, as the consumers
would be made to pay heavily and there
would be no competition. He had often
heard it said that the articles on which
the ~labOuring classes SubSiSt are too heaVi-
ly taxed already, and certainly the ~increas-
ed tax on the shop would be laid on the
prices to be paid by the consumers. And
this step would perhaps also be interfering
for sale, as is the case now. He looked
upon this Ordinance as one against the
labouring population; he could therefore
not vote for its being furthered.
4th Member for Frederiksted's Country
District (LatimerJ thought that the COun-
Gil should be satisfied with the promise
that notifications and extensions will be
introduced to meet the requirements the
acting President: If it is found reQuisite)-
and then leave the matter in Govern
ment's hand. AS regards the remarks
from End Member for FrederikSted'S Coun-
try District %(JunghanS) of abuses of the
right given to labourerS, he should say
that every proprietor, when he sees a per
son keeping a shop that interferes with
discipline on the estate, can discharge
such p person without any difficulty.
There could not be many owners who
could get up shops on estates, except when
they are importers besides; but planters