, 1885-09-26

lHPOlutiNC iCCSoSltS, dlU as "a q SOuA0
not very we'll be repudiated, it was Thought
advisable to allow estate owners the pri.
vilege of keeping a stock of provisions on
hand, whereby no such excuse On he
labourerS' part for absence from the estates
could be adduced i'll future, as a reason
for not being at work. 1t was not thereby
intended that planters were to be allowed
to establish any real trading business witlt
these articles, but it should be Il mere dis.
tribution Of the daily necessarieS.
AS regards the planters, he would beg
to state that their interests demanded such
an organization carried out whereby those
grave irregularities existing at present
could cease and the estates be secured
the labour of those employed. The Com
mittee was likewise of the opinion that
such an organization would in no material
way interfere with the sales effected i'll the
towns by the shop. keepers. Their reason
for arriving at this conclusion was based
upon this %indisputable fact, that at the
present day, the illegal sale OF provisions
and other neceSSarIes Of life takes place
upon the estates, to almost, if not equally,
The same extent, as the supposed loss to
the shop-keeperS in the towns would
amount to by extending the privilege to
the planter of distributing supplies to the
4NOOtlClc as D1OIOoSN III IA ~
The Majority furthermore did not deem it
requisite to have any license for making
use of this right on the part of the planter.
AS a natural consequence Of the above,
the Committee proposes that the authority
given the POlicemasters to issue passes for
carrying about bread, salt pork, fish &c. &c.
for sale in the country districts, be abolish.
ed, as disorder is frequently cngenderCd
tbArnhV aud Dattv t1pftS rnptV1IpU.
Ofthe 5 Members appointed on the Com
mittee, member Wilson had not been pre-
sent during the last 3 sittings, and of the
remaining 4 members, member Brown,
who he thought would now attack the Ma
jority's proposals, had formed 81 minority
and had forwarded a Report, which ap.
pears in the Draft.
He would in conclusion in behalf of the
Majority, beg to recommend the Draft as
amended by the Majority of the Commit
tee, to honorable members.
2nd Member for Frederiksted Town
District (BrO1cnJ, stated that he had no
idea of saying anything in e%xtenuation OF
the Minority's Report, and less to "attack"
the Majority, as the honorable Speaker
Of the Committee had just expressed HIM.
self. But as the honorable Speaker had
entered pretty minutely into the details OF
the Draft, including its motives, he could
not refrain from making a few general
remarks. 1t will be remembered III the
first place, that this Draft emanated from
private initiative and The chief OF the pro.
ponets of the Draft (nOw deceased. it was
pretty generally believed, had his eye TOY
business and intended establishing q
thorough provision business i'll that part OF
the country where he owned estates ;-of
course the other parties concerned are eX-
empted from any blame in this direction,
(f blame it may be called), from the fact
that they upon the first issue OF the Draft
declared they had merely signed ii without
ever having read it The motives contain
ed were to facilitate, as much as possible,
the labourers on estates in getting their
daily provisions, which was indeed a
praiseworthy and philanthropic scheme!
Did any lab0urer or labOurers come SingIy
or collectively, and ask their employers to
assist them in this direction
OF course when they were asked the
cause of their absence from the estates,
they generally declared that the purchas-
ing Of provisions was they cause, but THIS
was always but a mere subterfuge, as
they could always more or less get their
provisions on the estate. The Draft at the
time underwent IA pretty warm discussion
and after passing through a Committee OF
which he had the honour of being q MEM
ber,-though the misfortune, as III this
instance, of being the only minority, 1t
- AhA In M