, 1885-10-21

VI
sickness should be held only by those
labourers who are willing to take engage
ment of a certain duration.
But what Government at all events
must demand, il the removal of any posi-
bifity that on the estates sick labourerS
and children are lying i'll need OF medical
aid, but getting none; and as most ire
Quently the labOurers themselves do not
know how to get assistance Orwhere to apply
for it, it must be made a positive duty on
the part of the Owner or the manager Of
the estate to provide medical aid, without
delay when it is required, irrespective OF
the labOurers being entitled or not to such
aid at the charge of the estate. In the
former case, the doctor employed by the
estate must be sent for, and the latter the
services of a medical officer must be requir-
ed through application to the police. This
duty the owner or the manager should be
held to fulfil, under penalty OF fines.
In so far as the Commission is unani-
mously of the opinion that the estates
obligation to afford a labourer medical aid
ceases when, at the demand Otthe physician
and with the consent of the policemaster,
the labourer is lodged in a public hospital,
Government makes no objection, but must
only demand that in such ease the patients
conveyance to the hospital is provided by
the estate.
1t seems fair to prescribe, as proposed
by the minority (Duus and Kalmer), that
when required, /. e., when demanded by
the physician, a sick-tender (Sick nurSe)
shall be employed on every estate and be
capable Of seeing that the doctors orders
and directions are carried out and observed,
ard of attending the sick properly.
In accordance with these views, s II
az proposed by Government has been
framed.
M S 1871 inclusfVefy. The follow
the wording Of the corresponding s : pro
posed by the Commission.
ad %. AS observed above, it happens
rather frequently that planters employ
persons who are engaged elsewhere. With
q view Of preventing this, which cannot
but be injul iouS to the planters themselves,
and has a demoralizin2 effect on the labour-
ing population ofthe island, the Commits
SiOn'S draft enacts i'm s % rather heavy
tineS,-trOm - to Soto be imposed uDOn
employers who, being aware that a labOurer
is engaged to another employer, make
contract with him. With the same object,
a majority Of the Commission has proposed
another IS % a., according to which a
lab0urer wishing to earn his livelihood as
Il "pOTttI III lIC country mas 10 take out &
passport, issued on name, from the police
master, to be produced monthly in the
police office, which passport the employer
who wishes to engage such a labOurer is
required to see produced before he engages
the labOuIer.
Against this proposal, a minority,
Andersen and WaSSard, has raised weighty
objections, which Government cannot but
accede to, at all events partly, seeing that
the proposal would appear to impose con
siderable and unnecessary compulsion on
a great part Of the %labOuring population in
order to hinder the planters from commit
ting wrong acts voluntarily.
What in fairness and justice may be
enacted for the attainment of the purpose
appears to be that the planters shall do
everything in their power to avoid employ
ing labOurers who are engaged elsewhere,
and be punished with fines when emitting
to get needful information in this respect,
or when acting against better knowledge,
besides which, of course, labOurerS are
to be punished when convicted ofhaving by
false pretenceS tried to induce a planter to
employ them. But for the attainment of
this object it is considered sufficient to
word ) % as done in the Governments
draft.
ad $500 inclusively. These S s fol
low the corresponding 5 S i'll the Commits
sion'S draft.
Gd s33-37' In these 5 5 of the Gov
~ II