, 1885-02-14

opened by the owner Of the estate himself,
then only the halffee should be paid for such
burgherbrief. One Minority thought that
such a measure would be too great an en-
croachment on the trading rights of the
towns under the Trade Ordinance of 1858,
and recommended that a provision be
made that sales from such shops should
only be made to the people of the estate
concerned or to labourers from surrounding
estates, whose owners nave consented
thereto. The other Minority advised to
give merchants and retailers in the towns
opportunity to establish anywhere, beyond
certain distances from the towns, shops for
selling the neceSsaries of life, suggesting
at the same time that the right of contract
labOurers granted by law to sell various
articles of necessity should be granted to
every labourer resident on an estate. The
Government cannot but agree in the view
of the Minorities that it would be too great
an encrOachment on the trading rights of
the towns to allow planters to carry on a
direct trade with their %labourers, and has
therefore adopted the proposal of the last
Minority, as the basis of the present Draft,
epjoining that any Merchant or Retailer in
the towns, by paying a fee of $50 once for
all, may from the Superior Authority OBJ
tain a grant to keep Il shop III the country
at a distance of 3 of a Danish mile from
either Of the towns, at such places as may
be specified i'll the grant, with a T ght to
sell all kinds of provisions and liquors.,
under the same restrictions as III the towns;
and that the Superior Authority may also
grant to persons in the country licenses as
lucksters, to carry on petty trade as pro-
vided in 5 Of the Ordinance of 1858, allda
few other articles specified, but with this
restriction that the goods sold must be
bought from authorized traders in st. Crolx.
Such are the general features of the Draft
for the rest he begged to refer to the
Draft itself AM the Remarks to same.
1st Member for Christiansted Wilard:)
In the Draft before us it will be noticed,
that the proposed enactnents have been
taken almost wholly from the proposals OF
a Minority, as given in the Report from
the Commission, which, at the instance OF
Government, had some . years ago had the
matter under consideration. In the pre-
sent state and form of this Draft, it is no
improvement on the mole hitherto, anu
u to now, followed in the distributing
OF provt, i)ns for consumption of labOuf-
erS in the country districts OF this island.
In taking a retrospective view OF TINS
whole affair, we ill find that previous to
tie Riots, provisions were sold on estates;
the labourers had to buy them there they
COilftt IlcU COME ~ bOWu ~ btN wv
unjust it might appear, such was tile law.
If now it ne provided that shops shall be
allowed on estates, from which labourers
can buy provisions for consumption, this
wouldso far be making no urther enrroach-
ment on the right of traders in the own
than has hitherto been the case. 1t seems
but simple justice and equity to place pro
visions for the daily wants and sustenance
OF estate labourers within easy reach OF
those people. and not compel them to go
to town in search thereof on every occa-
sion, to the neglect OF their work. 1t there
were no encroachment by the system before
and up to now, there can he none III future
by the plan suggested by the Majority OF
that Commission; and even if there werp,
there could certainly be no reason TO con.
tinue withholding from a large portion OF
the community an accommodation OF the
kind, which the wants of that large por-
ton of the community, alike with the due
consideration to employers, recommend SO
very much. Every one, to whom his pre-
sent remarks come, know full well that
there is not one Estate on which the sell ,
ING is not carried on in a clandestine man.
ner; Government must be aware OF that,
and hence proposes to remedy that; and
if others are to be licensed to sell in future,
then certainly eState proprietorS or their
representatives must have the same right;
-Nr& nv0 fhA