, 1891-06-13

/ AZ SNA'NhNC says, lu6 OutlI(CI budl1 pay
compensation for the costs. for the damages;
done, and even tor hospital charges etc; but
ask the judges, how often, if ever. they do re.
cover those expenses? Still, this part Of the
punishment would at times be the most
keenly felt, and would help to deter renewals
of crimes: and according to the Servants Act.
no attachment can be made on servants wages;
Of this the Offenders are fully aware hence the
impunity with which they look upon that part
OF the sentence. Therefor there isa necessity
to introduce some new rules, whereby cost and
damages may be recovered from the parties
condemned to pay Them. l seen no objection made
against the measure in itself, and as we have
no Poorhouse nor such like institution, | am sure
that for instance Mr.. Heibrok would be glad to
get some such people to work on the Kings
Work d Rest, and to collect the amounts. 1t
must not be overlooked that the Servants Act
already allows two-thirds Of servants wages to
be retained for repayment Of debts to the
master. The enactment to which His Excel
lency referred concerning the P~oicemaster
finding employment for idling servants. has
proved entirely useless, ii it has ever at any
time been applied. An offender when sentcnoe
ed to work IN The gaol, contributes to pay the
costs of his sustenance, and the surplus goes
into the Colonial Treasury why shall the
private injured party not also be protected by
law to recover his damages from the lab0ur Of
the offender?
AS regards 4, His 'Excellency says quite
categorically, that there are no prospects that
this new rule couldbe entertained; planters must
try to help themselves with the existing laws,
namely s l. in the Servants Act. Now every
practical Policeman knows how very little use
it is to tell a labourer he must return to his
work, or else to sentence him to fine or to bread
oDI u-o+nr # tho 1obOuror q no fnun1 ot oil
and in most cases he cannot be found, he
laughs at the fine. because he has nothing to
lie levied on; his bread and water he enjoys.
He repeats the little dispersion and feels well
each TINE. But the employer has perhaps
paid heavily to Get the labourcr in the Island,
or has advanced him money the scarcity Of
lahour is keen. because of the s~quatting system;
thus, the individual and the community suf.
fer-becausc the law is insufficient to meet the
altered circumstances. Is it not so already
now that any rogue or v~agabond may be APP
pretended by any Police officer, even without
a warrant? Here we propose that any such
idling servant shall be seized only on warrant,
and when convicted he shall be punished as
for fraudulent conduct; in most cases it will
be clear and straight fraud, preconcerted fraud
on the part Of the labourer, and as the penalty
for the mere breach Of contract is perfectly in
effective, it is decidedly necessary to have
some more efficient measures. BY Act Of 18th
January 1910 for Barbados, it is lawful for the
Police Magistrate, upon oath being made before
him that any person has committed or is sus-
petted to have committed any offence against
the Act viz: for the suppression of vagrancy, to
issue warrant to app1ehend and bring before
him or any other Magistrate, the person SO
charged, AID it shall be lawful for any police
officer or constable to apprehend who shall be
found offending and any offender shall be
punished with IA days hard labour, besides
costs and dam ages. Now, is this more or less
than what is proposed? The general princi-
plies of Danish Legislation have on many oC-
casions previously been departed from in Co.
lonial matters, and until here of late 10 our
great detriment they have never been followed
in the relations between Masters and Servants
as witness the Labour Regulations of 1849 and
other Herewith connected enactments. The
King, Diet and people of Denmark must al
low rs out here to be the best judges of those
affairs, and certainly they will not interfere in
a Colonial affair whore they lack all the condi-
tons for a wholesome assistance.
I see then no reason to consider the Draft as
any Monstrum l do not consider it as badly
conceived and carried out as many Drafts that
have been introduced and have passed the
Government and the Council and as
all agree that new enactments are
IL - l. IL IT.