Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-11-09
Jenson's Travels.


an American at least-but the facts
arc that thousands Of pounds are
annually shipped % India by these same
/ contract labofers who are working Tor a
shilling or less per day. Certainly their
wants are lew; their food Is cheap, aud
their clothing too; their apparel consist
| ing merely Of sufficient linen TO cover
their bodies: they always 90 bareiooled.
AT the m u Paul Scelinger, young
| Intelligent German, Is the manager anl
head chemist. He has charge OF the
sugar making. while Mr.. Wilson the
chief engineer, Is rel ousible Tor the
machinery Under them are number
OF white assistants, including mechanics
and fremen, and nearly $50 Indian
\ labofefs. Until recently when part OF
/ the machinery was removed to another
place, the Nauson mills was the largest
/ sugar mill establishment In the southern
part OF the world. AT the present time
/ from 4 600 to 500 tone OF cane are
gfounI up per week, which produces
| rom 400 to 500 tons OF brown sugar.
/ IL has 10 be sent 10 rehnefies Tor final
| treatment. In 1894 about itS,oOo tons
OF cane we're useu at the Nausor mills.
Three crops OF cane are obtained after
one planting; the first crop natures IN
fourteen months, the second and third IN
twelve months each. About twenty hive
tons to the acre Is an average yield to a
crop which Is only about one Ia ( Of
what can be raised In the Hawaiian Is
lands. But then there Is no irrigation at
Nausori.
Mr.. Seelinger and Mr.. Wilson con.
Quoted me through the mi and took
great pains to explain to me the scientific
and practical work OF sugar making In
FDi; but as the process IS the same as
IN other parts OF the world, shall lore
10 a technical description.
Mr.. Wilson also conducted me through
the Indian laborcr's quarters, near tue
mill. There are twenty-five long, lum.
Der. windowless houses, with iron roofs.
divided into apartments OF IoxG2 feet.
One Of these rooms ~ assigned TO a
family, or In case OF single men, three
oi these TO room. Ouirfels and con.
tcn,ions are very frequent In these quar-
ters, the greatest difficulties seem to
arise from the TACT that the men don't
know their own wives; at least they mt
always act as though they did. Ohly
about three months ago man actually
beheaded'his wife who had been untrue
to him. lie was arrested, tried, and
sentenced TO be hung, but his sentence
was subsequently committed to I'M
prsonment Tor life, AMI he is now an
inmate Of the Colcnia iiil at Suya.
/ The success Of most industries IN FIJI
| depends mate rally on the posi- iliiy vi
getting cheap labor. There are three
classes oil cUlOred laborefs, viz: Fijians,
Polynesians and Coolies. White men
rarely work IN the field, they aie mostly
employed as overseers. mechanics, mill
hands, etc. In order To obtain Fijian
labofers the planters have to enter in-
to a special contract with the chiefs or
magistrates OF the various villages from
which the laborefs arc wanted. The
planter has to pay tweniy.six shillings IN
taxes 10 the government for each man
year, and about Is per annum In wages,
besides providing him with food, hOu c,
olhes, M dicai attendance and medl.
cines. The employer has also to pay
Tor the transport oil the labofer to the
plantation, and, alter completion OF
contract Tor his return passage home.
The natives are not permitted to leave
their native villages ior any length Of
time except by permission from the
village Chief or magistrate.
The term Polynesian, as used in Fiji
| applies to the inhabitants OF nearly all
the South Sea Islands, Solomon Islands
and the New Hebrides. supply probably
the largest number OF that class OF
laborers which are known as Polyntsians
TO Fgi. They do not as arule give salts.
iactlon as plantation laborers, but some
OF them make good household servants
IN private families. The contract for
Polynesian laborers Is generally binding
for five years, during which time the
planter pays % per annum for an adult
male. Women and children are paid
less IN proportion to their working abii.
ties; but all monies earned by them are
deposited In the government Offices, and
never paid to the men themselves.
They all get Tree house, food, clothes,
medical attendance, etc., and after CON.
pletion vi contract are sent back To their
native island at the expense OF the
original employer, who also pays all ex.
penses connected with the importation.
When using the term Clothes" il must
be understood to mean few CHEAP
articles only, the value OF which does
not exceed nine shillings ts27S) per
head per annum. At the expiration OF
contract the government hands each
man his wages IN cash or gives him an
order on some tradcsnian, to supply the
bearer with goods up to the value OF the
amount due him. These so called Poly
nesians are on an average considerably
smaller men in statue than the + iians
aud not SO strong either; but they are
good-Iempered. merry lot Of people, who
never give much trouble.
The third class OF colored laborers.
who by far are the most numerous in hi,
are the Indians or Coolies, imported
from Hindoostan or the East Indies
From an interesting article written by
III. II. Thiele Esq, ! Gull the following
In regard to Coolic labor The Coolies
or Indians we're first introduced to Fin
from Calcutta In 1879, when some 40
arrived. IL Is, however, only since 1853,
that the immigration has been regular
or Of importance. There are now about
1900 Coolies IN Eli OF whom about
o 600 are working for the Colonial sugar
Refining company. The cost OF intro
duetion has, ON an average, been about
1 20 (SiOol ior each individual over ten
years Of age. the percentage OF women
IN proportion to men being about thirty
hSc' There are prupOrtlonatcly a
large number OF immoral characters
among the women, who as rule take
very little care OF their children, and
consequently lose them. The linden.
ture is Tor five years from time OF arrival.
at the expiration OF which time the
Coolle becomes tree" and alter a
further period OF five years residence
he and his children are entllled TO free
return passage to India by the first SUB.