The sun., 1899-09-17
TROPICAL PROBLEMS.
How the Labor Question Is Solved in Brit.
ish Guiana.

How the Labor Question IL Solved in Brit.
ish Guiana.
To THE EDITOR OF THE suN-Sir: The ad.
dress delivered by Mr. Alleyne Ireland before
the American Social Science Association on the
subject OF THE Financial Adm nlDtraton ~
| Colonial Dependencies" raises number oi
questions which are OF great interest to tie
American people at the present time.
Mr. Ireland 10 an EnRlishman, and he has
spent the past ten years In the tropics studying
on the spot those problems which arc insep-
arabic from the administrative responsibility
involved in the possession OF tropical colonies.
He takes his stand neither with imperalsts
nor anti -lmperialists. neither with Republicans
nor Democrats, but speaks slmp ply as an ex-
pert on tropical colonization. whose exposition
OF tho facts OF his subject. as he sees them. may
concern the people Of the United States.
One OF the most important points dealt with
By Mr. Ireland In his address Is the labor prob-
lem in the tropics His position on this dues.
tion may he briefly stated thus: On the eco
nomc side tropical colonies. OF course, can
have q value to the sovereign state only in 80
far as they represent sources OF supply or
markets for tho goods OF the sovereign.
country cannot buy anywhere unless II sells
somewhere. From the commercial standpoint
the nrst question to be askel In regard TO
colony 10. what is tho value OF its exportsf
ten years. 1SS2-1S9l Mr.. Ireland shows that
tropical colonies may be divided into three
classes In regard to tho value OF their exports.
To tho first class belong the colonies employ:
Ing imported contract labor; to the second
sure OF population to the third class. those col.
onies In which there is no pressure Of popula-
tion and IN which imported contract labor 10
the colonies OF the Hrst GLASS. is $45 IS ycnrlyi
those OF the third claas. Sl1 .OG,
From these figures Mr.. Ireland argues tho
tract labor in tropical colonies as an alternative
TO eommrrcal staEnation. ,,
Mr.. Ireland may be regarded as mn eSnert
authority in regard to tropical colonization.
a. Is op the u sst
OF tropical colonies therefore tho administ ~
tion. in assuming the cTnirSl Of troricn c9io.
American colonies:
PresuminR that Mr. ,Irelnnds conclusions in
dence in the tropics and by careful study to a
there be established System Of imported cor
tract labor which is no wise sytem OF slavery2
essarily resemble slavery is ,contradcted hy
the facts Of tho case. no establish my point,
IonthIv, for, February, 1909, entitled The
1o1r Pr2eeT In IN the cool TTopS Trtn ter |
assertion that indentured labor is necessary
in the tropics he may also be good authority
in regard to the work ings OF system which
he has studied closely for q numbe Of years.
1t is impossible to 60 into all the details OF
The I lsborers are are rec rscruitcd by voluntary en-: en-:
listment In India and are then sent on Govern.
then allotted to the estates under a written
contract in which their obligations and those
laborer must work seven hours a day and Ave
days waek. for a minimum wage OF "a cents
free house room nf free medical % atsndance and
hospital ACCOM- m odation and free education
H 5 and h b Hs ps S
borers Breach of Contract on either side en- M
gravity OF the offence.
Mr. ireland says in his article:
ITO give instance OF the ctiveness Of the Gov.
eminent supervision each estate is compelled by
law keep pay lists according to . form specified
by the Immigration Department in which the name
of each indenturod i'm grant must be entered with
record Of each separate days work during the hve
years of the indenture.
These pay lists are inspected by 4 Government
officer twice . month and any faults disclosed by
the examination become the subject OF rep.
rimsnd from the Agent General followed in the
OF persistent neglect by the cutting of OF tho supply
Of coolies.
80 minute are the records Of tho Imm grafton De-
partment that were an appli. alton made to the
Agent General for information regard ing some par.
difculty. supply the name Of the mans father and
mother his caste. age. native place. with the same
Information iu regard to tho mans wife. He could
also make out account showing every day ths
man hal worked during the term Of his indentGrs
and the why he had not work ed on the other
days with the exact amount earned on each working
day. In addition to this, he could state how many
days the man had spent in the estates hospital and
what was the matter with him on those occasions.
besides furnishing copy Of every prescription
made up for the man in the estates disTensary
"A striking evidence OF the desire of the Govern
ment to protect the coolies from i'll treatment OF
kind !s afforded by the rue Of tho I'm migratlou
Department that II any overseer an estate IL
convicted of an offence against an iudentured i'm
migrant. the dismissal of the offender is demanded.
and each estate in the colony 10 warned that ifn
employ the man the supply OF immigrants will be
cut off,
THE coolies are given every facility to complain Of
Ill treatment or breach of contract on the part Of
the planters for in addition t. tho opportunity
afforded by the regular visits Of tho suhsgents the
right is secured to them by Of leaving any estate
without permission in order to visit the Agent Con.
oral or the nearest magistrate; AMI either OF thess
officials has the power to issue all Of law
free of cost to any cooe who satisfies him that thsrs
is primn facle caus, of complaint"
In 1895 2.071 contract laborers return ed to
India. carrying with them Sll0 2a9, whi,ss
dian depositors in the Govern m ent nj saw aavinTs
bank was 4a5O. with total sum OF S453950
to their credit.
II such a systam can be successfully carried
out In British Guiana il is merely begging the
question for the Ersn;ng Post to select a coun-
try in which the system is abused and hold il
up as the example which must necessarily bs
followed by the United States
this important question should be m ost valua-
Bile to the American people CoLoNIsT.
NEW YORK.