Evening star., 1902-03-17
TREATMENT OF LABOR
Conditions Established by the
Spanish.
SLAVERY OF INDIANS
EFFECT OF ABOLITION IN WEST
INDIES.
Events Before Acquisition of Sover-
eighty by United States-Trans-
lation Of an Official Report.

Don Antonio Maria Fable. the well-known
Spanish economist. made report Of labor
i'll the Spanish colonies to the 1nterna-
tlonal Colonial Institute before the United
States acquired sovereignty thereover, of
which the following is partial transla-
ton.
The labor problem in America originates
quite naturally with the arrival of the first
conquerors. 1t was Christopher Columbus,
after his second voyage, who, having re-
ceived the instructions necessary for estab-
fishing the Castilian rule in the Island of
Santo Domingo, gave to this problem the
Unknown solution by distributing among
the newcomers the native Indians of these
islands, who received the name of 'repa1ti-
mentos."
It is not so well known that the first in
dustry founded in these regions was that of
mining or rather the working of gold
bearing sand carried by the waters of al
most all the rivers Of the island. In order
to attain the desired end the Indian ire
partmientOS' were taken to the shores OF
the rivers. where they were employed in
the washing of sand, continuing, however,
by sheer necessity, their agricultural pur-
suits. These latter consisted in the pro-
drction Of yucca and "agis,' of which
the first served for the preparation of the
bread for 'casave,' the main nourishmenl
Of the natives, and the second for the
preparation Of foodstuffs, then in In the
country. and which were made up of fish of
the river and the seashore, of iguanas, and
scme birds which constituted the animal
nCurishment consumed by the natives.
This system doubtless caused abuses
the part Of the conquerors, as is likely to
happen always under similar conditions.
The fate of the native Indians was ritiabia
and hard, but still not so bad as would
appear from the exposures made by the
famous Father Las Casas in his celebrated
writings. This regime was surely not ;he
only of the depopulation Of the
islands: the diseases brought from Europe
as well as that sort of incompatibiity
which exists between different races under
all latitudeS, contributed no doubt much
larger share.
Early Labor Laws.
The first complaints which arrived in
Spain. and more particularly the denuncia-
tions Of Father Las Casas. caused the Span
ish monarchs to enact different laws re-
garding the treatment of the Indians. The
most celebrated. If not the first was the
pragmatic act Of Burgos, promulgated by
his Catholic majesty.
These laws provided that the Indian ire
partimientos' were to work under the di-
rection of the colonists, but that these lat
ter. in their turn. should be held to furnish
them with the necessary foodstuffs ana
clothes. Furthermore. it was provided that
the natives should be able to work, for their
own profit and account. the fields used for
the cultivation and production of the yuca
and agis. Moreover, during certain days
they were to work for their former chiefs
These laws We're applied with extreme
severity: but the paragraphs favorable to
the Indians We're very often euded caus-
ing. just as of yore, the most bitter COM
plants. both on the part Of the natives as
well as their protectors. This stage lasted
until 1910, the year of publication Of the
"Nuevas Leyes" new laws) enacted under
raiCr nP ,,f1 I'M
acts caused great dissatisfaction among the
Spanish colonsts of the new American
countries, and it is chiefly on this account
that the rebellions broke out, which for
many years continued in the possessions Of
South America i.e.. the ancient empire Of
Peru and the equatorial region of Quito
Inc relations between master and laborer
continued to be like those OF former years
with such more or less important mitiga-
tons as depended on the character of the
owners Of the encomiendas, until. finally,
the ideas advocated with such great ardor
by the advocate Of the Indians. Father Bar
thclemtw de Las Casas, prevailed and the
communicates We're abolished. In order to
favor the natives of America black slaves
were introduced into the newly discovered
regions. and by so doing one did no more
than transplant to America an institution
which existed already in Europe and had
received great development after the con-
quest of the Portuguese in Africa.
Conditions of Slave Labor.
7; would be superfiuous to indicate here
the conditions of slave labor. which differed
very little from those which regulated the
labor of the Indians who were dependents
of an encomenda "a commandery'o The
master or owner disposed Of either at his
pleasure. and Notwithstanding the humane
character of the laws enacted for the pro-
lection of the negroes and Indians the fate
of these labOrerS depended in reality only
ma bo
conditions under which they worked
Still the Christian sentiments and hu-
name ideas which guided the minds of the
Spanish rulers. as well as the desire to
induce the Castlian people to leave for and
occupy the newly discovered countries
caused the PRONUNCIATION of different acts
which favored the emigration to America
of agriculturists and artisans Of all kinds
with view Of establishing in the new
countries those industries which were then
found in Europe, and particularly CASTLE.
Several expeditions were organized for this
purpose at the expense of the home govern
ment, and ever since 1920 different edicts
were published which granted many ad-
vantages and privileges to those who were
to go to the new country. Father Las Casas
was ordered to make tour of all the
Castilian towns in order to induce by every
means. and particularly through describing
the new countries. the Casiilan agricul-
turists to leave for and settle in the new
regions.
All these efforts however. produced but
mediocre results for the greater part Of
the immigrants. If not all. scorned agrcul-
tural labor, preferring to join the ranks of
the conquerors they had gained
a focthold in the newly discovered country.
In the course of time Spanish population
in America showed some. if but slow
growth, with the result that in the new
regions more on the continent than in the
islands, some Castilian laborers were to be
found; but nearly all were owners of land
which they cultivated. and the larger part
of people of Spanish stock constituted what
we might call the aristocracy among the
new colonists. who were either manufac-
turers or merchants. plying the same trades
which existed in CASTLE.
Such was the general condition of the
Spanish inhabitants of America. and that Of
labor particularly. until the abolition of
slavery in the West India Islands. the rem
nant of the ancient possessions Of Spain in
America.
After Abolition of Slavery.
The record of events in the islands of
Cuba and Porto Rico after the abolition of
slavery. particularly in the part known
formerly under the name of Bovinguen de-
serves particular mention. In this latter
region the negroes We're declared free with
out any transition and by the law of June
3, 1876. very short period was fixed in the
case of Cuba during which the forme.
Sla W. IN ha Of