, 1912-10-19

A~AN' $1,000 49, NA@A
nous opinion was prominent and that was,
that one of the chief causes, developed by
circumstances, was the porter system. Most
of the people work as porters, and the con-
sequence is, that the females live in town,
in the morning they walk often long dis
tances to their work, and back IN the eve
ming, this leads to the mothers leaving their
infants to the care of others or without
care, and the estate owners or managers
have no opportunity to take any notice of
women being with infant children. That
this manner of living the daily life has an
evil effect both on mothers and infants was
undOubtful.
The present Draft was only meant as an
experiment. If this experiment should
succeed, it would be possible to form more
of a family life among the country labour-
ers, for this reason they were allowed to
have small plots to cultivate for their own
benefit, the women would be able to have
their work near at home, the distance to
the estate would be shorter, and they
would be able to nurse their infants
It was acknowledged by many, that the
reason for the immigration to town was
the labourers' wish to lead an independent
life, they wished to be independent in their
spare hours. This feeling of independence
would be nourished, if a village under
Public control was built for them.
His Excellency hoped, that the Members
were able to see the connection between
this Draft and the infant mortality. For
the Councils own dignity some steps had
to be taken, in order to show that the
Council realized the urgency of the pre-
sent circumstances, and His Excellency
hoped, that the Council also would realize,
that this proposal forms " part of the pro-
7,ncoIc ~ s,lyin,. 4hc lnI,,,r .1-1.4;.4, -,
the Island.
Government was very interested in the
matter, and he would beg to recommend
the Draft
The Chairman declared LIST discussion
open.
lst Member for Frederiksted Town
(Couhcr) said, that he had listened with
great interest to the Discussion in the
Agricultural Society, but there was one
question which had not at all been touch
ed, and that was the question Of more doc
tors in tn S Island. He wo Id not mention
this to oppose against the proposal, which
he would vote for, though he believed more
in the individual efforts, as the old system
Of having a room and a sicknurse on every
estate. We were IN need Of more deacon
esses, and they should educate and train
native deaconesses and young sickuurses;
LHlS WOULD nelP lafSelY. Inc deacOne0S-
es had worked hard out here, but though
great interest had been shown the Chill
dren's Home by the Queen D~owager, the
Authorities and private persons, the result
was regrettable. The deaconesses often
did not understand the people and the
people did not understand them, but if we
got trained native sicknurses, it would per-
haps give a better result. He didn't be-
lieve, that this could be done in connec-
ton with a model village, but he would
vote for it as an experiment.
The porter system was surely the chief
cause OF the depiorabie circumstances.
The distances the women had to walk and
the circumstances they lived under made
them incapable of nursing and attending
their infants. He knew of this as Member
of the Poor Commission, where young mo-
theirs could come and ask for help. You
need not any doctors certificate to see on
them how worn out and attacked by sick
ness they were And the fathers could
not be found, the Police could not hunt
them down.
For about b years ago he had the hon
our of representing to the Council n nett