, 1912-03-13

would share his feelings. But that is o
question for the future. There is no onen-a
ing at all at present to- take such ideas in
to practical consideration. Let the money
hfst como IN, and burdens be cleared eff, and
theu the chance comes to take"up such ques-
tlons. At the moment the question as ra-
CARDS the labourers is-How will the Factory
affect them now A year ago someone here,
said to me that the Factory would tell hard
oD the class of engine drivers in the old boil
ing houses. We have Ii Estates selling canes.
to the Factory, SO work has to be found for
LIZ engine drivers, but here we have 10 en-
glnes working day and night, shifts reuuir-
ing 20 engine drivers and we need 6 more for
locomotives and other engines outside. max
ing 70 men Of that class required. We need
every engine driver that can be got that il,
worth his pay and we require to manufac-
ture a lot more. There is not enough of men,
of this class for our work.
Then as regards the general Iabourers the,
Factory Is not a labOur saving machine. It
makes Its profits by saving waste, not bv
saving labour. Though we will use every la
bOur saving appliance that we can get hold.
Of, the object is not to do without men, but
to enable each man to turn out more work.
Remember WI have to make Is . more
sugar from the same canes, ami that takes.
more men, and each man has to handle a
bigger quantity. We don't ask for hardsr.
work, but for more productive work, and
much more money will be spent on labour-
ers' wages as we'll as on the staff salaries than
has hitherto been spent in the district.
A French Statesman has said eff you wish,
to see the results of a policy, search the
homes of the people" We have searched
the proprletors homes and found the factory
policy has brought more comfort there. We.
have looked into the homes of Managers and
found more comfort there. Now let us look.
at the labourers' homes. Two wears ago Sir
Daniel Morris, when in Antigua on the Row.
al Commission, said that when he had visi-
ted that island on the previous Royal Com
mission, he and his fellow Commissioners,
Sir Edward Grey aud Sir Henry Norman
were so distressed at the abiect misery and
poverty there that the three of them handed
to the Rector of ST. Johns a sum to help a
little towards relieving some of the worst
cases, but that on their second visit he had
not seen a man who looked underfed or
without work, and though there we're other
causes that had contributed towards the i'm
proved conditions, he put the Factory as the
leading cause of the sweeping change. There
are Antigua labourers here at present. Let
the st. Kits labourers ask them how they
are off now compared with some years ago
when there was no factory. There has never
wv NNO N"HO SS"i "9Ad5 PONOAhJ OLO dDNA
consequently not the same need for a change,
but still there is room for improvement in,
the lot of the labourers here as in most
places, and I am convinced the Factory with
help towards that.
With regard to what I have said as to re-
suits, l would rather have delayed till Au4~
gust when the results of the first season are
before us, for there is the old warning ''Let
not him that girdeth on his harness boast
himself as he that putteth it of" But it
seemed right Oh this occasion to state the,
principles on which we are founded, and our
aims and expectations. And I would add
that at least we are glad that we have our
harness girded on, thanks to Mr.. Love and
his staff and Mr.. Carmichael and Messrs,
fortnight aud Green with Mr.. Duncan
watching ally. 1t has been no light work,
rs you can realise when you think that,
twelve months ago all these buildings and
all this machinery was simply raw material
on the other side Of the ocean. To have all
these things fashioned, founded, finished,
shipped, erected, and ready within the year
has meant hard toll and intelligent direc-
ton, all the more difficult when the labour-