, 1914-12-02

He said be was glad, however, to note that
the demand about the house justified his
statement that only when the lHboror resided
on his plot of land the scheme would be
successful.
Commenting on the second condition, Mr..
Rubner-P Petersen said it WAS reasonable to
require n testimonial of the applicants, for
he had always maintained that only the most
able should be accepted. The laboreis, how
ever, would have to depenl not only on their
ability and industry to secure u recommen-
dation, but also upon their masters. Some
OF these, and particularly younger managers,
who are removed from one estate to another,
are inclined to think tue negroes lazy, be-
cause they never get to known them individ-
ually. On the other hand, there were sever
al others, among them an old planter who
had lived in st. Croix more than fifty years,
and who in spite of the bad times can man
age to make ends meet, think differently;
and the planter referred to had repeatedly
assured him that the negroes were excellent
luborers. If, however, the proposed certiti-
Gates may be gwen by managers irrespective
OF their being employed by the two com
plnles, many laborers would be able to pre-.
sent satisfactory testimonials.
Apropos of the third condition, he had to
say that it was quite absurd to require Of a
laborer, who applied for u plot of land, q
guarantee that he would follow the compe-
tent advices which would be given him. In
that manner he would not be master of the
land and would have to hand it over to the
owner, if he failed to cultivate the plot az
he had been commRnded-after having IN
creased it's value by building a house on it..
Tie 'cOmpetent adviser might even de-
mand Of the laborer to run his plot not so
.-,.I -, A. .oo.~k :.o.a IL - -
fumiIy were to live, but with a view to i'm.
proving the land, in order to reap a better
income in the future. \ condition like the
above would certainly not tompt the negroes
to remain in ST. Crojx aud give up the
thought of quitting the island, with which
so many of them were occupied. 1t however
WAS gratifying to sec that parties now per.
celNed the necessity of competent advice,
thereby confirming his opinion that the first
experiments failed, because the squattels
were not helped wi b the advices they needed.
He regretted he could not accept Mr.
Lnchmann's offers because it was not at all
like what he brought to the consideration of
TIE shareholders of the Plantation COMPANY.
lie thought it would be best to let the labor
ers have q plot with q house, on the cUndi-
ton that they should pay a fixed sum yearly,
u part of which would be considered as rent,
the other as pnrt-payment on the price. At
ter some years the laborer will have become
the owner of the land mn dwelling. If anyone
proved unable to pay his rent and instalment,
owing for instance, to his failure to cultivate
the land as he should aud could have done,
and consequently had to quit his pot, the
amount he has paid on the price Of the plot
would be refunded with some compensation
for any possible improvement of the land
olA6 with a AaIu0ti0n fOr nOcuihin NAL on1ti
walton.
The question on whose solution the is
lands agriculture, and thereby It's existence,
depended, is to improve the economic con
dltlous for the laborers, so that they could
remain III the island and earn enough to
enable them to give their children proper
care, that the greater part of them might
not die for want OF care and nourishmeut as
at present. This could be attained not by
increasing their small wage, as the c|ultiva-
tion could not bear the increased expenses,
but by helping them to the ownership Of
land Oh conditions they can accept, and by
allowing them to be the free masters of their
property, so that they could sell their spare
work to whom they liked. Competent di-
r~ectlons were necessary, but the adviser must
make it a point to deport himself in such 81
manner that the negroes themselves might
wish 10 follow his advice, and see their
advantage by SO doing, as in Tortola.
III concluding, he said he would maintain
bis opinion of the question in spite of objec-
tions both iii Denmark and the D. W. L.
He believed that only when the laborers'
became Stockholders they would learn to
value a home aud live a teal family life.
Denmark was the first nation to forbid the
negro slave trade, or rather. the importation
OF negroes, and was the first to introduce
compulsory elementary school training for
the children of the slaves. And if Denmark
would go at the head in the work of making
the uegroes ia her colonies able and indie
pendent members OF the community. ii would