, 1916-01-26

MS in the long run only lnDourets LIVING uh-
der healthy and good conditions can give
good work to the planters.
! ask now, HONORABLE Members, for your
support for these proposals, and hope that
the general population will reulize, that only
by working III harmony with n Government
so well minded towards them, they can ex-
pect something good for themselves. BY
listening to those who only wish to spread
the seed of discomfort, they will ruu the
risque to forfeit this general interest III the
Mother Country.
I have already stated, that | saw the
scourge to the Island to be the Infant Nor
tality and this present Draft now introduced
to you, Gentlemen, aims at measures TOR
committing it.
You will in S l see that tue protection is
chiefly proposed for the sake Of the infant
and it must theu commence before the chlld
is born, when The mother is pregnant Thus
is done as q protection as well for tue labour-
ing mo, her a. for the child, but to deprive
the mother during The last two months of
her pregnancy of the right to undertake
fully paid work without some compensation
would not be right, therefore it is proposed
to give her Is Bit daily during the two
months.
In S 2 is stated that The first 7 weeks after
CnllU Dlftu LD6 nOlu6t must uOG Ud SiFou
field work. Under the present circumst IN
ces Mothers are forced to do work very short
after child birth in order to exist, this is OF
course not alone injurious to the mothers
but also to the infants who cannot get the
proper care when the mother is out working
the most of the day. AS The mother cnnnot
be deprived of the right to work without
some recompense, then it is fixed in this sec
ton that Is Bit daily is to b3 plid to her by
Government during these Z weeks and fur
Their Is Bit daily for each child which the
mother has to support besides.
What you see in 5 3 was what | saw work
ing in Demerara. 1t struck me, that it
would be worth the while to initiate his
scheme in St. Croix and | am glad that the
Ministry bus taken up my ideas on this point
by distributing an amount Of up to Fr.2,500
annually as rewards to INDECENT mother,
who care well for Their children.
But it was not sufic et to give the moth.
ers support, there must also be some con.
troll, aud the following sections deaf with
this question. The Island will be divided i'll
districts not larger than to allow The matrous
appointed for vision and control to in
spect each child almost daily. They are to
give advice to the mothers. They will keep
u protocol in which is entered the name etc.
of every pregnant woman, and will have the
distribution of the grants in aid Of the moth
ers, and where circumstances warrant it, be
entitled to give foodstutfs for the stipulated
amount of money.
The amount OF 5000 Frcs is to be used for
establishing asylums after the seven weeks
when the mothers again attend their wo.k,
the children will be taken care OF ut these
~asylums when the mothers are at work,
The matrons should be allowed to give
warning to the employers and if no heed
is taken of their warning the matrons cun
refer to the Police. The midwives nust of
course give their assistance to the matrous.
The last section of S 5 places aD amount
of 5000 Frcs at the disposal Of the matrons
for purchasing foodstaffs. medicine etc. for
mothers who have children between 7 weeks
aud l year old, in this way the children are
rot after the e!apse Of the Z weeks period
left without supervision.
6 prescribes that the matrons are to be
under the supervision of the Chief Medical
Authority of the Island.
Government wants to put as few obstacles
as possible for the ,natrons aud therefore 1t
is the employer who has to prove that he
has done nothing wrong, or he will be fined
from 10 Frcs. up to 100 FIcs.-
In s 8 an amount of up to 10000 Frcs. is
fixed to defray the expenses mentioned in