Monday, 9th July 1877.
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1st Member for Christiansted Coulter) was of opinion that when the Centre Police District be abolished, if the 2 other Policemasters do not take active steps and at once exercise strict control in the districts adjacent to Kingshill, many estates will suffer materially, as already now we see on many estates a great number of labourers regularly absent from work on Mondays, being in town, especially in West End, where the half gang of some estates may be found at times. He should think it necessary, especially in the commencement, that something should be done to check this growing evil.
3rd Member for Frederiksted's Country District (Skeoch ) could endorse the opinion of the last Speaker, that the labourers' absence on Monday from Work is now a growing evil be mentioned a case that had occured that very morning on an estate.
2nd Member for Frederiksted (Brown) fully agreed with the 2 honourable Speakers that the absence of labourers from work on Mondays is becoming a growing evil. But it appears it had partly been checked in Bassin; it has never been permitted in West End, where the Policemaster is very vigilant, and strict control is exercised in this respect, so that very few, if any, of the country labourers can have resort there; at all events it is merely by stealth that they can do so, as the Police are ever active in searching and finding them out. He rather believed that it was on the estates themselves that the skulking labourers were harboured; they meet together there for gambling, and after working certain hours they come to town. This is the evil which the Police will have to look after.
The President was sorry to hear the evil in question is increasing; but he could not exactly understand why complaints are made just now in connection with the intended change; if they had come forward after the Policestation at Kingshill had been abolished, they might have been taken as the result of that; but if the evil had shown itself before, it must be independent, of that abolition, and it will be difficult to say what then could be the remedy, particularly if it is so, as asserted, that the labourers do not go to town but skulk on estates. The only remedy he could think of would be that the estate owners themselves be watchful of the matter and denounce skulkers. The vice of gambling is increasing, and as we advance in time, the mere necessary it will become that planters assist the Police in matters of the kind, particularly when we shall have come to the period when the abolition of the Labour Regulations will he carried out, when the new order of things will ensue, requiring the attention of planters and managers. Honourable Members are aware, that it is generally maintained, although he could not say, whether it was so or not, that there is not always as much discretion shown on the part of managers and planters in their conduct towards the people as is desirable. One thing is, however, certain, that the police cannot do everything we have gone further in that respect than any other of the West India Islands, and have kept up a sort of patriarchal system in regard to these matters, which cannot remain forever. As time progresses circumstances around us change, and we must try to accomodate our actions thereto. The approaching change to a more natural system does not originate exclusively from us here, but is in a great measure required and insisted upon by the Home Government partly as a condition for the assistance granted to the island in consequence of the late deficient crops. Years ago voices were raised here, but more in the Mother country, for introducing a more natural state of things between the proprietors and labourers. When that change is made, and we no longer have a compulsory system of labour, planters must do their best to obviate the inconvenient consequences likely to result from the change for a time; there will be difficulties, but they must be met; and planters must expect that they cannot rely on the assistance of interference of the Police in all the details of their labour relations, everybody must arrange and shape himself and his affairs according to the new state of things as best he can. However, the Policemasters will, he was confident, on their part do all that they do, and will not be found wanting in exertions to correct the evil new complained of.
No one else requested the word; the discussious were closed. The Ordinance as passed at the 2nd discussion was read and adopted unanimously with 8 votes.
(St. Croix Avis 21. juli 1877).
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