En Klage fra Syersker. (Efterskrift til Politivennen)

Vi har modtaget en Skrivelse angaaende en Hr. Dybke, der er Ekspeditør hos d'Hrr. Evald Jensen & Komp., Østergade 42, og i denne Skrivelse føres der meget stærke Anker mod den brutale Maade, hvorpaa Hr. Dybke optræder over for sine Syersker. Naar Hr. Dybkes Opførsel er saaledes, som den skildres i Skrivelsen, og naar Firmaet ikke desto mindre ikke vil afskedige ham eller give ham Tilhold om at opføre sig humant, vil vi give Syerskerne det Raad at renoncere paa den, som de selv erklærer, ringe Fortjeneste, de har som Arbejdersker hos de nævnte Herrer. Naar Syerskerne udtaler, at en Opførsel som den, der vises mod dem, ikke vilde blive taalt, dersom den vistes mod Mænd , da skal vi tillade os at erindre Syerskerne om, at Grunden til, at der paa mange Steder bydes de arbejdende Kvinder det mest Utrolige saa vel med Hensyn til Uhørlighed i Fremgangsmaaden mod dem som - og fornæmmelig - med Hensyn til Arbejdstidens Længde, ligger i, at Kvinderne ikke vil slutte sig sammen i Foreninger. Saalænge de ikke er at bevæge dertil, vil en væsenlig Bedring i de højst utaalelige Forhold, hvorunder den arbejdende Kvinde lever, næppe komme til at undergaa nogen alvorlig forandring.

(Social-Demokraten 27. juni 1877).

Education in the Danish West Indies. (Efterskrift til Politivennen)

From a copy of the St. Thomas Tidende of May 6, kindly sent us by Messrs. P. F. T. Titley & Co., containing a notice of the opening of a public college in St. Thomas on July 2, this year, we perceive that St. Thomas has at last taken a step in the right direction, to place its native inhabitants on a footing in education with the European portion of its population, who remain there only until they have accumulated sufficient means to live comfortably on in their own countries and so soon as they have accomplished this object they bid farewell to the island and all belonging to it without leaving a trace of the wealth they have accumulated, or the remotest sign of the benefit which it would be expected that this island should have derived from the prosperity of its commerce, leading to the accumulation of the fortunes nmussed by those who leave it in a position to live comfortably in Europe.

We feel that in justice to the native inhabitants of St. Thomas, the step which has now been taken by the local government of that colony to establish compulsory public education in the island ought to have been taken twenty five or thirty years ago, when, doubtless the revenues derived from the many years uninterrupted prosperity of its commerce would have warranted the outlays necessary for the maintenance of public schools, much more than it is likely that the present revenues from the island will be able to bear under the adverse circumstances of its commerce, occasioned by the constant depression of business and falling off of trade the last few years past.

It is, however, to be hoped that business cannot always remain in a state of depression in this island any more than in any other part of the world, and that things must soon take a change for the better, by which the commerce of the island will resume its wanted activity and prosperity, enabling the Government to carry out successfully the laudable object of educating the masses, and thus affording the native inhabitants of St. Thomas the advantages to be expected from compulsory public education, which must always give evidence of a judicious and useful expenditure of the public revenues.

The college to be established in St. Thomas, will be conducted on the most efficient principle calculated to carry out the object of teaching a good, sound, and useful education, under the tuition of three competent teachers and a highly capable and experienced school director engaged from the mother country.

The instruction will include the following branches, viz.: English, Danish, French, Spanish, history, geography, natural history, physics, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, commercial theory, caligraphy, drawing, and gymnastics.

The charges for tuition will be very moderate, and boys from the neighbouring islands will be admitted on the same charge as for resident pupils.

A boarding establishment will be attached to the college under the control of one or more of the head teaehers, for the facility of pupils from the surrounding islands of Porto Rico, St. Domingo, Haiti, &c., and it is expected that parents in these islands will avail themselves of the advantages now offered by St. Thomas for their children to receive a good and useful education in that island at much less expense and inconvenience than must be necessary on their lendirg them to Europe, and in future send all boys to St. Thomas to be educated.

- British Mail.

ST. THOMAS COLLEGE.

Messrs. J. F. T. Titley & Co., of St. Thomas W. I., have just informed us that a Government College is to be opened in that island in July next, under the supervision of three competent teachers and a school director. All the branches of a sound and useful education will be taught, and the charges for tuition are to be very moderate. A boarding establishment is to be attached to the college under the control of one or more of the head teachers, to encourage the entry of pupils train the neighbouring islands, and it is expected that in future children will be sent from Porto Rico, St. Domingo, Hayti, and other surrounding islands, to St. Thomas, instead of Europe, to be educated. The College in St. Thomas is a fine, missive structure of white bricks, three storeys high, built in the highest style of the architecture peculiar to the island, occupies a site on the side of a hill fronting the harbour, and commands a most imposing view. It has been the residence of some of St. Thomas's most famous citizens, and has also been used as a Masonie lodge, which inscription it yet bears in large black letters on the white bricks, slightly erased by a smattering of whitewash, which will no doubt be now covered with the new designition of "St. Thomas's Government College". Although it seems that the old Colonial Council Hall, a stone structure in St. Thomas, is considered the most suitable building in the island for a college, the preference was still given to the one referred to, doubtless from some former associations with it, or, perhaps, in consequence of its proximity to Government House, by which His Excellency might be afforded an opportunity of having always under his eyes the realization of one of his pet schemes - compulsory education - British Trade Journal.

(St. Croix Avis 27. juni 1877).

THE "AVIS" CHRISTIANSTED ST CROIX.

Saturday 30th June 1877

From an official announcement in the St. Thomas Tidende we learn that Mr. C. Dahl has been appointed First Teacher in the new college. Mr. Dahl is too well known in these Danish islands, and particularly in St. Croix, to need any introduction from us. But our paper no doubt finds its way occasionally to neighbouring colonies, and may perhaps fall into the hands of parents who have taken the college and its objects under consideration. For this reason we may be permitted to say that Mr. Dahl is a man of unusual ability, who possess, along with considerable experience ns a teacher, an extensive and varied knowledge in languages, the natural sciences, and mathematics. Although a native of Denmark, he has so complete a mastery of English, that it is not easy to detect, even in a very long conversation, that lie is speaking a language not, except by right ol conquest, his own. We cordially wish him entire success in the important work which he is now about to take in hand.

Mr. Sydney Speed, of Barbados, who has for some time been well known in St. Thomas as a successful teacher, is announced as Second Teacher in the new college.

The college opens on Monday next.

(St. Croix Avis 30. juni 1877).

Skoleundervisningen havde indtil 1876 været varetaget af private, religiøse skoler. En reform fra 1876 skulle indføre almueskoler med obligatorisk undervisning. At religion ikke blev nævnt som et fag, kan skyldes det omtålelige i dette fag da der fandtes mange forskellige religiøse retninger på St. Thomas. Heller ikke historie er med.  I april 1878 donerede A. H. Riise 6000 vestindiske daler til oprettelse og vedligeholdelse af kommunale skoler på St. Thomas. De blev brugt på at åbne skolerne 1. juni 1878. 

Den nævnte skole - en realskole - var et led i denne reform. Det lå i kortene at kun hvide drenge kunne blive optaget. En realskole på St. Croix var ikke på tale. St. Thomas College var for elever indtil 16. år. Realskolen vist sig ret hurtigt at være en fiasko.  Det var håbet at realskolen kunne få 150 elever, men nåede højst 30, og gik ret hurtigt nedefter. 

Korrespondance fra Væbningen. (Efterskrift til Politivennen)

Nu er vi atter her kommen et Skridt videre, idet vi i Lørdags har faat Restmandskabet ind, som skal give Øvelse i 5 Dage. Forøvrigt er dette meget heldigt, da det giver lidt mere Nyhedsinteresse i de første Dage, ligesom vi nu endelig fik Lov til at eksercere paa Fællederne, medens vi hidtil har maattet eksersere paa Rosenborgeksercerplads. Apropos, om Eksercits! I al den Tid vi endnu har været inde, har der været rigelig Plads til os med begge Bataljonerne paa Eksercerpladsen, medens der nu ikke en Gang er Plads til os paa hele Nørrefælled, hvilket man maa antage, da der ellers ikke er nogen som helst Grund til at lade tiden Bataljon trække ud paa Øster fælled; men maaske det er det nu indkaldte Mandstab, som fylder saa meget i vore Rækker.

De er lige saa gale til at straffe ved 2den Bataljon, som da jeg skrev den forrige Skrivelse, idet der i Lørdags blev idømt en Undertorporal 5 Dages Fængsel paa Vand og Brød, samt Tilbagesættelse i de Meninges Klasse, for den "skrækkelige Forbrydelse" at have undladt at hilse en Officer af Flaaden, eller som det hedder i det militærgale Sprog: "Insubordination og respektstridigt Forhold." Jeg skal ikke gøre nogen Bemærkning hertil, da Enhver vist nok selv kan dømme, om slige barbariske Straffe bør finde Sted eller ikke.

Bataljonschefen for 2den Bataljon, Oberst Arnholtz, ønskede jeg gerne at spørge om, af hvad Grund vi skal jages tilbage til Sølvgadens Kaserne om Aftenen, for at saa Lov til at gaa hjem; jeg kan ikke indse Nytten heraf, da Enhver nok vilde kunne finde hjem. dersom vi fik Lov til at træde af paa Østerfælled, naar Øvelserne var endt. Ligeledes maa jeg spørge Dhrr. Kaptajner, om det er aldeles nødvendigt, at vi skal kravle op paa Volden for at træde af om Aftenen, da jeg antager, at det samme ligesaa let kan gøres nedenfor Volden, og der er Plads nok til os.

Til Slutning skal jeg ikke undlade at anføre, hvorledes "Styrelsen" for Væbningen overholder de Love, hvorefter de har at rette sig. Jeg sigter her til "Kundgørelsen" angaaende Københavns Væbning af 1870, hvori det hedder, at Øvelserne skal finde Sted i 3 Timer daglig, nemlig fra Kl. 5 til 8 Eftermiddag, medens det er faktisk, at vi skal møde Kl. 4 3/4 og Øvelserne slutter sjælden før henad 8½. Vi faar altsaa et Tillæg af 3/4 Time daglig, som Dhrr Oberster skænker os, formodenlig af Velvilje imod os "tapre Fædrelandsforsvarere". Jeg vil haabe, at de samme Herrer vil godtgøre os for denne Tillægstid, da de vist i det modsatte Tilfælde vil kunne forvente en stor Masse Retssager om dette Spørgsmaals rette Afgørelse.

Væbningen er ligeledes velsignet med en dygtig Læge, der ligesom alle andre Korpslæger kurerer alle mulige og umulige Sygdomme med - Marschture og Vand. Det er jo rigtignok billige Medikamenter; men de er ogsaa derefter. Man har saaledes set, at en Mand fik det Raad for en daarlig Fod, at han skulde bade den i koldt Vand og gaa meget, og i Forhold hertil er alle de øvrige Midler, der foreskrives af ham, saa det er ikke mærkeligt, at der, som det skete i Lørdags paa Østerfælled, faldt en Mand om i Geleddet.

Det kunde snart være paa Tiden, at alle vort Samfunds "vise og store" Fædre vilde tænke paa, hvorledes Menneskene bliver behandlet i Militærstanden, ellers vil det vedblive at lyde som en bitter Haan, naar man hører nævne: "Foreningen til Dyrenes Beskyttelse", da man vist maa kunne fordre, at de fornuftige Skab￾ninger skal beskyttes for de ufornuftige; men da Dyrene koster Storborgerne Penge, medens Menneskene ikke koster dem noget, er det maaske formeget at forlange.

A-Ø.

(Social-Demokraten 20. juni 1877).

Militærlejren ved Hald. (Efterskrift til Politivennen)

Lejren ved Hald har den 15de ds. taget sin Begyndelse. Kronprinsen, der er Øverstbefalende, har rettet en Henvendelse til det i Lejren deltagende Mandskab, hvori han opfordrer til ikke at sky nogen Anstrængelse, men underkaste sig "enhver Fordring, som Bevarelsen af Disciplinens faste Baand stiller". Disse Disciplinens faste Baand har allerede krævet to Ofre. - "Silkeborg Avis" meddeler næmlig :

"I Gaar (den 17de ds.) Middags marscherede 7de Bataljon, der garnisonerer i Nyborg, her igennem Byen (Silkeborg) paa Turen til Lejren ved Hald. Den kom fra Brædstrup og Omegn og blev indkvarteret i Balle, Seiling og omliggende Byer. - Paa Marschen hertil indtraf den beklagelige Begivenhed i Bataljonen at en Reservespillemand, der efter Sigende led af Krampeanfald, angik ved Døden. Han havde nok kun gaaet en halvanden Mils Vej, da han begyndte at sakke bag ud; men da man troede, at hans Mathed var fingeret, fik han ikke Lov at køre. Han maatte altsaa, til Dels understøttet af et Par Kammerater, vedblive at marschere indtil han her uden for Byen ikke kunde slæbe sig længere og derfor blev lagt paa en Vogn. Paa denne opgav han imidlertid straks efter Aanden, hvorpaa hans Lig blev ført til det herværende Sygehus. - Den Afdøde skal vare en Sønderjyde ved Navn Klausen."

Hvad mon det er for en "man", der "troede", at Spillemandens Mathed var fingeret, og som rimeligvis har foranlediget et ligefremt Drab af en aldeles uskyldig Medborger? Og mon den Slags Handlinger uden nogen videre Vanskelighed kan passere den offenlige Mening og Justitsen? I saa Fald tør vi nok sige, at man er fejl underrettet, naar man vaastaar, at "de gode gamle Tider kommer aldrig mere igen". 

- Om det andet Dødsfald, der er indtruffet paa Marschen til Lejren, meddeler "Aalb. Stiftst." Følgende: 

"Da 9de Bataljon vaa sin Marsch til Lejren i Forgaars henved Kl. 11 næsten var naaet til Hjedsbæk Kro, hvor den skulde holde Hvil for at modtage Indkvarteringsbilletter, blev Menig af 2det Kompagni, Snedkersvend Joh. Chr. Christensen, Søn af Snedker Christensen i Hjørring, der om Morgenen, da han forlod Flødal, hvor han den foregaaende Nat havde været indkvarteret, havde været aldeles rask, overfaldet af et Ildebefindende, der nødte ham til at træde nd af Geleddet. Han kom straks under Lægebehandling, idet han blev optaget i Lægens Vogn og transporteret til Albæk, hvor Staben havde sit Kvarter, men trods al anvendt Omhu afgik han her imellem Kl. 3 og 4 ved Døden efter den af Lægen afgivne Erklæring som Følge af en Hjærneforblødning. Den Afdøde ledsagedes hertil af Sergent Petersen, der fra Støvring Station havde ladet telegrafere til Vedkommendes i Hjorring boende Fader, som i Gaar modtog den Afdøde og førte Liget med sig til Hjørring. Der kan i dette Tilfælde ikke være Tale om nogen Overanstrængelse, ti Ulykken skete, som anført, kort før Ankomsten til den kun 3½ a 4 Mil herfra beliggende Hjedsbæk Kro, hvortil Batalionen var naaet efter en Marsch paa 2 Dage."

Selv om der, som "Aalb. Stiftst." siger, ikke i dette Tilfælde kan være Tale om nogen særegen Overanstrængelse eller noget Tyranni fra de Befalendes Side, er det indtrukne Dødsfald jo dog en Følge af Marschen i den stærke Solhede.

(Social-Demokraten 20. juni 1877).

Fra Viborg skrives til "Jyllp." Den Strid, der i de senere Lejraar har været ført mellem Lejrkommankantskabet og de civile Myndigheder, næmlig en Indrømmelse af Holdeplads for Kapervogne og andre Vogte paa Lejren Territorium og om Benyttelsen af de gennem Lejren forende offenlige Veje, idet nemlig Kommandanskabet formente at have Ret til at instruere de Vejfarende, om hvorvidt de maatte køre i Trav eller opholde for at afsætte og optage Passagerer og Lignende, skal nu være endt, idet der efter sikkert Forlydende skal være faldet en ministeriel Resolution, i Følge hvilken Alt, hvad der passerer paa de gennem Lejren førende offenlige Veje, er de militære Myndigheder uvedkommende, men alene sorterer under Politiet, saaledes at de Vejfarende alene har at rette sig efter dettes Ordre. Derimod skal Spørgsmaalet om Indrømmelse af Holdeplads paa Lejrens Territorium være overladt til Lejrkommandantskabets Bestemmelse, og saavidt vides skal den i Aar fungerende Lejrkommandant. Oberst Heramb, "ikke være villig til at imødekomme det almindelige Ønske af Hensyn til eventuel Forstyrrelse af Freden indenfor Hærens Kamperlinje". Holdepladsen vil altsaa blive ved Siden af Rytterilejren, udenfor Lejrens Territorium, 

(Social-Demokraten 21. juni 1877).

Koloniraadsmøde paa St. Croix 4. Juni 1877. (Efterskrift til Politivennen)

REMARKS.

It is now beyond a doubt, that the crop of the Island again this year will not only be considerably below an average crop, but will also be far below what it was expected to be in the commencement of the year; in consequence thereof many Estates are again bare of means to continue cultivation, as all the returns of the crop made goes to cover bureau-advances received last year. Applications have therefore been made to the Presidency to endeavour that the Colonial treasury be placed in a position to assist planters needing advances for carrying on their cultivation.

Under existing circumstances in order to avoid that the exeptions made from all qvarters to keep up Sugar cultivation in the Island should be abortive, and in order to prevent that the change, now about to be carried out at a very heavy cost in the manufacture of the staple production of the Island should become unavailing, by estates going out of cultivation or coming to a temporary stoppage from the impossibility of procuring mean to go on, it is necesary that the Public again this year comes to the assistance of the parties. 

The Presidency has therefore, with the approval of the Government, framed the above Money Bill for a grant of an amount to meet advances to planters for the month of June to August this year. The Presidency will take care that these advances be contiued within the smallest possible limits, and in viev of the pecuniary state of the Colonial Treasury the advances will only be given for the amounts requisite for paying the money wages to labourers; it is expected that provisions will be supplied by merchants on bureau-right in the crop coordinate with the Colonial Treasury.

The President introduced the Bill. He thought he could take it for granted that not only the advisibility but also the necessity of the measure which he now had the honour to submit to the Council is so generally admitted, that it might be superfluous for him to incroach on the patience of the Council by entering largely on the merits of the ease. On the other hand, it would, perhaps, not be showing due sense of the important of a matter of this kind, if we were tacitly to submit this measure to the Council, because he entertained the conviction that the Council would be unanimously in favour of it. This duty of making some additional remarks, besides those appended to the Bill, on this subject, is increased by the circumstance, that the monies to be applied for bureau are not the property of the Treasury, but have to be obtained by borrowing, and in eudeavoring to get this assistance, we have again solely to depend on the good will of the Government and legislative Assemblies in the Mother Country. There is, besides, one circumstance to which, although not willing to enter into too many details, he would draw attention, because it not only serves to explain why we have here to have so frequently recourse to measures of this kind, but also holds out encouragement for the future of the Island. What he here alludes to is the nature of the staple production of the Island and the manner in which it is dealt with to obtain a return from it. The Island is so subject to dry weather that the only article that can he grown here with success, is the Sugar Cane; it would be useless to think of substituting any other tropical production, which in itself might have the same or even greater value; for, the climatic relations here would not allow it; neither tobacco, vanilla, nor cocoa, would pay, simply because they would not thrive here in the dry weather; and to speak of a whole community of upwards of 23,000 souls in their present state of civilization drawing their subsistence from the planting of yams, potatoes, etc., would be simply absurd. The cane is the only plant capable of standing hard weather, and it has also this advantage, that under ordinary circumstances and with proper care it is able to supply all the requirements for keeping the population in a state of well being and comfort. But it has one drawback, viz. that while mostly all other products may be exported advantageously without being fabricated, the cane in its natural state has no practical use, but has to undergo extensive and complicated treatment, requiring heavy expenses for buildings, machinery, etc. The system here followed in rubricating the product has always been, that the person producing the cane, had to procure the necessary machinery, originally is quite a primitive manner, then in the form of cattle mills, after that wind mills, and finally the more expensive steam mills. The consequence of this is, that the produce is worked up on only 76 Estates; while in 1815 the number was still 150. When, then, the number of Estates at work is so small, and when the whole population is dependent on them, it becomes a matter of concern that no estatt should go out of cutivation. If any one were to suppose, that the bureau advances given for several years from the Colonial 'Treasury are given for the individual benefit of the owner, it would be a mistake; advances are given to the estate, for the purpose of preventing its abandonment, as, evidently, every one that goes out of cultivation, entails a loss to the Island. In some cases a neighbouring proprietor may purchase at a low price, with a view of working the most fertile and best situated part of the island with his own Estate, but most frequently the buildings are allowed to decay and the island turned out for pasturage. Further, the matter of the Central Factory is now approaching its solution; when it is caried out, the probability of estates being of necessity placed out of cultivation, or being cultivated under neighbouring estates, will be less; - When everybody can cultivate canes and can sell them to the Factory, it would be very unwise, not to exert every possible means to keep up Estates, until the Factory can commence its operations. Thus it would be difficult to see, how the gradual decay and ruin of the island could in the long run be prevented, if the system of convening the cane into sugar &x. were always to remain as hitherto, and it might then have been a matter of doubt whether it were proper to continue the system of keeping up Estates by repented loans with no other prospect of improvement but that of better weather. But for several years the attention of the whole island has been directed towards a radical change in the treatment of the cane, and with this change in view it would have been unpardonable on the part of Government not to strain every nerve for preventing any Estate from being abandoned. He felt sure that the advantage of manufacturing [x] common establishment, to which every producer, large or small, could deliver his canes in their raw state and get its eqnivalent in ready money, would not be confined to getting a larger quantity and an improved quality of sugar out of the same quantity of canes, but that the effects on the distribution and consequently on the extent, of cultivated land would after a few years prove as beneficial to the general prosperity. After years of anxious expectation we are now daily approaching the realisation of that important enterprise, it least on the part of the island, and when it succeeds here, the rest will follow. He could not take upon himself to say, that the Company would in a direct manner render the bureau system superfluous by making itself advances to the planters, to be liquidated by the canes delivered, but be considered it probable, as soon as it shows itself, that the enterprise is really a profitable one, for of course in that case the greater the quantity of cases delivered the greater the profit to the shareholders, and thence a strong motive for the Central Factory to encourage the cane-growers. He woold now beg leave to state, that ever since 1869-70 to the present time there have been made bureau advances from the Colonial Treasury, the amount of wltioli up to May 187t was s. $463,000. During the first three wars of his period the advances were repaid in full with interest, but with 1872-73 came the first of the destructive years we have gone through, and the result is, that of the advances up to May 1876 there remains about $70,000 unpaid, of which $27,770 are lost and between $8000, and 9000 are looked upon as more or less doubtful, the remainder being secured in Estates. Thus, if we add the doubtful claims to what is actually lost, we arrive at the sum of $38,000 as the cost at which the system has been carried on for those five years. If honorable Members will look at the list of Estates which have been supported during these years of trouble, they will acknowledge, that he is very moderate indeed, when he asserts, that more than one half of the number, and among them some of the best Estates of the island would have been thrown out of cultivation, and although we have got, as it is, poverty enough from these bad years, the loss of $38,000 is not worth notice, if we compare with it the various effects of the whole island, which would have ensued, if 16 or 17 Estates had been abandoned. Situated as we have been, it would not even have been a remedy, to turn the Estates into the Dialing Couris, for the Dealing Masters would have had the same difficulty in procuring the means for the Administration expenses, whereas the properties are now in a position to take advantage of the change in the weather which in the order of nature must come, and of the Central Factory which will be ready for receiving the canes now growing. 

After some remarks from several Members, it was proposed by 1st Member for Christiansted (Lemming ) to refer the Money Bill to a Committee of 3 Members, which was adopted with 9 votes against 6.

(St. Croix Avis 9. juni 1877).