104 CHILE - MISCELLANEOUS 



elevation ; his progress is therefore very slow. Though the quality of 

 his work leax'es much to be desired, he is vigorous, strong to resist 

 fatigue and is attached to his employer. 



2. TPte inquiUnos. — The greater part of the rural population is com- 

 posed of inqmlinos, a class of contract lal./Ourers living permanently on 

 the land. An inqitilino unites the character of metayer and day 

 labourer, and the class is found on almost ever^^ farm. 



The common type of a Chilian farm {medium or large) is as follows ; 

 in the centre of the holding is the dwelling-house of the proprietor with 

 \-arious offices, sheds for machines, stores etc. On the larger farms the 

 owner's house is often furnished with great luxury and every possible 

 convenience, and here the owner generally spends the summer months, and 

 returns to the capital or other large cit}"- for the winter. 



Scattered over the farm are dwellings in which the inquilinos who 

 have to do the farm, work live with their famihes, generally miserable 

 wooden or mud cabins of one or two rooms. However, of their own accord, 

 proprietors are beginning to improve these habitations. 



The inqtiilino is obliged to live permanently on the land and per- 

 form all needful work in accordance with the orders of the master or of 

 his representative. In exchange he receives lodging, food, payment in 

 money and plots of land which he may cultivate for his own benefit in 

 his spare time, or which may be cultivated by his children or by out- 

 siders. 



The contract between him and his master is called an inqiiilinaje. 

 It is a verbal agreement, and varies according to custom, in different 

 localities and even on different farms. The sj^stem is patriachal, con- 

 tinuing from generation to generation. 



This contract is in use where extensive cultivation prevails. Vineyards, 

 fruit farms etc. are thus cultivated. Wc shall now give an idea of this 

 sort of contract. On a farm of 7,000 hectares, there are 200 famihes of 

 inquilinos, with about 1,000 members, (i) The inquilino, head of a family, 

 is obUged to make the following engagements : 



(fl) that he and his family will live and work on the farm. 

 {b) that he wdll provide that there shall always be an adult labourer 

 (contract labourer) to work for the proprietor at a wage of 60 centavos 

 per day. 



(c) he himself or one of his family will always be with, his own horse 

 at the disposal of the master or his representative for whatever service may 

 be required. 



The proprietor on his part provides : 

 {a) a dwelling house ; 



{b) wages of 60 centavos per day for the contract labour and wages 

 of 1.20 pesos per day to other labourers {voluntarios) who live with the 



(i)With regard to the expression contract labourer, it is used in opposition to that of 

 " free labourer ", applied to one who is not obliged to live on the land. 



