The Cost of an Estate 3 



or overwork, and if the superintendents work 

 together with the manager in perfect harmony 

 and good understanding, there is no reason to 

 limit the undertaking in any way. On the 

 contrary, we have endeavoured to show that it 

 is the largest estates, with help of cattle and 

 other subsidiary industries, which pay the best. 



For these reasons, it is naturally imperative 

 that the manager and head of all should be an 

 exceptionally able administrator and planter 

 with the maxim that knowledge, penetration 

 and tact, justice, fairness, firmness and strict- 

 ness are essential qualities. 



Coloured labourers are not the numskulls 

 and dunces one is apt to take them for, and 

 with them the character and reputation of a 

 wise and just manager carry weight and are 

 recognized by those under his charge, not only 

 on his own plantation but elsewhere, for his 

 reputation goes far afield, and at the call of one 

 who is popular there is never any dearth of 

 recruits coming forward for work ; in other 

 words, there is far less risk of scarcity of labour 

 on estates which possess a successful and 

 popular manager, who knows how to handle 

 the men firmly and tactfully, and unless such 

 a chief is available, satisfactory progress will 

 never be made. 



The staff under him is of far less importance, 

 for a keen and up-to-date manager will speedily 

 detect and weed out the chaff from the good 

 and conscientious workers, whilst a good "sub.," 



