LAND, LABOUR AND COMMERCE. 129 



members of the police force, to whom convict servants on or off 

 the stores were assigned as part of their remuneration. The 

 only advantage to these employees from the possession of 

 servants was the chance of hiring them out to others or per- 

 mitting them, in return for their weekly rations and a payment 

 of a few shillings, to work for themselves or, as it was called, " be 

 on their own hands". The superintendent of convicts in 1819 

 reckoned that such a servant "on the store" was worth IDS. a 

 week, and " off the store " was worth 53. Thus the remuneration 

 was equal to a salary of 13 to 26 a year. Indirectly it cost 

 more than this to the Government, for these servants were the 

 worst class of people in the Colony and it was almost impossible 

 to control them. Macquarie made an attempt to improve the 

 system in 1814. In order that these convicts should be known 

 and their place of residence properly registered, all those masters 

 (who were, many of them, convicts themselves) who hired out 

 their servants " shall immediately send in to the principal superin- 

 tendent a report in writing, and signed by them, of the names and 

 present places of residence of their said Government men, and 

 also the names of the persons by whom they are hired. On 

 receiving this report the principal superintendent is to grant a 

 certificate to each man so transferred, specifying to whom he 

 belongs and how, where and by whom employed. 



" The Government men thus disposed of, when possessed of 

 the prescribed certificate . . . are not to quit the employ of the 

 person or leave the district mentioned therein without applying 

 to and obtaining the permission of the next District Magistrate, 

 the person obtaining it is to obtain a fresh certificate from the 

 principal superintendent . . . surrendering the certificate granted 

 on the former occasion. . . . 



" All such lists and changes are to be transmitted once in each 

 month to the respective magistrates concerned therein." 1 



These regulations did not touch the evil of the servants who 

 did odd jobs on their own account, or carried on iniquitous 

 practices such as the receiving of stolen goods for their masters. 

 Nor was it strictly enforced, and by 1819 had been completely 

 forgotten. In 1817 Macquarie wished to abolish this mode of 



1 G.G.O., ist October, 1814. 

 9 



