l84 TiMEHRl. 



The day's labour to last eight hours, and the contrafl to be for one 

 or two years with the right of renewal if the parties agree. 



Under these conditions Mr. Rodriguez thought that 

 immigrants could be procured, but he was not quite 

 certain, on account of the present African dispute. 



The chairman said that the terms appeared to him 

 rather high, and he did not think they were in a posi- 

 tion to contra6l for many people at those rates. 



Mr. Bellairs said that such engagements would be 



simply impossible on sugar estates on account of the 



system of task work. He then brought forward the 



following resolution :— 



" That in view of the prospeftive scarcity of Agricultural labour in 

 the near future, consequent on the great development of the Gold and 

 other Industries, this Meeting respeftfully urges upon His Excellency 

 the Governor, the necessity of steps being taken to introduce labourers 

 who are willing to come under contraft from the West Indian Islands, 

 Madeira, the Azores, Cape de Verdes, &c." 



Mr. Geo. Garnett, in seconding the resolution, said 

 he thought the best scheme that had been brought for- 

 ward was that of the Planters' Association, who had 

 sent round circulars asking the planters whether they 

 were prepared to take Barbadian or Portuguese labour- 

 ers. He thought that better than simply saying, 

 " we want labourers and you can arrange the matter 

 for us." 



Mr. Julius Conrad said that Mr. Bellairs' motion 

 apparently contemplated only estates labour, his idea 

 was that the Government should borrow three or four 

 millions sterling, and get a sufficient supply of labour 

 once for all, at the expense of the colony. This would 

 be no burden on the community, as every new arrival 

 would increase the revenue. 



