The Dutch Agricultural Colonies, 
797 
having more than four children, where such a course appears 
desirable. 
The principle of the Society appears always to have been to 
set before the colonist the prospect of becoming the absolute 
master (within the limits of the regulations) of the land which 
he occupies ; and with the object of encouraging him to a better 
and more profitable cultivation of the soil, it offers to him the 
inducement of becoming a " free farmer " after a certain period 
of earnest work. At first, however, he is a mere labourer in 
the service of the Society on one of the six large farms which it 
manages. He is paid at fixed rates for his work, the wages, 
which are paid every Thursday, amounting to Is. 2d. per day in 
the summer and lOd. in winter. Most of the work is done by 
the piece ; and in these cases, of course, more money can be 
earned. Permission is often given to the labourers to seek em- 
ployment outside the colonies, but they are entitled to obtain 
work all the year round. In tlie winter it is sometimes difficult 
to procure them useful occupation, and therefore, in addition to 
the six farms, several basket-making, mat-making, and weaving 
establishments have been erected. 
The children are required to attend school, and if the father 
cannot earn enough for the wants of his family he receives for 
some years a weekly supply of food, clothes, or money. The 
labourers pay 7d. a week for the cottage allotted to them by the 
colony, about a halfpenny (three cents) for each member of the 
family for medical attendance, 2d. each to the clothing fund, 
and 10 per cent, of the whole wages to a reserve fund. For 
example : A family consists of man, wife, and four children. 
The man earns 6s. per week, and the wife and children, by 
basket-making, sewing, &c., os., making a total of Os. They 
pay — 
s. d. 
For rent of cottage 0 7 
For medical attendance, six persons at 
3 cents 0 .3| 
Clothing fund, six persons at 2t?. . .10 
Reserve fund, 10 per cent, of 9^. (say) . Oil 
Thus he has in hand 9s. less 2s. 9^d. = (js. 2ld. per week for 
food and other requirements. 
Every three months the family can get clothes for the 
money they have in the clothing fund, and every month they 
can draw out their money in the reserve fund. 
After from two to five years' work, the labourer mav, if 
industrious and well-behaved, be promoted to be a free farm ?r 
(f/-)j hoer) — i.e., to become a tenant of one of the Society's smill 
