long submission and faulty teaching to believe that the system is a
part of the natural order, a result of divine ordainment.

This attitude of the poor down-trodden laborers is one of the most
effective blocks in the way of his improvement. But the despair of
every one who dares to tackle this problem of improving the economic
and therefore the social and moral condition of the laborers of this
island is based on the inertness which almost amounts to callous
indifference of the local Government.

The following letters addressed to me by the Colonial Secretary of
Jamaica deserves to be put on record as evidence of the mind of the
government, in 1913,--of its inability or unwillingness to take the
first step. Letter A was written at the direction of Sir Sydney
Olivier, K.C.M.G., then Governor of Jamaica, who recently expressed
the opinion that the laborers in this island should receive one dollar
a day. That letter is valuable in that it is an official statement of
the maximum wages paid by the government of Jamaica to its own
laborers. Letter B was written at the direction of the then Colonial
Secretary, Mr. P. Cork, and is even more valuable as an official
pronouncement on the important question of a living wage.

LETTER A.

"17th January, 1913.

No. 787/15568

With reference to the letter from this office No. 13099/15568
dated the 6th November last and to previous correspondence in
connection with your suggestion that the Government should raise
the wages of their laborers, I am directed by the Governor to
inform you that it appears from enquiries made by His
Excellency's direction that the average wage now earned by
laborers under the Public Works Department is approximately one
shilling and eight pence half penny (41 cents) for an average day
of ten hours, so that in an average day of ten hours the laborers
would at the same rate of pay earn two shillings and one penny
half penny" (51 cents).

LETTER B.

"8th March, 1913.

No. 2926/3268

The Acting Governor directs me to acknowledge the receipt of your
letter of the 26th ultimo on the subject of the amount of wages
paid to native laborers in the employment of the Government, and
in reply to say that no acknowledgement of the correctness of
your contention that one shilling and sixpe