“An annual grant has been made by the colony in aid of the education of children of the labouring population in the rural districts, amounting to 13,333 dollars.”
“The average rate of wages for agricultural labourers is about 5-12ths of a dollar per task; a day’s task is understood to be seven hours, but is generally performed in four or five hours by an industrious man; any extra time or labour is paid for additional.”
“House-room, garden ground, medicine, and medical attendance, have hitherto been granted free; all other requisites are provided by the labourers themselves[8].”
[8] Parl. Paper, 1842, p. 120. Extract from Report of Committee on Emigration.
TRINIDAD.
“By Mr. Latrobe’s Report in 1839, it appears there were 35 Day and Evening Schools, and 14 Sunday, of all denominations; whereas, by the Return of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, the Established Church alone has now 28 Schools, and it is calculated that the present number in all is not less than from 50 to 60. As regards Churches and Chapels, there are no less than 18 connected with the Established Church, 11 Roman-catholic, 4 Wesleyan, and 1 Presbyterian, together 34, for a population of from 50,000 to 60,000 souls; this would give a School for every 1,000 souls, and a Church for every 2,000.
“In the Colonial Estimate for this year, there is a provision of 1,660l. for the Established Church, and for the Roman-catholic 3,236l., as fixed expenditure, besides 5,865l. towards building Churches, and 1,937l. towards Education.”
“The soil of Trinidad is a rich marl that requires no manuring whatever, and of such soil there are fully one million of acres in brushwood and forest. Were there only a sufficiency of labour every British market might be amply supplied with Sugar from this one Island; hence, Foreign Sugars would be excluded, and the Slave Trade, as it refers to Great Britain at least, would be practically discouraged.
“In Trinidad too, Christian Ministers can live and labour with far less risk of health and loss of time. Government is also extremely willing to give half the amount required for the erection of Chapels, School-houses, Teachers’ Salaries, &c. in any part of the Island where we may have even a small Society of Emigrants.
“It is therefore my deliberate conviction that the people would gain an accession to their religious privileges by quitting any part of Western Africa for the Island of Trinidad.