São Tomé e Principe - Workforce
With slave labor from the African mainland, the fertile volcanic soil was transformed into the world’s biggest sugar producing plantations. After the slave revolt in 1595, led by national hero King Amador, many plantation owners became frightened by the insecurity and retreated to Brazil.
The majority of the Portuguese resident in San Thome and Principe either belonged to the official classes or were engaged in the cocoa industry. Practically all agriculture was in Portuguese hands. Owing to climatic conditions they did not settle permanently in the islands. The natives, apart from the Angolares, were scattered over the province in small groups or in isolated families. A few of the better educated engaged in agriculture or business, but the majority preferred to do nothing. The abundance of natural products enabled them to obtain their food with little or no difficulty, while the warm climate reduced demands for housing and clothing to a mininum. A certain number of natives were employed 0n the cocoa plantations, but as a general rule work there was regarded as derogatory. Intemperance was said to prevail.
The Angolares were a strong and vigorous people, but were more or less nomadic, and would not engage in regular labor. The chief service which they performed was the clearance of forest areas required for plantations. This work suited them, as they were paid by the piece, and could vary their hours as they chose. For a number of years the cocoa-planters obtained their labor mainly from Angola, but the conditions under which it was engaged were considered so unsatisfactory that the Portuguese authorities were for some years compelled to suspend recruiting in that province. In 1908, 2,099 laborers were imported from Angola, 1,466 from Mozambique, and 132 from Cape Verde, while 4,036 were repatriated to Mozambique, and 64 to Cape Verde. During the following three years importations from Angola were suspended, but 8,757 labourers were brought to San Thome from Mozambique, and 572 from Cape Verde. On the other hand, during the same period, 1,939 were returned to Angola, 1,719 to Mozambique, and 442 to Cape Verde. Those from Angola were recruited in the first instance for two or three years. In 1908 one-year contracts were introduced for labourers from Mozambique.
The recruiting of labourers for the islands was conducted by the agents of the Sociedade de Emigraao para Sao Thome e Principe. This was a limited liability company, not working for profit, with a registered capital of 20,000 escudos and a membership restricted to estate owners in the two islands. Its functions were similar to those of the Witwatersrand Native Labour Association in the Transvaal. It undertook the recruiting and contracting of laborers in the African continent and in Cape Verde, their conveyance to the islands in conformity with conditions laid down by law, and their distribution to the planters whose indents it executed. It had been in existence only since June 1914, but by December 1916 had supplied no less than 22,330 hands to its members. Repatriation of the labourers at the expiry of their contracts was carried out by the Curador, a Government official exercising magisterial powers. He supervised all arrangements affecting the immigrants from their arrival in the islands to their final departure, including payment to them of their bonus or savings on arrival at their homes.
The servicaes, or indentured laborers, lived under artificial conditions which varied from time to time and place to place. On some of the rocas (plantations) they occuppied huts built in the native fashion, but in most cases they were quartered in large barrack-like buildings or in rows of wooden houses raised on stone foundations. Their food was povided for them, but, in addition to their rations, they were as a rule allowed to gather the fruits which grew in abundance on all plantations. Nearly every rocas had its hospital, and on some schools had been provided. On the whole the laborers seemed to be well treated by their employers while on the plantations; the international difficulties regarding contract labor which had been settled arose from the fact that provisions for repatriation either did not exist or were totally inadequate.
Statistics at the time of the Great War indicated that the death-rate on the plantations was between 8 and 10 percent, which, as it related in the main to an adult population, was high. Among the children of servicaes the death-rate was very high, and apparently the birth-rate did little more than balance it. The high death-rate was probably due chiefly to the changed conditions of life and work experienced by the imported laborers. Good quarters were provided on many of the plantations, but it is questionable whether the natives of Angola and Mozambique were as healthy in them as they would be in huts made in the manner to which they have been accustomed. The chief causes of death were dysentery, pulmonary diseases, and tuberculosis. Accidents were also frequent, as the servicaes were at first inexperienced with the tools they used. 0n the lowlands, malaria was prevalent, but it did not seem to affect the cocoa plantations seriously, as these were higher up.
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