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29 chapter v y The Head Overseer and the Subordinate Overseers Who Preside in the Milling, the Estate, and the Cane Fields; Their Duties and Salaries The overseers are the planter’s arms for the good administration of his estate and people. However, if each one wants to be boss, then that administration will become a monster, a true likeness of the dog Cerberus, whom the poets fabulously endowed with three heads. I do not say that authority should not be given to the overseers, but I do say that this authority must be well regulated and subordinate , not absolute. The lesser should be subordinate to the higher, and all of them to the planter whom they serve. It is desirable that the slaves should be convinced that the head overseer has great authority to order, to reprimand, and to punish them when necessary. However, this should be done in such a way that they likewise know that they can appeal to the planter, and that he will give them a just hearing. Nor should the other overseers, just because they are endowed with authority, believe that they have unlimited and boundless power to imprison and punish slaves. For this reason, the planter should clearly state exactly what authority he gives to each of them, and give more to the head overseer. If they exceed these limits, he should rebuke them sharply with the reprimand that their excesses deserve, but not in front of the slaves, because they might, at a later time, become insubordinate to the overseer. He will resent being reprimanded in front of them and lose his confidence in ordering them about. It will be sufficient if the planter, through a third person, informs the slave who suffered (and some of the more senior ones on the estate) that the overseer was severely reprimanded for the fault which he committed and was told that if he would not mend his ways, he would certainly be dismissed. On no account should the overseer be allowed to kick the slaves, especially not the stomachs of pregnant women. Nor should they be 30 The Cultivation of Sugar allowed to strike slaves with a stick, for in their anger they do not count their blows and they thus may inflict a mortal injury on the head of a very valuable slave and cause his death. On the other hand, the overseer may well be allowed when necessary to reprimand the slaves and to teach them by giving them a few lashes on the back with a stick. Moreover , it is a good thing for him to imprison runaways, those who wound each other by fighting, or those who get drunk, so that the planter may later order them to be punished, as they deserve. However, under no circumstances whatever should the overseer be allowed to tie up a slave and whip him until the blood runs. Nor should an overseer be allowed to place a slave in chains for months on end (when the planter is away in the city), such as when a female slave refuses him the use of her body. Also, the overseer cannot be allowed to falsely accuse a male slave who gives a truthful account of the disloyalty, brutality, and cruelty of the overseer. To condone such proceedings would be to employ a ravenous wolf and not a Christian and temperate overseer. It is the duty of the head overseer to control the people on the plantation and to allot them their various tasks as required for the service of the estate. It is his job to learn from the planter whom he should tell to cut their cane and without delay to send each a message to that effect. He must also prepare the boats and the carts to transport the cane, the molds, and the firewood. He must give the planter a list of everything needed for the functioning of the mill before it begins to operate. As soon as the harvest is finished, he must see that everything is put away in its place. He must ensure that nobody fails in his duty. He must be ready to intervene at once when any accident happens, so as to remedy it as much as possible. When a slave falls ill, he should excuse him from work and put another in his place. He should also tell the planter so that he can have the sick man cured, and the chaplain so that he can...

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