When, under such circumstances, a planter complained that he did not make the fortune he anticipated, and reasoned that therefore sugar planting in the Islands is unprofitable, he seemed to me to speak beside the question--for his agent and creditor, his employer in fact, made no complaint: _he_ always made money; and as he had invested the money to carry on the enterprise, this was but the natural result.
The planters make a grave mistake in not acting together and advising together on their most important interests.

There are so few of them that it should be easy to unite; and yet for lack of concerted action they suffer important abuses to go on.

For instance, it is a serious loss to the planter that when he ships or engages a hand he must pay a large "advance," amounting usually to at least half a year's pay.

This custom is hurtful to the laborer, who wastes it, and it inflicts a serious loss upon the planter.

Suppose he employs a hundred men, and pays fifty dollars advance, he invests at once five thousand dollars for which he gets no interest, though if, as is probable, he borrowed it, he must pay one per cent.