A Day In The Life Of A Tea-Planter

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 408, 17 December 1932, Page 14

A Day In The Life Of A Tea-Planter

COOLIES NEED CONSTANT SUPERVISION AND CAREFUL HANDLING

ATEA planter's day in mid-season begins early in tbe morning and finisbes late — if it can be said to finish, for bis niglits are often disturbed. A coolie may bave temporarily lost tbe use of hiis senses and run riot in tbe lines (garden village), an accident may liave occurred to a teabouse coolie working on the niglitsbift, or a but in tbe garden village may have taken fire and be threatening to destroy tbe others. The manager's presence is always necessary cn tbese occasions. I rise about 6.30 a.111., bastily. swallow my morning cup of tea and biscuits, and go immediately to the tealiouse, wbich is some considerable dis. tane© away from my bungalow. My chief-object before brealcfast is to ascertain the quality of tea manufactured tbe day before. This is commonky known as "tea-tasting," or in tbe vernacular as "tea-spitting." I bave to taste at least two lots — tbe unsorted quality of tbe previous day's manufacture, and tbe finished product of the day before tbat. I11 addition to tbese, we obtain samples of neighbouring gardens' teas to compare witb our own — a state of rivalry wbich is ox tremely beneficial to tbe trade. This occupies a considerable portion of tln» time before breakfast, anfi is of im portance, as it may result in sligbtly altering tbe process of manufacture in order to amend any lack of quality or fault wbich bas been detected in tlie tea. It must be remembered tbat tbe leaf passes tbrough many processes of manufacture — pluclting, witliering. rolling, fermenting, and firing — all baving a definite bearing on tlie quality and all liable to sligbt alteration according to tbe state of the weather. I have several otber ininor duties to attend to in tbe early part of tbe morning — scheduling tbe day's programme for tbe motor-lorries, seeing what proportion of tea was produced to tbe amount of leaf weiglied tbe previous day, and arranging for the packing and dispatcb of the sorted teas. I also like to walk round every department in tbe tea-house to see tbat everytbing is in order for tbe day. I hav£ breakfast between 8.30 and 9.30, and on my return I spend all tbe time until luncb 111 tbe garden itself. I go near to tbe scene of tbe work in my car and tramp the rest of the way between the tea hushes, My

to work. Sbortage of labour in mid-sea-sou is one of tbe planter's greatest truubles, and a slack labour force is a serious tbing. Tbe workers bave to be treated witb diplomacy, else tbey rebtl and abscoiul, and a greater evil succeeds tlie first. Then 1 examine tbe quality of tbe pluclting and walk over yesterday's st :lions to see bow tbey look wben fii islied. I also visit tbe untouched sections of the garden to find out wbich sbould be plucked tbe following day. My otber morning duties are to visit tbe nurseries, tbe sections wliere J pruning is in progross, tbe places j w"iere shado trpes are being planted. jai d so 011. Tbe average tea garden is | between 700-800 acres, and employs I about 1200-1300 coolies. At 1 t) 111. 1 supervise tlie weigbing in. Tbe coolies queue up witb baskets filled witb leaf, unq tbese are weiglied iniividually, tlie coolie being paid acinyly at tbe week-end. This also aff>rds an excellent opportunity for as oi xtaiiiing tbe work of Ihe coolies in dividuall.v. I then go to my bungalow .13 (1 cliange- -for in mid-season the ! n iu cowes down in torrents, and we ibi've au average of two inclies a day ! bave my luncb, and take a well- | rnod rest 011 the bed for lialf an liout 01 more. About 3 p.111. 1 am back agaki, but in my ofiice. I am beset \vitb all m.amer of duties for tbe next tliree lit.-nrs. Apart from general ollice work ai.cl accouuts, analysing labour statistics, supplying Governmental wants. fi.r wbich I am rcsponsible tbrough m-y n: tive clerks, there are garden labour tr.iubles to settle and coolies to barg in witb. Labour recruits bave to be dispatehed to tbeir own districts fcr additional labour. One of my coolies may want to marry a girl from a neighbouring garden, and I vvrito to • tbe manager to obtain his formal consent. I have to senxl rural policemen to searcli for absconders, inspect tbe private garden hospitals, and receive tho doctoi's reports. We bave tbe private roads and bridges to keep in order, the garden villages also, and at tbe week-end to distribute tbe e( olies' pay. But my main objective in tbe afterneons is to schedule tbe next day's programme— to arrange wbat sections to pluclt, prune, manure, etc. . Tbe next weighing-in time is about 6.30 p m., and at 7 p.m. or tbereabouts I am