The Slave Exploiter (2)
In Mississippi, the cotton harvest usually begins in August.
June and July are the months for final preparations leading up to the harvest, but that doesn't mean the intensity of the labor is any lower.
On the last Saturday of June, in the front yard of the slave village's distribution warehouse.
“Alright, line up properly! The ration per person is fixed, so don't even think about sneaking in for a second helping!”
“If you’re caught trying to cheat the system, you’ll be punished on the spot!”
On Saturday evenings, when most plantations distribute a week’s worth of food, this place is always bustling with people.
From the Black Slave Drivers who lead the farm work, to the women in charge of food and laundry, to the blacksmiths and the teamsters who handle the wagons and cargo—everyone is there.
Almost everyone gathers in one place, if only for a short while, which allows them to chat briefly without getting caught by the overseers.
“Leo, is that really true? Did the new master… the young master really say that?”
“Yes. It seems he intends to do things very differently from the previous master.”
“You guys, do you really believe that? Anyone can say anything. Every plantation is the same. When a new master comes, they say, ‘I am a reasonable master,’ ‘I won’t use excessive corporal punishment,’ ‘As long as you do your part, no one will be punished.’ They all say that, but in the end, it’s all the same.”
The head Slave Driver, who held the most influence among the field slaves, chimed in while glancing around to make sure they weren't being overheard.
Under Mississippi law, slaves are not allowed to gather freely without the supervision of a master or an overseer. Anyone who sees slaves violating this must report them to the authorities immediately, and unauthorized nighttime gatherings could be suspected as a conspiracy to riot.
However, since this gathering was implicitly permitted by James, the master, there was no chance an overseer would come near. But Leo didn't mention that.
If he appeared too close to the master, he could be misunderstood as a snitch for the Seth family.
“I’m not saying the new master is an altruistic person who cares for us. I’m just telling you what I experienced because he asked for my opinion.”
“Then… is that story really true?”
The field drivers, who had gathered around while pretending to receive their rations, reacted with disbelief.
People usually think that slaves, being in the same boat, would have a strong sense of solidarity, but they are human, too. The solidarity only exists within their own groups, and there is a strange distance between those who work in the fields and those who work inside the mansion.
The field slaves want information, but at the same time, they think those working in the mansion are living comfortably. Conversely, those in the mansion openly complain about why they have to draw lines when they are all in the same situation.
Still, they know they have to cooperate, so they don't fight openly.
“Haven't I said it several times? Besides, you asked for information, so what do you want me to do if you won't believe me?”
“But it’s such an unexpected story…”
“It’s not just me; Sam, who is in charge of the cargo, experienced it too. Sam is saying there isn't a single lie in what I’m saying, isn't he?”
Leo didn't particularly praise James to the drivers responsible for the fields. He simply followed his master's orders faithfully and relayed what he had experienced while traveling to New York.
“So… you’re saying the new master paid the ship’s crew extra to make sure the slaves could stretch their legs and rest, told the hotel manager to clean the basement where the slaves were staying, checked it himself, and did the same thing on the train to New York?”
“Yes, that’s all correct. But there was a reason for it. He said it would be a headache if the slaves who had to serve him got sick. The new master seems to be someone who handles everything rationally and efficiently.”
“You know him, don't you? That man didn't have that kind of personality at all when he was young.”
“He said that now that he’s the head of the house, he feels that all of this is his own Human Asset.”
Treating one’s own property differently from others' is a natural attitude for a person. If a person is extremely protective of their possessions, it wouldn't be strange for them to handle their own slaves with care so they don't break.
The head driver and the other field drivers exchanged complex looks and dispersed.
Of course, they weren't naive enough to have high expectations based on Leo’s words alone. Even if it was a hope as faint as dust, everyone knew from experience how much despair would return if that hope were crushed.
‘But…’
Leo clenched his fists as he watched his fellow countrymen disperse as if nothing had happened. Even though he knew it was foolish to have expectations.
‘It’s not wrong to hope that a little bit of sunlight might shine into this dark hell.’
For the last time in his life, he wanted to believe in the concept of ‘rationality’ that his master had spoken of.
The next day, at lunch.
After a pious service preaching about how the Southern system is Christian and consistent with the Bible, I filled the void left by the pastor without dismissing those gathered in the chapel.
“Nice to meet you. As you all know, I am James Seth, who has inherited you after my father.”
It is a tradition in Mississippi for a new master to call the slaves together to briefly explain his future policies when the ownership of a plantation changes.
Most masters end it with a retreat-like speech saying that they can be angels or devils depending on how the slaves behave. Or, to show their authority, some masters personally punish slaves who were usually rebellious to instill fear.
This time, it was neither.
“First, I have a major announcement. From now on, our plantation will abandon the existing inefficient methods and apply completely new management techniques.”
“...Gasp!”
“New techniques… does that mean it will get harder?”
“I guess so… he said the existing method was inefficient.”
Voices of anxiety were heard from all sides, but the noise soon died down, perhaps because the fear was greater than the anxiety. Still, the field drivers were listening to me relatively calmly, perhaps because of what they heard from Leo yesterday.
It’s a good thing I had him drop a hint yesterday.
“First, I will tell you only the main points. If I allow questions from everyone, it will be too chaotic, so the head driver will ask on your behalf if you have any questions.”
“Yes.”
“First, the existing coercive Gang System will be completely abolished. From now on, an appropriate amount of work will be assigned to each team, and teams that fail to meet this will receive penalties, while teams that exceed it will be reorganized into a structure where they receive additional rewards.”
There was no intense reaction as I had expected. It wasn't because they were unimpressed, but because few people understood it properly.
“Master, does that mean it will change to a structure similar to a wheat farm?”
“No, the basic concept is similar, but the detailed structure is completely different. I have overhauled everything from start to finish to make it suitable for a cotton plantation.”
No matter how much I continue with boring and pedantic explanations, most of the people here won't understand anyway. So, let’s emphasize the big picture first.
“From now on, there will be no physical punishment, including whipping, when working. Also, if you achieve the assigned goal, you can finish work immediately and rest for the day.”
“...Yes?”
“Ohhhh!”
“Oh God…!”
Look, the reaction is immediate.
“Punishment will only be carried out for disobedience and intentional sabotage. Of course, if you consistently fail to achieve the assigned work, you will be sold to another plantation.”
“Ah…”
“The reason I don't use punishment is because inflicting physical pain only increases the risk of injury and doesn't improve work efficiency as much as expected. Keep in mind that the work you and I have to do from now on is simply to increase cotton production as efficiently as possible from beginning to end.”
“Ma, Master! May I ask one thing? Cotton yields vary from day to day due to its nature. How exactly do you intend to set this goal…”
“That’s why I said I would divide it into teams, not individuals. Our plantation’s cotton yield is already organized by records, so I will set the average yield to date as the standard and realistically adjust it according to the weather and the state of the plantation. I intend to reflect the opinions of the field, so don't worry about that part.”
Are they worried about what happens if I set an impossible, outrageous goal? But if I did that, their motivation would plummet immediately, so unless I’m an idiot, that wouldn't happen.
The most important thing in this system is to set the extra rewards at a level that can be achieved if they work with all their might and as efficiently as possible.
For now, if I set it slightly higher than the average of the last three years conservatively, there shouldn't be any major problems.
“Then, only the field drivers stay, and the rest of you are dismissed. If anyone wants to hear the explanation, you can watch from the back.”
It was normal to work half a day even on Sundays when the harvest season began, so usually, people would have rushed out like an ebbing tide to enjoy even one more minute of a full holiday.
“...No one is leaving.”
This time, everyone kept their seats without even a sound, as if they had promised to do so.
“Then I will explain from now on. This new policy will be applied immediately after a three-day preparation period, and after a one-month trial period, we will decide whether to continue. So everyone, do your best with all your might.”
Since the overseer is watching, I don't forget to add a word that sounds like a vicious plantation owner until the end. Now, let’s really get started.
It is surprisingly common for modern people to be shocked when they see the actions of the 18th or 19th centuries, wondering how they could be so stupid.
This is not because human intelligence has reached a singularity in 150 years, but because the power of the system that humanity has refined over 150 years is that absolute.
In particular, the more office workers who have already reached the ranks of developed countries, the more they cannot help but admire how an organization can be operated in such a way when they go on business trips to developing countries.
How much more so in the 1850s?
Minor procedures or parts of systems that are taken for granted in large Korean conglomerates in the 21st century are nothing short of unprecedented innovations at this time.
I realized anew that modern people have lived so easily enjoying the total sum of knowledge that humanity has accumulated so far.
The same goes for changing the way the plantation is operated. Since I didn't know much about cotton farming itself, I just changed the system to reduce unnecessary labor consumption thoroughly.
The core principles can be summarized simply as follows.
First, I abolished the irrational method of holding individuals infinitely responsible and assigned a common goal by forming teams of 6 to 8 people.
Next, I carried out the division of labor by team more thoroughly. I made those who pick cotton focus only on picking, and those who carry the full sacks focus only on carrying.
Previously, because people worked individually, I offset the labor wasted by overlapping movements in useless places with this.
Of course, since those who pick cotton have the greatest burden, they were almost exempted from other odd jobs. Also, I made it easier to achieve the work goal by giving additional points to cotton picked ‘cleanly,’ not just picking a lot.
Finally, I divided the afternoon break, which was already in effect, more systematically to transform it into a certain re-supply time.
Besides this, I eliminated about 31 minor inefficiencies and also prepared a clear goal for exceeding the target.
Broadly speaking, it can be said to be quality management, dynamic goals, division of labor, a clear incentive system, and fatigue improvement through management.
You might say that’s all, but considering that all sorts of social experiments and verifications followed to systematize and establish this, it cannot be said to be just that.
And with just this, the results were certain.
“Master! It’s an amazing result!”
“Really? Let me hear it.”
“Actually, during the trial period, I thought it would be fortunate if work efficiency exceeded 90% of the existing level… but a really encouraging result came out.”
John showed me the specific work achievement table he had organized by week according to my instructions and made a fuss.
“First, the first week was a period of adaptation, so it was chaotic, and the target achievement was more than 10% short. But from the second week, it was almost normalized, and in the third week, efficiency clearly increased.”
“Really?”
“Yes. And in the fourth week, the repair rate of the drainage system as well as the intermediate growth indicators clearly improved. If the efficiency of the last week is maintained, wouldn't the actual profit increase by at least 10% even in the harvest season?”
Of course, it is assumed that this performance is maintained throughout the year, but I wasn't particularly worried about that part.
Moreover, at least 10% means that if they do well, the profit could increase by up to 15%.
“Then there’s no reason not to maintain this. Isn't that right?”
“Yes, yes! Of course! Master, I have never doubted your wisdom from the beginning…”
“Enough. Take this.”
Thud.
Doubt filled the face of the overseer, John, who received the heavy bag that fell on the desk.
“What is this?”
“Performance bonus. I said I’d give you triple, right? Don't go anywhere else, and make sure you stick around here.”
John wasn't stupid enough not to know that this also served as hush money, so he immediately smiled broadly and bowed his waist at a right angle.
“Yes! I will serve the Seth family for the rest of my life and bury my bones in this plantation!”
“Then go and tell the field drivers. Tell them we will continue with this policy, so don't slack off and work hard, producing cotton with all your might.”
“Yes! If those guys have any brains, they’ll work with all their might.”
Of course they will. They couldn't have failed to feel that this environment is almost like heaven compared to before.
A few minutes after John left my room.
I smiled as I heard the enthusiastic cheers coming from the yard.
“Wooooooo!”
“Long live the Master! Long live the Seth plantation!”
“We will work harder! Please trust us!”
The last Sunday of July 1856.
The Seth family’s plantation abandoned the old-fashioned methods and changed its management policy to a method that can aim for more efficient and higher production.
It was the moment I, James Seth, became the hope of everyone here.