Voices from the Hills. Ancil Neil
ideas of what hard work really was.
3.Should such individuals be employed in a factory, office, or any other type of job, it was likely that they would leave after a few weeks or months.
There were various contributing factors responsible for Unemployment.
1.The fact that one had to get up early, travel some distance to work, work eight hours a day, while most of his friends were able to sit around comfortably idle.
2.The fact that one was jeered at by many of his friends who considered that work was for 'squares'.
3.The fact that there were no small industries or factories in the area.
4.Above all, the simple economic fact, that by working in a full time job, one had less money in his pocket than if he was to 'hustle' for a living.
The concept of 'hustling' or to 'hustle' encompasses a multitude. Not just anyone can be a hustler. Hustling is an art developed after constant practice. A hustler must have certain innate qualities to succeed. The hustler gets up in the morning, whenever he feels like. He would walk the streets and, should he see a taxi driver washing his car, he would ask, "Can I wash your car friend?" The taxi driver may reply, "okay." The hustler may receive a pittance of one dollar for his service. Continuing his hustle, he may see someone digging a ditch to construct a fence or erect a wall. Uninvited, he would immediately get involved and help for an hour or more. At the end of such period, he receives another pittance. After a series of menial jobs following the same pattern, lunch time has arrived. Efforts are now turned from labour to soliciting money from his friends or acquaintances returning from their jobs or from lunch. At the end of the day, the hustler would have accumulated maybe, five or six dollars. This money is used to purchase a little food, cigarettes and attend a movie.17
Now let us examine the situation of an individual who was offered an $18.00-per-week job. It soon becomes known that this individual has permanent employment. His guardian or parents, as a matter of tradition, requested a contribution of $8.00 per week, for food and personal domestic upkeep. His sister was now demanding $1.00 or $2.00 for laundering his clothes. His less fortunate companions, aware of his employment, also made their demands. "Every one wanted a piece of the action."
Employment for this individual was much more expensive than hustling. Everyday life continued as a financial burden. His salary of $18.00 a week had resulted in horizontal rather than vertical mobility. At the end of the week working eight hours a day, five days a week, he was only able to keep $1.00 or $5.00 for his personal use. Previously, he could have pocketed $5.00 or $6.00 a day through the art of hustling. Therefore, it is not financially beneficial for a young man in Laventille to work for less than $25.00 a week, if he can hustle. These are simple logical facts.18
The preceding description nullifies the notion that Laventille youths were not willing to work. The real reason being, unemployment had always been rampant in the community, therefore, the young people had developed their own system of surviving in a dismal jungle of unemployment, by a way of life called "hustling".
Another factor militating against placing young people in jobs was the existence of the "Prime Minister" special works program, better known as the "Crash Program". This was the employment of casual labour at the relatively high wage of $9.00 or $10.00 a day, to repair roads, build drains and other menial jobs in the area where the people concerned lived. In reality, it was a system of dole in which an individual was employed for ten days every two or three months. Since he knew he would be laid off at the end of that period, he was only prepared to do one or two hours of work a day. He came on the job at 7 a.m. and left at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. This was called "task". The program did not give the worker any sense of security in his job. The high pay and little work encouraged the worker to leave a steady job when his name appeared on the list for the cash program.
The extremely low productivity left the worker with an unrealistic insight of work, so that even though he found employment, it was with difficulty that he accepted an eight hour working day. The worker himself, had a completely ambivalent view of the program, despising it and yet powerless to say "no" when easy money was being handed out.
HOUSING
Housing problems are defined in terms of unavailability of adequate housing, inability to acquire housing accommodations because of lack of a financial resources, and an inability to improve existing housing amenities.
The housing problem was of greater concern to the members of the older age group. Younger community members did not view housing as a major problem. This was understandable, since the youths' greater concern was unemployment, and they were not responsible for supporting entire families.
The lack of funds was the common cause of poor housing conditions. Without money, residents found it impossible to construct new homes or repair damaged and dilapidated structures. As a result, most of the houses were old wooden structures, except for the few recent concrete or brick houses. The provision of housing facilities is developmental rather than a social welfare service, and as such, must be considered the responsibility of government authorities. In the case of Laventille, government officials totally neglected the housing problem, and in so doing, denied the people of this community one of the basic human needs for survival.
SOCIAL STIGMA
The community was found to have inherited a social stigma, said to have originated because of the violence in the area. From all accounts the community was said to be a peaceful one, until the early forties when steelband members in the community began fighting with steelband members of other communities.
The community became known as the most lawless in the country. The members of the steelband in the community were deemed barbaric and primitive. The area was avoided by members of other communities who held themselves to be "decent people," that could not associate with the hooligans from the hill. This stigma permeated the community and surrounding communities. It became a destructive, dehumanizing element devouring the social fabric of the Trinidadian society. The problems of poverty and unemployment in the community helped to perpetuate the stigma. As a result, the people from the Laventille community suffered from a negative self-image, a high degree of frustration, aggression and isolation.
VIOLENCE
According to reports, violence in the community came out of the early steelband members who lived and survived by their violent acts. Violence in the area was also seen as an avenue for releasing pent-up frustration harboured by the unemployment situation. Violence was also seen by many, as a means of attracting political attention. The lack of proper political representation and any sign of community improvement, was seen as responsible for the aggressiveness and bitterness in the people of Laventille.
Although many agreed that violence was part of the community, it was felt reports of violence were exaggerated. It was also stated that most of the gangs were started by members of other communities. The general consensus was, the people in the Laventille area had a right to defend themselves at whatever the cost.
STEELBAND
The study revealed that the steelband had its origin in the Laventille area. According to persons interviewed and other data collected, the Laventille community had a `tamboo-bamboo' band. "The three outstanding tamboo-bamboo bands of the late 1930's were `calvary' bamboo band which later became `Alexander's Ragtime' band, `Hell Yard' bamboo band which was to become `Cross of Lorraine', and today is known as `Trinidad All Stars', and the `Dead End Kids'19
"The `Dead End Kids' must be considered in the tamboo era for, although