Viewing page 93 of 346

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

2

From February 4" to 20", I approved Fifty four (54) Contracts, making a total from January 1" to Febry 20" 1867, of One hundred & twenty three (123) Contracts approved in this Office.

I regret to state that large numbers of the Freedmen have left this District and are still continuing to do so. I am informed their destination is Houston, Galveston & the smaller towns. This decrease of labor is greatly detrimental to the agricultural interest of this section, more particularly oweing to the fact that the Women remain; as a general thing they are not Contracting or working. A large amount of cleared and cultivateable land will be necessarily compelled to lay idle during the whole year for want of labor.

These facts are brought more forcibly to my notice every day but I am powerless to remedy the evil. Therefore would respectfully ask your consideration of the matter, so if possible to alter the same in future.

On the 1" of January 1867 the Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue for this District gave me notice, that all Contracts approved in this office for the year 1867, must have affixed a five (5) cent Revenue stamp to each name party to the Contract, to one