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FORRES
(300-400
acres)
Category - High grown
1958
This was an "acting"
appointment, or an "Act" as it was commonly
called. One "acted" or was "acting"
and, almost always, acts were given to SDs on
the verge of becoming a PD. At times, however,
an SD had to be appointed as a PD without previously
acting. In either case, these initiate PDs were
"over-looked" by the nearest company
PD or, where one such was not conveniently close,
presumably an outsider was appointed. Over-looking
PDs were paid extra for this.
My over-looking PD was in his
mid to late thirties and reasonably senior in
the Company. Immediately after my arrival on Forres
he came over for a chat and said to me, 'You know
more about this business that I do so I will leave
you to it. If there is anything you want signed
send it over to me.' Well! This certainly surprised
me, but it also suited me perfectly.
When taking over or handing
over, a procedure that took two to three days,
the incoming person did a complete stock take,
from tools to rice to tea to PD's bungalow furniture
and cash in the office safe. The remaining time
was spent in the field, office and factory for
the familiarization of the newcomer with matters
relevant to the property.
Somewhere along
the line since I started planting I had come to
the realisation, through unconscious self-analysis
and self-observation, that I set my own standards,
and that these standards were higher than those
expected of me by my employer and my supervisors.
This was no burden to me; in fact, it is possible
that it made things easy for me.
Forres
was a good, compact plantation with a very nice
bungalow and garden, a tiny swimming pool, a car
and a driver. The office was not separate, but
in the factory. The story regarding the pool was
that the PD who built it (fairly recently) got
into serious trouble for doing so - no doubt due
to the Mr. Masefield's unwarranted bias against
swimming pools. Comprising the senior staff were,
the Head Clerk plus two clerks in the office,
the Teamaker and an assistant in the factory,
and a Conductor in the field. The workforce numbered
about 525.
The usual daily schedule of a PD was a field round,
which could include the factory, in the morning
from 7.30 to noon or a little after, and office
work from 1.30 pm to 4.30 pm. This latter could
include a factory visit if it had not been done
in the morning, or the visit could be after the
office closed. I soon found that there was insufficient
work on Forres to occupy the day unless, of course,
one felt morally compelled to spend the full day
working. My conclusion was that the main, and
only, criterion was that a plantation ran well
and efficiently, to the highest achievable standard,
in all respects. As was my wont, I insisted on,
and got, a high standard of work by disciplining
as well as nurturing and teaching my workers and
staff. I did not, however, call for the perfection
as demonstrated with the dapap lopping on Carlabeck.
I also realised that too much of a PD's presence
in any one section was liable to stress all those
in these sections, as well as to undermine the
authority and responsibilities of the supervisory
staff. In fact, when I had visitors staying for
a day or more I spent my time with them without
compunction, even dictating letters to my clerk
over the phone and having sent to the bungalow
anything needing my signature. Needless to say,
however, I was available in the event of anything
happening that required my attention. Apart from
all that I had a policy that any place on my plantation
could be visited by me at any time, day or night
- to me, unpredictability was a key factor in
achieving efficiency all round. After I had left
Forres after my second stint I was told by a Forres
worker who visited me on Radella that the then
Forres PD was disconcerting the workers by his
constant presence in the field, and that they
were unhappy.
The
majority of the plantation was relatively flat
below a backdrop of three fields on a steep mountain
face. The tea was of medium jat but was yielding
well and had potential. Unusually, it was the
high slopes that were the highest yielding, possibly
due to better jat but I cannot remember.
Here
was my first exposure, in the office, to accounts
and estimates, and in the factory, manufacture
and the 'Factory Diary', the book detailing the
daily activities and results in the factory. I
was impressed by system of accounting based on
Cost Of Production (or COP) per pound of tea manufactured.
Every item of expenditure listed in the accounts,
and duplicated in the annual estimates (budget),
some 130 under revenue expenditure and 25 under
capital expenditure, was defined as COP/lb. For
me, who disliked accounts strongly and abhorred
the necessity of checking the monthly accounts
and signing for dozens of things each month, the
system was very helpful in monitoring expenditure
against estimate with reference to all items.
The
Act was uneventful except for it being an excellent
learning experience and, having completed it,
I returned to Holyrood as SD until I moved to
Ingoya.
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