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� I, 151 · jjf embers A·esent LEorsLA.TIVJ!

Oomwu;·.

Gove�·nmint LEGISLATIVE Februa1·y, COUNCIL.

reserve bustness ANNOUNCEMENT.

THE PRESIDENT : I propose to any comments as to.

future until the adjournment.

Friday, 13th 1942.

Notice& 1,152 The Council met at 12 noon, His y the Governor, Excellenc Lethem, K.C.M.G., Chair.

Sir Gqrdon President, in the GOVERNMENT NOTICES.

PRESENT.

The Hon.

the Colonial Secretary, Mr. G. D. Owen, C.M.G.

The Hon.

the Attorney-Genera], Mr. E. 0.


Pretheroe, M.C., K.C.

INTRODUCTION OF BILLS.

Notice mui given of the introduction and first reading Bills:- of the following A Rill intituled au Ordinance a pension to make special nnd gratuity for i:ranting provision to John Willia1m, Colonial Secretary).

ex-police constable.

(The A Bill intituled further to amend the Customs Duties Ordinance, 1935.

(The·Attorney-General).

an Ordinance 'The Hon.

E. F. McDavid, Treasurer.

Colonial C.B.E., The Hon.


M. B. G. Austin, Unofficial Member).

(Nominated O.B.E., The Hon.

N. M. Maclennan, Services.

of Medical Director THECOLONIALSECRETARY(M� G.D. Owen, C.M.G.)

pension of the Standing Orders to enable through all their stages.

the Bills to be taken moved the sus­ Rules and The Hon.

L. G. Crease, Director of Mr. McDAVID (Colonial Treasurer) Education.

seconded.

The Hon.

13.

R. Wood, Conservator Question put, and agreed to.

of Forests.

The Hon.


Percy C.' Wight, O.B.E., (Georgetown Central).

The Hon.

J. Eleaza1· (Berbice Rivel') .

The Hon.

J. I. deAguiar .

(Central DemeraraJ.

The Hon.

Peer B'.lcchus ( Western Berbice).

JOHN WILLIAMS PENSION BILL.

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY : I to make special move that "A Bill intituled Ordinance for granting John Williams, read the first and gratuity constable" ex-police a pension to be time.

provision an The Hon.

0.

R. Jacob (North-West­ Mr. McDAVID seconded.

ern District).
ern District).

The Hon.

J. W. Jackson Member).

Unofficial (Nominated The Hon.

T. Lee (Essequebo River).

Th.

:: Clerk read Prayers.

MINUTES.

The minutes of the Council held on Wednetiday 1 11th Feb• rua,ry1 19421 were cont\u1uH.

'I, of the meeting ., Question put, and agreed to.

Bill read the first time.

, THE COLON JAL SECRETARY: move that the Bill be read the second time.
Ex-policeman \Villiams 8erv�d in the Police of nine yea.rs and then had t.o leave on account of seven years he rejoined the Force and served for a period of J 7 ¥�In'!\ �nd 5 LMDthii, Und@r th/j of ill-health.

Force for a period After a break I ... 1.

1,153 Cnstom•Di,tie, (A.r,tdt .

)Bill 13 Fs13au,urv, 1942.

-Seoow.l Readfog · 1, l 154 OrLlinance he is not he has not because for 20 years.
Hav­ Constabulary entitled to pension served continuously ing regard to the fact that he served altogether more than 26 years, Government feels that this is a desen·­ ing case for an ex g1·atia a little award.

Mr. McDAVID seconded .

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill read the second time.

The Council resolved itself into Com­ to consider the Bill clause by u.ittee clause.

subjects.
subjects.

pr&cious clause 3 : In The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moving the second reading of the Bill I wish to point out that it deals with two separate and distinct Clause 2 deals with the export duty ou cut and cut and polished stones-diamonds-whereas deals with the import duty on certain articles polished precious recollection the war started those were clas5ified au export duty of 50 cents per carat, whereas those certitied missoner ouly for industrial were subject to an export duty of 15 cents per carat.
cut and As regards it is in the stones, of hon.

Members tha.t when which diamonds to as gems were liable of Lands and Mines as fit of attire.

by the Uom-· purposes THE COLONIAL SECRETARY : I doubt gather that there is some little as to what exactly I meant when I used the term ex gratia.

This is what is usually termed As a matter of fact, it the Bill goes a gratuit he will be granted through and a reduced will be in the neighbourhood of £90 and be will get an annual pension of about £17.

pension.
pension.

a special pension.

y The i:!l'atuity The Co'uncil resumed, THE COLONIAL SECRETARY moved that the Bill be read a third time and passed.

Mr. McDAVID seconded.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill read a third time and passed.


now arises The outbreak of war completely dis­ the diamond market, an<l was made to the diamonds, whereby all diamonds ex­ for polishing That industry now, but it is producing organized w1lh a view to assit!ting the diamond miners an amendment Ordinance FOl°ted paid a duty of 15 cents per carat.

At that date fhere was no export of cut and polished has been but since then a local industry and cutting started is just in its diamonds.
first stages cut and polished stones for export, and the as to what export question duty should be charged on those diamonds: In fact, they all go to one market,-the United that with a new It is obviously desir;:ible industry, for a long time, the duty should be the the smallest possible the principle, it.

has industry.

been decided that it would be wise to charge a very low Pxport duty.
Of rate of 15 cents on course, uncut stone& is riclicu lously low, so to add that this amendment the words " other thao cut or cut and at the end of polished 19 (1) of the paragraph (a) of section There is no Principal Ordinance, duty cha,,rged on cut or cut and specitic !iltOQOIS1 �berefor@ poli§hgd precious stones" but which wiil not cripple which we hope will be here For that purpose to establish the existing of America.
proposes tJ1ey • Will States Jo, CUSTOMS DU'l'IES (AMENDMENT) 'fHE ATTORNEY-GENERAL: I, move that "A Bill instituled an Ordi­ to amend the Customs nance further 1935" be read the Duties Ordinance, tirst.

time.

BILL.

I Mr. McDA VlD seconded.

Question put, and agreed to.

.Bil\ retl.d the fi1•f.1t tiaH>, 1,155 Cu,toma Duties (Amdt.)
Bill LEGISI,A.TIVE Cou1rnir.. -Second Reading 1,156 come under paragraph which says :- section (d) of the sub­ " (d) a. duty equi v11lent to one 11nd one-half per centum articles and producte."

of the value of all other goods, and before to declare It is obvious in ascertaining that there may be some but that .value, it will not arise because all go to the U.S.A., the value as far as it, and he will then pay value.
But into the difficulty in practice the e:tones they are exported we shall ask the exporter the knows duty on his own declared before they can be import�d U.S.A. they have Committee that is done we shall require copy of that valuation, any difference in valuation exporter's expert Committee at this end.

be adjusted and i[ there 1s between the and that of the will the difference to assess the value.
When valuation to go to an· expert a certified rearrangement by actual The reduction is effected in two ways, entirely, duties charged.

articles are certain and as a result now by a complete firstly, of the items and, secondly, change in the specific In the rearrangment omitted (d).

By allowing appear in paragraph to come in under a number of articles reductions (d)the following :-pyjamas, effected 36 cents per pair ; 24 cents ea.ch ; men's and.
boys' shirts, un·derwear, 18 cents ; neckties scarves, Those reductions deleting articles, item fd).

to come under that special and 4 cents.

18 cents ; and collars, hy merely to those the references and therefore permitting are effected will be them Preferenti a.

), in respect As to the other· items which are in it.em ( of mentioned are being made, the which reductions duty unde1· the British al Tariff is being reduced from l6J per.
cent., to 2 per cent., Tariff from 50 per cent., per pair to 6 per cent., per rair.

The reduction General Taritl: is rather important because the only present source of goods is a supply of those particular country Tariff.

'fbe addition pair we are compelled the Ottawa Agreements.
and the General plus 24 cents plus 24 cents under the 0£ 24 cents per to charge under which comes under the General As regards the next item " Other Tarift Preferential kinds '' the British is being reduced (j 2/3 per cent., Tarift of 30 per cent., pair is being reduced from 10 per cent.

to whereas the General plus 48 cents per to 20 per cent.

appear at The only other reductions (e).


The British 'I arift is being reduced to 10 per cent., and to from 30 per cent., the end in paragraph Preferential from 15 per cent., the Genera.l Tariff 20 per cent.

I duties on certain' Clause 3 of the Bill deals with to the two be aware that in this of 1932 and 1937, to char�e we are compelled preferential of attire.
In the first it makes any change law that change is a We are still bound by those to-clay, and all these are iu keeping certain articles place, wherever in the existing reduction in duty.

The amendment of the has been made at the request Prices Control Committee.

Ron.

Members will Colony we are subject Ottawa Agreements w·hereby certain articles.

.Agreements amendments duties and obligations Treaties.

obligations charges a view to keepinl:{ the country.
saying now that they were cheap articles produced Japan is now an labour.

of sweated enemy of the Empire and there is no need to continue that any longer.

The result is that this Bill seeks to remove all duties pelled to charge undeF the Ottawa A6reement!l, out of certain ·There is no harm in my with our under those Tariff with article., we have added certain other than those we are com­ by Japan as the result But in addition under the General to our The next item is 13A-woolen goods.
'I'ariff of 33 1/3 per cent.

The General the same as now, but the remains 24 cents per yard has been additional have t11,ke1A off, In ot h�1· words, we 1,157 Giistoms Dntie1 (Amdt.)

Bill 13 .FEBRUARY, 1 U42.

-Ji'ii•st Reacling I, 158 controls articles, that the reduction the Control I and that are controlled.

and fixes the it can be re9sonably will go to duties on essential particu larly articles Ir Government prices of articles certain the consumer, provided Board does its work thoroughly.
have been trying to think very hard recently as to the reason why Govern­ ment has not adopted that attitude before now.

I think it would be far better if the same principle we are adopting in regard to foodstuffs clothing.

for the favourable ­ ation of the Government.

of essential I throw out that suggestion and urgent consider to-day was adopted and articles I think those difficulties can I think even if mistakes to in­ with I may be permitted to say forward is looking to the control of prices system.
It is nearly Perhaps that the public intense interest by the marginal two months since the proposal troduce the marginal system was announced, and whilo there rnay be difficulties be overcome.

are made in the initial be corrected, but it seems peculiar that nearly two months have passed since the resolution has been done to enforce system.

As a matter of fact the prices of certain other articles fixed.
If it is not practicable duce the marginal system at the moment in respect of essential was adopted stages they can and nothing the marginal articles- to intro• ought to be THE CHAIRMAN : I wish to remind the hon.

Member that we are dealing with clause 3 of the Bill.

Mr. ,lACOB : I have said all I wanted gone as far as the Ottawa Agreement permits us to go.

Mr. McDAVID seconded.

,,., Qu1i3tion put, and agreed to.

.Bill rea.d the eeco·nd time.


The Council resolved itseU into Com­ the Bill clause by mittee to considel' clause.

Clause 3.- Mr. DEAGUIAR ; Can the Council be informed tions under claus13 revenue?

of the effect of these reduc­ 3 as regards loss of THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL: With sources me that those articles of Customs.
He are only which are ancl as the regard to that, I spoke as instructed by the Comptroller assures coming from certain non-Empire sources, average price under the General remains very slightl Preferential moment, the result iofini tesima1.

Tariff, as it is at the y above the British should be a,bsolutely Tariff Mr. JACOB: I have not been able to find 13A in the Customs Duties Ordinance of 1935. .

THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL: It was inserted 6 of 1938. by section 5 of Ordinance to say.
Mr. JACOB : I would like to say suggested.

goods in the way It would be to Government and t0 the public.

We that these changes are very welcome, but I think they ought to be extended.
I think it would be far more advisable to reduce the duties on goods rather than to subsidize it has been more economica.l more aavantageous have always complained in that the Customs duties are too high, and it was suggested that when income tax and other taxes were introduced the duties on other things would be reduced, I think now if:!

the �ime to begin to red1iQ@ the this Council somo time ago 'IRE CHAIRMAN : The hon.

Mem­ ber might have reading.


spoken on the second Mr. DEAGUIAR: I do not propose to follow the line taken by the hon.

Member, but I wish to sound a note that Government with caution as regarde reduction of du.tieij1 and ti\l.se should proceed a genera.I eever.iJ fa.<:tOl.

'fl io.to- 1;159 Customs Duties (Amdt.)

B·ill Le:msLATIVE COUNCIL, -Thfrd Reading·; 1,160 remarks.

I think that came from the Chair.

_, as far as source In other wor<ls, beforo taking a leap of the hon.
Member-I do goes the inability might have created one of the pri­ for the introduction of from a non-Empire closed to us if this Bill did consideration in the dark, however desirable it may be to reduce taxes on certain articles.
I have merely risen to state for the in­ formation not know if the mover said it, but I happen to know-that mary reasons this measure is in order to afford this Colony an opportunity to obtain those articles which wa.s practically before, not come before the Council, my knowledge obtain those articles a very clistinct ground alone I think the Bill merits every support the Council.

I am quite prepared only regret is that it was not found practicable to introduce it before.
I know that Government these things from all angles, pen to know that it was very difficult obtain these articles from Empire sources, that existed before were practically closed to us.

We· know where these goods are coming from, and if we do not pass this measure ties will continue.

from the Members of As far as I am concerned, and the non-Empire to-day those difficul­ but I hap­ to hardship.

On that has to consider to support sources it.


My t:n Mr, JACOB : Certain Members of the Council position are always in the favoured of knowin)'.

{ c�rtain things.

THE CHAIRMAN: Will the hon.

his remarks to clause 3 Member direct of the Bill, Mr. JACOB I am trying to make a point, booties, 'rHE CHAIRMAN: Have you any of clause point to raise in respect boots, overshoes, and sandals?

H you have no point to raise about that clause will pass on.

shoes, (laughter).

we 3- slippers 13A I M.r.


JACOB : With regard to am not too sure that the 24 cents per yard is correct.

there will be a reduction those articles reduction l,e advised by 24 cents per yard, or a of the duty ?

I would like to on that point.

Does it mean that in the price of THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL: I cannot say that thel'(� will be a reduc­ tion in the prices.

amendment of 24 cents per yard.


The effect of the is to remove the extra duty Mr. JACOB : I should like to to 12 I began to in this Bill to the to trace some of the of 1988, and it took we f9r the I arrived explain and I am thankful indulgence.

Immediately here at five minutes look at the Bill and make comparisons.

I find no reference Ordinance fully 15 minutes items in it and make I think that, when dealing with a. Customlil Bill, Members should be given time aud latitude.
possible for me to speak on_ the second reading because able to say anything Even if I have said things which were not relevant� constructive.

I would not have been comparisons.

especially It was not Mr. ELEAZAR : As I see it, this will of duty on those goods but I happen there is of this class of be a reduction in favour of the importer; to know that up to the present i;io control of the prices goods.
I hope that, having seen fit to reduce the duty, Government take steps to control the importers import these goods them at the same prices.

will also so that should not be able to the prices cheaper and sell THE CHAIRMAN: I think I cau say that that is the intention, The Council resumed.

TBE ATTORN:li!Y-GENERAL: 1 Mr. DEAGUIAR: I did not deal with the relevancy of the hon.

Member's .move that " A Bill intitule<l no.nee further to amend the Customq an Ordi• I·,L6L CutomsDuties(Amdt.)
Bill •L3 FeBROA&Y, l942.

-1h{rd"Reading l,'162 Dut,ies Ordinance, third time and passed.

1935 " be read a Mr. )le DAVID seconded.

Q_uestion put, and agreed to.

Council tci put that before the Oouncil.

I cannot the Executive proposal imagine that it will meet with any objection but it will of course necessitate a supplemeotary·provision The total amount will be $3,390.

on the part of the Council, at � later date.

Bill read a third time aud passed.

and I pro­ matters the Council sine die.


There in the near future, 'IHE PRESIDE NT : There being no and before the Council, busi­ has no immediate I propose other business as Govermnent ness to put before Council, to adjourn will no doubt be certain arising pose to deal _with them either ing the Unofficial l.Vlembers a Finance Committee smaller financial tings, or if it is necessary legislation, cil.
I refer to matters cost of Jiving and the subsidization articles is more than likely involve to summon the whole Coun­ such as the of of food or other articles,· and it body to deal effectively matters that some steps will of some kind.

or to form a with by call­ to form legislation between sit­ arising to pass I hope to proceed to Esseq:uebo on to be there ten or Tuesday next and woi-e days.
On my return I will endeavour with to arrange meetings the Unofficial in the form of a Finance denJ with bnsiness the Council.

Members of the Council Committee, meetings between to of .Mr.

LEE : I would like to ask Government will also consider by the Department and labourers of Lands whether the allowances to junior officers of the Service, officers of such as policemen, the Forest Department, employed and Mines, when they go out o[ the City ?
The allowauces given to policemen aut on duty is when they go very small.

I would also like to whether Government sideration Ordinance?

ask is giving con­ to the Shops Closing I have one quite minor matter to provision.

to the Council which necessi­ 1 refer to a from the Executive paid allowance which is at to intimate tates financial recommendation that the bicycle Council to Governmeut present $1.50 per $2 per month, which obtained rising month, be raiserl is the rnte which 1935.

In view of.
In view of.

ti1e cost of living I was advised employees, before by THE PRESIDENT: The Shops and will no doubt Bill is at present with the Closing Attorney-General come before the Council There being no other question I adjourn this record short sitting the Council arising, of ' in due course.

sine die.

t' ,.