, 1872-03-27

Can ana German merchant-hrmS carry on
their trade, which draws large cash
amounts away from the island, without
paying one single cent in tax 2" is a very
remarkable one. This is a terribly oppres-
slve tax upon the industry of n poor man
IN a place like this, where an opportunity
offers only now and again, for the porter
to make as much as will afford him the
means OF subsistence for a short time and,
OF course, il he can not spare the dollar to
buy the pass, and should attempt to offer
himself for work 'as a iobber or porter"
he 'shall be deemed as a vagrant and pro-
ceeded against accordingly."-See Ordi-
nance of 18th April l849, ".
But 5 I of the Ordinance 18th August
1888 enacts that "Persons who are not
known to possess property, nor to have
any tlXed livelihood, nor any situation In
lite, which guarantees that they find their
sustenance without detriment to the pub
lie, shall be called before the Police Magis-
trate to give an account of the manner in
which they support themselves . and 5 2
adds, that, "if the explanation given by
such individual proves unsatisfactory,
either by itself or on further investigation,
the Police Magistrate shall order him to
seek some lawful means of support, and
also warn him, that in default thereof he
will be punished as a vagrant." Now,
what is to be understood by ''lawful means
OF support :" Is it not simply to earn by
honest lab0ur, no matter whether as a Job
Der, porter, or any thing else, the means
whereby to obtain the necessaries of life?
And if the one law Furnishes the man when
he will not work and the other Furnishes
him for offering himself for work when he
cannot buy a license to work, can there be
any thing more oppressive and intolerable?
Ought not the principles by which vagran-
cy IS suppressed and industry sustained. to
harmOnize in such a way, as to stamp
JUSTICE on the face Of every enactment
promulgated for this purpose?
But this is not all on this subject. The
season, as every one knows, in which the
porter can best manage, is during the crop
say 6 months during the year, when the
Danish vessels are in port taking off sugar.
1t IS then that some porters have the oppor-
tunity of making so cents day on board !;
but how often have they been deprived of
this opportunity by the one vessel employ
ing and paying the crew ofanother, instead
of employing these men who must pay a
license to work, and yet look on at others
usurping their right.
But the comparison drawn between Charge
American and German merchant-frms" and
the porters fails somewhat for the former
did pay at some time or other for Burgher-
briefs to m business and, there
fore, can boast of having contributed once
for all to the support of the communal bur
den in this way,-they must not think of
bringing in the import dues; for they
are only called upon to advance these un-
til they are refunded by the consumers of
their commodities.
II, however, the porter taxpayers, are
compared with the no~n-taxpaying comptrol-
lers, the comparison appears to be very
glazing. There are four of these public Of
fcials two in each town. These consume
about $4,000 p. a. of the public money.
Two Of them pay no taxes directly; but
the other two do, as they are house-holders.
They have SO much work to do, that 2
weeks out of every month, each may sit
at home, saying sit is not his week to-
work." and yet receive his regular month