, 1874-04-11

Soou DIS puDllc opinion nau p|TOuOuuCeu AZ
its favour, it has up to this time been
conducted with marked despatch and abili-
ty, which, we have no doubt, to Judge from
what we have seen, will be continued.
On the 9th Of October last, the Presi-
dency received the memorial from nearly
all the planters and administrators in the
island, soliciting that the Government
would take the initiative Tor the establish
ment here of these factories, and that the
services OF a competent person be en-
gagged for the purpose of d~itfusing here
a knowledge Of the principles of
Central Factories and to carry them into
operation. The Presidency, the Govern
ment, and the parties in the Mother Coun-
try who are known to be well-diSpoSed
to the plan, and who "by their position
are able to exercise considerable influence
in securing st. CroiX produce Il safe and
stable market in the Mother Country
lost no time in forwarding the scheme
nor has Mr.. WuIf lost any time, but
"pitched into'' his work at once.
Wednesday afternoon after the levee (and
the d%cieuner q la fourchette which has
now become a regular institution at our
l%evees), His EXcelIency, the Vicegover-
nor, had a good opportunity to introduce
him to some of the gentlemen with whom
he will have to work for some time. We
have not the least doubt but that his task,
which will be an arduous one, will be
made as pleasant and easy as possible, and
we entertain this conviction from the
knowledge we have of our people. There
is indeed here plenty of scepticism, and
the notion that " nothing will succeed in
Sta. Cruz is often too much acted upon;
but when We are once thoroughly reused,
and a thing is made plain and shown up
in a practical light, we can give proof not
only of e|vincing zeal for an object in view,
but also Of steadiness and perseverance.
Several difficulties, connected with the es-
tablishment of these factories will not, we
are confident, be found insuperable. First
and foremost there is the question if we
can raise canes enough, which has some
times been doubted, although, as we
think, without sufficient foundation for
such doubt. The last couple crops, have
been greatly below the average, and so
will the present one be; but there are
hopes for the next one, which, if we get
weather, may be greater than that of
1871, much more land being put in. And
again, when we look back on the produce
of many years, we find nearly the same
huctuation. The average is 5000 hogs
heads at 1900 lbs. per hid. Similar rising
and falling will be experienced in the Gull
t"ivdtiOn of the beet root. That will some
times suffer as much from an excess of
moisture as the cane does here from the
want of it. And the remedy for the lack
is perhaps easier found than that for the
excess, The remedy for us is a more
equal distribution of the water we get,
and is it impossible to find that-tO some
extent of course7 Some time ago we
"advertised' for a Man with a practical
Plan for Irrigation" He has not yet been
forthcoming, but who can tell but that
he may. For the factories water is
an essential, and plenty Of it too,
more with the Diffusion Process even
than under the old system. Where is it
to come from9 If we continue to allow it
to run from our hill-sides into the sea, we
shall have nothing for the factories. We
will be acting like the man who, although
DESTROYS of having a full reservoir, thinks
.J L.