, 1874-10-24

are considered to have reference to transact, ms
in Africa or Antigua.
AS a cOunterpoise to the above embarrass-
ment a by the same Mail, a more cheering
communication from Mr.. Napier of London ad-
dressed to Sir Oliver Nugent. Sir Oliver NJ
gent has all his life been largely connected
with the agriculture of Antigua. Mr.. Napier,
says, that he has formed connections which
enable him to feel confident of success, in intro
duoing a large profit for the island of Antigua,
a thing which it has been deprived of for many
years, both in agriculture and m The
proposed West India Company will have a
central office in London and branches in the
West Indies, or as it is written sections for
various islands" Co. operation and a few items
of information are asked for. The COMPANY
proposes to contract for the purchase of canes
'on terms similar to those current in Martini
que" which are to be manufactured into SUI
gar at the central Works" of the Company in
this island. The Company will also be pre-
pared to buy estates largely )" capitalists to
whom the scheme has been mentioned have
said, that " they, would be unwilling to invest
on the Martinique system, pure and sim
pie" =
A circular is to be forwarded by the next
mail for general information, which will no
doubt throw some light on the matter. The
present position of many West India properties
will in our opinion be found highly favourable
to the proposed undertaking.
The same paper then casts a glance at
the trade of this island; it says:
Let US now glance at the condition of trade
as it is among our City Merchants. While
agricultural prospects have been frightening,
the state Of business among our Merchants is
at present deplorable, and so far as our memo
ry extends, without a precedent, in the annals
of the island. In the Drapery or DRY
Goods" branch of trade in the "Sc0toh Row.
the weekly cash sales, we are credibly assured
by some of the oldest merchants, scarcely
equal the current expenditure for salaries Of
clerks, rents, personal expenses and taxes.
In . establishments the daily money sales
are-so We have been of late informed-fre-
quPntly under twenty shillings. This is not
in little shops, but in some of our oldest estab-
liShad Dry Goods Stores, and traceable
to the non circulation of money, produced by
the general want of employment for the labor
ing and artisan classes. The laborer finds it
difficult, even when he obtains employment to,
earn much more than enables him to buy the
c0mmOnest food necessary for himself and fami-
~. When he does that he finds that very
little can be spared for the purchase of any
thing above the COarseSt materials for clothing.
But unhappily, in this respect the labOuring
CldSS6S- are HCO INC Ouly SuuGI6lS' 1 u0 uIS~
tressing, but it is hoped, temporary position of
affairs, which we have described, has yet ano-
ther side to it THE merchant has to main
tain, during the present calm, his local status
and his credit elsewhere. Packet after Packet
he has TO communicate the same sad, and very
unaocep' able story, to his correspondents in
England. Few Of us are so inexperienced as
not to be sensible of the irritating effect which
a letter without a remittance but containing
hopes and expressive of regret, has upon the
nerves of the " Shipper" over the water He
will get tired Of receiving stereotyped excuses,
in place Of bills of exchange, and unless he
should happen to be a man of substance, sense
and patience, be will be likely to become nerv-
ously and perhaps seriously FESTIVE. But,
though commerce is just now PROSTATE, there
is yet life, and according to an old saying
dam spiro spc'0.
Below follows the letter, referred to above,
with the additional information from the A. L.
that the Company about to be formed
in London, purposes to spend FOUR MILLIONS
STERLING in the West Indies, AaJf a naa1son'
to be allotted to Antigua Is this too good
to be true : says the Antigua Times.
30 MARY LANE Road
HARROW ROAD.
LONDON W.
Cook &c 1914