, 1874-11-21
PROCEEDINGS
OF THE
COLONIAL COUNCIL
FOR ST. CROIX.

Continuation of the Meeting of9th November.
i discussion on Draft of ordinance concerning
ABILITIES for a Joint Stock Company to erect
Central FactOries.)
The Governor In introducing this D aft
would take the opportunity to give a brief ac-
count of how the whole matter Of Central Fac
tories has progressed and at present stands.
1t will be remembered that when the Council
was occupied with the Grant for $4,000 for
preparatory Investigations etc. in connection
with Central Factories aud Credit Associations,
he had stated here, M he would prefer to
apply to a particular Gentleman in Copenhagen
asking him to take the matter in his hands,
instead of endeavouring to get parties abroad
to take it up. At the same time he, the Gov
ernor, stated that the proposals for Central
Factories were based on a strong conviction,
that the easiest way of improving the material
condition ofthe Island would be by improving
the manufacture otsugar, rather than at present,
improving the cultivation of the Island, tt
means for this latter purpose not being at dis
posal nOw,--whereas the improvement of our
manufacture would at once give a revenue
and thereby also the means Of improving the
cultivation too on the same scale as has been
done in some other Islands. He had further
pointed out, and all agree 10 it, that the Island
could not OF itself procure the necessary means
for erecting Central Factories, and that he
could not guarantee hat he would be able to
find people of influence ready to bring forward
tie necessary capital, but he had the conviction
in applying to the said Gentleman, who we
all know is Mr.. Tietgen of Copenhagen, that
he would endeavour to do what he could for
the Island. Shortly after the grant had passed
here, he, the Governor, wrote Mr.. Tietgen
md aYOIainpd IN him tho pvnsoDf aOnd fiOu of
the agriculture aud manufacture here, and pro-
posed to him to take up the question and to
send out a man in whom he had confidence to
ascertain whether he ideas he, the Governor,
had formed and which were generally entertain
ed here, We're correct or not. AS We all know,
Cand pOlyt. WuIfF came out and made him
self acquainted with all the different bearings of
the matter; the last information received from
him was by the last mail, when be sent out a
copy of the report he had rend cred after his
return to Copenhagen. Most parties will have
some idea Of the contents, and he would mere
y repeat here a few of the chief points, as re-
CARDS the manufacturing question the yield of
canes here may be set down to be 5 lbs. of Su-
gar for, every 100 lbs. of cane and in compar-
ing this with the results obtained in other
places, for instance Porto Rico, Martinique,
Demerara, he found that the yield there is as
much as 7r8 to 9 lbs. of Sugar pr. 100 lbs. of
Canes at the same time the quality of the su-
gar made thereis superior to that in St. Croix.
When the price of ST. Croix sugars could not
be more than 81 pr. 100 lbs. the sugars from those
other places bring SIS or in some cases Sc pr
100 lbs. 1t may therefore be considered be-
yond a doubt that there is a probability not on
~ to increase the quantity of sugar to be gain
ed of the given quantity of canes here, but al
so to improve the quality, in the proportions
just mentioned. He, the Governor, had the
fullest conviction that even with the amount
Of capital, Ii million Dollars, set down-Mr.
Wulf has made no formal astimata. hnt be sun.