, 1874-11-28

OF THE
OF THE
COLONIAL COUNCIL
FOR ST. CROIX.

A"
O'Clock noon, the Colonial Council held an
Extraordinary Meeting.
The Governor of the Danish West India
islands, and the President were present.
The Members were present with exception
If 3rd Member for Frederiksted's Country
District (ElaoA).
The minutes of the last meeting were read.
The Council proceeded to the Order of
she Day, viz &
/, End Discussion on Draft of Ordinar
empowering the Government of the Danish
West India Islands to grant divers immunities
to a Credit Association for Sugar Estates
in st. Croix.
The Council consented unanimously with
10 votes TO the 2nd discussion coming on
extraordinarily in this meeting.
list discussion p.....
No amendments had been proposed.
No one requested the word.
The End discussion was closed, and it.
was adopted unanimously with Is votes
that the Draft should pass to 3rd discussion.
9, End Discussion ON Draft Of Ordinance
empowering the Government Of the Danish
West India Islands to grant divers facilities
and immunities to a Jvint Stock Company
for the Establishment Of Central Factories.
The Council consented unanimously with
Is votes to the End discussion on said Draft
coming on extraordinarily in this meeting.
No amendments had been proposed.
(1st discussion p.......)
LIST Member for Christiausted's Country
District (McEvoy) would make q few remarks.
In case Central Factories are erected here,
and they should not pay, the Colonial
Treasury would according to this Draft
be responsible for the 6 pr. CT. to the
Shareholders. Would it not eventually fall
on the taxpayers to meet that increased
outlay Another question he would beg to
put, is why the Colonial Treasury should
undertake the guarantee for 20 years, while
the Estates are only bound to deliver their
canes for 10 years ?-Judging from the crops
Of the last years, and the number Of Estates
that have engaged to deliver canes, it appeared
to him doubtful if the Facto. les would be
able to pay s pr. Co., and the Community
would BE- running a great risk by the guarantee,
especially for 20 years.
The Governor If we do nothing in this
matter, we run the risk of having the Island
within a short time in such a state, that
1T will not at all be possible to carry on
sugar cultivation. Although some Estates
may be SO situated as to be able to continue
for a time, yet most of the Estates are 50
situated that they would have t. give up
at once those that did continue would
then have to bear all the b%urthens, aud
the result did not appear doubtful to him.
therefore,, under the suppoSltlOn that 1t
is necessary for US to do what we can to
introduce Central Factories, there remains
no choice for us. He could not see any
reason why doubts should now be started,
whether the business will be remunerativc,
as We have the experience of other Islands
that it will be. If Central Factories should
stop working, the guarantee would not last
longer than stipulated in the statutes of the
Company, whereas also the Government in
that event could take over the management
of the Factory, by an administrator under
public control. 1t may be said, that circum-
stances might become so very unfavourable that
even if we got in such u case an excellent
administration, still it might not pay but then it
would have been sufficiently proved that no man
ufacture could exist or pay. Of course it is easy
to put questions, but they ought scare ely to be
advanced, when everybody knows the reply
must depend on future circumstances, about
which no man can say anything exact before
hand. The first question is, moreover, a matter
of judgment to which every body could find a
solution for himself; the experience gained
elsewhere must serve as the guide, and here
tits he would say that experience from abroad
affords no reasonable cause to fear that such a
misfortune would occur ito the undertaking.
The only cause that could lead to it, besides
4AA 1-4~A - 1900 - 4 II 49,