, 1877-11-03

savings, each member might have his different
view as to where he wants reduction some
might think on the Military Budget others
have their minds bent on other poia is. He
could agree with the honorable Member when
he said that the Government should be thankful
to the Council! for assisting it in making reduce
tons but it would certainly not be assisting
tho Government to adopt this suggestions. If
the proposal ha d named certain points where
savings could be made, he would not have been
50 opposed to discuss it, although he must confess
ne did not take SO gloomy e view of the Islaad
as the honorable Member does. It is not
unheard Of that countries or municipalitie s pass
through a series of bad years, reducing
materially their economical condition, and still
recover again. If we consider this Island
doomed. We might let alone doing anything to
keep it up, but when the bad state We are
in is merely temporary, it is the duty Of the
Administraiion TO try to keep up, as we have
seen it doing in these years.-If We should
regulate the future from tho 6nan cial results
Of the lat years, we wo uld,to name an instance,
come to the result that it was useless TO con.
tinue spending money on estates yielding
nothiDg but deficiencies. It behoves estate
owners in such times to make re~trenchmeutS
but not to such an extent that they ruin the
whole cOnce o they must fight out the odds
and Wait for prosperous time. j, cannot be
denied hat the administta alton has taken a les
sou from the bad times aud has reduced the
expendt ule as much as it considered p~ossibIe,
but The admins RI ion would have acted very
wrongly ii it had acted entirely under the pres.
sure and oG the Suggestions caused by suetG
Zines, and it might have later bitterly to
regret having perhaps given up some of the fun.
damental stones of tho adM nista lou. If it wore
possible 10 reduce the public expenditure
wi hout redu"ing or destroying the strength of
the administration, then let it be done but it
is only good when Oh, ap and at the same tima
safe. OF the most expensive branches OF tho
Administration tw0, viz the Military and tho
Police organization, havo been changed this
year in ordov to effect saving. Tie third
Is the Superb Admin stration In ST. Croix u
1t is not long ago this matter was settled by an
Ordinance, TO tn effect that there sAuuld te IL
Superior Authority here be would not express
a view whether it woul4 be best, or not, that the
Island was under the direct adminisi raj ion of
the Chief Government or bad a Pre>id snoN: stiI
he believed most Members were OF opinion
that in The late monetary difficulties for s.,
many estates, the Island has been better served
with having the Superior AnlhOrity'on tbs spot.
lie did not think it quite right OF the Council
to adopt such d general proposal which may
DC said TO throw blame on the Government
for not bringing in further prop Isa!s for reduo.
tions this the Couneil is not at liberty 10 do.
unless it were able to point out where savings
can be made; to come forward without d ing
this, is to place the Administration in a false
position, especially when we see how active
it Ia TO maks reductions " ae.e possible, and
as long as we know thai the Administration
will continue to look TO that matter. The
capital invested in this Island is very large
compared wi b the Sizs and extent OF the Isi-
and and hence. however much the, Co!onial
Council, iadiyiIual Members, o. Inhabitants at
large are interested ia seeing savings Of pablo
expenditure, they are equally as much later.
es'ed il securing a good Administration, sufi.
GENTLY s;fong 70 protect property and capital,
Il must not be forgotten that it requires but g
few good years to bring the island in a -four
ishiug position for, as We all remember, the
Administrative expenses We're somc years ago
much higher than now still the Colonial
Treasury laid by money in those years and
why should We not again come into that posi-
ton I If we give up hopes of that. then We
can give up a decent administration. But hs
believed that very few do give up hopes Of .
brighter future for the Island.
4th Member for Frcderiksted's Country Dis
triot Moore ~concured in the views expressed
by the 5th Crownmember lJlrs) on further
reduction of the military force and the attend
ant expenses. In West End, wa had still to
find out where the Military, when called out
for service to the Community, had been Of use,
.nJ noxO tba Militarv haH haan nnfirnls ron,av.