, 1877-01-03

they had patience. mus was SnIs
threatning storm avoided by a degree Of
good sense ovineed by the people, almost
marvellous in their case, but 10 seems yet
to be a moot-point In the community,
upon which we shall not enter, whether
affairs might not have been settled in ano-
ther manner, so that the Bank might yet
have existed.
In the same month (April) the Draft OF
Ordinance concerning the establishment of
Central Factories, and alteration OF the
Labour Regulations, was introduced in the
Council by the Vice Governor. This
Bill was intended to fulfil some Of the con-
ditions prescribed by the Law Of 25th
February, by which the Minister of
Finances was empowered to grant a Loan
Of 1900, 900 Crowns towards the establish
ment Of Central Factories. This Law con-
taias two principal enactmsnts LIST. THAT
the Colonial Treasury guarantee s per cent.
interest on the Loan, as we'll 90 on the sub
cribed capital and ingtaIment, for q period Of
28years, and. 2dly, That fiSbe enacted that
the rural labourors shall beat liberty t0oon-
tract freely concerning their labOur on
Saturdays from The time the Factory COM
mences operations, and THAI latest 8 years
after that period the whole Of the Labour
Regulations shall DO abolished. This
Ordinance passed the Council with
Gus any opposition. So g2eaS was the
confidence in the scheme, il properly
carried out, that no one hesitated 10
give tha guarantee, nor to submit to the
condition Of tho abolition Of the Labour
Regulations, although thore is tendency
in tho planting community TO put q very
high yalae upon them, o6d 1t must alss
be acknowledged that they have, on she
whole, worked well, rather in favour OF
the slabourors than otherwise, especially
in bad years.
Later The original plan, based on o cbpi-
tai Of 100000 Crowns in all, was 60 Tar
modified and reduced as only to require
one half, say 1900, 900 Crowns, bali on
shares and haI3 loan.
In chs so-calIed little rainy seaaon we
hal very good rain, OF che greatest
benefit to the growing CFcp, but Of
course TOO late for thas Of 1875,
which was then being taken oh. The fact
Of the surrounding islands, whose mote0to-
logical relations resemble ours more OK
less, participating In the boon to an equal
or even greater extent, saemsl to give
ground Tor hoping that a chang. for the
better had Qt last come to this part Of the
West Indies, but that hope has been, as
least partially, frustrated. A long spell
Of dry weather again succeeded, and the
real rainy season, which ought to begin in
August or she beginning Of September,
set in toe late, and has, besides, not come
up to the average, especially in October
and December.
In Juae we learned that the Minister
Of Finances had laid before the Folketing,
on the gath Nay, o Draft Of Law authorlz-
ing the Minister to grana from the State
Treasury q temporary Loan of 100000
Crowns to the Municipality of st. Croix.
at 4 per cent. interest, and payable in one
year. This law was based on the priuoi-
bic that the introduction Of Central Fac.
tories would remove for she future the
causes which had led to the crisis thas
made the loan necessary in order TO
keep up the cultivation Of estates until
the factories could be establlshed.-
At the same time we received the
intelligence, through q telegram, that
this Draft had become law. That this
news afforded great relief can easily be
understood, especially as the weather still
oont;nrod 1orv fovoupahlo ar Tho time On