, 1881-04-09
REVIEW OF GOVERNOR GARDES
PERIOD OF ADMINISTRATION.

~ VIZ wv ~ ~ III
about eight years and half. In placing
before our readers a brief review Of the
leading circumstances and events sof our
local history during the period of His Elk
c%ellency's Administration, we make no pre-
tention to passing a final judgment on the
Governors relations to these circumstances
and events. AS in more important history,
SO here, we are too close to a stirring and
critical time to form a clear estimate.
Future years alone will shew whether the
changes, some carried through and others
only commenced under the rule of our re-
firing Governor and either initiated or
largely influenced by him, are for the
benefit of the colony or not. Should they
prove wise the Governors career will be
estimated only by the results, and many
OF the unpleasant occurrences which fill so
large q space IN our memory at present
will be regarded as accidents accompany
ing the strong current OF the time. That
the tasks committed to His Excellency
were by no means light everybody admits.
Governor Bile, who under a special Royal
Commission carried on the Government of
these islands for about a year before Gov
ernor Garde's appointment, remarked IN
taking leave of the Colonial Council of st.
Croix that " he considered the work incum-
bent on the Administration of this island
for years to come of such a nature and
extent, that no man, unless he came pro
vided with a magic wand, could expect to
have much of it carried out in a given
space of time" Governor Garde did 10
come with a magic wand, but he came with
al ardent interest in the task committed to
him, and with q determined will to carry
through such reforms as were then deemed
desirable. IF His Excellency had added to
the f0rtjter IN re which is so marked III him,
somewhat moro Of the SuGUjt6r IN ModO,
the warmth OF the criticism which some OF
his acts have provoked might nave been
much eabated, a personal consideration,
however, which has more weight for the
moment than it will have when the final
outcome of His Excellency's policy can be
justly estimated
In his farewell address to the Colonial
Council Of st. Thomas His Excellency has
given, as the key to his policy, "his inten-
ton to do all in his power to revive the
connection between the Mother Country
and the islands," and this revival he
thought could be best effected by introduce
ing enterprises to be conducted with
Danish capital-hence "his interest had
been chiefly centered in the establishment
of the Central Factory in st. Croix.' His
Excellency having thus indicated the
establishment of the Factory as the prln-
cipal work of bis administration. we may
first say a few words on the history OF that
institution. The Governor attacked this
question i'll 1873, first by persuading the
planters generally, in various meetings
which he held with them, OF the deslrablllty
of the scheme, and secondly by obtaining
from the Council a vote of $4,000 for heck
penses of preliminary investigation. Our IL
mited space will not allow of our tracing out
the progress of the scheme in detail. We
will merely remark that the Governors
plan of raising the funds by a credit asso-
citation failed, and that the Mother Conn
try came to the assistance of the colony
by granting by law of oath February 1876
a loan Of 1000 900 crown to a Factory
Company on certain conditions. These
conditions, which in regar1 to the colony
were chiefly a guarantee of 5 per cent. to
the Shareholders, and the abolition of the
labour regulations within W. years from
the commencement of the FactOry'S opera
tions, were accepted, and embodiedsin an
ordinance which passed the I olOnial Coun-
Gil in June 1876, by which also certain prl-
vileges we're granted to the Company.
The operations of the Factory were COM
menced in March 1878, now three years
ago but we must acknowledge that 1T has
not yet accomplished what it was intended
for, which was to make the planter en-
tirely independent Of his own works. In
spite Of Mr.. Hagemann's very able defence
lately published in the Home newspapers
it is obvious that there have been some