, 1881-03-30
from the st. Thom@ Iidende.)

t1TOW CHO NJ. j NOUttC L t$0NOeO'/
The Governor begged to announce that
b, the last mail he had received official
communication, that on his ap plication to
that effect, made on the 18th October last
year, His Majesty had been pleased to
relic We him from his office in grace from
the 1st of next month, and that he had
also received permission to leave with the
first opportunity, At the same time Cap
tain Arendrup of the Royal Engineers
had been appointed Governor Of the Da-
nish West India Islands from lat April a.
c., and according TO private Information
received he might be expected here about
the middle OF next month. AS it proba-
bly was the last time his Exce!lency
would meet with the hon. Council. he
could not think Of leaving the Island with
out offering a few observations regarding
the s to 9 years, he had held his office
here.
His ExceIIency had come here with the
intention to do all in his power to revive
the connection between the mother Coun-
try and these Islands, as he had been sor-
ry to see that year by year the interest
for these colonies had constantly been on
the decrease, particularly in consequence
of the diminishing OF commercial inter-
course. lie had thought that the best
way TO gain this end would be to intro
duce Danish capital to take part IN the
enterprises carried out here. There being
less demand at the moment in this respect
in st. Thomas, his interest had chiefly
been centered in the establishment Of the
Central Factory in st. Croix. 1t was
started principally with Danish money,
partly from the State Treasury and partly
from burghers in Denmark, mostly land
owners and merchants very little sup
port was raised in these Islands on &C.
count of want OF means. He would not
enter into a history of the Factory, but
would only say, that although many mis-
fortunes were encountered within the 2-3
first years. it is his firm conviction that
the factory will succeed, and it gives IL
berry to the proprietors to cultivate the
ground with smaller outlay than former
ly, not to speak of what the Factory may
dc. itself. The failure of the crops In ST.
Croix the one year after the other, caused
by the drought, threatened seriously to
break down oil sugar cultivation in the
island, which was only saved by the in
terventi0n of the State Treasury, which
at two different times advanced st. Crolx
each tins about $3.50, 900. in order to aid
the planters in the cultivation of the land
through these means, the prospects 10
1878, when the weather had become
favourable for the crop, were very fair, and
hopes were entertained that st. Croix
again Would be able to stand on its own
legs, when thst great disaster, the riots,
came, SO suddenly and unexpected, no one
having had an idea that such an event
could happen the crop for 1878 war
ruined, and new difficulties created, which
are not overcome as yet, although he
hoped that they would be overcome, as
free labour has been introduced in
the island after the riot, and it has
been admitted, even by old planters,
who formerly were in every respect averse
to this measure, that the cultivation Of
the land was now as satisfactory az before,
and still 90 to 26 p. ct. cheaper than tor.