, 1881-10-01
From the st. Thomas Times.)

This is a question of imDOr.
lance, that has doubtleSSly suggested it.
self to many residing III these Islands, who
are interested i'll more ways than one in
the future welfare of the Danish Colonies.
and it suggests itself now, with more force
than ever since the much talked of Canal
is assuming practical dimensions, and the
trade and commerce of this island is declin-
ing rapidly day by day.
L Will endeaVOur to answer the latter
part OF the above question, in the first
instance, by briefly stating, as my opinion,
that the Cana when opened. and there
remains, | believe, not the shadow of a
doubt OF its being successfully constructed
and opened TO traffic in the course of a
reasonable space of time,-will have q
beneficial effect npon the trade Of this we'll.
known commercial centre of the West
IndleS-not, however, so much that trade
which consists in the buying and selling
OF goods, but principally that one which
It's geographical position and magnificent
harbour brings ~us,-namely the shipping
interest. The coal trade will doubtless
also be developed for the supply of various
Steamship Companies that have their
principal cOaling station here, and for the
many more that will, it is presumed, seek
tbs port, on their way through the Canal
either eastward or westward bound.
AS far as the other Danish W. l. Island,
st. Croix, is concerned-I take st. Johns
as part and parcel of ST Thomas-I do
not think the interests of that Island can.
in any way, be affected by the Canal (4i
either pro or COn-for the reason that the
interests of st. Croix are purely agricultu.
raj, she is blessed, to a certain extent, with
q feeling of independence she is ~selfpro.
ducing. while we, are in the extreme,
dependent entirely upon our neighbours
Tor almost oil the necesSaries of life-St.
CrolX, does not, as we do and know to a
great extent look to our neighbours she
produces her sugar and sends 1t to the
best markets we on the contrary, ask
our neighbours TO come TO us, to buy our
imported goods, which they however find
out that they can import as we'll as we
can from a direct market; but it remains
to be seen whether those "direct markets"
would haze been and be better served. by
continuing their former we'll established
and ~remunerative practice of selling their
goods wholesale to the st. Thomas mer-
chants, who again retail them to the Pto.
Rlco, Cuba. and StO. Domingo customers
on terms quite as advantageous in tbs
long run to both sides. En- tin, be this as
1t may, that class Of trade is evidently
leaving us-it may be for the present only
but as 1t is so, we must earnestly turn
our attention to that which remains, and
Is likely to remain, to improve it and to
make it attractive, using 0ur harbour
and the trade which accrues to us-in con-
sequence of its safety and its geographical
position. Our Government aoith the intel
lectaal members at its head, will doubtless
give this matter their most earnest atten-
ton, and the Honorable Colonial Council
will have an opportunity OF rendering
valuable assistance to the cause. We
must make our harbour, if possible, safer,
and still more attractive. we must cut
down dues which are higher here in pro-
nnrtion to those levied nv placas. esDaciAi.