, 1884-05-24

and they were reasonably well equipped
for their journey. The prospect of a weary
return home at night, the possibilities of
~breakages on the road clearly did not
trouble them, and they were right. Yes!
we thought, that is the proper way to start
on a journey. Let there be no gloomy
forebodings, no looking on the dark side of
things, no meeting troubles halfway.
For ourselves personally this is a very
valuable lesson, but it's introduction her Q
would not be justified if it had not, under
the present circumstances Of the island,
a much more extended and important
application. We take over our new
task at a time when there might be
an excuse for the brightest spirits to be
clouded. The sugar industry, on which the
prosperity or failure of this island alone
rests, was never so depressed as it is now,
and when we commend cheerfulness we do
not mean that we should close our eyes to
plain facts. We do not mean that a man
should walk into the sea with a smiling face
pretending that he is still walking on dry
land, or that he should declare a dark cloud
to be blue sky. But while admitting the
presence of the sea we maintain that we
are not yet driven to walk into it, and
although we see the cloud above us we
believe in the silvery lining. To begin
with it must be admitted that although
the cloud threatens, it has not yet broken.
A few days ago it was remarked to a small
tenant farmer, wrongly called a "sQuat-
teri, that it was a pity so little was now
obtained for the canes the reply was "'tiS
thank God, MasSa, we got the canes" The
meaning was, of course. that the heavy
crop would compensate for the low price,
and that here was a ground circumstances
and content; a piece of sound philosophy
in q humble dress a pearl, if you will
accept it, in a rough shell. Let us sup
pose that the crop reaches $4,000 hhds
and we think we must be more than safe
in that estimate, then the present prices
being about two thirds of what are general
ly considered fair prices, we may say that
the result is the same as if we had reaped
10000 hhds. at fair prices, or allowing
another 1000 off to compensate for the
extra expense of cutting, carting and
making the larger quantity, we may say
5000 at fair prices. Had the island made
5000 hhdS. at fair prices nobody would
have regarded that as a ruinouS result
and we believe as a matter OF fact that the
majority Of estates this year Will not only
have paid their expenses but will have
given a fair balance of profit besides.
OF course there may be cases where the
proportion above given Will by no means
apply but we think it must be admitted
to be correct on the whole. In reply to
this it may be said that such good years
as the present are counted on to make up
deficiencies in the bad, and how are such
to be made up if the surplus is cancelled
in this way. Now although it is only
reasonable to suppose that there will be
dry years at uncertain intervals in the
future just as there have been in the past,
we can by no means foresee when they
will come, and when they do we cannot
tell what other circumstances may come
at the same time with the drought to
weaken or perhaps cancel its effects. 1t
is only a few weeks ago that we pub
lished in reference to the beet-rOOt sugar
industry some valuable remarks tending to
prove that the limit of reduction in price
had about been reached, and, although
we must not lean too much on this, it shows
that the rival industry is not without its
dangers also. We admit that it looks likely
that the next few years will see a lower
average of prices than has lately prevailed.
Against this, however, must be put the
stimulus to economy and improved manage
ment which the reduction will undoubtedly
supply. In this respect we may learn
from our competitors for the manufacture
of beet root sugar began, as every body
knows, under substantial protection, and
only rose to real Importance after that
protection had been withdrawn and the