, 1889-07-03

Body has refused to cOuntenance the
Ministers method of dealing with the
financial state of affairs here. AS for the
calculations of the export duty, His
Excellency's remarks have not shaken the
fact that a large portion OF land pays
above $1,000 per acre, chiefly in indirect
taxation, and this is enough for estate
prOprietOrs to ask if they really hold their
Estates as freeholds Or if they merely have
them on rent from the State. He would
add, that he as we'll as many others felt
very sorry that His Excellency is not able
to give a more definite answer; for what
His Excellency has stated in the Council
is far from satisfactory.
2nd Member for Christiansted (Lemming)
would like to hear how the last honorable
Membe arrives at the conclusion of a tax
alton Of 80 to $12 per acre. 1t is evil
dent that to make a reliable calculation,
we must have an average valuation for the
whole year; but this average is certainly
not $3.50 pr. cwt. because this happens to
be the price now we have for a long time
had a valuation of only $3.50, and then it
has risen gradually. Then again he would
ask IT the honorable Member has taken an
average of B ~hogsheads for every acre
and, to take an instance, if it can be
supposed to be possible that an estate
like Lower Love of 800 acres can give
700 hOgsheads of sugar? He had in
former times had to do with that estate
under the former owner, and he knew that
the total taxation on that property was
500, and that there were 25O acres in all
in canes, hence 81 pr. acre in taxation......
Hewitt: [ doubt that very mloD, to
which must be added road repairs etc.
3rd Member for Frederiksted's Country
District (Hecitf said he had distinctly
stated that he had in mind that some land
produce but l hOgShead and others 8 hogs
heads pr. acre, and accordingly the taxes
were put at respectively 81 or $3.50, and
$1O.8O or $40 90. This is a fact at the
present moment; the tax is paid now on
that range of produce, and he would
challenge any man to disprove the fact.
The G0vernOr: Mr.. Chairman, it does
not seem that the present di scussi0ns have
any connection with those on a Money Bill.
for Office Expenses for the Superior Local
Administration, but as the question has
once been raised, he would beg again to
refer 10 the words that had fallen from him
at the lSt discussion i'll reply to similar
remarks from the honorable Member from
WeStend Quarter. He would add that
after the experience of s years VIII ich he
has had here in ST. CrOix, it seems clear
that a comparison between this Island and
other Westindia Islands, especially the
British Islands, must lead to the conclusion
that the state of production here is not bad,
at all events not so bad that even at the
most critical times planters cannot exist
here; and he drew som comfort also from
this fact, that planters who are not natives,
like to come here, and they live here con
tentedly and get rich.
3r1 MAmhar for Ero6oU;I1cA, ~, Iyou.A--
District (HeWjtt would in reply say that
any results in that respect for individual.
planters is owing to the hard work and
perseverance, of the planters; and if they
do succeed to go through critical t ines, it
Is unquestionably due to their perseverance
courage, and skill.
The Governor said he perfectly agreed
that planters are hard working and indus.
trIous, and he was happy to see them
succeed.
(TO be Continued.)