, 1889-03-20

A0SbAOA VI Wa ~ w 11IlO DCI"
ceptibly further than is actually necessary at
the time; for 1t must be considered unallowa-
ble that the public in any way whatever
should support the carrying out Of an Immi-
grafton, which, if the available means made
it possible. could be carried SO far that-even
if perhaps not directly intended-it could be
expected to exercise al artificial pressure,
even if only temporarily, on the labourers'
wages.
In consideration of the now existing pecu-
liar and depressed state Of things, which would
make it difficult for some Of the planters to
procure the needed labour force from abroad,
if they had to share in the expenses incurred
thereby, the Ministry, even If not exactly
without hesitation, has considered that it
could meet the wish of the majority in the
Council and of the Planters Of the island
generally, by proposing, as a provisional
arrangement for a short time, which it IS
thought could be suitably fixed at three years,
to suspend the provision in the Ordinance of
1873 l concerning the repayment to the
Immigration Fund by the employer concerned
of q certain quota of the immigration expenses,
but only under the conditions fixed by : l,
Nos. Ia, of the Draft.
With regard to these it is remarked:
Gd No. l. 1t is thought that there can be
no hesitation in exempting the Colonial
Treasury from payment of the yearly subsidy
to the immigration Fund, as experience
has shewn that the subsidy is not necessarily
wanted in order that the Fund may be able
to fulfil it's obligations in regard to assisting
in the introduction of labourers from abroad,
and as the Colonial Treasury lacks the ablll-
ty to pay the contribution, which, according
to the average of the last three years,
amounts to about 81 $50 yearly.
0d No. 2. 1t is estimated that the 1mml-
grafton Fund will own on the 3lst March
1859 about $4,000.
Whether the means thus accumulated
be regarded as entirely or only as IN
part arising from the subsidy from the
Colonial Treasury, it does not appear
otherwise than that authorization is lacking
to use the amount in any other way
than in accordance with the conditions under
which it was paid in to the Fund, namely
for aiding the introduction of labourers IN the
manner prescribed by the Ordinance OF 1913.
To which may be added, that, II 1t were per-
mitted to use the amount under the removal
of the corrective which lies IN the obligation
to refund, then, since both the number OF
immigrants and the Funds outlay for each
Individual would be largely increased, we
could not expect 10 AVOID lnaI In9 aGcuuuld'
ted capital would soon be expended, and, as
a. great increase of the labouring class IN the
island may under present circumstances be
expected to give rise to an increased emigra'
ton. this considerable amount would proba-
bly, be expended without any other benefit
than a comparatively small and temporary
alienation for some of the planters. In
this connection it is remarked, that, according
to calculations obtained from the Police Offices
in St. Croix, there were introduced during
the three years from the ist October 1885 to
the 3Oth September 1888, Lilo labourers,
of whom sc were children and All emlgrated,
so that the balance of immigrants was 604
persons. From the immigration Fund there
was paid during the same three years
S14, 001. OF, and if this is taken as two-thlrds
of the expenses Of the immigration, those
expenses have amounted to about 81 ,OOJ,
or about $50 for each Of the above mentioned
694 individuals. According to this the ex.
Oenditure Of the accumulate | nouns Of the
Fund could only be counted on to produce
a tolerably lasting addition to the labourlng
population of the island of about 700 per
sons, which increase at present can hardly be
sail to be urgently necessary. On the oUher
hand, extraordinary circumstances may, OF
course, arise, which at q given time may
make q greatly increased immigration neces-
sary, for which the current means OF the
Fund would not suffice, while the Colonial
Treasury would, of course, not be able to
afford assistance, and under such circumstan'
- - -,o,11 h0 ~ ~ rroot inannrtQnn "a tor