, 1890-02-15

would be q surplus OF between IL and IL, OOO
dollars, after defraylng the Municipal ex.
penses under that organisation. Therefore
the chances are just as much for a surplus
as for a deficit but even if a deficit should
occur at the first, the re would be no Difficult
ty in covering it, as already shewn.- The
next way in which a Deficit could occur,
would be by an increase of the Exp enditure,
which can shew itself on the Ordinary Items
or on the Extraordinary Items. On the Ex-
traordlnary Items an increase could occur
by some unexpected expense becoming sud.
denly necessary, for instance for the erection
OF some new public building or for the repairs
OF damages caused by q hurricane or he like,
or for outlay in case of epldemics such
causes would of course not occur every year,
consequently it would not be necessary on ac-
count of that to raise new taxes for the
treasury on the people, but the means may
be provided by loans, on which, however, it
would be necessary TO pay as we'll interest
as instalment, but as the capital needed at,
farthest could be q few thousand dollars, the
interest and instalments could only amount
to a few hundred dollars a year. The third
way could be by an increase of the Ordinary
Expenditure, but as the Government and the
Colonial Council will be exceedingly careful
before increasing the ordinary expenditure.
1t could be small sums thai would be added,
and to meet such permanent small increase OF
expenditure it would of course become
necessary to increase the Revenue still it
will not be much and any how on q small
Budget it will not be difficult to cover what is
requisite without the Community even con,
sidering the necessit y of having to raise a
large sum at once by increased taxation. 1t
would of course be desirable in case of the
change, to have q small surplus from the
beginning, say of 8 | QUO to 81 ,5OO in order to
be able to raiseIlarger income by loans if need
ed; the Colonial Council and the Govern
ment would have to devise means to obtain
that either by saving in the expenditure or
increase of the revenue, or perhaps both.
Therefore, when the question now has
come before the Council Of altering
the Colonial Law in order to place
the Community in q more independent and
responsible position financially, it is IN the
interest of the Community to ask for a small
Communal Budget and not for q large one;
in this latter case the results would not Gs
as stated, for then we might have large d.
i1cits to cover, and the difficulty to cover tlem
would be greater.
3rd Member for Frederiksted's Country
District (HeWitt): With regard to His Elk.
cellency's remarks about the revenue for the
past 9months of this financial year having
amounted 10 upwards OF TtS,UOU, WOulQ Deg
to say, that we must bear in mind the ex-
ceptionally good crop which the Island has
had in this year, which we certainly can't
reckon upon. But then again the Municipal
Budget is to consist of items, almost all Of
which must vary from year to year, not. only
the Export Duty, but other items too. Now
as regards that export duty, it is we'll known
that IN the course of last crop, the prices of
produce went up, but then, they fell again
from $73 to A, and when they fell, it was
with difficulty that planters, when they are
not merchants besides, could dispose of the
produce they had on hand only q very small
portion could be sold here, and such planters
had to send produce to foreign markets, where
the sugars were sold with heavy expenses.
Some sugars netted no more than between
S24 and $2B after deducting all expenses;
taking the. selling price at $43, and the
export duty 500 on the tariff -valua-
ton here, we find that produce paid. pr. CT.
instead of 500, as set down for Export
Duty. Now he would beg to ask, if Sugar
can be grown and can pay under such cir,
cumstances, particularly when it be remem-
bered that the export duty is charged also OH
the coOperage Y-and he would like to ask
His Excellency if there is any law or. enact
ment by which it is made legal to charge ex-
port duty on the value of the slaves, forming
the hogshead in which the sugars are packed?
AS regards the Minister'S Draft of Budget,