New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-11
BARBADOS AND THE TREATY.
AMERICAN CAPITAL WANTED IN THE WEST
INDIES.


TURERS URGED TO MAKE GOODS FOR
THE WEST INDIAN MARKET.
vRoaA sr.rr CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.
barbados. British West Indies Dec 25, 1891.
In its commerce and production, well as in
the character of its population, Barbados ranks
all the the islands with which it is physically
grouped IL contains only 100000 acres, being
in size scarcely an eighth large as Rhode Island
1t lies low and fiat in the sea, so that almost
every acre can he made use of. Except Tor us
nostion which is well out into the ocean anu
far 70 the windward of The other islands, it il
naturally less favored than any. But from the
earliest times it has possessed population dis
tinguished for pluck and enterprise. In age II Is
second only TO Newfoundland among the Britisn
ckories Its earliest people were the eAAc"
Rovalsts who preferred the society of the savage
C.r;hs IN tbat of Cromwell The descendants
~ ,bese cavaliers are still here, somewhat repuo
r..rizcd in reference To the land that buys iheu
sucsr but ,till \ t,iec naughty Tey have given
IN Tho island its leading characteristics, PII"e'
selfconfdencc errr-' and eternal hope4ulhess' an"
their tide 10 RESP, ct IL unquestioha'le' O"S
fraction Of the soil q. Barbados, 20 small
as 10 be scarcely eXVresslble III figures Is eAeip,
,ror tho service o. agriculture, and substantially
tho whole of il is planted with cane lherc "i'
about 900 estate. 0r plantations prouu'i"e "s'
and each is titled for all that can oe go. iioN ''
Fully a third of them is owned III Ehsiahu' ANU
absentee proprietorship' is an EVIL slca''S ~"
plorcd. ,d oour-
No, even Barbados. with all its spirit and cour-
are has escaped the mrdshlps whicn nav 49,
so heavily within the last few years upon "e
D;.;sr we., Indies Zach new census repeats
N. d;scouraoing story of Increasing oiacN "n'
decreasing white population. WIS az -"
New-york Irof5i in September" said proh'inen'
white merchant the other day. and no less ,.''n
eleven Young Barbadians called on Lie ,ie nn''
NIGHT I was there" That is the uouoie' IA"
younc white men go of to tne o'a'cS.
is not room enough here for the natuiai incI''''
of the population. They are not a''Iac"u
rrolord The States" are the land OF PROMISE
and thither they go in dozens and scores every
In 1871 The population Of Barbados hon''''
161.Qs2 Ten years later 1t had lhclca'eu ~
171452 Last week the figures oil the 0'''"
Of 1891 were published and they sho"c" '"
- 100 3o6 But the increase in each period was
of the negro population only. Inc whites ~ 30.
numbered 1880 In 1881 they had fallen 10
$50 and in 1891 to 1858. while a thousand
h,acks are added every year. In the othe'
-. +ho disonpearance of the white people has
40 on in a much larger ratio than this ana
~ tho same tendency is found in Barbados ~
orcues decay. The argument increases no'aoS III
e+rerorb when TIE trade oil barbados IN io''
;s comnared wf,h that accomplished III le'o' lnc
impor1s and exports of this colony lor io'C
amounted to S0,941,7lj. In lsSo 'hey eAo"vU
no more than $G.02l.9j0. In other "oruS' WIN
the colony has increased IN poPuhuoh /" '"e"''
years by the addition Of 2l,@ll Hfsioe'' "
- per cent, it's commerce has decreased III '"'
enormous sum of S3,9l9,'63, or o' per en-
II these tendencies are not soon checNeu ~
obyious that Barbados will he in serious e'r"''e'
Much is hoped of the new American hecipioo'S
treaty.. As good business men, the Baroadlahs
were OF course DESTROYS 10 get tAeir sugar h''o
the American market free. with as lew co"ce'
sions and as few changes in their tarln law do
,,ossihlc So long as, seemingly, 1T was IN thelr
interest 10 argue that no changes couiu oe ii'u'
which would enable the Americans 10 no "o.o
business with the colony than they had been CONN,
the Barhadians argued. That was IN" oinclai
song and they joined in the general choru'. pu'
7 Doubt if any of them seriously peheNeu IT, 10
Is pretty good proof that they dld not thso iioS'
of them are now sayin gthat II Will not nc heo''
COW, IN alter their rates on other chan American
goods in order 10 raise the StO,Ooo oi revenue ~
which they are required ,, decrease their tarin
ON foodstuffs because the Increased saie Vi SUI"
imports. consequent upon cheaper prices 10 'ne
oon..,ner will maintain the revenues al uielr
y,
,,ruor amount potwlthst anding tn" lower rhteS
nj dutv This is to-day being Asserted 10y uoHens
Of the most prominent merchants mere al "a
whom a month ago were cocH-sure o1SU Su'i
increased sales were an lnposSlpil" A''o
ing 20 the reports circulated here, inc nc" .'e"'S
Ill rsouire the sacrifice on the part OF the
British West Indies, as whole, Oh S4~o'ou''
That result has been reached in this way lic
revenues derived by each colony from AincIp"i
imports have been ascertalned, ana thau eui' '''
laen subtracted from them, which would render
the remainder fair charge against me sum 'o''i
ef American trade The duties On SPECIFIC aiti-
clos have then been reduced To those rates which,
nm tho basis of the inlportatiOns OF lS9O, "ouIu
afford that remainder Now, $4,000 Is Just that
many dollars more chan these colonies can aHoIu
Ia lose unless the British Government VIII aio"
them 10 reduce their expenses py fcuuoiue 10
civil estabh shInent. There - no nope 'h"V 'i'o
British Government will do anything 30 dcceh'
In one way or another they VIII nave 10 RANT
every penny that has been conceded 10 inc hnoii
can trade. If the mercantile classes anu '''
people generally can have their way such he"
taxes a. are imposed will be laid land-that Is,
on the sugar estates. The sugar-srower', however
are crying out Justify against this, and the sugar
growers have tie ear of the Government Inc
Government does not want I" aitict them. Ncithef
does il want To increase the duties on british I'm
ports. II it makes any change at all, 1t must 40
the thing or the other, and, pcrcelving TINS
dix NINA, all hands now calmly suggesting
that the hes; plan is TO do nothing. but 70 await
the operation Of the reduced American tariff, in
TIE hope and expectation that it will do just
exactly what they have boon telling Mr.. Blaine it
couldn't be made to do at all
In the larger colonies, Barbados, Trinidad, ia
maica and British Guiana, there is every reason to
believe that the new treaty will work TO the
advantage Of the revenues. that there will be a
rain rather than a los in the net total and that