New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-22
Port of Spain. Trinidad.


PAY WELL. FOR ALL WE GET OF H.
FROM A srAYr CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
Port of Spain. Trinidad.
British West Indies, January >, ls9='
In the fertility of its SOIL in the sensnous
warmth of its climate, in all that renders produc-
ton easy and enormous, Trinidad is Incompatible
among the West Indies II is only fair TO say, in
this relation that geologically Trinidad does not
oppertain TO the West Indies at all, but 10 South
America II was undoubtedly in remote ages
mart of the mainland from which IL has been cut
nv tL, powerful currents of the Orinoco ElVer.
II was originally Spanish island attached 10
Venezuela II came into EngTands possession az
the prize Of war early in the present century,
misfortune which the Nenezuelans even now ne
wall The island in form is nearly square, II
trne larger in area than Massachusetts, Conhecu
cut and Rhode Island combined. 1t contains
nearly 20O,00O people, rather more than lhhaplt
the State of Delaware. 1t is a sadly MIXED popu-
lation. At least 10000 are liindoo coolies, I'M
ported Us contract laborrs under system dls-
tinguishable from slavery only in that IL endures
for "A limited term Of years. There are 10000
negroes 10 whom the coolies are an ab0mnatloh'
The rest of the population is European, and mainly
Enplsh. This element includes also many Span
iords from Venezuela, here in retirement. \
considerable body Of Venczuekns retire when
ever new President is elected" there, in DEL
erencc 10 his desire They hang around Port OF
Spain and get up revolutions. If they succeed
they return TO Caracas and the Treasury, and a
new band of eNies comes out. SO that there IS
alwavs large company of Nenezuclans temporarily
doniciled in Trinidad. They spend money freely,
having generally got it by the simple process OF
taking it out of the public vaults, and they are
looked upon by the Trinidad shopkccpers as a use
full part Of the people.
From the American point of view these are not
the clements of a successful people, and the IN
dustrial conditions created by their association
are full Of peril But it is u be said of Trinidad
that it is the only British West Indian colony
wherein the European element in recent years
has been numerically holding its own against the
nccroes and il is one of only two which can
show a substantial increase of production during
The last twenty years While the whites in all
the other islands have decreased both actually and
proportionately in Trinidad they have slightly In
creased and while production and trade have
elsewhere generally declined or hut slightly I'M
proved. in Trinidad they have grown greatly.
Jamaica and Barbados the two islands with
which a comparison with Trinidad may he fairly
made British Gniana, though a continental
colony, should he included in the comparison, be-
cause it is similarly populated and engaged IN
precisely the same lines Of production. Covering
a pcriod OF twenty years. from 1870 TO 1890 these
results have been achieved: The white popuia-
,ion of Barbados has declined from 1900 to
1888, the coorcd increasing from 141,4S2 TO
l666a3 The trade of Barbados has in that
time fallen from S9,941,7l5 TO SG.O2l $50, or at
the rate of 80 per cent. In Jamaica there has
been slight increase of the white people, whose
numbers have grown from 1901 TO ! Asp. The
negroes have increased in mach larger ratio.
and some importations Of Hndoo coolies have
come in to swell the colorcd races Including the
coolies the colOred people number 624,6l0, as
against 4a3. 0j3 in 1870. This is an increase in
population of 81 per cent, while the increase in
trade is no more than IL per cent In $40 the
imports and exports of Jamaica amounted to Sl2,-
5Cs,377. Twenty years later they had grown to
only Sl4,52 .22o. British Guiana makes a more
favorable showing, hut that is largely due TO its
mineral lands. which have recently attracted
world wide attention. They have acted an in
dustral safetyvalve. affording rich employment 10
the negroes and rendering them much less sensi-
five than they would have been 10 the coOlie
invasion There were only 5,327 white people in
British Guiana in 1870 not counting the POrtu-
cucse who rank with the cOlOred people and are
rather fattered by being allowed to do These
Portuguese, Hndoos, Cinnamon and negroes-in
1870 numbered lss,1G4. To-day there are only
ABS Europeans in British Guiana, but the coll
orcd races have waXcd great. They now number
273.770, and the net increase in population is
- per cent. Much greater is the net increase in
trade It's amount in 1870 was 81 POI 300 In
1880 it had grown 10 81 9,434,7GS, at the rate
Of AZ per cent. But Trinidad has improved on all
Of these records II has added to its white p0pua-
ton largely. bringing their numbers from 1900
TO 10000 II, too, has drawn on the Hindoo race
Iaho and frad
they do not justify seri:Om at least show its in
trlligent Use. From total commerce Of S1O,3l0,-
2SG in 1870, they have increased 10 S2l ,255,9G0.
representing the production and consumption Of
only 100000 people.
But even in Trinidad this increased commerce
has not been constant OF late years here. as
everywhere else in the West Indies, trade has
fallen oiI in an omnOus degree. The table fol-
lowing will illustrate this commercial decline:
TOTAL IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF CERTAIN |
BRITISH COLONIES DURING YEARS SPECIFIED. |