, 1892-04-23
BARBADOS NEWS.
Barbados Globe, tn April

CdlllS III u y 0A4N 6uOtf 0AAA IL COull1ubu Lu0
same throughout. The rainfall for the last
week in the month was barely 2j parts. Ad.
vantage was taken of the high winds to press
forward the manufacture Of sugar, and a large
quantity has been put ont. The Ahipment to
April LIST is 3,542 hogsheads. and Of molasses
1868 puncheons. April opened more favora-
bly,. On Saturday and Sunday refreshing
showers fell. In fact Sunday was & day CT
rain-not heavy, but good showers. And they
were general. The heat, that had been trying
for some days before, hiss been moderated. and
the last few days have been enjoyable. The
change has brought with it, however. colds and
coughs, which ale very prevalent. We are
glad to hear that the blight is disappearing
from St. Phillip, and that the borer is not SO
active among the young canes. We hope he
will be pretty well ground out with the old
crop. The presence Of this enemy of the
planter has naturally created great apprehsn-
sion. and we have had many letters in the pa
pers OH it. The latest, from Mr.. Smith, Cura-
tor Of the Grenada Botanic Gardens is said to
be the most valuable of the many cont bu-
tions hitherto published. He traces the pro-
gress OF the Borer through lie several stages
-shews when and how il affects The cane. and
suggests practical means Of extirpating the
pest. Some contend that nothing but fire will
NAACC Ills OH LlOb 4I4lpACbLGAl III PROPERTY kO
in for the cure. The remedy must be adopted
collectively. or it will not avail, and the diff
Guilty seems to be, as usual. to secure united
action. Danger will compel the union at last.
Troubles always march in troops it is said. and
certainly the fact is established as it appIics to
the West Indian planter at this period. BE
has had to contend for the last two years with
drought, blight, bOrer, and now is added piices
that are lower than WAS sven feared. The hope
that entrance into the American market for
our sugars or favored rates would be a boon to
our exporters q disappointed on account Of
the tests that are applied to our sugars, and
prices are brought down, in consequence sugar
has been selling at 2.lG per cwt. We begin
to find that American Statesmen have got the
best Of the bargain that they mauo with the
West Indies in the matter Of reciprocal trea-
ties. We gave up 3l2,CCO Of duties on Anne.
rioSn products in the expectation that we
would secure q good market for our sugars.
The expectation is not realized, and we have to
recoup the loss of revenue from other sources
under circumstances that are anything but
satisfactory.
1t 10 not surprising, when the facts Just
mentioned are taken into account. that the Fl.
nancial Report Of the Auditor-G eneral for the
year ended December 81, 1891, compares in
almost every respect unIaVOrsb iY with that OF
1890. The Auditor-GenNra says In max
ing the usual comparison with the Revenue Of
hep%revious year it must be taken into consi-
Iteration that the sugar crop of 1890 was the
largeSteve rsaped III the islnnd, the amount ex-
ported having been over IS 900 hogshoads, while
the shipment of 1891 did not quite reach 5O,0 900
hogshsadS. Bearing this fact in mind it is not
TO be wondered at that the Revenue Of 1891
was less than that Of the previous year by
622,2 73 8. TO-"
1t is to be noted that els, 634 IA. g. Of the
decrease Of Revenue in 1891 was on Customs.
while Rum was responsible for G5,2l8 10. g.,
but it ls also q fact that under nearly every
other head of Revenue the receipts compare
unfavorably with those of 1890"
In our last paper, referring to the last Re-
port Of the Auditor General, we wrote =:
After all that can be said, however, the fact
remains that the balance in the Treasury in
1890 was G59, 10 10. 101, and in December
1891 it was E46 ,275 Z. s. The causes in
operation in 1891 are accentuated in 1892: we
have suffered and are still suffering from
severe drOught-th the crop of this year will be
less than that of l691-the import duties will
not come up to previous years-less money
will circulate, and the outlook in every re-.
spect is gloomy. The Legislature will be com
pelled TO exercise rigid economy, and to mega
tive with firm decision every proposal to ex-
pend money except for purposes that are alb
solutely necessary. We shall be curious to
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