, 1896-05-02
From tie Demerara 4rgosy An Apr7.)

|
At the opening of the first session in his
regime of the bahamas Legislature. Sir Will
liam f. Haynes Smith, III his speech, urged
upon the Members the necessity of giving
special attention to the industries Of the colo
ny. There, the sponge trade is The main
staple, just as sugar is in Demeraln, and the
Governor called serious attention to the
ominous signs of deterioration III the fsheriee.
From personal observation he was certain
that there was All unnecessary waste of
sponge life, occurring often when the sponges
We're filled with living embryOs. Sponge
was one Of the few articles Of commerce for
which the demand exceeds the supply, and
if the output could be increased the price
would not be reduced. 1t was very desira-
Bile therefore that the colony should legis-
late so as to protect the sponge beds, and
check the present awful waste of material.
With regard to agriculture he said the peo-
Pile owed a debt Of gratitude to Governor
O'Shea who had attracted English capital to
develop the SiSal industry. But the peasan-
try should devote their attention to the Gull
t|ivation of fruit and vegetables for the Anne
rican market, tho cioseness Of which to the
Bahamas offered a special inducemen, to en-
gage in he business. 1t was necessary, how
ever, that the peasantry and small landowners
should be given instr uction IN The establish
ment of cultivation and the management Of
lands and crops, for 1t was useless TO grow
Inferior produce; and II bill to reconstitute the
Board Of Agriculture would soon be laid be-
fore the members. AS to the revenue, thanks
10 Mr.. George Melville's scheme Of Ways
and Means, the expenditure of the past year
had been met; but rigid economy Was neces-
sary to obviate increased taxation, and many
,p1~1r, ,.IYoh .rA ,,,t,I, ,a.,f.Il must aY,,nf
over for the present.
The local Guardian. commenting upon the
Governors speech, SAYS it advocates a policy
which commends itself 10 The great bulk of
the people. Since III, arrival me Governor
has been constantly engaged in informing
himself by personal observation, research
and consultation as TO the colony'S position
aud capabilities, and hls impressed all with
whom he has come in contact that no effort
will be spared by him to advance the colony's
interests.
As appropriate to the gist Of the Governors
speech we notice, in the Guardian, reference
TO the first shipment Of tomatoes from the
Bahsmas to New York.
Rivalry in the ice trade is henefting the
inhabitants of Kingston, Jamaica, to a greater
extent even than it is benctiting the lnhabl-
tants Of Guiana. Until recently the Kingston
Ice Manufacturing Company alone existed IN
the town, and sold its produce at a haIf-penny
per pound Since the establishment of the
Consumers Ice Making Company, which sells
ice at a farthing a pound, the former compa-
ny has gone ''one better and reduced their
price to two pounds for a farthing. A re-
preventative of the Neps Letter has been
interviewing the managers, and he learns
from a director of the Consumers company
that they will be able to compete tor four
years if their customels will only support
them as they are doing at present. The old
er Company, with its reserve fund Of $4,000,
seems determined to drive its rival off the
field by under-SellIng. The fight is keen;
and the public benefit is proportionately
large.-Ibid.