Evening star., 1898-05-14

they would sink to the level, almost, of
their original barbarism at the time Of dis
cCvery, for we alone keep their noses above
water and hold them back from hank
ruptcy OF course, we do not do this from
disinterested motives, for their trade Is OF
incalculable value to our country just be-
cause they are near and because tney pro-
drce many things We cannot ralse.
But like the Bermudas, nearly all these
islands are an expense to Great Britain
which few of them in any way reimburse
She sends out horde of office holders, IL
Is true, whom she mainly supports there'
at large salaries, and this process she mas
kept up for several hundred years, untii
there is no longer any fun i'll it-for John
Bull. So, as has been said, unless some
islands possess a strategic value, like the
Bermudas, in her scheme of world encom-
passing it would not be a difficult matter
to wean them away from their foster
mother.
According to a recognized British author
ity the little Bermuda colony is admins
tered by a governor, who receives a salary
of $4,000, with assistants who aggregate
as much more. He is advised by council
of six members, appointed by the crown,
legislative council, also of the crowns ap-
pointing, and a representative house of as
sembly with thirty-six members. All this
to govern a population of less than 1000.
of whom but 1,6O0 are entitled to the fran
chise.
The last statement of their condition
makes the public expenditure more, by
$4,000, than the revenue, and the islands
are a quarter million in debt.
Next south, within thousand miles of
New York straight away, is Nassau, capt.
tai of the Bahamas, once the haunt of p-
rates and blockade runners, and within a
nights run of the Florida coast. The gov
ernor receives $4,000 annually, the chief
justice, 5000 and other numerous Office
holders in proportion; and yet it was nip
and tuck for the colony to keep its ex-
penses of about $500, 900 within the gross of
frS
here-they are here still, in a dismantled
condition-but England no longer considers
the Bahamas defensible or profitable,
and so doubtless We could have them Tor
to sing it!
Island of jamaica.
Next southwest, 1.45O miles from New
York, is the large and beautiful island of
Jamaica, IA miles in length and 80 in
breadth. This island, which the Spaniards
discovered and colonized. and which Eng
land took from them in Cromwelrs time,
Is one of the most important in the An
titles. 1t has mountains 1000 feet high,
and so, being within the tropics. has every
variety of climate. can raise cane and to-
bacco in the lowlands, coffee and cinchona
on the hills Strawberries and potatoes on
the mountain levels. 1t has the finest of
valleys filled with exuberant vegetation; 1t
has magnificent roads-1O0 miles of them
and a railroad running the length OF the
island with glorious tropical scenery along
the coast and throughout the interior.
1t is as well entitled as Cuba to be called
the Queen of the Antilles, and in Ameri-
can hands would be valuable property.
AS il is it's expenditures latterly have far
exceeded its revenues. and 1t has debt
of about nine million dollars. Its total ex-
ports are some $10,O0O000. of which one
quarter goes to Great Britain, and pretty
much all the rest to us: its imports, $11,-
0O0, 900, of which more than one-half come
from the United Kingdom" and the rest
mainly from the United States.
Being rich, II not exactly prosperous,
Jamaica has a long list of high-salaried
officials, beginning with the governor at
$50, 600 and ending with a registrar general
at $3OOO-an enormous total, which 1t is
impossible to contemplate without mingled
emotions when we consider that the popu-
lation is only Go0.000, and most of that
number black and colored tillers of the
soil. 1t has good harbors, many forts
more soldiers and g. famous naval and re-
its docks, its hulks and enormous stores
of coal
Many miles to the eastward and within
a hundred-Inile radius of Pueno Rico are
the Virgin Islands, which, though known
to have gold and copper within their rocky
! hills, are still languishing in the depths
of poverty, and manage to show an ac-
count with the home country with the bal
ance on the wrong side of the ledger They
have fine harbors, though, some large
enough to feat navy, and II nearer to
their actual owners might prove valuable.
The Lesser Antilles.
southwardly. curving from the Virgins,