The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-08-08
A REAL GRIEVANCE

ing 10 THO UultGu EAAFFns
recently a dispatc was publIshed
from kingston. Jam5lca. that the re-
mort Of Sir Edward iBsfbour. formerly
financial adviser to the government of
india, proposed as 4 remedy for the
financial troubles a loan Of Ss,s75.OOo
from the English goyer1nent on condi-
ton that the colonysEtEes up Its con-
stitution and resigns the control of its
AFFAIRS to the imperial government; ana
that the report was received with an
cry disappointment and would be like
" to encourage the movements in favor
Of annexation to the United states by
alternating the waveripg. sentiment OF
loyalty to the crown.
Jamalca's AFFAIRS are administered by
n governor sent over from England. Its
laws are enacted by aslsgislative coun-
ell Of twenty.six, fourteen members
elected by the people and twelve ex-
oficlo members or appolntees Of the
governor. The governnent alone has
the right to introduce bills referring to
financial matters, but the elected MEM
bers can veto any general measure II
nine Of them vote against 1t.
While this gives the elected meme
hers the power of veto, they cannot re-
duce salaries which have been fixed by
law, even though that law was passed
by themselves. The order of the
queens priyy council Confirming the
present constitution In 1884 reserved a
certain civil list which cannot be dis.
turbed by the elect Of the Islands coun-
ell. Herein lies the cause Of much Of
the discomfort with the official repre-
sentatives Of the crown The salary list
of the island is high, and the inability
OF the elected members OF the council
to reduce 1t interferes with the proper
adjustment Of expenses to revenue.
"You may rest assured says Charles
De Mercado Of Kingston, shat the cit
izens Of our island will resist to man
by every constitutional means in their
power any attempt to curtail their priv
ileges in return for tardy aid which
should have been granted before and is
inadequate now. Let me tell you some
thing about a previous commission of
which Sir David Barbour was mem
Der and Sir Henry Norman, who had
been governor of several of the imper-
ial colonies, including Jamaica, the
head, It's OF = members being Sir Ed
ward Grey, who held an assistant sec.
retaryshlp under the home government
in the last Liberal administration.
Its appointment two years ago rails
cd the hopes of the colonies to the high.
est pitch, and they naturally thought
that the imperial government had at
last decided to do something for them.
The commission visited the, various Is
lands, and finally made It's report,
which practically stated that their con-
dltlon, entirely dependent on the SUI
gar trade, was deplorable, and that the
decadence Of the sugar industry was
caused by the bounty system of the
continental nations, mainly France,
Germany and Austria.
After denounclng this bounty sys-
tenn the majority of the commission ut
terly failed to arrive at what is the
logical and natural deduction from this
condition of afralrs-that England, to
protect her colonies, should place a
countsrvalling duty on bounty-fed su-
gar. They recognized the ;evil, and yet
were unwilling to recommend the REM
sdy. Sir Henry Norman, however, who
knew what We required, said In a mi
norIty report that he was in favor Of
the imposition by England Of counter
vailing duties. This comHii8slon fur
Their recommended slight financial aid
to some Of the minor islandRJ But It's
main result was to do more harm than
good, as 1t laid bare to the world the
poor condition of these dependencies,
thus running their credit abroad, while
absolutely ignoring the only measure
by which their prosperity could be re-
established. The commission pointed
out that the condition Of Jamaica was
superior to that Of the other Islands,
because 1t was less dependent on su-
gar. Our island in late years has de-
veloped a large and important fruit
trade with the United states. and, in
addition to sugar, It also produces cof-
fee, ginger, pimento and logwood. For
the last two years. however, the low
price Of coffee and iogwood and the SER
ious blow INFLICTED on the orange trade
by the heavy duty your country levles
to protect the orange growers Of Flori-
do and California have caused great
depression in the trade of the island, re-
sulting in a serious deficit in its reve-
nues.
THAT is one reason for our present
financial troubles, which, believe, are
only temporary. The island has great
undeveloped resources. and fortunately
its credit has not suffered. Indeed. 1t is
second to no colony in the world in that
respect. Er
"stIn another cause for our financial
woes is to be found In the operations of
m American syndicate. which issued
bonds guaranteed by the jamaican gov
eminent. to extend our railway system
and finally collapsed. leaving as a leg
acy to the government an interest
charge of S25O.OOO per annum. ra
"ThIs interest charge and the manner
Of meeting It has been a bone of con-
tentIon for three years between the two
classes Of members Of the Legislative