Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-09
Jamaican Commissioners
Coming to Washington
GREAT DISCONTENT FELT
On Account of the Action of the Home
Government And the Islands are
Willing to Become a Part of the
United States.

New York, June "a special to the
Tribune from Washington says: Wash
ington officials have an interest in the
coming of the Jamaica reciprocity COM
missioners greater than the trade of the
British possessions warrants. There is
a feeling that before they get through
these Jamaican commissioners will bring
to focus the whole question Of the
future of the British West Indies. They
will act nominally in conjunction with
the British embassy because to do other
wise would not be permitted by the Brit
ish foreign Office.
Nevertheless, the Jamaicans are apt to
prove headstrong. Careful statements
are made that their presence has moth
ing to do with that of Sir Cavendish or
with the proposed reciprocity arrange
ments with the Barbados. Neverthe-
less, the idea is prevalent that Mr.. Cham
berlain, the colonial minister is hamper
ing Jamaica and that he wants the other
dependencies in the West Indies to serve
| that if Jamaica does not get along we'll
with the United States she will turn to
Canada.
The alliance between Canada and the
British West Indies has been seriously
discussed in the dominion. Some Mon
treal capitalists have lately interested
themselves in electric lights and street
| railway enterprises. and they are said to
be urging closer union between the do
minion and the islands. The notion is too
whimsical to receive much attention be-
cause neither the fisheries nor the fruit
trade affords a basis for either political
or commercial union between Canada
and Jamaica.
Private letters from Jamaica have re-
Icently supplemented published and Off.
cial reports regarding the depth of the
discomfort there. Unless the United
States acts more generously than Eng
Hand has done by granting trade advan'
tages without equivalent return 1t is sale
that the demand for annexation will be
openly made Some of the leading mer
of Jamaica have no faith in the present
negotiations, and with the fear Of Cuba
and Porto Rico before their eyes they
want the island to seek political unor
with the United States They are no
particular whether they are traded fol
one of the Philippines or for some Other
spot of land.
| Apparently Mr.. Chamberlain has mos
at stake. He had a carefully maturet
scheme by which the trade was to bt
taken away from the New England capi
talists, who had invested their money ane
developed the fruit raising as we'll as thu
railroads. AS the English fleet was t
replace the American fruit fleet whicl
runs to New York, Boston, Philadelphia
and Baltimore, Sir Henry Blake, the for
mer governor of the island, presented t.
the London chamber Of commerce it's op
portunties. Plans were really made b.
, which English capital would drive ou
the American capital. They all came t.
nothing, and now their failure is ad
} mtted.
In order to secure a basis of reciprocit.
with the United States, the colonial lesis
lature passed a retaliatory tariff bill
This was only done after strong protest.
and after the threat of the British for
eign Office to reduce Jamaica to the con
}. dition Of crown colony had been with
draw and Sir Augustus Hemming, tn
present governor general, had given as
surance that the liberties of the colon,
would not be interfered with. Neverthe
less, the day after the passage of tn
tariff bill. Sir Augustus Hemming am
Sir Joseph Chamberlain We're burned il
effigy. The feeling was that the cours
taken would cause irritation among tn
officials of the United States instead O
securing the concessions which wer
wanted.
It can hardly be said that the admin
listration is irritated. There is so littl
0 Jamaican trade that to show resentmen
) would be absurd. However, now reason
y has been found why the United State
q should do more for Jamaica than tn
0 British foreign office is able to do, an
0 though Mr. Chamberlain may be highl
. esteemed personally, he is not likely t
: : receive much aid in his plan of pacifyini
O Jamaica through American privileges
0 The American companies which hav
0 handled the Jamaica fruits in the mar
. kets of the United States have not com
o planned Of the tariff. They have done
0 satisfactory business without interfering
5 with fruit growers at home. AS 70
sugar, it is doubtful whether the Unite
States could restore that industry Il
Jamaica by granting to it such recip
rocity as may be ultimately granted t
; Cuba. The whole question Of Jamaica