The evening times., 1901-05-21
TRADE WITH THE BAHAMAS.
ne views of Sir Gilbert Parker on
Ecciprocity.

RECIPROCITY
Reciprocity treaties of some sort be
tween the United States and the Bahama
Islands would be of great benefit to both
parties said Sir Gilbert Parker, Gov
eruor of the Bahamas, last night Sir
Gilbert IS on a short leave of absence
from his post. and is spending his six
weeks in the United States seeing what
he can of the country. He is at present
the guest of Lord PauuCefote at the Brit
iSh Embassy
We hoped that the last Congress of.
your country might take up the matter OF
closer trade relations with our islands"
he said, and grant US d few concessions
on our fruit trade in return for conces-
siGHS on our part in respect to machinery
aud general manufactured produce from
this country The Bahamas are so stu
ated that if allowed its own course. free
and unrestricted. all trade would flow to
the United States There is a high war
OF duty now raised against our most i'm
portaDt products-citrous fruits and pine
apples-and we get into the American
markets only at ruinOus prices In the
fruit trade alone We already do about
E301-O00 worth with the United
States under conditions uufavorable in
every respect Favorable conditions
would swell that sum enormously, and it
seems to me that the prize is one that is
worth bidding for
England is bidding to get away from
America what your country already has,
and viii succeed. / judge, in getting
good share of the E301O0) worth of
trade The English Government is now
heavily subsidizing the EIder-Dempster
Line Of steamships. which runs from
Nassau to Bristol direct They are large
ships and viii be able to carry large
carSoes Of or oranges, cftrons, lemons.
and 50 forth, practically into the markets
Of Great Britain and the Continent
Others of the British possessions IN the
South Atlantic. Jamaica especially would
Ike reciprocity treaties. Jamaica has d
/ trade Of immense value to the United
States. and takes machinery to an even
greater extent than the Bahamas For
the benefit of trade relations between the
two countries it seems to me that a less
prOhibitive duty on our fruits would be
desirable. 1t is desirable without doubt
from the Bahaman point Of view"
Sir Gilbert is not in Washington on bust
ness Of any diplomatic nature. and has no
matters to bring up before our Govern
ment- He was taken yesterday by Lord
Pauncefote to the State Department and
was introduced to the Acting Secretary of
State. Dr. Hill He has been the Cover
nor of the Bahamas for only three years.
ana il is by far the most agreeable and
comfortable and civilized post he has held
! since his connection with the diplomatic
[ service began.
For twenty-Odd years he was the rep
resentative Of his Government in West
Africa Originally he was in the account
I ing department of the English navy. but
. Tor 70
service, going IN the '70's to Sierra Leone
/ IS the Secretary Of the West African Co
ionial Office there. From that time on.
/ until three years ago, he remained in ser
vice in West Africa. holding the chief Of
( hces in Gambia and Lagos and one OF two
other smaller places In consequence he
! is thoroughly familiar with the methods
! and habits Of the West African negro.
whether so-calied Christian, AIohamme-
dan, or Pagan
4 have been interested, he said. .'in
/ the accounts Of the death of the famous
r adey CabCdh- whom l see reported To
have been killed by the British and
french forces, united. Fadey Cabbah was
an old acquaintance Of mine-I had deal
'Egs with him. and / know him well He
.'aS a WHY rascal, and troublesome one
J mao no authority to make war upon
h!In, even though he Taided the country
IearLuiiy, carrying off men and women as
slaves, and so l was obliged to pacify him
l had many an audience with him in his
hut, and the experience was by no means
pleasing 1 am glad they have put ar
end TO him.
He started by being priest as all the
Iohammedan leaders do. Then he gath
cred around him group of scholars Be
coming deSIrOuS of power he set out vi i
the sword, and became a maraUding
robbeT, encouraging the people near by
him 10 cultivate their lana only that he
might SWOOD down upon il when the
grain and Ha f-g-r
Finding he was persona non grata with
the English in Gambia, he took uD with
/ the French in Senegal, but finally he be
gan TaTdglng the French country and the
two colonies united their forces to put an
end 10 him. and am more than glad they
succeeded %
lagos. where he was last stationed. Sir
Gilbert states, IS a very large town. judg-
ing by West African standards. II has
about 1900 inhabitants, Of which number
iJ5 are whites The trade is chiefly in
palm oil and palm kernels and latterly
rubber
! may say that was instrumental in
developing the rubber industry Of the
country, he said with the exception
of an American Methodist missionary
named Bowen, l suppose have seen more
Of the interior Of the West coast than
any man. During one Of my excursions
! noticed the prevalence Of the rubber
bearing tree. and later, with the assist
ance OF very Intelligent political pris-
oner from ueighbOring province, sue
Ceeded ii getting the people of Lagos to
understand what u valuable thing they
had in their rubber trees The first year
the trade in rubber amounted to SIS
sterling The next year il jumped to
G5gG559. at which figure, OF Just a little
less, it has stayed
Sir Gilbert. after leaving Washington
this evening, will go to Boston, and then
20 the Pan-American Exposition. where
the Bahamas are represented by an ex-
h5bit- His leave being only six weeks, he
viii not have any opportunity to travel
to any extent. have just come from
the Bahamas" he said in conclusion
which are supposed TO be pretty near
Paradise in their beauty. but Washing
ton as l see Il now, IS even more beau