Evening star., 1902-08-29
TALK Of ANNEXATION
Great Unrest + in British West
Indies.
ISLANDS IN BAD WAY
DUE TO POOR BRITISH COLONIAL
POLICY.
Black Portion Of the Population, How
ever, is Opposed to the
Proposition.
'pondence of the Associated Press.

I9.-Ihe past TWO or three months have
witnessed remarkable recrudscence of the
american annexation idea in at least two
OF the largest and most important British
west India possessions-Trinidad and Ja-
maica. The leaders of the agitation are
generally planters and business men. These
point to growing prosperity of Porto Rico
ana denounce the system of British colo
mai government They also point to the
desperate state of the sugar industry and
10 the deplorable condition of the people of
the island, and seriously suggest annexa-
tion to the United States as the only possi-
BILE chance of reviving their fallen fortunes.
Such is the view of the planters and busi-
ness men, and both together form very
influential class-perhaps the most infiuen-
tial class of the community The natives
on the other hand, resurrect stories of
lynchings and the workings Of the anti
negro laws in the southern states and de-
clare themselves emphatically against an
nexaton and strongly in favor Of the Brit
lsh rule, which gives them a freedom. that
mas become to them even more precious
than Industrial prosperity. Between the
factions comes another class, influential
enough, though in hopeless minority, hold
ing that federation with Canada is the only
remedy for the ills from which the islands
are undoubtedly suffering.
Discussion in Newspapers.
And between them all the newspapers
have been kept busy publishing letters and
recommendations and protests. One paper
had finally to decline to publish any letters
bearing on the subject
The truth Of the matter is that intelligent
people here are becoming altogether sick
of the British colonial policy-a policy that
has resulted in the almost total destruction
OF the sugar industry of the islands. The
rruit trade with the United States Is the
most profitable undertaking in Jamaica to-
day Its growth is continuous and phe-
nomenal. 1t is the mainstay of the island
Nobody attempts to deny that without the
United Fruit Company, an American con-
cern; the island must long ago have given
up the struggle.
Ihe depression over the country Is as
acute as 1t is real. Government depart
mental reports TEEN with references to it,
Taxes are becoming harder to collect be-
cause people are daily going out of work in
consequence Of the failure of the sugar in
dustry. Within the past few months thou
sands upon thousands of persons have been
prosecuted for non-payment of taxes. They
are generally given a month or two in
which to pay up their duties. or, in default,
take term OF Imprisonment, which does
not cancel the debt.
Expensive System Of Government.
1t Is the opinion Of good many intelli-
gent men that If the expensive system of
government which obtains here were SUPER
seded by system of the kind being intro
duced Into Porto Rico, the island would not
be long in recovering itself
The salary OF $4,000, besides numerous
exemptions and privileges, which the gov
ernor is paid, is regarded as distinctly ex-
travagant and out OF all proportion to the
colony's general revenue And the revenue
cannot De increased Import duties are at
ND
ment dare not raise them any higher.
1t is, therefore, not at all surprising To find
the whole island seething with discomfort
shouting for reforms-reforms which like
the governments standing promise of bet
ter t1mes-neVer come. 1t is realized that
the colony Is rapidly nearing the parting
OF the ways; and the future will depend
almost entirely on the future policy az the
imperial authorities with regard to this.
the other islands of the West Indies.
The following editorial comment by one
this city gives some further idea of the con-
dtfons at present obtaining here:
Newspaper Editorial.
"A curious phenomenon at present In
Jamaica is the discrepancy between the op-
timistic writings and lectures of people and
the actual circumstances of the country.
What is the actual situation? Depression
on every side, sugar and coffee estates 60
Ing out of cultivation. the people without
and with only sufficient to eat, large num-
bers Of persons leaving for America and
elsewhere, and among all classes the gloom
lest anticipations regarding the future
1t may be said that this has always been
the situation, but certainly the pessimist;c
note has never been so prominent as at
present. We are not commenting on IL:
we simply state what is fact On the
one side we have the promise and on the
other we have the actual circumstance,
and the discrepancy between the two is
what we are calling attention to-"