The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-09-02
AND JAMAICA WOULD
LIKE A CHANGE.
UNCLE SAM LOOKS GOOD
People Have Noticed How Porto Rico
Is Thriving and Would Like
to Share Prosperity.

Havana, Aug. 29.-The past two or
three months have witnessed a re
markable recrudescence ct the Ameri-
can annexation idea in at least two
of the largest and most prominent
branches of the British West Indian
possessions, Trinidad and Jamaica.
The leaders of the agitation are gen.
orally planters and business men.
These point to the growing prosper
ity of Porto Rico and denounce the
system OF. British colonial govern
ment.
They also note the desperate stage
Of the sugar industry and the deplor-
able condition of the people of the
islands and seriously suggest annexa-
ton to the United States as the only
possible chance of reviving their fall
en- fortunes.
Such is the view of the planters and
business men and both together form
a very influential class perhaps the
most influential of the community
Are Afraid Of the Rope.
The natives on the other hand res
urrect stories of lynching and the.
workings of the anti-negro law in the
southern states and declare them
selves emphatically against annexa-
ton and strongly in favor of the Brit
ish rule, which~gives them freedom
that has become to them even more
precious than Industrial and financial
prosperity. Between these two fac
tions comes another class, influential
enough though in hopeless minor
ity, holding that a federation with
Canada is the only remedy for the
ills from which the islands are un-
doubtedly suffering. And between
them all the newspapers have been
kept busy publishing letters and rec
concentrations and protests.
One paper had finally to decline to
publish any letters bearing on the
subject.
Sick of British Policy.
The truth of the matter is that in
! telligent people here are becoming al
| together sick of the British colonial
policy, a policy that has resulted in
! thef almost total destruction Of the
sugar industry of the islands. The
! fruit trade with the United States is
! the most profitable undertaking in
Jamaica today. It's growth is continu-
GUS and phenomenal. It is the main
stay of the island. Nobody attempts
to deny that without the United Fruit
company, an American concern, the
/ island must long ago have given up
the struggle.
The depression over the country is
as acute as it is real. The govern
ment departmental reports TEEN with
references to it. Taxes are becoming
harder to collect. People are daily
/ getting out of work, in consequence
| of failure of the sugar industry with
/ in the past few months. Thousands
upon thousands have been prosecuted
for non-payment of taxes. They are
generally given month or two in
which to pay up their dues or in de-
| fault take a term of Imprisonment,
which does not cancel the debt.
Uncle Sam Could Do 1t.
4 It is the opinion of a number of
| intelligent men that if the expensive
system of government which obtains
there were superseded by a system OF
/ the kind introduced in Porto Rico,
the island would not be long in recov-
ering itself. The salary of $4,000,
besides numerous exemptions and
privileges, which the governor is paid,
is regarded as distinctly extravagant
and out of all proportion to the col
ony's revenue. The revenue cannot
be increased. Import duties are at
4 the highest possible point and the
/ government dare not raise them any
. higher 1t is, therefore, not at all
: surprising to find the whole island
seething with discomfort, shouting fol
reforms-reforms which like the gov
!, ernment's standing promise of "bet
ter times"-never come.
It was realized that the colony is
rapidly nearing the parting of the
ways and the future will depend al
J most entirely upon the future policy
J of the imperial authorities with re
. gard to this and the other islands
of the West Indies.
What They Are Saying.
= The following editorial commen