The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-08-30
Talk of Annexation to the United
states Growing More Gen
eral Among Planters.
SUGAR INDUSTRY is RUINED.
Negroes Alone Hold Out for Pres
ent System, Which Gives Them
More Freedom, They Believe,
Than They Would Have.

Kingston. Jamaica. Aug. 2o.-The last two
or three months have witnessed d remark
able recruiesercc Of the American annexa-
ton idea in At least TWO of the largest and
most important British West India possess
siCas-Trinidad and Jamaica.
Tn leaders OF the agitation arc generally
planters and business men.
These point to the growing prosperity OF
Porto Rico and denOUnce the system OF
British colonial government.
They also point TO the desperate state Of
the sugar industry. and TO the dep,orabl,
condition of the people of the islands. and
seriously suggest annexation to the United
States as the only possible chance OF re-
vivins their fallen fortunes.
Such is the view Of the planters and
business men. and both together form a
very influential class-perhaps the most in
huential class Of the community.
The natives. on the other hand. resurrect
stories of Iynchinss and the workings OF
the antinesro laws in the Southern States.
and declare themselves cnphatCally against
annexation and strongly in favor of the
British rule. which gives them a freedom
that has become TO them even more
precious than industrial and financial pros
perity.
Federation With Canada Suggested.
Between these two factions comes another
class, influential enough. though in q hope
less minority. holding that federation with
canada IS the only remedy iOr the Ills from
which the islands are undoubtedly suffer-
ing. And between them all the newspapers
have been kept busy publishing letters and
recommendations and protests Ont paper
had finally to decline to publish any let
tiers 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 almos, total destruction
of the sugar industry Of the islands,.
The fruit trade with the United States IS
the most profitable undertaking in jamaica
to-day. Its growth is continuous and phe-
Nobody attempts to deny that without the
United Fruit Company ian American con-
Germ. the island must long g have given
up the truggle
The depression over the country IS as
acute as il is real The government de-
partmental reports TEEN with references to
it. Taxes are becoming harder to collect
because the people are daily getting out OF
work in consequence of the failure Of the
thousands upon thousands of persons have
been prosecuted for rOnpayment of taxes.
They are generally given a 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.
1t is the opinion of a good many intelli-
gent men that if tho expensive system OK
government which obtains here were SUI
perseded by a system Of the kind being in
not be long in recovering itself. The salary
of $4,000 CbeSides numerous exemptions and
privileges). which the Governor receives. Is
regarded as distinctly extravagant and out
OF all proportion to the colony's general
revenue.