The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-29
WOULD JOIN The US.
Strong Note Of Discomfort Sounded
in Jamaica and
Trinidad.
British Colonial Policy Sadly Con.
trasted With the Rule in
Porto Rico.

Kingston, Jamaica, Aug 2e-The pa st
two or three months have witnessed a re-
markable recrudescence Of the American
annexation idea in at least two Of the
largest and most Important British West
Indies possessions Trinidad and Jamaica.
The leaders of the agitation are generally
planters and business men. These point
to the growing prosperity of Porto Rico
and denounce the system of British CO.
lonial government. They also point to the
desperate state of the sugar industry
and to the deplorable condition of the
people Of the islands, and seriously sug-
gest annexation to the United States as
the only possible chance Of reviving their
fortunes. '~> }a.@ ,s1-- l. 4 ~
Such is the view Of the planters and
business men; and both together form a
very influential class-perhaps the most
influential class Of the community. The
natives on the other hand resurrect
stories of lynchings and the workings Of
anti-negrO laws in the southern states and
declare themselves emphatically against
annexation and strongly in favor of Brit
ish rule, which gives them a freedom
that has become to them even more pre-
cious than industrial and financial pros
perity.
Between those two factions comes an
other class, influential enough, though in
q hopeless minority, holding that fedora
tion with Canada is the only remedy for
tHe HIS lTOIn WHICH the lSlduuS are
doubtedly suffering. And between them
all the newspapers have been kept busy
publishing letters and recommendations
and protests. One paper has finally de-
clined to publish any letters bearing on
the subject.
The truth of the matter is that intel
liGent people here are becoming altogether
sick of the British colonial policy--a pol
ICY that has resulted in the almost 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 con-
tinuous and phenominal. It is the main
stay Of the island. Nobody attempts tC
deny that without the United States COM =
pany (an American concern) the island
must long ago have given up the strug-
gle.
The depression over the country is as
acute as it is real. Government depart
mental reports TEEN with references to it.
1t is becoming hard to collect debts
people are daily getting out of work ir
consequence Of the failure of the sugar
industry. Within the past few months
thousands upon thousands Of persons
have been prosecuted for non-payment OF
taxes. They are generally given month
or two in which to pay up their dues, or
In default, take term of Imprisonment
which does not cancel the debt
1t is the opinion of good many In
telligent men that If the expensive sys
tenn of government which obtains here
were superseded by a system of the kint
being introduced in Porto Rico, the island
would not be long in recovering itself
The salary of $25,000 (besides numerou!
exemptions and privileges) which the gov
ernor is paid is regarded as distinctly eX
travagant and out Of all proportion to thu
colonys' general revenue. And the reve
nue. cannot be increased Import duties
are at the highest possible point. It il
therefore not at all surprising to find thu
whole island seething with discomfort
shouting for reforms, reforms which, lik
the governments standing promise o
"better times" never come. It is realized
that the colony is rapidly nearing tn
parting of the ways And the future will
depend almost entirely on the future pol
icy Of the imperial authorities with re
gard to this and the other islands of tn
West Indies.
A curious phenomenon at present II
optimistic writings and lectures of Ger
tain people and the actual circumstance
OF the country. "A local pa per says:
What Is the actual situation? Depression o
every side, sugar and coffee estates going on
of cultivation, the people without money an
with only sufficient to eat, large numbers G
persons leaving the colony for America and else
WHERE and everywhere and among all classe
the gloOmieSt anticipatons regarding the fl
ture. 1t may be said that. this has always bee
the situation, but certainly the pessimistic not
has never been prominent as at present W
, not commenting on it; we simply state wha
is fact. On the one side we have the prom
cumstances and the discrepancy between til
two is what we are calling attention to.