, 1909-03-20

the MAJORITY ana quoted IA support Of them
some remarks Of Sir Daniel Morris ut the
Cotton Growers Conference held at Man
chester last wear and also some other docu-
ments. He recommended the Council to
accept the \ ajority report and made some
remarks on q rumcur, Winch he said was
widely spread through the Island, to tile
effect that if the DIatt Of Ordinance pro
posed by the Majority and forwarded by
them with their report should DO pasa,d II
demonstrates would be drawn up and TO-
Waruel t. the Ministry at Home. The re-
solution passed at the ..eetIng at Lower
Love, lie sid, was supported by only q few
cotton GROWERS, whose acreage IN cotton was
not more J3an about 500, while the rest was
abour 1850, oil which about 100 be,ougs to
the Company lie represents.
Mr.. SehmiegeIow then spoke Of the ex-
tensive and benotic al work ,one by the
Company, the clearing OF great stretches Of
land hitherto in bush, so that not only were
large plumbers Of people employed, but the
taxes on that land had gone up from about
500, the previous amount, to about $1,000.
The proposed measure would not only help
to protect these considerable interests, but
would be a boon to the cotton growers of
the island in general.
The Chairman then called on the Minority,
and Mr.. Lu2tney explained their views.
While they admitted that the measures pro-
posed by the Mai rity might DO SOME good,
and doubtless were SO intended, he did not
think they would secure the cotton growers
against insect pests. Tn industry was new,
and he thought more time should be given
to try the effects Of the Ordinance under
revision. Perhaps il could be better en-.
forced, but it should not be replaced by
such stringent measures as the 1~iajolity If
A. .-nn,,,,a,4Af fIIl ,,oInr
itv OF the p|loalers were certainly against
coercion.
It should be remembered that planters
have to contend with the sugar crop at the
same time as they have to look after the
cotton, and they ought to have free hands.
The difficulty OF securing Ia Our was graf,
and it would be exceedingly hard to get
their work done at a rea. enable rate if they
were tied down by stringent regulations.
Further be thought il would be u very
unp,eo-ant thing for the propos d lommit-
tee Of cotton growers to go on to their
neighbours lands and dictate to them what
they should do.
After M. Schmiego1ow hal made a brief
reply to the above, saying particularly that
the cotton estates did not interfere much
with the labour supply,
M. Hoefoed said that he entirely agreed
with Mr., Lunney's remarks. What the
honorable Chairman Of the 1Tajo ity had
quoted from English experts were theoreti-
cal views and since we find that the EGG
lish islands have made no ooercive laws
based on these views it must be because
such a plan has not been found practicable.
He illustrated tire difficulty Of dealing with
blister mite by mentioning, that a new piece
which he had planted, and which was far re-
moved from any other cotton, had yet been
badly attacked by blister mite, which appar-
emily invaded il from the neighbouring aca-
cin bushes. He thought very wide spaces
indeed would have to be left between the
cotton and the bush if the cotton was to be
saved from this pest, and ut all events 1t did
appear that the cotton could rot always be pro-
tected by burning the old cotton plants,
JH'. L'o9ney, replying to Mr.. Schmiegelow,
said that while he admitted that a good deal
Of work on cotton was done by women and
children, he could not help thinking that a
good many labourers must have drifted from
the central part Of the island to the East End.
HIS ErceHency the Governor was under
stood to say that while the question was no
doubt a difficult one, he thought the plan
proposed by the Majority of the Committee
offered a reasonable prospect of success, and
did not appear to be undulv burdensOme