, 1909-01-30

~ A4LCS OAlJ LANC Il view w AAbAC A.
easier for the labourers in the country to
get conveniently and cheapIy those articles
which they must nee 9ssarily use from day
to day, so that it should not be necessary
for them to go, often a long way, to one of
the towns. Already the O.dinance Of 1858
contained provisions With a view to this in
its s clauses 4 a2l ), auI the above
cited Ordinance of 1886, which moreover
repealed S 8 4th clause of the Ordinance Of
1858 had this for its exclusive object.
The Commission has received from sew
eral merchants both in Christiansted and
Frederiksted u communicate n which fol-
lows herewith, containing complaints that
the existing laws concerning trade in the
country are broken and proposing a reform Of
these laws and it is likewise known to sew
eral member of the Commissions that from
several shops on the estates a trade is car
riod on which in regard to the kinds of goods
offered for sale and in regard to the extent of
its custom far exceeds what is permissible
under the existing law, and what the above
stated purpose, namely to give opportunity
to the labOurers to furnish themselves with
the daily necessaries, ~justifes.
The Commission cannot too forcibly EN-.
phasize the desirability that these matters
should be looked into as thoroughly as pos
sible, as in the opinion of the Commission
it cannot be due solely to defects in the law
when certain shops in the country, unbind-
cred, can carry ON an actual trading business
with goods of manifold sorts and to a con-
siderable circle Of customers.
The Commission must call attention to
the wei9hty Importance for persons who
have invested money in buildings in the
towns, as well hs for those who carry on
business there and for mechanics who get
their living there, as we'll as for the public
in general, that values which are once con-
nected with the towns should not be dimin-
ished in q higher degree than circums stances
may necessarily involve, and that conse-
quontly it is of the highest importance to
conserve for the towns that trading bust
ness which ought Justly to be associated
with them.
The Commission, after having carefully
considered the matter, has arrived ut the
result that a strict enforcement Of the pro-
visions of the Ordinance Of 4 May 1886 will
be the best means to do what is st and
fair to both sides, and we therefore confne
ourselves to proposing such changes in the
Ordinance &8 make it easier to control that
the restrictions fxed in the Ordinance for
this kind of trade shall be observed.
AS arrangements suited to this end the
Commission would, first and foremost, re-
commend, that the somewhat vague express
sion in : l of the Ordinance 'fordinary food
stuff" should be struck out, and that it
should be specified III the section, whSt
goods could be offered for sale. On this re-
gard the Commission can recommend shat
it shall be permitted to offer for sale the
same goods as lQcksters 10 town are allow
ed to deal in (see aboBe) end on this point
we would refer to the enclosed statements
from 4 merchants y Mot the rather vague
terms "the eStntes own labourers" should be
moSp closely stated as 'persons of the la
bouriug classes who live ON or work for the
estates : that on a placard posted up in q
conspicuous position in the distributing or
selling place it shall be plainly stated what
goods may be sold and to what persons they
may be sold that a part Of the 6nes impos-
cd for traOsgressions Of she Ordinance
should full to the informer, and that this
last should be published by piacard in the
distributing place.
The Commission has further had under
consideration whether it would not be a
good way to prevent unlawful trading from
the said distributing or selling places, if it
were encumbent on the estate owner or adj
ministrator concerned at certain intervals,