, 1909-02-10

cesaary to have a special Committee, parti-
cularly when we know that the Budget
has to be finished before the new financial
year Meantime, he is always willing, when
and where possible, to meet the wishes Of
Members; if now it be u real desire to have
a special Committee on the Draft Of Budget,
he would beg TO suggest that the lonolra-
Bile Member, OF some other Member, as the
matter has already been decided to refuse
Committee of 7 Members. would propose a
Committee Of another number OF Members
5, 8, Or such like, when he would be wiling.
with the Councils consent, to pat that pro
posal under discussion and vote.
Bra Member for Frederlksted's Country
District ~CBlachacood) would beg to make d
proposal for a Committee Of 5 Members.
4th Member for Christiansted'5 Country
District (Sojtzer) proposed a Committee Of .
Members.-
Bird Crownmember (Olsen) jeff the AS
sembly.
End Member for Frederiksted Country
District (Lu3tney) said, it seemed that the
honorable 9th Member for Frederiksted
Blackwood) has not quite understood the
change in our new laws which has constitut-
ed the Municipal Committee, and which to u
certain extent has placed the responsibility
for our budgets on tho Members themselves
who have elected from among themselves
the Members forming the Municipal Com
mlttee. The sentiments might be expressed
better by stating that the burdens of Taxa
ton, over which we have no control, place
the planter end landowners in a very unsat-
~isfactory position = AS regards the Budg-
ct, then, there is SO far no inol ease of Taxa
tion, and ae We cannot reduce the Items on
the Budget, as they are necessary, IN fact
they are not even suthcient-for instance the
amount given out for the Department OF
public instruction, is insufficient so also the
amount for our Hospitals; on account of the
poor condition of things in general we are
not able to keep up our institutions on a par
allel with our neighbours, and have therefore
to be satisfied with q condition of things far
below what modern improvements should
make it necessary to have. The reason why
we all as landowners and Planters keenly feel
the Depression and scarcity of money are,
first the unreasonable weather and low
prices for our produce, no market near to
offer any facility high rates of freight etc,
our taxes are at present o Q Q on our gross
proceeds of the plantations not including
horse and carriage and boat taxes, suffering al
so from want Of technical assistance IN agrlcul-
ture,-Then there is another matter of which
we cften complain, one which greatly retards
our local and economic industries, namely the
presence of pr@dial larceny among our agri-
: cultural labourers; l look upon it as a cancer
on all kinds of thrift and energy among our
labourers. In our modern methods Of pen
atty practiced by our young men now, and
which from q humane point of view may
seem good, has q wonderful bad effect on
the Protection that should be given the
law abiding and industrious labourer; at
present when the Industrious labourer plants
his provision ground, it is impossible for him
to allow it to ripen, if he does not remain
oil day and night watching it himself other
wise it will all be stolen. If he goes to
work and leaves bis room locked, in the
village, it is often times broken open and he
loses his property, if lie cannot get over
w4,InlQg proofs, he gets no redress, and
from. .6aa flows that we get a gang of
yagrontt ri soabout from plantation to plan
tat.ou. pro. ag on tie peucable and indus
trious !aoaa1ets, who therefore always com
plain tDit : - 10 use to go to the Police
ofice-Ia9 result is that our native people,
who foraarly were noted for their thrift.
nova days find it quite useless to plant
anything--He would beg The Chairman's
permission to read a collection of some sem
o,a,. fr,,, ~, Barbados A1vOoafa oD1