, 1912-03-13

n'ose hCClnefy elected by has fellow planters
10 act as their representative on the B ,ard
OF Directors, and we all looked to bis taking
A5 part with US on this occasion, a1l wit
Messing the c~onsummation of the work in
which he had been 50 deeply interested.
The present factory proposal did rot only
originate with the island community but It
has obtained the unanimous support Of all
the proprietors to whose estates its railway
can be carried. In the case of one estate
only has the assent of parties indirectly in
terested not been given in any case this
does not break the unanimity amongst the
proprietOrs themselves.
The undertaking has been supported in a
striking way locally by subscriptions of CAPT.
tai amounting in all to E40,000 aud coming
from all classes. This local subscription is a
remarkable evidence Of the wealth of the
island, and of the unique fertility Of its soil,
since agriculture is the only Industry and
from it all the reserves are derived, either
directly or indirectly. I know Of no other
place comprising as it does only a score or
two of estates, none of them urge, which
would be able to produce TO, an undertaking
such as this SO large an amount of capital
almost without notice.
This. local subscription has occa stoned the
greatest satisfaction to all connected with
the scheme in England. The stability of
an Undertaking is enhanced, ant tho likeli'
hood of difficulties is minimised, when it is
SO largely owned by the community IN which
the work is being carried on.
We feel sure that the Factory will prove q
success. We cannot say that il originated
from philanthropjc motives [ freely confess
that it was the expectation Of profit as IN
vestors and agents which induced my firm
to take the matter up, and [ feel sure that
all others interested, whether investors or
planters, would admit to being actuatod by
similar feelings.
AT the same time it is. pleasanter to know
that others are ~pro6ting too and that the
scheme is founded on the principle of Olive
and let live"
In a review in a recent number Of "The
Spectator" of Mr.. Peel's work "phe Future
of England the writer remarks :-"Delib-
erately to increase the prosperity OF others
is the shortest and surest way to increase
oar own" This is the principle on which
both sides to the Factory contract have act
ed and we might have the e words over the
door Of the Factory (for investors as they
look at them to think with satisfaction On
the planters and for planters to look W til
satisfaction on the investors, and [ hope also
for both together to think similarly on the
staff and lab)urersl.
Some people, including L think Mt. Lloyd
George, speak and act as if one could only
make money at the expense of others as if
the total income of a community were a fixed
sum-, ana that if one individual increased his
earnings, others must consequently have to
90 with less, but here at least we can see this
is q mistaken view. phe aim of this Factory
is to make money, not by robbing others, bat
by doing better work and by saving waste.
The principle is cooperation between the
planters and the investors, the planters re-
ceiving & first payment for canes that will
give them on the average q return about as
large as their total net revenue at present
(and they able to live on that with soil and
rainfall as are found in st. Kitts) AMI on the
othor hand the investors receiving q first
payment of 5 ofo interest. We may look on
both these first payments us what is called q
living wage. At the close of the season the
surplus (after setting aside a sum to q fund
for repayment of the capltaD is equally di-
vided, one half to planters and one half to
investors-a fair division, seeing that q
factory of this type costs at least as much as
the tota! combined value of the estates con-
tributing canes.
I will venture to give a few figures show