, 1912-05-29

COMMITTEE " l06uI ClAlIn TO being heard
about a contract for a mail schooner, and q
has the administrator acted in the interest
of the public in its arrangements for q new
mail schooner?
AS for the first question we must refer to
the Bylaws for tn. Municipal Committee in
order to find the definition of the rights Of
this Committee. There you will find, that
the Committee partakes in the management
of economical affairs of the island. But it Is
plain that by this cannot be understood ali
matters, that are paid for by the municipality
as otherwis e the Committee would claim to
have Il hearing whenever fl. a new police
master, who is paid for by the IN lnicipality;
is to be appointed.
This was obvious to the Trainer of the By
laws and this is the reason why he hai found
it necessary In s 4 to give a minute defini-
ton of economical affairs in this connection.
Now the mail schooner belongs under tie
Postal Department AMI if we quote the
words from the Bylaws as to which matters
under the Postal Department are to be con-
sidered as such economical aft tirs over which
the Municipal Committee shall exercise con-
trol, you will find it stated in S 4 that, as the
economical affairs of tie Municipality are to
be considered all public uf ,irs connected with
the Post Department in so far us they CON,
cern the Municipality.
What is meant by this last reserva ion?
OF course it is not placed there in order to
exclude postal mptters that concern China
OF Korea, and then the only Pc 3sible ex-
PLANTATION of this reservation is, that ou-
ly such postal affairs as concern the
Municipality alone anil no one else shall
come under the lur sdiction Of the Munich
pal Committee, or as it is stated about Yele-
graph and Telephone departments, as for
as they concern IOcCN communication.
r., kI;o ronnnor thu .oro i0, h01 Il
ways been understood by The Administration
IS will be seen from the following examples
Iu 1910 the postage for letters to all coun-
tries within the Wolld's Union was reduced
from 8 to 5 cts. This was q matter materi-
ally affecting the economical affairs of the
Municipality under the Postal Department..
However the Municipal Committee was not
heard about it, because the matter did not
concern St. Croix alone. II it had been the
question Of p)stage between Chrlstlanste0
and Frederiksted of course the Municipal
Committed or the Co!oAial Council would
have had its say, as it then would have been
d local affair.
Likewise increase of expenses for sea
transmissions of postal matters was not laid
before the Committee.
Finally [ come to IN example to which
I particularly want to draw the attention OF
the hon. Members. In 1911 q new contract
was signed with the owner of the mail
schooner "FigIlant." This contract was not
laid before the Municipal Committee for the
same reason, namely that it was not merely
a local affair, Why object to the last con-
tract when you did not object to- the former
onef
In this new contract st. Thomas and the
State Treasury are also Interested.
The hon. Member said, that the Minis
try had not the least interest for the mail
service between the islands. Will the hon.
Member really maintain this
How has the administration acted /
am glad, Chat l am here III accordance will
the hon. Member.
We have got many improvements here;
what would the gentleman having aeeus-
toned himself TO the APP to date automobile
say, when he came to the wharf and found
II schooner, 100 years old, carrying on the
mail sometimes As 80 even up to 70 hours
between the islands. We have been look
ing at the interest Of the Community III
choosing between the two offers that have
come in. You may say that the Municipal
Committee would have paid 500 dollars more