, 1913-01-22

The Editor st. Croir Iris.
Dear Sir!
In reading the issue Of Vest End
Ne1cS of 10th INST | came across an article
copied from the Herald Of So Lucia dealing
with the rum question Of the island Of Gre
NADIA. The article attracted my attention.
aud struck me so forcibly, thqt it gave mt
the impression that ere long we too would
be in Il similar position.
With an import duty of $1.00 per gallon
protecting Il few d|istiliers, there IS no telling
how much higher the price Of the article
may so, since they could carry it as high
as they cared to, already it bias reached high
water mark at Ace. per gallon tnd rumour
says it will soon go rs high as soc. ut which
figure 1t Is even now uuobtain0ble. 1t IS
the general opinion, that the import duty
should not be greater than the excise and
this without detriment to the revenue IN
which ease our supplies could be obtained
from the most advantageous sources. After
taking into consideration the position of uIl
concerned III the matter | find that the
labouring man is the worst off, as he pays
for all. Francs 100000 DO is indeed no mean
item on the revenue side Of our Budget, and
that is the amount he pays for bis indulgence
in the use of the article. Let US stop and
consider for Il moment and then ask the
question what warrants this extraordinary
price for rum, when Demerara rum Of full
strength, which is nearly doubly equal to
ours, IS quoted in Europe at IL shilling and
four pence per Imperial gallon of s bottles
(and for 81 proof we pay Acc. per wine gal
Ion OF 5 bottles) and the answer slowly comes
back "A protective import duty of 81 90 per
gallon"
Take the present cost of rum to the
rumshop keeper, VIZ: Acc. plus 43c. excise,
total 89c. and the retail price OF $l.O0 per
gallon and it is at once seen that it is i'm
possible for him to carry on the trade and
derive any profit therefrom with so narrow
a margin. The result Is, that if he would
continue he must augment the retail price,
i'll which case the rabouring man must IN
Justly bear the burden or stop drinking and
thus indirectly ruin one of the principal re-
venues of the island |(excise) But | ques-
ton whether we have the night to deprive
him the privilege Of indulging moderately
III the use of the article by placing the price
at a figure beyond his meals to phy with his
limited resources.
The late Governor Limpricht once said in
the lobby Of the Council Hall when that
honorable Body was discussing the matter,
"Gentlemen, be careful how you deal with
this question, OF you may rum Que Of the
principal industries of the island r (Far
sighted lie wns) The time seems not
far distant when there viii be but one
or two di~til'eries in the island. We're
it possible, however, for the rumshop-
keepers 10 obtain their supplies from more
advantageous sources abroud an equilibrium
III the price Of the local market would be
estab ished, and it would not be necessary
for them to raise the retail price higher than
it is at present, aud the situation would be
saved for all concerned.
But it might be argued, that placing the
import duty at, for instance, the sane rate
as the excise would be running an industry
of the island.
To this I reply, that such argument may
have been justified years ago when the mad
u%facture of rum was . general industry Of
tue island, bat not today when we can count