, 1915-08-04
The NATIONAL BANK OF THE DAN.
ISH WEST INDIES.

in Copenhagen on the 18Th June. The
Chairman Of its Board Of Directors, General
Director Nordleiu, states the following:
Report For The Year.
ST.. THOMAS. The year 1914 Ind been
looked forward to for years with great ex-
pectation in the Danish West Indies, and es-
pecially in st. Thomas, rs the year OF the
opening of the Panama Canal, with it's ex-
pected increase of shipping in the harbour,
which would make the future of the Islands
aud bring back once more the prosperity and
high standing OF former days.
At the time Of the opening Of the Panama
Canal, the European war broke ou' This not
only postponed all hope of better times for
the future, but almost entirely destroyed The
ordinary regular traffic, 50 that the year 1914
instead of being u step Of progress Tor the
Island, became Il time Of new triul, with de-
creased revenues, lessrning of labour aud
uncertainty, while conditions in Europe and
America at the same time eau ied prices to
rise.
While communication between the Island
aud the outer worIl became somewhat IRE
guar great interest was centred on the
"West Indian Company's" great Harbour
Works. These made great progress during
the Year,, and are now ready for service in
the traffic, which, in spite Of everything, it
is vet hoped that the future will bring
On the extensive area embarked and filed
in at Long Bay, the Company hus built great
wharyes and completed the erection Of two
large electric coal cranes, two great oil tanks
for supplying ships, and put in an electric
pant which supplies the Harbour works, and
besides has undertaken the lighting Of the
streets Of st. Thomas since April the first
a grent progressive step for the town.
Ii has been of considerable importance to
the town, that largo numbers of the working
people thrown out Of work by the cessation
of the shipping, have been able to get employ
ment at the Company's works, which are as yet
not quite completed. though it is expected
TINT they will be in Il short time.
While on account OF Conditions, the year
1914 has not flu, filed the exp Citations Of St.
Thomas, and has not been in any way re-
murkable, yet it has been q year in which
important work with u view to the future
has been done. 1t is to be hoped that the
future will bring its rewnrd
ST.. CRoIx. As we had occasion to remrk
in our review lat year, the outlook for the
sugar crop in the beginning Of 1914 was de-
cidedly far from bright. The planters be-
gan the year under con litions be oW the nor
NAL, and though the rainfall DUNG the first
months of theyeatWa9 comparatively good thu
hnaI result wa, rs in the previous y'ar, poor.
Unfortunately again in 1914, prica' were
unusually low; us long a. the comp tign last
ell, a h>9shond Of sugar gave only $1,000.
The sugar planters profit was, therefore, 50
SIN Ill, that in several instance, it was assert
ell thut it could hardly pay to take off the
crops under such conditions, rs the cost Of
labour alone would swallow up near,y Ill
profit. The Sugar factories complained that
the sugar percentage of the canes was uu3t-
tisfactory, evidently the result Of a root dis
ease Of the plants. At the en- Of the season
the prices went up, nul during the first
weeks after the outbreak Of tn5 wa, reached
quite an unu5ull height,-m occ lrrence that
gave one of orr sugar factories opp 1rtuuity
t. sell the conp.ote | pro let ut ut uau4ually
good prof.
With regard to the coming crop, the out
look is unfortunately even worse than last
year. After u plentiful rainfall in Nay and
June, which gave ris9 to TIL, flirest hopes,
the island experienced a drought, which
could almost be clllel a crisis, aud which
lasted until late in October threatening to
destroy hope of any crop at all. The unu-
sual drought caused the sugHr-c mes to ripen
SO early that one Of the factories (La Grange
saw fit to take off a crop in October (under
ordinary circumstance the sugar grinding
-t