New Britain herald., 1916-03-29
TINTED STATES MAY
 BUY DANISH ISLANDS
Industrial Conditions in West Indian Possessions Very Unsatisfactory
 Labor Troubles have Hurt Business

(Corresnondence of The Associated PressD
 St. Thomas. Danish West Indies, March 23.-The report that the Dan- ish< government might reopen the cid question of the sale of the Danish West Indies to the United States has attracted attention to the industrial and economic conditions here at the present time. Tn answer to inquiries from the United States it may be said that the conditions are most unsatls- factory both on this island and the island of St. Croix.
 Trade Is Bad.
 There is a serious depression In trade and scarcely any money in clr- culation in St. Thomas. This Is chiefly due to the European war and the closing of the Panama Canal. The chief industry of the island has al- ways been the supplying of coal and water and other necessities to ships, but this is now practically at a stand still, particularly because of the sus- pension of the steamship service of the Hamburg American line. This company gave employment to large number of laborers and others the majority of whom have had to emil grate to Santo Domingo or other ag- ricutural islands in order to make a livelihood. In fact it is felt now that the Hamburg-American line has, more than was heretofore realized, been the main support of the island disbursing a large sum of money annually. It is only recently that there was com pleted here an extensive system of harbor works, with an up-to-date dock and all modern appliances such as electrical coal cranes, warehouses and oil tanks, and with the opening of the Panama Canal it was expected that a great trade would develop here. But the slides in the canal have pre- vented these hopes from being real ized.
 There are no serious labor troubles nor real signs of distress, however and the people are living in hopes 1 that with the reopening of the canal and the cessation of the war, condi- tions will rapidly improve.
 Labor Troubles Too. On the island of St. Croix the l strike which paralyzed the suga. in | dustry has been a serious matter, The | island, very much moro so than St 1 Thomas, is agricultural and this years production of sugar and | rum promises to be exceptional | Following the formation of . labor union, the laborers or | the sugar estates contended that with the increased prices for sugar l they should be paid mere wages. Du this was refused by the planters When the strike began, thousands ot the workers were turned off the es tates, and 1ocked. with personal be l 1ongings, to the towns of Frederick sted and Christiansted, where, for tht past month, they have been living il tents and matched houses, and schoo buildings
 i Notwithstanding the unsettled con ditions there have been few disorders except for a small amount of sus pectcd incendiarism.
 The government has recently pa sset several bills looking to the improve
 nent of the laborers of both island including the parcelling out anon; them of small lots of land under cer tain conditions. If these measure are carried out they should improv the situation greatly.
 Shortly after the foregoing wa mailed from St. Thomas cable dis patches announced the settlement o inc sugar strike the laborers winnin
 a small increase in wages.