, 1916-03-25

lish Islands Planters, they have Il prefer6L-
tial benefit in Canada GU the sugar tariff or
334%, and from competition they only pay
about ha'f the freight charges we pay the
New York Market we caDuot enter except
ST. 5 pr 100 lbs. sugar in duty alone, and
then we have only one line OF steamers that
call here and they charge us Just double
the freight they charge in Barbados, when
makes our cost of living $3.50 higher than III
Barbad thing which the Planters have
no control over.
| quite agree with the proposal to take off
the duty on cornmeal, because we have
among our population many who are even
poorer than the working class, and L there
fore strongly recommend the Council to
adopt the second proposal instead OF the
fist one, and I intend voting for 1T
Bird Member for Christiansted Country
District &C. Il. LeeUy): l suppose we al!
agree, that the last proposal must be adop-
ted. I must speak of the bad affairs OF the
Planters; but for the laboureis, how Will
they exist? We may exist on cattle. Den
mark does not care for the Planters What
will the result be, no sugar, no cotton
His Excellepcy the Governor (Hehceg-
LARSEN. / had expected The Chairman would
have stopped the last speaker, when he
said that Denmark does not care tor
bnG L iduJ6IS. oOGh IN
pass, it is absolutely wrong. Denmark has
ORIENT Considerable for the Planters.
[ shall 90 buck to the hon. Members view;
I find the prospect very gloomy, but at the
present moment we have two proposals be-
fore us to decide upon, and then we must
leave it to the future what Will come.
[ feel Just as well as the hon. Chairman,
that there is a strong necessity to be care
full with new expense
The Oh iIman (Stakemdn2) | did not feel
myself called to check the hon. Member. L
consider it His Excellency's duty to do SO,
when it concerns Home Government; besides
such expressions have been made frequently
bv two other members to day without HIS tx
ce)lency taking exception TO same.
3rd Member for Christiansted Town (Ntet-
SEM | underst and that the import duty on
contour will not amount TO more than 1000
dollars we could give cornhour ehtllely Tree
Of duty.
His Excellency The Governor (Heloeg-
Lorsen). The calculation made BY the hon.
Member can not be considered correct.
LIST Member for Frederksted County Dis
trict (~EYemlng). AS Il planter can not a
gree with HIS Excellency's first proposal;
first bt cause 1T gives the impression that the
planters are not paying the IabouIers en- ugh
so His Excellency has to take out OF the
Colonial Treasury an amount TO make up the
difference; secondly it would be lmpee s44"-lo
keep an account of the number OF days that
euch labour had cut canes durinl the crop.
| can agree with the proposal to reduce
the duty on food stuff which will benefit all
the labourers.
Aguin | do not consider the extra wages
squeezed ont of the Planters will be Of such
wonderful benefit to the lubourers as they
will have to pay the largest part as salaries TO
men who were unable to hold positions here
before.
The Chairman (S%tohemuan) His ExceI'en-
CIV says, there is o Committee appointed to
fix tie prices on foodstuff. ] have heard a
great deal of criticism on this Committee.
The P~olicemaster is Chairman but has no
knowledge of mercantile business, the other
members are all merchants. To give it q
look of impartiality some of the consumers
ought to be represented in the Committee.
2ud Member for Chlistiansted Town
(Canegato). AS l happen to be the Sec'e-
tary of that Committee, | can elucidate, that
the measures taken are entirely fair; every
merchant submits his invoice to the commit
tee, and the prices are fixed on the plan,
that the merchant should not make any
more profit now than he did before the war.