, 1916-03-25
ST. Croix, the 2S'h February 1916.

Chairman Colonial Councll.
Dear Sir,
The Planters Association hereby beg to
inform you that it was decided at "a general
meeting to-day, strongly to you
to adopt one of the two proposals which HIS
Excellen"y the Governor will submit to the
Councils decision to-day, VIZ:
to use out of the export duty for sugar this
year, either 5000 to be paid ont as n bonus
to those lnbourers who have been doing
cane-cutting during the crop 1916, ut a rate
of about d cts. a day, or $4,000. for reddc-
ing the import duty for cornmeal and salt
fish.
Respectfully,
LAUR. NIELSEN.
actg. Secretary ''rhe Planters Associa-
tiou."
Regarding this letter I shall only call the
hon. Members attention TO s 49 Of the Colo
NAL Law according to which The Members
are ouly bound by their conviction, and not
BY any directions from their electors.
| shall then proceed with the Order OF the
Day Nhe Chairman read it both i'll Danish
aud iii English):
Proposal from Government:
either by Additional Money Bill 10 the Budget
for the Municipality of st. Croix for the Fin
ancial year from L April 1916 to 81 March
1917 to place up to FrcS. $4,000 III at disposal, to
be paid out as Bonus to cane cutters in the
Countrvj
or to authorize, that the import duty
on Cornhour aud salt-fsh in the course
Of the financial year 1851, owing TO
to the high prices on food stuff, be reduced
with az amount which will cause reduction
of the customs revenues of C: $4,000 FIRES.
His Excellency the Governor (Heaoeg-
Lursen): Mr.. Chairman, honourable Mem-
bers. This proposal is an unheard OF one III
the History of the Connect here. But extra
ordinary circumstances may demand extra
ordinary measures. Our Island WAS comlng
up to a great calamity, and Government
considered it its ~strictest duty to do what
could be done to avoid this c"lamlty.
There was only Il little difference left be-
tween the Planters and the Lnbourers, but
this little seemed to be unsurmountable, and
Government therefore tried to build Il bridge
between the two parties. This bridge is the
proposals now before You and therein lies
the defence for them.
Az you will see there are two proposals,
and it is left 10 the Council to choose be-
tween them.
| hal as soou as possible TO fulfill my pro-
mise to lay them before the Council and
loyal to nv word | called the Council meet
ing With the short eat possible notice. | b g
YOU to look at these measures as intending
to avert q calamity | propose to place up
to Frcs. Il, 5000 j. at the disposal to be paid out
to cane-cntters III the country, this proposal
is preferably recommended by me; or to
authorize, if it should not meet with the
Councils favour, to refund the import duly
on contour aud salt-tsh in the financial
year 1861 with au amount up to Frcs.
Is, 200.
| will ask you to strike out salt-fsh of the
proposal aud only read cornhour; IL reduc-
ton of the duty on salt-fsh would scarcely
benefit the poor classes.
You NAV rightly say, Gentlemen. that the
Coiouial Treasury is already SO bur1ened,
tuat it is bsst to avoid further not absolute
ly necessary expenses.
Bur it stood for Government, that it soon
would have come to the loss of the export
du,y on sugar, aud to save that, it WAS pre-
ferabIe to make y smaller sacrifice. It ls
likely, if we save the crop, We may next year
get an export duty, which will exceed the
amount budgetted with more than the
Frcs. 25, OOO that I now propose to spend.
The whole matter must be looked at with
the backgroun | of the exceedingly distress
ing circumstances:
Ali Member for Christian ted Country