, 1916-08-19

to which the question of the transfer to
the State Treasury of a portion OF the
streets al ound the Depot il Christiansted
has been lesubmitted according to Gov
ernment's request for a rediscussion in
letter No. CAS- Of 10th May a. c. reports as
follows:
Whereas in the esolution adopted by
the Colonial Council on the 10 August
1915 it was proposed, before reporting on
the request Of Government to lay before
the Minister of Finances the reasons which
in the opinion Of the Council render the
Depot unsuitable for being used perma-
nently as q Barracks, and request the
Minister of Finances to reconsider the
matter, and whereas no answer from the
Minister of Finances has been received,
the Committee recommends to the Council
to adhere to it's decision as expressed III
the Councils said resolution.
Furthermore the Committee cannot lind
any reason for reporting at present on the
communications forwarded to the Com
mittee by Government in letter No. 1872
of g inst. in as much as the said commu-
nications in no way alter the decision as
expressed in the aforementioned Resolu-
ton.
Christiansted, St. Croix, the oath June
1916.
G. LEVY, D. G. CANEGAIA,
a. A"9 e. sTAKEnANN. G. 3r1 SoRDBY.
NJ. A. PRETTO.
2nd Member for Christiarsted Town
(Canegata). Almost a year ago l was pri-
vileged to introduce a report to you on
this question and acting on that report you
were good enough to frame a resolution
to the Minister of Finances which up to
the present time still remains unanswered.
You will find in the report now before
you, Tat your Committee finds no reason
to report on the communications forwarded
by Government. AS these have not been
laid before you, l will, in order that you
may have some conception Of their contents
pass them over briefly in review.
First a sketch by the Building Inspector
of the Depot as it would appear when con-
verified into a Barracks, and next a technl-
cal statement on the question of sanitation.
AS regards the first, one can only say that
it is not at all a bad illustration of the
Building Inspectors proficiency IN the art
Of decorative construction and architec-
tural design,
I shall omit any criticism of his views on
the question, not that my views are in har-
mony with the Building Inspectors but for
liz 1SdSOA blldG III WOIlU C11bdl4 LILY i
ence and use of technical terms and phrases
with which all Of US may not be thorough
ly conversant.
| come then to a statement by the Chief
of the Gendarmery Corps ofthe great mill
tary importance of the Depot as a Barracks
i'll which it is stated that a Barracks on
that site could be made a small fortress
secured from fear of attacks; it would seem
to me that the chief and only value of a
Barracks on this site would be in the case
where the perpetrators of disorder and
Disturbances particularly chose that spot,
where they could effect the minimum
amount of damage, where their capture
could be most easily affected and their
sole and only object was the possession of
the archives in the surrounding public
buildings. It is true that there are many
plucky people in this island, but [ think,
that even the most daring of us would
shrink from so dangerous a venture.
But whatever one may be inclined to
think of the seriousness of the Chiefs re
Election as expressed in that statement one
is rather inclined to be irritated at the
fantastic ~improbability Of his ideas OF the
military Importance of the Depot.
Aud last but not least we have a careful