, 1949-12-10

Z II II
delivered by
MORRIS F. de CASTRO ACTING GOVERNOR of the V. |.
at the opening session of the Ninth Meeting Of the
Caribbean Commission in St. Thomas, December SO. l949
MI. Chairman, co-chairmen. Commissioners. and Mr.. Secretary
General @ .*#.s
It is an honor and a privilege for me to extend to YOU. on be-
half of all the people of the Virgin Islands of the United States. a
most cordial welcome to our beautiful islands. We are pleased that
you have accepted our invitation to hold this meeting of the carib-
bean Commission in the Virgin Islands l am sure that our people
will endeavor to show to you that hospitality for which they have
long been noted.
l like to think of the Caribbean Commission IS a forum for
discussion of the area problems of a minority people whose early.
history was that of a people set apart, looked at as one different,
ly as a man would welcome a friend. I like to think of the work Of
this Commission as a sincere and liberal attempt of the four metro
politan governments, to improve the lot of the masses of West
Indian peoples, the drabness of whose lives cannot and should not
of the meetings of this Commission in various islands is to bring to
the West Indian peoples the knowledge that they have friends, nu-
merouS, warm and devoted. II p.
It would be naive to believe that any single formula or even
any combination of formulas, would remedy our economic and
social ills. However, it is comforting to us, who are leaders of West
Indian peoples, to know that this Commission is giving our pro-
blems the research and the expert study which their importance
merits. It is also encouraging to know that by reason of the work
of this Commission, decisions which must be made on the future
status" and the welfare of West Indian peoples may be governed by
a sympathetic understanding of human values. and a thorough
knowledge of the psychology and of the mores of our people. rather
than by the Vaccinations of national and internationa politics and
the things that governments sometimes do under pressure of expe-
dency or necessity.
Here in the American Virgin Islands. we have made real pro-
gress in bringing cultural and social values to our people. We are
moving rapidly toward self-government and sef-determination with
the full cooperation of a liberal national government. Virgin Island
ers today enjoy a considerable degree of autonomy within the
framework of a democratic form of government We elect our own
Legislatures which have full legislative powers The only tests for
our right of franchise are citizenship, age, and alteracy. The assent
of the legislatures is necessary to the appointment. of officials and
employees whose salaries are paid from locally collected revenues.
We have enacted an anti-dicrimination law torbidding discrimination
by reason of race, color, creed or national origin in places of public
accommodations The U. S. Government not only pays the cost Of
oWr insular administration, but makes a stable annual contribution
to the cost Of our municipal governments in order that we may
maintain the American standards of living and the American waN
ef5ite. Our. government employees, 93% native, are appointed under
merit principles. and are protected by retirement laws. Our work
ing population is protected by minimum wage and maximum hour
acts, local as well as national and by worknens compensation laws.