, 1953-09-12

while hundreds 81 acres Of land. once under cultivation. are lying
idle. This is neglect OF opportunity
1 SOLE. foundation Of individual health based on q wen-Dal-
,anced. energy-givng diet Of Inexpensive locally produced 1000 7
unfortunately lacking. Al general diet Of canned and proceseu 1000
imported at high cost from the mainland, cannot take w /pidSs
M fresh vegetables. green's, fish and locally grown fruit. no one can
tai n that the soil in these Islands cannot raise more Etomaloes'
lcabbages, lettuce, pigeon peas, sweet potatoes ana may o
lhealth-giving> vegetables. And let US remember that an -
IN local food production can be the key to maintaining 2 reasonaDs
standard Of living and, Of special benefit to this program, reducing
1.-THE burden upon the public health program as well
/ do admit that the Islands uneven rainfall can b q deterrent
However, other parts of theworld are IN even more
positions but are still self-supportng.
Tackle the problem with the win to succeed; not many other
nroblems-agricultmal and otherwse-are solved any otner way.
If the situation is beyond what YOU can cope WITH gOVelhAen.
win be only too happy to step in as It has done IN inc pas wiz
farming aids wherever possible. The need might be for 9 more effec-
tive soil conservation pattern, or an accelerated oamHlns 9 vas.
rasorce bar5ier types of plants, wider use Of fertilizers and chemi-
icaIs. and so on. The United States Department of Agrlculture =
hard at work now on studies along this line. But we also needsto
know first how far you have carried your own en-. GoveTnnnsus
experts can only advise but it is the people themselves VINO mus
produce.
realize that nv proposal may be asking you to enistin an
overly ambitious crusade which might have been tried very many
times before. with discoaraging results. But today we are hono1lng'
In nr simple way, a champion of logged determination whonever
cried quit, who never asked the cost but was m1eresUeu oy -
results.
/ subscribe, therefore, that the happiness that crowns this pro-
Gram balbbe over to spur our endeavor to take some example from
Courage ana make ourselves worthier Of this eminent eft Let us
again try the food production angle-for the sake OF our nealsn
and ~ budgets-in the schools and other institutions, among the
civic organizations, BY the estate owners, in our own Dackyards
let gardens bloom. Let the good earth yield her increase everywhere
possible. Citizen and Government together can restore reality 70
the fading legend that St Croix is indeed the Garden OF the An
titles.
And now, it is with sincere acknowledgement OF the interest
the thinking, and the efforts Of my predecessors in office, and WITH
profound gratitude to all our friends in official Washington, tnae
I receive this hospital from the Honorable the Secretary y the
Interior, through Assistant Territories Drector. Anthony =. Lausl
It is with the highest regard for you. Or. Evans. as an eminent phy-
stefan and a valued colleague, that I assign to your safekeeping his
building and its marvels Of medical science-The Charles Harwood
Memorial Hospital May the sturdy walls Of this hospital building
become vibrant with life through the talent and skill OF those Who
will here labor devotedly in total dedication to the relief and al
deviation Of suffering. May you, who have tot operate this insttu-
ton and its dependent facility. the Frederksted Clinic. and mayaWe,
who have to support it. never be found wanting in the discharge Of
our respective accountability. Thus only will the operation of these
institutions record our profound appreciation . fthe magnaniny
Iof the generous national government which has given them for the
benefit Of the people of our Islands.
But this excellent equipment could soon become totally Use
less, and the services which they are designed to render could soon
be completely disorganized and disrupted. if the building and Its
continued on raJe4