, 1963-03-28
LEGISLATIVE RECORD
Continued from Page p

crate on those two particular issues; we only elaborated
on the health hazards. We found out distinctly that as
far as we saw there was no health hazards whatsoever,
and briefly stated what the economic benefit would be-.
The people that were more alarmed about it ap-
peared to be the people who had just recently become
residents of the Islands. A meeting was held under the
|auspices of some citizen association and all Senators
living on the islerd of St. Croix were invited and attend
ed. Our President of this body was invited and attended
and there was a great deal of discussion about this mat.
ter and about the unusual method OF the way it was be-
ing handled and SO forth. There and then we saw that
there was no real reason even at the meeting for the
opposition against the plant. To me it has been a great
riddle as to what would cause all this opposition to an
industry coming into an island. Mr.. President, it has
been a great riddle and puzzle to me as to why there
should be such opposition to an industry coming into the
island. Especially an island like St. Croix which is in
dire need Of industry, particularly at time when there
are ru1nors to the fact that the Virgin Islands CORPORATION
is likely to be abolished and their industrial activities
discontinued. All over the world and particularly in
the western hemisphere people are eager to have in
dustries established in their territory, to say the least,
United States muchless the Caribbean Area, muchless
South America, muchless even the Bahamas.
Those Of us who know a little about the economic
conditions that obtain up North know that there are
ommittees particularly in the South that have gone to
great lengths to encourage industry to be established
within their state, making it favorable to induce them
to come to establish there. / recall myself many years
ago in the State of Maryland, in the City OF Cumber-
land. The west part of Maryland was suffering from a
matter of lack of work, lack of occupation for the peo-
pie in the western part of Maryland and there the City
Of Cumberland sent out inducement to manufacturers
to come and establish there. Those of us know today the
result of fair standard wages. What brought it about
was the question of the South. The South was encourag-
ing all the industries in the United States that were
manufacturing textiles, etc, to come to the South; they
would get more benefits, less taxation, inducements in
nr-nrv other respect. The result was that a wage scale
had to be put on to equalize and the same wages had to
be enacted in order to prevent an exodus from the
North to the South, and SO we see even with colleges
where the Government gave large tracts OF land for the
establishment of universities or colleges SO that they
would come there. In this instance, what is being grant
ed to the Harvey Aluminium Company in st. Croix |
cannot see really what objections could be found be-
cause it does not really make sense. People are really
too happy and too eager to encourage industries to come
within their jurisdiction. Several months ago we made
a visit to Antigua, we recently made a visit to St. Kits
and Nevis. These islands have a one-crop economy, they
grow mostly sugar cane, they themselves under the Bri-
fish Flag would do anything to induce any American
Corporation to come and establish industries from which
H. .11J I'll o@.koIo-oao4 Gov 1oir ooorlo