The
Corgressionol
Commitiee
conduct-
ed
its
hearings
all
day
yesicrday
and
until nearly
midnight during whien
uime
a number
of persons
testified.
We shall
endeavor
to furnish
some
details
oi
these
proceedings
in
a later issue.
[t was
our
pleasure
vesterday
to
hear
Senator
Edge of New
Jersey,
Congress-
man of the
United States
and
one
of the
prospective
nominees
for the
presidency,
tell the Edicor of the Herald that the pres-
ent form of
government
is
civil,
a fact
contended
by
others
of
the
commission
during the
courre
of
their
remarks.
So
much
for
the
value
of
the
Herald’s
opinion.
We
reprint
in
this
issue
an
editorial
from
St.
Thomas
Mail
Notes
of
the
4th.,
and
an
address
in
its
issue
of
the
sth.
instant
from
the
able
pen
of
former
Kditor
Nolte,
both
articies
sup-
porting
the
desire
for
a
continuance
of
the
present
form
of
Government.
Those
determined
to have. it otherwise
would
do
we!l
to
note
the
weight
of
these
contributions
or
the
subject
and
learn
(o have
some
respect
for
the views
of other
people
not all of whom
they
are
able
to teach anything.
Frederiksted,
Feby.
9th.
1920.
The
S.
S.
‘‘Monna’’arrived
.here
Sat-
urday
morning
at
7
o’clock
from
New
York
via
St.
Lhomas. - She
brought
about
3,850
packages
gencral
cargo
for
this ilsland
an
the following passengers:
Rev.
W.
S
Morgan,
Mr.
& Nirs.
E.
Rasmussen,
Mi. & Mrs. H. Hendricksen,
Iliss Jenny
Lang,
Amelia Hay,
Lt. J.
W.
Lytte,
M.
§
Guoregier,
Mrs.
Olsen,
son
& nurse, Robt.
Skeoch,
M. D.
Sasso,
Mrs.
E.
Caroe,
& child,
Dr. H.
Hark,
Miss
Fleming,
Sam.
Loyd, Mary Lynch,
Cath-
rine Robinson,
E.
Deuton,
H.
Williams,
Alired Edwe rds,
Mrs.
.. Belford. & son
Rosa Adams,
Florerce
Javis,
A.
March,
T.
Seater.
A.
Canton,
Ethel
Joseph,
J.
.
Marcus,
Miss Latimer.
She
left about
midnight
for St.
Kitts
and
other Windward
[slands
with
a
few
packages
general
cargo
from
this
island
and
the
folloving
passengers:
For
St
Ki
ts:
Ann
Thomsen
and
2
chiidren,
Mr. Duuglas
S. Armstrong,
T.
C. Kobkins,
H. L. Bishop
Hutson,
C.
W.
Stout Esq.
#or Antigua:-
G.
H. Brand
Esq.,
Miss Agnes
Skeoeh:
For
Domini-
ca:
Mrs. Chas.
Watts.
For Guadeloupe:
Madame
Grant,
For
Barbados:
Mr.
Chas.
Watts:
For Demerara:
Mrs. Eliz,
Barry.
The
schooner
''Virginia’’arrived
here
vesterday
about
noon
from
St.
Thomas
with a smal’
New York,
Porto
Rico
and
St.
Thomas
mail, some
packages
general
cargo
and
the
following passengers:—
From
Portr
Rico:—Mrs.
Alice
Lang,
Louis
R
Golden,
Maud
L.
Ja‘obsen,
Alice E. Bushby.
ST CRiFX
ANI'D
From
St.
Thomas:--Victor
Bireh,
George
Peatersen.
She left at
7 p.
m.
with outward
mail
and
the following passengers:—For
Por-
-10
Rico:—ilrs.
..iice
P.
Frederick,
Mr.
Eli Burkal.
:
For
St.
Thomas;
Mi:s
Inger
Sim-
monds.
MEN
OF
MATURE
JUDGMENT
DO
NOT WANT CHANGE IN
ADMAN-
ISTRALION OF VIRGIN IS-
LANDS AT PRESENT
MOMENT.
Many an
irresponsible
iniividual has,
through
their iiiogical and
irresponsive
teachings,
which
have
too
long
been
al-
lowed
to
wo unchallenzed
by others
wiser
and
more
matar>
chougnt,
helped
to
cause
a would -be progressive
zommunity
.
to suffer
theills of
want
through
inter-
~
necine
strife.
It is only individuals
in
a
|
comimunity
iike ours.
who having
obtain-
'
ed
a httle edueation,
and
thereby
becom-
ing obsessed
with the belief
that
they—-
'
and they only are
correct
in every stand
taken
by
them,
in
cpposition
to
those
who have for years
looked at
the
varied
phases of community
life.
would
aavo-
cate
the
placing
of
the
Virgio
Islands
under a civil administration.
Have
these
men
ever
thought
of
the
responsibilities
aceruing
from
a
~ivil
ad-
"
mini tration,
responsibilities
which
we
rever
would be able
to fulfil?
Have they
®
over
givea
theught
to
the
position
in
which
we would
be piaced
were
we,
with
.
civil government
given
us,
{0
prove
a
fuilure ?
These
are
two poient
factors
that
must
he considerad
by
every
patriotic
son
of
the
soil
er2
he
cries
for
something
thet
can
be naucht
but a source
of danger
to
the welfare
of bis couatry.
The
econcensus
of
opinion
~in
well-
informred
circles
is,
‘hat
the Virgia Is-
lands
do not require
a change
of
Zovern-
ment just now.
|
Not
that
anythinz
is
believed
to
be
wrong
with a eivil form
oi
government.
.
Surely
not!
But
because
certain
facts
.
have
to be squarely
faced,
facts
that
are
|
being
thus
taced by
neari:
every ”well
"
informed.member
of the comimunity,
one
|
of
which
facts
is,
that
the Treasury of
"
the Virgin Islands s empty!
i
“he islands
therefore,
not
being
able
'
from
a financial peint
of view
to
support
|
a civil government,
it behooves
vs
then,
|
to
remain
ander
the
administration
of
|
the present
Naval Goverament
untilsuch
|
{ime as our pecuniary
circumstances
have
'
changed
for the better.
,
And although
the Isiand
is a naval base
'
arve
we really undera
naval government?
|
No!
Judging
from
the
fact
that
we
'
havea Legislative body to trame
our laws,
|
and that
we are
not
interfered
with
by
|
*‘paval regulations,”’
we are
simply
but
- -wards of thenavy.
-
:
Thus it js, that tke
Navy
Department
taking cognizance
of the islands’
impov-
erished condition, pays
the
salary of
the
Governor,
(an
admiral)
and
his
aides
{(naval oficers.
:
We are inereiore
willingto await, yet
a
while, a change
in our pecuniary
circum-
stances,
betfore
we look for a
purely ervil
form of
government.
1
Meanwhile,
however,
we
expect
as-.
sistance
{rom
ihe
mainiand—lfrom
that
country
o
wkrich with ‘‘nope
deferrec’”’
we have been.iooking
Yor many
a
gener-
ation,
to come
over
and n.ake
us
teilow-
citizens.
'
And when
thar assistance
has been giv
en,
and it has fructified into prosperity,
it
will certainly be
found
that
it
had
not
been bestowed
upon
an urgratetul people,
as the "‘people of the maialand’’
will find
their generosity amply
repaid
when
the
inhabiiants
of
these
‘isies
(urn
their
thougnts
across
the lntervening
space
of
ocean
to America,
and
bicss
her for their
achieved
prosperity.
—St.
Thomas
Ml
Notes,
Fed.
jth.
)
ADDRE:)S
To The
Congressional
Com-
-
°
missioii.
By LEROY NOLTE, ex-Editor.
GENLEMEN.
I deenita
real
privilage to
greet
you
and
to ¢xtend
to you
in the
name
o
a
very larze
number
of my
fellyw-citizens
of
all
ciasses
a Hearty
Welcome
to
cuar
shores,
a
weclceme
all
the
more
sin-
cere
in
view
of
the
opportuneness
of
your
arcival
ac
a
most eritical
period
of
our :sland’s
aifairs.
Ido nu.
overstate
the
‘acts
when
say-
ing that
«t
no time in
its comimercial
life
has
St.
lhomas
taced
such
a crisis,
ow-
ing
(0
the standstiil
in
business,
loss
of
trade,
and
unempioyment,
wich
all
rhe
hardsnips
consequoent
thereon.
Such
a
disclosure
wiii
not
fal:
pieasancly
on
proud
American
ears,
but
the gravity
of
th-: outivok makes
plain speakia2
impera-
tive.
-
I'ne Harbor
is vircually the Island’s sole
dependedce.
1t
is,
however,
steadily
lalng
as
a
mean.
of
business
gnd
of
supporc
ior ‘the
working
people.
Pre-
war
prosperity
has
not
rewurned,
its
main
svarce
having
been
destroyed.
Shipping
nas greatly
fallen off.
The
ex-
-tensive
passeager
and
tcurist rafic is
a
thing
o¢
the
.ast.
[l'he loerative
trade
in wines and spir
s
has
been
suppressed.
Fuel
oil
1s replacing
coal
‘at a rate
that
threatens
the
extinction
of
the
once
tlourssning bunkering
trade,
which spells
widespre
d lcss
and
want,
a siriking ex-
ampie
ol wnich
lis,
that from
a
turnover
of LU,UVU
tons monthly prior to the
war,
the figures
tor the
past
six months
show
a paltry
waal o
but 9,000
tons.
Add
to
this
tne
unbearably
higa
cost
of living