PROCEEDINGS
OF.
THE
FOR
ST.
CROIX
(Continued from Sxiurday's
4vis.)
Item
1.
Colonial
Counceil
Bill
No.
12, Third
Council, Second
Session.
Continuation
of
2nd
Discussion
on
Chlonial
Council Bill No
12,
draftof
an
ordinance,
introduced
by
Govern-
ment,
praviding for
the assessment,
levy
and
collzction
of
taxes
for the
Municipaliiy of 3i. Croix.
4ta
Appointed
Member
(Blackwood)
in
introducing
the
Committee
Report
said,~—Mr. Vice-Chairman.
1
have
beren
appointed
speaker
on
this Committee
Re-
port
mueh
against
my
wishes,
however
I
will try to
introduce
it to the
best
of
my ability.
[ presume
that every
mem-
b-r has
a copy of the Report,
so I do not
think it necessary
for me
to read
it,
At
the
last meeting of the
Council His
kx-
cellency
the Governor remarked
that two
years
and
two months
is a long time
for
an
ordinance
to be
beiore
this
Council
without
either accepting
or rejecting
it,
and I endorse
his
remarks,
bat
in justifi-
cation of the titne
spent
on this
matter
1
wish
(o
make
a
few
general
remarks.
QOur Governor and other
officials who are
here
for a few
years
cannot
see
condi-
tions
as
we
who
are
living
our
life’s
interest
here
see® them.
I think
I
can
say
with a great deal
of truth behind
it
that
this is one
of the
hardest
problems
the
Colonial
Council
of
St.
Croix
has
been
cilled
upon
to solve.
According
to
report
received
from
the
Clerk
to
the
Council
the
Committee
of
the
whole
Council, between
December
22,
1921 and
July
19,
1922,
held 7 meetings
in
which
this ordinance
was discussed
without any
practical
result.
And from July 27,
1922
to December
11,
1922
the Sub Committee
of
th2 Committee
of the
whole
Ceuncil
held
8 meetings
upon
it and
as
a
result
vou bhave the amendments
which are
now
being
introduced.
The
Sub Committee
worked
hard and
conscientiously
on
this
ordinance,
and
have exhibited
its willing-
ness
to work
in harmony
with
Govern-
ment,
While
comparisons
are
odious
I think
now
is
ithe
proper
time
to
review
the
ancient
history o the
island.
Accordiag
to
the
ce.sus
raken
on the
9th of
Qecto-
ber,
1890
the population
was
19 783
and
the
land
in sngar
cultivatian
was
16,473
acres.
Ihere
were
wloesale
houses
in
each
town
importing and exporting
pro-
duce,
each
supporting
a house
stevedore
that
gave employment
to twenty-five
or
thirty men.
There
was keen
competition
beiween
these
houses
in
purchasing
sugar,
molasses
and
ruwm,
there
was
money
in circulation
and
the purchasing
power
of theisland
was very
good.
In
S el
A Vo
those
prosperous
years
we
hal
dry
weithar
just tha sam?
as
w 2 are
having
now,
but
we were
2512
to
puil through
bacause
wa
had
thew good iaborers
3
d
good drivers,
On
a holiday tha
coun.ry
was
vory lively withizmasgueraders
and
all
sorts
at
amusements,
None
of
this
is
to be
seen
today.
Whaile conditiins
are
worse
than
I
have
ever
seen
then
since
the year
1885, yet
wve have
an expenditure
of nearly three hundred thousand
dollars.
According
to census
taken
at
the
outset
of the present
administration
the popula
tion of this
island
was
15,M9 prople,
but
that
number
is rapidiy
reasing
as
a
result
of the
people
cou
antly
leaving
the
island.
One
ecan readily
see
by the
work done by
thz Sub-C mmittee
on this
tax ordinance
that we are endeavoring
to
work tozether
with Goverumeznt
for
the
welfare of this Island and its inhabitants
The Chairman
of the
Sub
Committee,
a
medical
man,
and
a
man
who
has
much
to
do,
called
meetings
of
the
Committe2
as
often
as
it
was
possible
for
memb:rs
to attend
and
gave
much
of his time and
attention
to the matier.
With
these
remarks
I recomm:=ni
to tre
favorable
considé¢ration
of
the
Council
the Committee
Report
which
was
adopt-
ed by the Cmmittee
of
the
vh:ie Coun-
cil on August
23,
1923.
{overnmeant
Secretary
(Zane)
remark-
ed:
N]r. Viee-Chairman.
I'ns Sab
Chm-
mittee Report
on
this
ordinance
reached
his Excellency
th= Governor
only
jester-
day: the Despatching
Secretary
brought
over
a
copy
with
him.
From
a casual
view
it
appears
to
be
almost
identical
wiih the committee
report
issued
some-
time
ago.
tovernment
has
had
no op-
portunity of giving it
the
esrzful
study
it undoubted:y
deserves.
It does
appear
however
that
there
s‘iil
remains
the
fundamental
ditfercuce
between
the
at-
titude
of
the
former
Governor
and
the
Colonial Council
with
respect
to the
per-
sonal
tax
feature;
and
it
would appear
that
to get anywhere
it would
be
neces-
sary
to effect
a compromise,
if not
satis-
factory
to both
sides,
at least sufficiently
satisfactory,
so
that
we
can
get
some
where with it.
[ therefore
suggest
that
I be given
an
npportunity
of addressing
the Com.mittee
of the
whole
Council
be-
fore the Council proceeds
with the
adop-
tion or rejection of the amzndmenrs.
The Viee Chairman
re narked:
Hon-
orable
Members
you
have
heard
what
the
Government
Secretary
has
said.
|
con2lude
that
it
'vould
be
fair
to give
himi
a chance
to
place
his
views betore
us.
The Government
Sccretary
18 a
new
man and he
should
be given
the
oppor-
tanity of acquainting
himself
with
con-
ditions.
'l'he
matter
therefore
will
go
over until after the
recess.
Ath Appointed
Member
(Blackwosd)
remarked:
Mr. Vice-Chairman.
[
just
want
to
say
tha* since
19iZ
over
three
thousand
acres
of good cane
land
have
been
turned
out of cultivation and
that
has
made
a
vreat
diflerence
in
our
revenues.
The population
of this island
is decreasine
daily
and proJduetion
is far
.
below
what
it used
to
be
in
past
years,
-
and a., a result
we are
having
very ha{'d
problems
to
solve.
Every
taxpayer
in
the United States
is complaining.
Ihave
properties
in
the
State
of
Maioe
for
I paid S2O
00 \and
withcut
making
any
improvements
on them I paid S7O 00 last
year.
Bafore
talking
about
increasing
taxation
on
this islnad
we shouid try and
increase
our
production.
We
certainly
eannot
tax
ourzelves
out
of
house
and
home.
As
fal
as
personal
tax
goes,
It
we
can
tind
money
to pay real
property
tax, I think
we would be doing well.
We
are
not in a position
to stand
any
more
taxation just
now.
Furtl
er
discu
sion
on this matter
was
deferred
unti! after
recess.
:
(To be
continued
)
LOCAL
Tonight movie admirers
are
off. red
an
exceptional opportunity
of
a
fine
even-
ing’s entertainment
at the
Christiansted
Theatre
where
the
6-reel
French
photo-
play *"The Broken
ldol”” will bo
scereened
as
the main
fea.ure
of
the
programmez
which
-coneludes
with
a
sidespliting
comedy
entitied
"'Guilt
without
appro-
brium’’.
A
rare
treat
is
in
store
for
lovers of good high e'ess
pic.ures.
The Romanita
with
mails,
passengers
and cargo, arrived at this port on Saturday
afterpoon,
sailed
for Frederiksted
some
time later ard returned
to San
Juan
yes-
terday afternoon.
The
5.
s
Surinam from
New
York
is
schedul_d
to arrive
here
tomorrow,
Ilih,
and
the
Paria
homeward
bound
on
th:
14:h.
The
s.
. Bolivar from New York is
also
due at this port
on
or
about
I'riday
this week,
and
it
is
requested
brought
to mind that the mails
for
the
Leeward
Islands and other
ports by that
boat
will
be closed prior to arrival
of
the
steamer
in this harbor,
and
not after she
has
dis
charged
the mail from the States
as
used
to be
the rule found
not
practieal.
Our much
esteemed
and
affable
Post-
master
B.
R.
Larsen
left
here
on
the
“Romanita’’ yesterday
for Porto Ries
in
the interest
of his health
which
has
npot
been
up to the mark
for some
time.
He
expectsto return
on
Saturday
ani
it
is
our earnest
hope that
his irip may
have
the desited
effect and
he
will
return
to
us feceling weil and
strong again.
Deputy
Collector
of
Customs
of
this
port,
Mr. A. Lang,
was also
a
passenger
to San Juan,
P.
R.
where
he
will under-
go an operation
for
cataract.
Qur
bes?*
wishes
accompany
him.
The
election
returns
of Saturday
last
were
F.
M.
Coritina
11
votes,
W,
H.