46
2. On the other hand, they can only view with apprehension the disastrous effects to the sugar industry of this Colony and the trade dependent thereon which a revival of foreign sugar bounties and cartels would have, as their effect would undoubtedly be to ruin the industry rapidly, whereas the result of the Convention has been merely to stamp out unfair competition.
3. For this reason, and as the Committee of Commerce feel that the future prosperity of this Colony is largely dependent on the continuance of the Brussels Convention after the 1st of September, 1908, I am to request that Your Excellency will be good enough to submit their views and wishes to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, earnestly imploring him to take the same into consideration in coming to a final decision on this important matter.
His Excellency
The Governor,
Barbados.
13286
I have, &c.,
V. HANSCHELL,
Chairman.
47
planters have been able to secure capital for the improvement of their machinery whereby the quality of their sugar can be adapted to the changing needs of the markets and the cost of production greatly reduced.
3. That the withdrawal of the British Government from the Brussels Conven- tion would result in a return to the system of cartels if not bounties, and the sugar industry would revert to the moribund condition in which it was found by the Royal Commission of 1897; a condition which would mean ruin to the industry in the West Indies and British Guiana.
4. That the sugar industry of Barbados involves a capital of about £1,750,000, requiring an annual expenditure of about £600,000, of which amount about £300,000 is paid out for agricultural labour.
5. That Barbados, with a population of nearly 200,000, of which about 160,000 are agricultural labourers, is almost wholly dependent upon the sugar industry, and the ruin of that industry would be followed by disaster to the community.
6. That the British Government be urged to support the Brussels Convention with a view to continuing the work, begun by the Convention, of placing the sugar industry in the West Indies and British Guiana upon a sound free trade basis.
I have, &c.,
F. J. CLARKE, President of the Barbados General Agricultural Society.
(No. 49.)
MY LORD,
. No. 35.
BARBADOS.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Received April 15, 1907.)
[Answered by No. 47,]
Government House, Barbados, April 2, 1907. Ar the request of the Barbados Agricultural Society, I have the honour to forward certain resolutions passed by that body urging that the British Government should continue to support the Brussels Convention.
I have, &c.,
SIR,
Enclosure in No. 35.
G. T. CARTER,
Governor.
Planter's Hall, Bridgetown, March 28, 1907.
I HAVE the honour, by direction of the Barbados Agricultural Society, to send you the enclosed copy of a resolution passed to-day by that Society with reference to the contemplated denunciation of the Brussels Convention, and to request you to be good enough to say to His Excellency the Governor that the Society will be very much obliged if he will kindly forward same to the Secretary of State for the Colonies by the next mail.
13340
No. 36.
THE IMPERIAL COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE FOR THE WEST INDIES to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(No. 1385.)
SIR,
(Received April 15, 1907.)
[Acknowledged May 7, 1907.]
Imperial Department of Agriculture for the West Indies,
Barbados, April 2, 1907. IN continuation of my letter of March 18 last,* I have the honour to enclose, herewith, two extracts from the "Agricultural Reporter" of March 22, contain- ing a copy of a Petitiont to His Majesty the King unanimously passed by the Legislature of Barbados with reference to the continuance of the International Sugar Convention.
2. I may add that resolutions expressing identical views have been passed in every portion of the West Indies where sugar cultivation is carried on, and there can be no doubt that the action taken with regard to the continuance or otherwise of this Convention is a matter of the greatest concern as affecting the welfare and prosperity of these Colonies.
I have, &c.,
J. H. POYER,
Barbados Agricultural Society.
Secretary,
16517
I have, &c.,
D. MORRIS,
Commissioner of Agriculture for the West Indies.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.885
18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
The Honourable
The Colonial Secretary,
Barbados.
}
RESOLUTION passed by the -Barbados Agricultural Society.
Be it resolved that,
The Barbados Agricultural Society hereby record their conviction that the abolition of the foreign sugar bounties, secured by the action of the Brussels Conven- tion, has been of the greatest benefit to the sugar industry in the West Indies and British Guiana, the price of sugar being thereby no longer at the caprice of a foreign Power, but subject to the economic laws of supply and demand.
2. That while the Convention has not led to a rise in the average price of sugar, it has restored financial stability to the industry, and as a consequence sugar
SIR,
No. 37.
BOARD OF TRADE to FOREIGN OFFICE.
(Received April 17.)
[Received in Colonial Office, May 9, 1907.]
Board of Trade, April 16, 1907. I AM directed by the Board of Trade to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th instant on the subject of the Sugar Convention; and, in reply, I am to state that, in the opinion of the Board of Trade, the proposals contained in the French Memorandumt for a continuation of the Sugar Convention subject only to a change from prohibition to countervailing duties on the part of this country are not such as could be accepted by His Majesty's Government.
No. 25.
† Enclosure in No. 26.
+ No. 27.