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Ranee," were requisitioned for the purpose of keeping open communication with British North Borneo and Labuan. Proceedings in the Prize Courts (which had been delayed owing to the want of Prize Court Rules) are now in progress.

Examination Service. The examination service has been well carried out. Censorship of Telegrams and Postal Matter.-Censorship of telegrams was instituted as soon as war broke out, and was later extended to all postal matter. It has worked satisfactorily on the whole.

Censorship of the Press. Some ill-advised paragraphs in more than one of the local (English) newspapers at first gave information of the whereabouts of impor- All tant vessels, and it was necessary to issue a sharp warning to the editors. information regarding the arrival and departure of all ocean-going steamers is suppressed. both in the news and the advertisement columns. The editors (both of the English and the vernacular papers) have been anxious to do all in their power to assist.

Prohibition of Exportation.-The export of a number of articles is, in accord- ance with the instructions conveyed in the various telegrams referred to above, prohibited, either absolutely or else in respect of certain countries.

Steam Coal.-Minimum stocks of steam coal are retained in the Colony. Volunteers for Active Service.-There is in the Colony and Federated Malay States a number of young men who are anxious to serve their country in this war at the front. The local Government is willing to pay their passages to England provided that they are enlisted here by the military authorities for service in the regular army. The General Officer Commanding the Troops has agreed to this, provided that he is given the necessary permission to recruit. The offer was com- municated on the 21st September to the Secretary of State, and by him to the War Office. but to the present the approval of the War Office has not been obtained

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(No. 369.) SIB,

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No. 94.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 1st September, 1914.)

Government House, 18th August, 1914.

I HAVE the honour to inform you that I received your telegram of 5th instant, announcing that war had been declared against Germany. The necessary Pro- clamations were at once issued and action taken under the Defence Scheme.

2. I closed the German Consulate and directed all German subjects to reside in Port-of-Spain, except a few whom, for sufficient reasons, I have allowed to reside in the vicinity.

On receipt of your further telegram of 13th instant announcing war with There are only one or two Austria-Hungary, I closed the Austrian Consulate. Austro-Hungarian subjects here. I have ordered one, in the employment of one of the oil companies, to come to Port-of-Spain.

3. In order to stop an undue rise in the prices of the ordinary articles of food, etc., I issued a Proclamation under the Order in Council, dated 26th October, 1896, fixing the maximum prices of certain articles, and appointed a Committee, consist- ing of the Attorney-General as Chairman, the Collector of Customs, and two leading merchants, to deal with the question of prices and food supply. Acting. by their advice I have prohibited the export of all foodstuffs except limited supplies of stores to vessels in the discretion of the Collector of Customs. I have also pro- hibited the export of coal or supply of any to ships, except the Royal Mail steamers, who have their own supply, until our present stock, which is below our local requirements, is increased.

4. I have received most loyal offers of personal service for the defence of the Colony from all classes of the community, and am strengthening our present local Forces by the formation of additional Volunteer Corps.

5. No ships of war, either British or foreign, have been seen here since the war began, except a Peruvian torpedo boat which was here at the time on her way from Para and has since left.

I have, &c.,

39540

SIR,

(No. 412.)

No. 95.

GEORGE R. LE HUNTE,

Governor.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 13th October, 1914.)

[Acknowledged 28th October, 1914. No. 369.]

Government House, 28th September, 1914. I HAVE the honour to inform you that, consequence of representations having been made to the Government that a considerable number of cacao estates, some of which employed indentured labour, would be unable to continue work, as their owners or agents were unable to obtain money through their usual sources, I tele- graphed to you as follows on the 8th August,* after consulting my Executive Council:-

C

Several estates stopping work. Large numbers of labourers will be out of employment. Have authorized Director of Public Works to give employment road scheme anticipating loan appropriations next two years if necesary. Request approval."

The measures detailed in the enclosed minutest of the Executive Council were also decided upon.

2. On the 11th August* I received the following reply from you :-

"Your telegram received 9th August. His Majesty's Government will sugar; if any sugar view with great regret any curtailment of production of estates have stopped work you should use every endeavour to get them restarted and may, if necessary, advance funds for payment of wages. Pro- posal approved otherwise."

3. Subsequently, I appointed a Standing Committee consisting of the Auditor- General (Chairman), Honourable A. Warner, K.C., the Acting Protector of Immi- grants, Sir G. T. Fenwick, Mr. Arthur Wight (of Messrs. Alston & Company), and Mr. Joseph Brown (a retired civil officer), to consider and deal with applications for the grant of temporary advances to estates from public funds. I enclose, for your information, a copy of a memorandumt by the Auditor-General, explaining the procedure that has been adopted by the Committee, and furnishing informa- It is anticipated that these temporary tion in regard to the advances made. advances will, in most cases, be recovered in the early part of next year, when a An Ordinance will be sufficiency of the new crops will have been reaped. introduced in the Legislative Council to make these advances a first charge on the respective estates.

4. I may here state, in connexion with the amount advanced to the estatee of Mr. F. A. Neubauer, to which Mr. Bushe refers in the last paragraph of his memorandum, that Mr. C. de Verteuil, agent of Mr. Neubauer, has been called upon to repay it to the Treasury, in view of the licence to administer these estates that has been granted to him.

Prior to the receipt of your despatch No. 301, of the 24th August,‡ I had ordered that all the indentured immigrants on these estates be transferred to Their indentures were other estates desiring additional indentured labour.

I am advised that I cannot accede cancelled, and they were reallotted elsewhere.

to a request from Mr. de Verteuil that these immigrants be reindentured to Mr. Neubauer's estates.

R

* 29618. ↑ Not printed.

81758.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAM NOT TO