CO885-24 — Page 134

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

LICO. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAFENOT TO

250

TRINIDAD.

Enclosure in No. 97.

ESTATES RELIEF.

Statement to 13th February, 1915.

Number of applications received

84

Number of applications refused

7

Number of applications approved

77

Number of applications on which advances have been

repaid

32

Number of applications on which advances have ceased

to be made

34

11

Number of applications on which advances are still being

made Total amount of certified vouchers, £9,712 78. 101d or $46,619-49. Total amount repaid and cancelled vouchers, £3,746 78. 54d. or $17,982-59. Amount of advances approved, £3,100 per month approximately. Amount of advances discontinued. £2,716 per month approximately.

31009

No. 98.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 7th July, 1915.)

(No. 224.)

Government House, 14th June, 1915. SIR,

IN continuation of my despatch No. 82, of the 2nd of March last, I have the honour to inform you that the Auditor-General reports that all the advances that were made under the provisions of the Estates (Labourers) Relief Ordinance, No. 39 of 1914, have been repaid, and that it was not necessary to sell any property for the recovery of such advances.

I have, &c.,

31146

No. 99.

GEORGE R. LE HUNTE,

Governor.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 7th July, 1915.)

(Confidential.)

SIB,

Government House, 15th June, 1915. IN compliance with the instruction contained in Mr. Harcourt's Confidential despatch of the 10th of February last, I have the honour to forward herewith copies of the following reports on the operations of the various committees appointed in connexion with war conditions :-

From the Chairman of the Food Committee.

From the Chairman of the Liquidating Committee. (iii) From the Chairman of the Advances to Estates Committee. (iv) From the Chairman of the Ground Provisions Committee.

2. With regard to the report of the Chairman of the Advances to Estates Com- mittee, I may state that it was found necessary to proceed against twenty-three estates under Section 11 of Ordinance No. 39 of 1911, but under date the 19th May the Crown Solicitor reported that all the defaulters had paid, some of them at the first stages of the advertisement of sale, and that they also paid all interest to the 17th of that month.

I have, &c.,

GEORGE R. LE HUNTE,

Governor.

SIR,

251

TRINIDAD.

Enclosure 1 in No. 99.

REPORT BY CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD COMMITTEE.

Attorney-General's Chambers, 12th May, 1915. IMMEDIATELY upon the outbreak of war the prices of most of the necessaries of life rose, and by the 6th August, 1914, those prices were in many cases 100 per cent. higher than they were on 3rd August. This state of affairs was partly due to the readiness of retail dealers to make extra profits, but some measure of blame must also be held to attach to certain timorous people who at once purchased foodstuffs in unprecedently large quantities, with a view to making a private store for them- selves in the event of a general shortage of provisions.

2. The need for exercising some control over an abnormal situation had been recognized on the outbreak of war, and the matter was brought up for discussion at a meeting of the Defence Committee held on 5th August, 1914. The attention of the Committee was called to the provisions of clause 10 of paragraph III. of the Order in Council of 26th October, 1896 (see Appendix I. hereof), and it was decided to take immediate steps to regulate the retail price of the more necessary articles of food. A schedule of prices was hastily prepared, based roughly upon a 33 per cent. increase on prices as they stood immediately before the outbreak of war, and was published in Proclamation No. 38 of 1914 (see Appendix IT. (a)).*

3. Immediately upon the publication of this schedule of prices representations were made to the Governor that due regard had not been paid to the difference in the cost of goods to a town and to a country shopkeeper. The Governor considered that other questions requiring commercial experience were bound to arise, and decided to appoint a Committee consisting of

The Attorney-General (Chairman),

The Collector of Customs,

The Honourable A. Fraser, M.L.C. (attorney of the Trinidad Shipping

and Trading Company), and

The Honourable A. Wright, M.L.C. (of Messrs. Alston & Company),

to act as a permanent Committee to advise him on such points.

4. The unofficial members having at once consented to join the proposed Com- mittee, the first meeting was held on 11th August, and a revised schedule of prices was prepared, approved by the Governor, and published as Proclamation No. 42 of 1914 (Appendix II. (b)).* Steps were also taken by the Government to see that this Proclamation was duly circulated throughout the Colony.

5. It was obvious that such a schedule might easily have to be altered in view of increase of prices in foreign markets and a warning to that effect was given to the public in a footnote to Proclamation 38, 1914 (supra). It might also have been expected that the maximum price would tend to become, and to remain, the usual price; but, immediately it was realized that importation would not be restricted by any action on the part of the enemy's cruisers, the play of competition at once com- menced, and a large proportion of the articles soon began, and have continued, to be sold at prices lower than those allowed by the schedule.

6. Some few of the scheduled prices have had to be increased, as will appear from a consideration of Proclamations Nos. 53 and 78 of 1914, and Nos. 6, 11, and This is the result of the considerable 21 of 1915 (see Appendix II. (o)-(g)).* increase in the cost of these articles in foreign markets, and the principle adopted in authorizing these increases has been, in the case of all commodities, to fix a price which will cover the importer and ensure a small profit to the wholesale and to the retail dealer.

7. A most excellent effect was made upon the public mind by the exercise of the powers conferred upon the Governor by the Order in Council mentioned in paragraph 2 of this report. The fear of a very great increase in the cost of the necessaries of life, natural at the outbreak of a great war, was increased by the rumours prevalent at the time of the height to which the prices of provisions had risen in America and elsewhere, by the publication of a Proclamation such as No. 45 of 1914 (see Appendix III.),† essential though it was, and by the action of certain The publication of the shopkeepers, to which reference has already been made.

*Not reprinted.

* No. 97.

4106/8: not printed.