CO885-24 — Page 20

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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༄།།༅། །་། ‛། mmimmim C.O. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

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BRITISH GUIANA

The great difficulty in the whole problem is, what will be the value of balata in the autumn of 1915! This difficulty may be partly solved before the opening of the balata season next year, say, March next, but I consider it well that the whole problem should be kept under review by those interested between now and then.

SIR,

1s. 6d. to 18. 101d.

Year.

1906

Block Balata per lb.

18. 44d. to 18. 94d.

1907

1908

18. 7 d. to 1s. 91d.

1909

1910

2s. 2d. to 3s. 10d.

1911

28. 4d. to 3s. Od.

1912

18. 9d. to 28. 84d.

1913

28. 34d. to 1s. 101d.

18. 9 d. to is. 114d.

Enclosure 2 in No. 19.

•

A. F. WHITE.

Sheet Balata per lb. 28. 34d. to 28. 5d.. 28. 2d. to 28. 7d.

28. 3d. to 2s. 6d.

28. 3 d. to 28. 5d.

28. 2 d. to 4s. 6d.

38. 3 d. to 3s. 10 d.

3s. 24d. to 3s. 9d.

38. 3d. to 28. 3d.

The Royal Bank of Canada, Georgetown, British Guiana,

4th December, 1914.

A copy of Mr. A. F. White's letter of 21st ultimo, respecting advances to the Consolidated Rubber and Balata Estates, Limited, during 1915, has been forwarded to our head office, Montreal, and, as soon as I am in possession of their views, I will inform you of the action it is proposed to take.

Personally, I presume future advances must depend very largely on the way present indebtedness is met during the next few months.

I have, &c.,

The Honourable

C. Clementi,

Government Secretary,

Public Buildings.

36347

(No. 152.) SIR,

BRITISH HONDURAS.

No. 20.

JOHN B. LAING,

Manager.

THE GOVERNOR to the SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 23rd September, 1914.) [Answered by No. 21.]

Government House, Belize, 3rd September, 1914. LAST week I had the honour to address* you on trade conditions in the Colony consequent on the war in Europe. I now find the state of affairs is more serious than I had realized. It will be necessary for me to start relief work immediately, and before Christmas I shall have to find work for several hundreds of men.

2. In most of the West Indian Colonies, where the staple product is sugar, the price of that product has gone up, and this increase of price will go far to relieve the pressure due to the war. In this Colony, however, no article of export has risen in price. Those people who have contracts with the United Fruit Company and the Orr Laubenheimer Company will be able to sell their bananas. The demand in the United States is, for some reason, less than formerly, and Central America sup- plied large quantities to Europe, and this market has been adversely affected. I am in formed that the United Fruit Company has reduced its wages bill by $40,000 a month. While our banana industry will not suffer much, it will suffer to some

extent.

* See 34748: not printed.

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BRITISH HONDURAS.

3. For some reason which I do not know the price of coco-nuts is low; but, subject to a reduction equivalent to increased freights and insurance, prices should

recover.

4. It is the state of the mahogany trade that renders the position really serious. For some years past the output from the Colony has been unusually high. Apart from this, American concessionaires in Mexico have been pulling out mahogany with feverish haste in view of the near expiration of the terms of their concessions, which are no longer being worked. The result is that the American market has been glutted, and British Honduras mahogany was not long ago shipped Because from the United States to England. There is still a large quantity of mahogany in the Colony which is not being taken away because there is no market. there is no market, mahogany cutters are not able to obtain the financial assistance neccessary to enable them to go on cutting.

5. On previous occasions it has happened that cutters had plenty of wood which they could not bring to the market by reason of there not being the necessary floods. On such occasions advances could be obtained by good men, as no fear was

In those day felt of there not being a market for any amount of wood taken out. the Bank of British Honduras was in existence. Although there was a good deal of American capital in it there was not a shareholder who was not interested in the Colony. The Bank of British Honduras has, however, been taken over by the Royal Bank of Canada, and although the latter institution is, no doubt, of very much greater financial standing, it is not so much interested in the Colony. Good men who can offer plenty of land and wood as security cannot get advances or renewal of bills. The bank also refuses to sell drafts on England.

cents.

6. The difficulties due to want of employment are made acute by the increased cost of provisions of nearly every kind. The most serious rise is in the price of rice. Of this we used to import annually from India, via the United Kingdom, to the value of $49,000. It was being retailed before the war at 7 cents a quart. Rice can now only be imported from the United States, and the lowest retail price is 12 When the last Harrison Line steamer left it was not allowed to take rice, Queensland meats, milk, biscuits, butter, or tea. The article we most feel the want of is rice, and after that, though in a less degree, milk. Our usual importation from the United Kingdom of foodstuffs now prohibited amounts to $175,000 per annum. To Great Britain the amount is insignificant. To us the increased expense of obtaining supplies elsewhere is of importance, and I would very respectfully urge you to lay the case of this Colony before the proper authorities with a view to obtain- ing the withdrawal of the embargo of some at least of the articles of food we require. believe that as regards obtaining this food we are more unfavourably situated than any other part of the Empire.

7. Another article that has risen in price, not only here but in the United States, is sugar. I have met this, with the unanimous approval of such of the Unofficial Members of both Councils as are in Belize, by removing the duty of 11 cent per pound on raw sugar. This will not seriously diminish the revenue, because the duty has been essentially a protective one.

8. I have evidence that many of the small shops are charging unreasonable prices, and I shall, therefore, obtain from the Legislature power to fix the maximum prices of foodstuffs.

9. It is inevitable that the revenue should fall off. To meet this to some extent I propose to increase the duties on spirits, wines, tobacco, and a few other articles where the extra tax will not fall hardly on the poorer classes. According to a statement in the Morning Post the Government of Jamaica is arranging not to

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there is some suppose pay interest and sinking fund on the debt during the war. misapprehension as to this. but I would suggest that during the war we may be allowed to suspend payments to the sinking funds, amounting in all to $10,595.

10. It is probable that as time goes on depositors in the Savings Bank will be compelled to withdraw their money. This would necessitate the realizing of our Savings Bank securities at an unfavourable time. To avoid this, I would ask that the Crown Agents be allowed to borrow the money for the period of the war, defer- ring the sale of securities till a more favourable period. Probably a return of deposits after the war would soon repay the greater part of the advance.

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