CO885-24 — Page 98

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JAMAICA.

In this connexion, I enclose a copy of my speech at the meeting of the Legis- lative Council to authorize the gift and to take steps to finance the proposal.

The proposals submitted were accepted by the Council, one Elected Member only objecting to the reimposition of the 164 per cent, ad valorem duties except as a tax during the continuance of the war, though he did not vote against it.

12. Á strict censorship has been established and thoroughly organized. For some time I took upon myself the duty of passing all Press telegrams, either for Jamaica or for places beyond Jamaica, with the view of preventing news of possible military value to the enemy being passed over the wires beyond Jamaica to places to which the Germans had access. The censorship staff have now, however, grasped the essentials of censorship and such news is censored in Jamaica.

13. The fact that Jamaica is in direct telegraphic communication with America, whence has emanated the most sensational news, either manufactured there or bearing the imprint of obvious German sources, necessitated, in the earlier stages of the war, very drastic censorship. I may mention that a telegram from New York purported to give the exact strength of the Expeditionary Force in bat- teries of artillery, regiments of cavalry and infantry, and this news was intended for places other than British in the West Indies.

14. There has been some indication of the existence of what I believe is termed spy fever," with the usual symptoms of the appearance of mysterious signal fires and other signals to hostile craft presumed to be off Jamaica, but examination of these cases has usually elicited very ordinary and self-explanatory origins of the alleged signals. In my opinion, there are no indications that there is any com- munication with the enemy from Jamaica, and since I understand that there are German merchant ships in shelter in almost every port of the coast of America, and that the wireless apparatus of these ships is intact, the means of passing accurate information obtained from all sources is not wanting and is, no doubt, fully made There use of for the information of the German cruisers in these waters. should be, therefore, little or no scope in Jamaica for useful espionage while such untrammelled means exist elsewhere.

15. The general trade prospect in regard to Jamaica products is certainly good, with the exception of pimento, largely exported to Germany and Austria, and coffee, which is likely to be affected if the large Brazilian stocks are freed. There may be some restriction of the exports of coco-nuts, due to the closing of the Hamburg markets, but as yet there is no evidence of this.

The sugar industry, which for the past year has suffered from declining prices, has received a very decided fillip by the conditions prevailing on the Continent affecting the manufacture of beet sugar. Prices ruling about eight pounds (£8) per ton up to August are now quoted at eighteen pounds (£18) to twenty pounds (£20) per ton, and consequently the sugar planters are looking forward to pros- perous times. The financial position of the sugar planter has not been, generally speaking, too sound, and it is to be hoped that the higher prices which may rule for some time now will enable him to build up a more satisfactory financial state.

In regard to rum, however, the manufacturers of high ether rum, the market for which commodity is in Germany, will, I am afraid, experience some hardship. I am given to understand, however, that there is the intention of ceasing the manu- facture of this article and reverting, where possible, to the manufacture of sugar during the period that high prices rule and until the markets for high ether rum are reopened.

16. I have endeavoured to explain that there must be expected some disloca- tion of the import trade due to a variety of causes, and there has been some evidence of shrinkage, but it would appear that already the uncertain conditions which pre- vailed at first are in course of removal, and it is likely that there will be a return to almost normal conditions, though this, it is alleged, is being retarded by the super- tax of 334 per cent. on freights by British shipping companies between Jamaica and England, it being remarkable that freights between Jamaica and the United States remain as they were before the outbreak of hostilities. This may have the effect of attracting to the United States more of the trade which has been increas- ing in volume in that direction during the past decade, to the further detriment of

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