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7 ‘ \\‘ 5 G ] \‘\&‘\}/ % s ¢ : o ST &\\.}\\L Y 4| L ‘& L . ~s?:' ~ s \_m\} i :“\ !i| il l\/ {y ;/]li‘’Q \/ ‘.\ .f\ \.\' LA . . Y @ \\_"/ v \ \/<‘;\-\ \ L N u ]\s, &, S ’ \? \ 74 = : “s ‘ J ’ /o 75TH YEA] THE ST. CROIX AVIS | 18 printed cud published daily (Surdays | and Holida ils excepted) by 7. Johinsen | at the Avis Udice. i TR MS---50 cents monthly in adeance, | 2 cents per single copy. . ; sintered as second-cliss matter May | Z??l, 1917 at ’le .'_n"\’f ’)',’l'(” at 'J'_W]l,}'(.,‘(‘:/.:('li:‘- { sled. 8L Croix, Vol ofthe Ul S. A- b ler the Act of March 8. 1879 ' e ISAA AN B sANB eo S S G R S DO S i Contiridul on to this paper will be glad- ly received ivhen thz same deals with mat ters of gene-al interest, and is accompa- | nied with the author’s name, as a juar- | antee of goo! jawth. The editor caniiot be | responsible wr the views of his correspon- | dents nor do she necessarily endorse ‘hem | UL N AOLAINY AUHCOTH 1 THE GUARENGY QUesTION: 4 AN £ S .0 } Is The Change “APositive " o dzf ? 3 \IOO ° Mr. Editor: : . = Since the llsth. day of October, a. c. there has bean but one topie of conver- sation and <diseussion that has absonbed the time ant aitention ot all, and that is the high rate of exehanze, followed by | the Resolutivu to have the ecurrency changed. And this is as it shoud ke, | forits u subject that affeers us all ina | very vital point -our economic life, hence® |. our welrare. : Jf* It cannot be disputed that a rise in the | rates of exchange does affeet mate- 1 rially and soeially the well being of the | inhabitants of a place. The gquestion of t the ioreign exchanges roncerns every- | body in these islands, for it is sJimpor- | tant and dominant, and has such far | reaching eifsets that it cannot be dis- | missed with a gesture.. We may no: | have to pay duty on some imporis; but | on every sinule item imported that s ne- | cessary for the maintenance of life we | must pay the exchange thereon. Qur | foodstuffs, ourelothing, bhats, shoes--aven “‘soft hearts’’ the mare.ials for repairing or building cur homes, the medicines, each and every item necessary for ouraxistence is subject .0 the dominion of the for- eign exchauze: consequently when the rate is higa. it increases considerably } the burden of life, therefore for the peo- ple as a whule itis a thatter of vital con- ‘cern whether it is high, low or non-ex- istent. : : . CHRISTIANSTED: V. 1L U:S &, TUESDAY. 18tH NOVEMBER 1919, And thus we figg that all persons in this island who ¢ah. give articulate ex- pressicn to their thougt s have been discussing this question aid presenting their views of it. A sudcen and unpre- cedentea rise of 2349, on hilis drawn on New York, and ecohsequently on U. S. currency is of suech vast import to the people of théesa isiands and affects their interests so adversely that ho comparison with similar conditions in cother piaces can give any real solice or comfort o them. Thay have to giva serious con- sideration to the fast iha*® the islands’ currency has consilerably depraciated. that it§ purchas ng power in things in- general has failen correspoadingly. And those who would effer piliatives must remember that «it 1s not sufficient to make declaration of wene-al prineiples, but that specific @&pplica ion must be made of principles ithat wil! ameliorate the hard comdicions, itha: ail must nilly willyghear. ' Nor is it sufficient that any particular group shall find elief fron the greater burdens imposed by the leßrociation of the isiands’ eur eney by havimg ‘recouarse to an expediency whereby their wages may be paid in the appreciited currency; for as the hardsiafps and the greater sufferings broughtsabout by this econo tmic disturbance is peneral, so also ihe reme v, if we can find onc, mus! in ke manner b 2 general In its relief. In other words the relief must be universal and not particular : . Anv honest attampt made to clarity the situation shouid be we comed by ail; and any measupe Qmp:).\:;»i tiiat has for its objec: the attginment of a common 20049 shouid be dou%y welcone. The Publie’s min¥ at this junciure is in a confused and gdisturb.d st.te. itis gseeking to. wet at@he sacs: it wans io know the exact trd@gh about the natrec. It wants to Koow#how much of what i n-ars is really sO. "The people must be satisfied that whatever move is made o betier conditions musc apply to all. Pro- tection for a pacigalar group dozs aot bring reliéf to:4hd whole. Labor may b 2 able to make 'a@:-:iisiamn'y arrange- meni temporariy tor i re.iel, but whai- ever may be the ‘gresent immediate re- sult of wages being paid 1t U. S curren- ey if has its Umiations; for vue, it piaces | one séctinn in@ more favorabic position than theother. -% = . . To work and endeavour ‘o find a solu- tion for this' tanglgd situation is within | the provinee of the ©olonin! Usuneil, and | to this end they naye tHfia'on vecord. . iNo. 268 The Resolution which was adopted by an absolute majority-i 0 to 2, iast Thurs- day, praying the Governor to request the President to cause steps to be takene to retire the present D. W. { currency, has met with general approval. ltisa maove in the right direction: and timid souls can rest a sured that no disadvan- tage can be tane result of this aet. It was right and proper for the Counecil to pass the act. When. as now, the body economic ils sufferineg. the faet must be made known to those who ean bring it relief If jwe do not ery out those that can pive us relief will not know that we are suffering. Fne motives for, and.the causes of the Resoiution are cleariy sbt firth in the preamble severally under the usual for n, Those opposed to the Resolution are only two; the ground of their opposition being that it is violative of the rights of the Bank under the Convention. This is not so. The Resolution neither asks this, nor is any such thing therein im- plied, neither did the OJouncil contem- plate any such thing. The plain facts as set foith, 1s simply the “etirement of the . W, . currency and the introduetion of the National Curreney: and the rea- sons given therefor are elear and con- vinging. Morenver those who framed and those who passed the Resolution know as mueh of the Convention as those who opposed it, and they were careful to in- sert in the Resolution itself; That nothing in inis Resolution be construed as inimi- cal to the National Bank, whose coness- sion 1s -afeguarded by t ¢ Convention and itcqrights and privilezes remain unimpaired. Could anvihing be clearer? Now tne aim and purpose of this Reso- . lution iIF to accomplish u« REAL GOOD for the PREOPLE. It asks 1o have an anomalous situation remedied. No foreed construction d¢ lanpuage can alter this act. Lhe pursuse of tne iiesoiution is manifested in iis desire o have tne National currency as legal tender ior these izlands. and szcondly. tnas by the establishment oif the U, 8. Monewary Standard 2s the ieral itepder i senks (o reduce 1o some mezsure the hignh cosc of living. 1i ine Resoration acpieves ifs purpose it ceriainly will bea blessing Lo the poor. Noone wino kaows anything of our commarcePand sa2rivasly eoasiders "the situatin cao rail to reabize, and must cneredos2 ackno vledos taat coe eaaage of curreacy Wwiii noc vnly sivé scability to our commercial affairs, remove te.npia- tions o speecalaie, pu prices and wages