USVI Public Records

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EDITORIAL. At request of one of our subseribers we reprint in this issue an article on fruit stealing in Miami, Florida, a prob- lem with whieh fruit growers in St. Croix have to contend also. 1n fact the discouragement occasioned thereby is reported to be the chief reason for the limited raising of fruit here, and the method of coping with this evil in Miami, Florida, will be noted to be strikingly more effective than ours. If those pre- pared to develop a fruit industry in this island cuvuld feel protected from the ravages of the wingless birds which harvest the fruit crops and abscond with them, it might be an incentive to plant fruit more extensively, and the money spent in Porto Rico weekly for the large quantities of oranges and grapefruit im- ported would remain here and increase the wealth of the place. Our contributor requests that the clip- ping be copied by the St. Crzix Tribune and West Knd News. PL.OCAL. - The Daredevil-Jack serial will be con- cluded at the Christiansted Theatre this avening. This popular film has gained the admiration of all who have been see- ing 1t these last weeks and a full house will curely attend Its close. The Creole from St. Thomas with mails and passengers arrived here this morning: The Luther League members held its usual meeting last evening, the topics were ianteresting, and attendance good. The Old Timers entertained a good audience at the theatre last night, the actors were at their best and che show was a success. 12 lines of rain was measured at the Fort this morning. AFTER THE FRUIT THIEVES. An advertisement offering a reward for the eonviction of fruit thieves calls attention toa situation which arises in this section nearly every year with the opening of the citrus fruit season. This grows out of the established custom on the part of some people of stealing fruit, and on the part of some others of acting as receivers for the fruit. ' This is a torm ot crime which has no- thing spectacularly attractive about it. It is merely contemptible petty thievery and tns aillered business man who en- courages it by purchasing the stolen fruit is worthy only of the uimost contempt. Fruit stealing is rather harcd to stop when it is a3 well organizad as it seems to be in Florida, but the authorities are Sl. LotX A VIS determined to stamp it out, and it is pro- bable that sometody will suffer be- fore this season is much older. It is to be hopad that if actual thieves are caught there will also be brought within the Jaw the ‘“‘higherups’’ if it is proper to use this term about anyone so low-down. There would be comparatively little stealing of fruit if there were no easy market for it. There would probably b=z some who would take an occasional grape- fruit or orange, but fruit is not sufficient- ly easy to dispose of unless there is some- nne who has no conscience who stands r2ady to provide a market. It is these receivers of stolen -goods who are par- ticularly to blame for thefts, aad they should be made to suffer as well as the actual purloiners. There is a heavy punishment provided for fruit thieves. The maximum when the amount stolen is'under S2O is a year’s imprisonment. When the amount is larger than that the offense becomes a felony, with penitentiary imprisoument as punishment. -In view of the situation which has been growing worse rather than better, the maximum penalty should be impcsed on anyone convic‘el of this contemptible ecrime.—The Herald, Mwam:, Flortda, Nov. 20th. : TELEGRAMS. ST.-CROIX STATION. Lond~n, Dee. 3rd.—Mr. Timothy Healy has accepted the Governor Generalship of the Irish Free State and his appoint- meat wiil be announced when royal assent is given to the Free State bill, ac- cordiag to special despatches from .Dub lin. Healy for many years was one of the stormy petrels of the House of Com- mons. He was note always for being ready for Parliamentary fights. During the days when the Irish Home Rule Bill wvas a bone of contention in the House of Commons, Hz2aly was a strong antagonist of Parnel and John Redmond. He retired from public life in 1918 Previously he had served various Irish Constitutiencas in Parliament. He is 67 years of age. Dublin, Dec. 3rd.—Fhe present provi- sional regime in Ireland will cease to exist next Tuesday, when the Royal sanction having been given the Irish Bill, a specisl sitting of the provisional Parliament will formally transfer the responsibilities of the Government to the actual Free State Govt. The present Dail Eireann then will become the lower House of Parliament and a Senate of 60 members will be constituted, 30 members being nominated by the President and 30 elected by the ‘lower House. The nom nations are ex»ectod ‘o b 2 madz on Tuesday® ‘ - Ataens, Dze. 3¢l, =Prince Andrew, bro.her of Ex-King Constantine, has been sentenced D --a itary court to banishment for. hife and dagra lativn of his rank He will not suffer-actua. de- oralation. The judgement of t.c court finds that Prince Andrew refused to obey orders in presence of the enemy and moved his army corps in another cirec- tion, but considers that in view of his lack of experience in commanding large masses of fighting men and the conditions under which he was plared, application of the penalties provided by law, would not be justifiable. The trial of the Prince closed last night after numerous witness- es had been examined and pleas had been made by coursel for the defence for clemency. The indictment brought a- gainst him, set forth that during the advanee on the Sangarias river, Prince Andrew, commanding the second army corps, refused to obey an order. Royalty had a bad time during the final stages of the inquiry. The prosecutor dwelt on the disadvantages of employing Princes in high positions in the army. He point- ed out that irnfluence was pernicious, not only in Greece but in all countries. The court’s deliberations on the verdiet Jasted nearly three hours and the sen- tence, deprivation of rank and life ban- ishment, came as a relief when the worst was feared, The Prinee read his defence, which obviously had been prepared for him. He pleaded extenuating ecircum- stances, contending it was not fair to treata Prince the same as a Generzl, because he was only a figure-head and oceupied his position as chief of an army corps through the fact that his brother was the King. Athens, Dec. 3rd.—Prince Andrew and and his wife, Princess Alice, embarked at Phaleron this afternoon abeard a war- ship. It is understood that they will be taken to England. Rome, Dec 2nd, -The eruption of the voleano Stromboli, which began on Wed- nesday, ceased yesterday. No fatalities have so far beer reported. The entire population has moved from the vieinity fearincg renewai of the eruptions. Lausaone, Dec. 4th.— [he closing of the Dardanelles to all warships except those of Turkey and giving Turkey the right to fortify the Dardanelles were advocated by M. .Tchitcherin, the Rus- sian Foreign Minister, at today’s mect- ing of the Lausanne conference to dis- cuss the question of tne Straits. Ism-t Pasha asked for absolute Turkish control of the :Straits without demilitarization. The delegates of Greeece, Bulgaria and Roumania explained the position of their respeciive Governm I's. The prelimin- ary exposition of the question by the re- presentatives of the great powers was begun at this session, *which started at 11 o’clock behind closed doors, but had not been completed when the meeting was adjourned at 1 o’clock, without a time being fixed for the next session. M Tehitrherin’s plea for Turkey was an impassioned one. The Russian spokes- man ins'sied that Turkish sovereign- ty could only be guaranteed .by .the presence of Turkish warshipss in:the Siraits, whi'e the warships -of:ather powers shcu.u be prohibited from-emter- ing them. He contended alsq-that Tur-