USVI Public Records

Document text

economys of the nation or people. It is the character of the homes that de- termines the kind of statesmanship and decides the destiny of a state, he de- clared, and concluded ais interesting dis- course by making a fervent plea for the good old fashioned homes, where true Christian virtue are inculeated and prac- ticed; those God fearing homes where the contemplation of the Seriptures is made the daily exercise of both parents aid children; those revered domestic fines whi~h are the focus and radiator of ethical and moral instruction, and the most aetive ageney in battling with the evils of humani.y and the shocks of existence. He cited an imposing list of some of the lost brilliant srars in the constellation of statesman- saip who emanated from such homes. The jubilant pair were then presented with a purse, subseribed to by frieads in appreciation of their services to their e¢narceh and to the eotnmunity. Mr. [gnatius Wilson, fourth son of the e aerald bride and groom, in a tew choice words, filled with emotion, thanked the Rev. gent'eman and the audieace for the ¢iznal honor done his paoents. After the singing of an an anthem by tha ch ir the membrable service was broilzht t> an ead, wnenc: the iyvited gua: ;s procred:d to th: hom2 of th: pa- triacch, whore th2 balance of the time w45 spent in feasting. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have truly ob- served the Biblical injunction to be fruit- fu and multiply, being the progenitors of rine children, thirteen grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. ' May these blessed old people live to enjoy many more years of vedded bliss! REPORT AND ESTIMATE ON IRRI- GATION VOSSIBILITIES ON ISLAND OF ST. CROIX, VIRGIN ISLANDS, 1.8 2. By C. C. FISHER, Engineer, Department of Interior, Bureau of Re- clamation. (Continued from yesterday’s Avis) 50, In figuring the reservoir evapora- tion loss it is the usual practice o fizure the pet loss, which lis the evaporation minus the depth cf the rainfall on the res:rvoir; this in the wet months wou'd result in a nezative loss. In the com- putation of the operation of the several reservoirs in this study, (See Tables 8 to 11) no credit has been allowed for the rainfall on the reservoir. In fizuring the riooff, however, ihe area of the reser- voirs have been included-except for the Manning Bay reservoir the area of which was classed as valley land-so the reser- voir losses as here fizured are properly subject toa reduction of about 807, of the depth of rainfall. The gross loss is here used in order to be conservative ow- ing to the uncertainties of runoff, reser- voir seepage etc. bl. Seepage: No ldats are availgble 2T 201 ¥ as to seepage losses on the islan.. The older geological formation, .or ''blue beech’’ rock, on which ail of the propised dam sites except the Manning Bay, are located, is a hard, tight rock aceording to the unanimous opi ion of the geolouisis previously referred to. Though this o2k lies in a steap'y til'ed position which is not the most ‘avorable for the tight re- servolr, it is believed that with proper precautioas as. to dam foundatin the seepage l-ss should be only moderate. The Manning Bay dam and reservuir site ave located on the newer lim2 rock and marl formation, and less confidenze 1s therefora felt in its tightn2ss. For this and other reasons expressel iater the adoption of this site is not advisal. 52. From a studv of th: above con- ditions, and also from a study of tae actua! seepage loss2s in a number of constucted -reservoirs of the U. S Bireru of Roclamion, it is concluded to fizare th2 St. Croix reservoir losses at 35 inches in depta per anrum over the water surtac: area. Thisis the scepaige estinited in the proprsed reservoir of the [sabel prijee. ia Porto Rico, whith 1s lozted 1n the lim -stone formatioa of quastionahle tigh'ness, - OPERATION OF RESERVOIRS 53. With the runolf, reservoir losses, canal losses, anl net duty of water esti- marec as abave outlined, ‘a computation of the operation of the several reservoirs here considzred, namely the Jolly Hill, River, Manning Bay. and Salt River has been made2:-See Tables Bto 11, In order to det2rmine vhat acreae ¢hald normal- ly be supplied from a given drainage area nd estimated water supply, the computation was begun with the normal rainfall year, and such acreaze was adopted as would with the reservoir loss- es consume the.supply without shor age and practically without hold over The computation of the operation is then con- tinued from the normal ve:r to the hich year of 1916 in order.to decide the alvis- able maximuim reservoir,cavacity to avoid waste except in an unusualiy high vear. From this the computatiou is continued, in the fir:t two cases, on down tnrough the present low rainfall eyele in ord2r to see what shortages might vesuit. [) the latter two reservoirs the computation is carried only far enough to show that the water supply and reservoir capacities are reasor ably suflicient for the acreage adopted. Tt is seen from these Tables that for the jrrication of 10)) acres zach from the Jolly Hill and River reservairs, which are the areas here advised, and which areas are nicely provided for under the normnal or unusual conditions. there is a material shortage during tke dry years of 1918, 1920. 21. 22, and 23. This however 1s the driest period of the 72 years of record and it cannot be hoped to turnisa a full supply for such a dry cycle under the scant water supply conditi: ns. As previously stated the greatest advan- tage taat can beaccomplished from. ir.i.a tion at St. Croix is to store water during the wet months for use durinz the dry months under the usaal yearly condition:: and it is the belief of the writer that snch davelopmont is am'y justifiad in case it can b 2 dune at reasonable c¢ost, (To be continued. ) Bill Providing for Extznsion of National Bank Act to Virgin Is!ands Passzd by Senate. A bill extending the provisions of the National Bank Act to the Virgin Islani of the United States was pbassed by the Senate on May 15. Senator Mel.ean, who introduced the bill, had the following say as to its purpgse: [ introduce this bill at the reqguest ot the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. I has the apuoroval of the Solicitor of tho Treasury and the Comptroller of the C.i rency. There is at the present time one com merecial bank io the Virgin Islands. It was orgzaniz>l under the laws of Den mark. ['nhe owners of the bank want 10 disscelve and reorganiz and come in unde: odr national bank Act, now that we own the islands: [ kvow of no objection to the bill, and I hope it will pass. In stating that the bill defined the po- litical status of th2 inhabitants of the« Virgin Islands, the Senator said: They have the same status that the in- habitants of thePhilipine Islands have,and tney will retain that; bat this bil! provid-s taat insofar as our taw requires tha di- rectors of natiynal banks shall be eitizens of the United States the law is modified 80 that the inhabitantsof theislands who now control this baak can qualify as di- rectors. : The text of the bill as passed by the Senate follows: Be it enacted, &c , That the National Bank Act, as amended, and all other Acts of Congress relating to nationa) banks, shall, in so far as not locally inap plicabie, hereatfter apply to the Virgin s lands of the United Srates: Provided. That such inhabitants of the Virgin Is. lands of the United States as resided therein and were Dani:h ¢it z:ns on Jan uary 17 1917 and who have not since that date elected to preserve their Dan- ish citizenship in the manner provided for ir Article 6 of the convention between the United States~and D-enmark signed Aug. 4 1916, shall be regarded as citizens of the United States within th: meaning of Scetion 5146 of the Revised Statas, as amended: Provided furth-r, That Scc- tion 19 of the Act of Feb. 8187, (18 Star. L., - 311). shall not apply to the Nation- al Bink of the Danish West Indies: Pro vided further, that any vbaik which suaii organize under the aathority of this Ace shall net have the right toissue bank notes until after the expiraiion of ti- comcession granted to the National Ban.. of the Danish West Indies or the relin- quishment of such councession by said bink.—Financial Chronicle, N, Y. City.