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JUST RECEIVED Canary Pots, Flower Pots and Goblets. KRIK R. STAKEMANN. 1 P LW WYy N PROCEEDINGS OF THE CULONIAL COUNCIL FOR ST. CROIX. (Continued from Saturday’s Avis) Item 3. Colonial Council Bill No. 31. 2nd Discussion on Colonial Council Bill No. 31, Amendment to Food Commission Law, introduced by 2ud Member for Christiansted Town and Suburbs [Canegata]. Znd Member for Christiansted Town [Cujneyata.J remarked: Mr. Chairman. In llntroducing this amendment at 2nd Discussion 1 wish to affirm everything that I have said before. The amendment 18 absolutely necessary in the interest of the island. Since this amendment has peen ntroduced in this Council 1t has been discussed, both privately and in the papers, but so far I have not heard one single valid argument against it. I have neard of a great deal of opposition, both Inside and outside of the Council, and 1 know today many are asked' to vote against it, but i only ask those who are prepared to vote against it to state their objections, and, at least, make an amend- ment that will offer something better than what 1s here proposed. As a representative of Christiansted Town and Suburbs I want to take issue with a letter I have seen published, particularly where it says, '‘what has been done has only been a little inat- "tention to the public’’, let me illustrate the inference -What does it make if all the children in the town are left without food, what does it matter if the sick suf- " ferand the hospitals are left without milk, they are only a few natives, why worry about them, why take notice of it after all it is only a little inattention. [f such are the little inattentions then [ say God spare us the gross injustices. If the representatives of the people are going to regard their constituents with such in- difference then [ say there is no stronger argument for the immediate disolution of this Counecil, and the public could well join with Mark Anthony and say ‘O judg- mentthou art fled to brutish beasts and men have lost their reason’’. No gentle- men these are serious times, the time has come when the rights of the people must be protected. Is the Colonial Coun- cil the aceredited representative of the people going to place their personal in- N L 08l X AN s terest above that of their constituents? That’s the guestion this amendment serves to have answered. The public awaite vyour answer. (Loud applause from the Lobby.) i The Chairman asked that there be no applause in the Lobby as it is against the Rules of Business. - i of'rom a spectator in theg tobby: | Change the rules. { Ist Member for Frederiksted Country | Pis rict [Andersen] remarke® Mr. | Chairman[ think the amendment as it | stands is unconstitutional, as it is against | Par. 75 of the Colonial Law. | The Chairman read the paragraph re- | ferred to. ? 2nd Member for Christiansted Town | (Canegata) would like to ask the last | speaker to point out in what way the | paragraph referred to was unconstitu- | tiona!. ; Ist Member so- Frederiksted Coun- | try District (Andersen) answered: The | Food Commission has not the right to | take over stock of merchants or produc- | ers unless it gives full compensation. i 4th Appointed Member {Blackwood| remarked: Mr. Chairman. 1o ask peo ple who are supposed to be free to vote ‘ away their property rights, [ believe is going too far; and when it comes to starving the babies, I know of many articles of foodstutfs, the prices of whieh, , are put beyond the reach of the poor peo- | ple. Be ore I vote for this amendment | I would rather cut off my right hand. ! During the war it was bad, but now it | seems to be getting worse. § Brd Member for Christiansted Country | District (Robt. W. Skeoch) remarked: | Mr. Chairman. The matter that has | caused this amendment to be brought | forward was serious, but I hardly believe | a drastic measure, such as the Honorable | Member has proposed is necessary. uUn | the other hand I cannot see that the wel- | fare of the island should be hampered as the proposed amendment calls for; it would be dangerous to give the Food | Commission such power; let us give the community a chance and if we see that they need to be clubbed, well then we | will have to club them. | 4th Member for Frederiksted Country | District [Fleming] remarked: Mr. | Chairman. When I heard of what hap- | pened at the Dairy to me it was a regret- l table thing; I consider it a shame for the l Dairymen to put themselves in the same | position as those who called the strike in | Governor Helweg-Larsen’s timne. [think | the best thing to do is to prevent strikes | at the Dairy, in fact strikes of any kind, | including laborers. | ist member for Frederiksted Town [Coulter] remarked: Mr. Chairman.” T hope that this discussion will not bring | up unpleasant features of the past. Let | us stick to the old saying, ‘‘Let the dead bury its dead’’. As a member of the | Food Commission,” of which there are | only three in the Couneil, I wish to 'sav a word of appreciation to two men who did not join in the cessa- tion of the delivery of milk, Mr. Leevy and Mr. Esmann who con- tinued tosend in their milk: the whole island should appreciate the refusal of those men to join with the others; one is justified in saying thar the primary thought of the men of the Dairy was, that we can get a good price for our cattie in Porio Rieo, we wiil raise the price on our milk and if the Foond Com- mission don’t agree to raise the price we will close down; and their second thought was, let us send our cattle to Porto Rico .and we don’t care how many babies are {{Oiug to be buried. “As a member in the Food Commission I tam in sympathy with the amendment proposed by the Honorable Member itcor Christiansted Town. There is a large majority of (n- public who know ihat for six months the Food Commission has been under criticism. If the Food Com- mission is to continue it must have power behind i: it it s not to have power be- hind it then iet it be abolished. Ist Member for Frederiksted Country District [Andersen] remarked: M Chairman. lam not in favor of abolish- ing the Food Commrission; there have not been undue profits; the Food Com- mission is there to see that such a thing does not take place; it is not the business of the Food Commission to put down prices whenever it feels like doing so. 2nd Member for Christiansted Town (Canegata) remarked: Mr. Ch irman I wish to thank the IHonorable Member for his commeunt and the great esteem he has for the Food Commission, but every man must protect his self respect. 4th Avppointed Member (Blackwood) remarked: Mr. Chairman. I don’t be- lieve that the Dairy meant to starve the children, they ciosed to get a higher price for their milk, I donot believe they closed down for the purpose of starving the children; it is beyond reason to say that they mean. to starve the litile ¢hil- dren. The measure which is before us is dangerous, don’t let children play with fire, because they are liable to get burnt. The scarcity of milk is caused a great deal by the weather, I know it from ex- perience; I have forty milk cows, 1 milk ten daily and can only get sufficient milk to supply my home; I don’t believe it is the intention to deprive the infants of their milk. Ist Member for Frederiksted Country District (Andersen) proposed that the vote be taken on the amendment. 2nd Appointed Member [ Noll] remark- ed: Mr. Chairman. The power -hich is asked for in this amendment is in force in the sister island and I have not even seen an editorial in the papers where the Food Commission there has abused that power. [ belive the right of property is inviolable, but property can only be takey by due process of law, and that is by going to law. In draft-