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°® 1 @ i Frilay Evening Concert U. S NAVAL BAND, Christiansted, Virgin Islands, Feb. 6th. 1920. First Musician Jacob W, Paulus, Leader. -—PROGRAM:— Yaul i, Mareh..The Rifle Regiment..J. P. Sousa Overture. .Bright and Gay..Backie-Byer Waltz. . Hawaiian Rose. F. Henri Klick- man Fox-Trot. ....Everything Is Nice That Comes From Dixie...... Clarke, Meyer, and Agel PART 11 March. Washingtcn Grays.(. S. «rafulla Overture. Poet and Peasant.F. von Suppe Fox-Trot..Snooky Haliow. Henry Mills One-Step .- .. Me-OW.. .. Mel B. Kaufman NATIONAL ANTHEM. We are pleased to learn of the promo- tion to the rank of Sergeant of Corporals Naughton znd Prince of the Police Force, stationed at Richmond and Kingshill res- pectively. : 8% lines of rain were measured at the Fort at 8 o’cloek this morning. MR- TOTTEN'S “MBETING IN THE THEATRE ON WEDNESDAY NIGH. was largely attended a’.d is conceded as having drawn the greatest assembly of respectable and refined people of this community that has graced a public meeting in years. The working classes were also represented and the conduct can be commended as superior to that of last Sunday evening. The speaker of the evening was Mr. Ashley Totten who reviewed the question of naval and civil forms of government, not championine either but emphasizing the advantages, and disadvantages of both, as he knows them to exist, and admonishing great care in making a choice. He related many interesting anecdotes in connection with the political graft under civil gov- ernment in the States, and on the whole held then terest of his hearers during the course of his talk which lasted more than an hour. Mr, Morris Davis, of the Labor Union of Frederiksted, who declared him- self a supporter of the present form of government, madea short address and two or three other speakers in the audi- ence Lresented views and interrogatories pro and con. Mr. Samuel A. Smith ask- ed Mr. Totten to explain fully the peculi- arities characteristic ors civil and naval governments but to this Mr. Totten replied that as stated on a previous occasion the Governor had told him that this was a civil government, and as the, Mr. Tntten, had oo knowledge of what a really naval government was, it appeared to him that those who have lived under the admin- istration here ought best to know what ST CER 1.X ANV 1B are its peculiar characteristics. M. Swmith then inguired what government chtains in New York and u-on being to d “eivil government’’, rejoined “‘then let s have ecivil government here’’, and quii- ted the hall. After everything is said and done it 's probably ali a waste of rime in dcbatinz and rushing into heated aroument on the uwuestion of what form of government :s d3sirable as the Congressional Commis- c:om which raust be given the &-dit of baing comnosed of comperent judges will most likely determine for itselt and make recommendations independent «f the svnecial wishes of any particular clas:, faction, or even the majority here. it cinn >t be gainsaid that the present formn o’ government is civil, and therefore 't i. ridiculousto speak o wanting wbhat 's z ready her:. With the overnor anl ¢ her oficials chosen from zmong civil - zls, the expenses of maintaining such a rotinue will fall heavily on the islancs 21d increasad taxation must natura‘'ly f llow. The Customs revenues whica ravert to the Colorial Treasury nowaodays, v.ill possibly be withneld; tue hospitals ald leper asylum will drop back into the o.d groove for want of means which cat- rot be raised here; the navy bands wil presumebly be disbanced and dozens cf car young men again besadded to thz2 r amber siruggling for au existence; th» i iands wiil become iess sei -supportun?’ a2ld immigration will resul” in gradu:l ¢ »population. And during this time who k lows but that the very outrages 'so r-uch preserted as the buzbear of 4 navel” gyvernme-t may still take place, for t lere is nothing to pruvent this, tne cor- tol of suca irreguiacities by vestinz power in the civil autiorities kei~g in tha o >peral opinion but a funtasy. Nane th? 2 p aces oa the continent whe:e ~he worst ¢ nditions prevail and ask why such is possible uncer eivil gevernment. As 2 r atter of faet maval gover:iment is in e tistence in only a few places where t..ere is peace, and the population ziviliz el. We have civil government now aa f rm the comrmunities can maintain and d :veiop under, and no change seems n cessary or expedient. . Dear Sir: . Your opinion fully expressed in you> p- per of Feb. 4th., regarding the pres- e t day topic as to whether we should rctain the present form of goveramen- w th its naval administrators. or whether w ° should change to civil form, secms to b poorly supported by the community. tl 2 chief rezson I am sure comes fron tt = fact, that a few schemars towvarc s¢ f aggrandizement have becn staifing ir o the poor people, chiefly the labour- in» class, their views, and demanding il =ir cooperation in voting to that effent, w thout showing to them the advantages al eady gained from the present form of government, and not allowing each mem- ber of the cornmuni'y to think for him- s2lf, We have airecdy made a great change in our time, and tod.y the very cnes that advor-ated that chan ze, are heard bewzuil- ing their loss as, ‘*h..ving sold tieirbir h- richt for a mess of pottage.”” Heve those influantial sel emers told the p:o- --ple that cur chief a liministrators are at present paid by th¢ Navy Department, and that the suiari's of the Governor, Seere tary, Doctors, znd their en ire staff under civ]l govern.ient must be puid by the people? I ave tkey bien told that our native lurses are trained, unifcrmed, sod anc paid by the Nevy Department, and t at th:2 withdrawal of which means, rew civil dcetors to practi~e, at the exoense ¢l the people, with no free operat ocns or cons iltations as ar? affocded tae poor a- the: dispen- cary of the hospital 7 also taat over forty native young men that gre at present enlisied as bandsmen In. th: U. 5. Navy and repres2nting the support of over for- ty tanilies will with the incoming oi a civil governmen: e shirted to> some other staton, aud. all taings consid- ered weculd mean ess money circuia- ted in our island? Have they becn told that these is ands are not seitf- suppcrting and, to pay the sa'aries of the taen in ofice h:retofo'e mentionad and support the hcospitals would mean highcr taxations undsr Givii adininisiia- tion 7 And that the schemzs of sani a- tion sach as the s2wor system aud coin- plete irrigation as pl .nned for these is- lands by the Naval iovernment wll oe abol shed or paic for by the peopie uncer a Civil Government, and car they pay for them ? Have they forgotten that tae Navai Government only a few short mon:lis agc at their «wn expense caused to be irocculated thousands of natives against that scourge of iniluenza the-e by sa’ing raany :ives in our community, and tiat toey are wi. ing to do still more good if they are givea the caance ? Have they beea to 1 that our present Governor whose po icy is ‘‘fairplay to all’”” and who is class'd amcng tae best Governors of the Virgin islands, is a Nava: Adwmiral, and hat the Naval De- parta ent has meay more such capabie men &t the back of tiem? [f the peop.e have not been tcld ihese things let the leaders who are *‘adv zating the miasses’’ tell tham, and also point out to them the Tfact tnat the Neva Government to k over taese islands duing the great war, and judging from the good accomplished at suc a perilous time, ever to the send. ing of their NAVAL crafts across the ocean when Civil ones were afraid to travel, brinzing us mail, that pvivilege of con. municatior with our cear ones in distant lands. L2t us shen show our ap- precia:ion by allowing thein a chance duringa iew years of peace, andI am sure they will prove to us all, that a be:- ter form of Governmunt is unobtzinable. —Communicated.