USVI Public Records

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for the most important reason that, be- cause of lack of time for the adequate consideration of amendments, it may well be that amendments would so wezk- en the whole document that the Gov- ernment would find itself unable to util- ize it as a whole in representing matters to the Home Government. Gentlemen, while I am not with vou in the flesh I am most certainly with you in the spirit, and 1 wish you most earnestly. a successful conclusion of this most important matier before you. PHILIP WILLIAMS, Governor. The Chairman {Merwin) on behalf of the Council thanked His Excellency, Gov- crnor Williams for the interest he is tak- ing in theislands, Tha Secretary of the St. Thomas Coun- cil (Nolte) read the following communica- tion received by that Council from His Excelleacy the Goveinor: February 5, 1924. Toe Honorabie, The Chairman of the Colouia' Courncil, Municipality of St. Thomas and >t John, St. Trh.omas, Virgin Islands. Sir:— I have the honor to innform jov that the*Munieipa! Commiitee of the Celonial Council of St.C:vuix, at 5.30 p.m ~ Monday, February 4, 1924,adoptded unanimously a resolution resuiting from the leiter of His Execellencv, Govermor Hougzh, dated Qe- tober 20, 1923, in which he recommended that the Municipal Committecs of both Municipalities hold public hesrings for the purpose of developing concrete ideas as te what should be done to better the economie condition of the Virgin Isiands, The resolution adepted is idzntieal to that unanimously adopted by the Munici- pal Committee of the Colonial Council of this Municipality, and I feel that this o portunity of estsbiishing the basis for greater coordination between the two Municipalities should not be lost, and [ accordingly recommend that the two Colonial Councils meet in jiint extra- ordinary session in the Municipality of St. Croix at 2.00 p. m, Thursday, Feb- roary 7. 1924. for joint consideration of the two identical resolutions. The presence of the Federal Commi - sion in the Municipality of St Croix at this time, will, in y opinion, greatly add to the value of this joint session and should the joint resolution be adopted, I am convinced that the Federal Commis- sion can greatly aid in its successtul pro- secution. The U. S. S. Grebe will be placed at the disposal of the Colonial Council to convey it to Christianstea, St. Croix, and return with the Colonial Coun:il on the evening of the same day. In view of the foregoing, I have the hondr to postpone the extr:iordinary meeting of the Colonial Council scheguled a2, L BROIIX. AV - for Thursdav, Februarvy 7, 1924, until Thursday, February i4. 1924, Respectfully, iPHLIIP WILLIAMS, (orerner. The Chairman (Merwin) remarked: Honorable Members of the Colonial Coun- cils of St. Thomas and St. John, ani St. Croix before proceeding to th» memorable duty before us today wo should first show respact to the Hon .»- ahle Woodrow Wiison who has just di- | an¢ whose corpse is now laying in Wash- ington, He was the man that negou ated for and put through the transfer of these islands to the United States Gov- ernment and as a resait of which wa are sitting here today as American Logis- lators. Wr. Wilson was mainly success- ful in all he undertook. He, like our late President Harding was our war Presi dent and did much, very much. to- ward keeping our eauntry free, Mr.Har- ding, hastened the end of his life by his uatiring devotion to duty in the Nation’s cause., [ ask evervone here to risa from his seat as a mark of respect to the iate Mr. Wilson. All the members rose. Item 1. Colonial Counecil Bill No. 17. Fourth Council, First Session, 1925~ 1924. Introduction of draft of resolation embodving recommenda ions to bet- ter the economie condition in the Virgin Islands. forwacded by the Muanicipal Com- mittee of St. CUroix forwarded by the Manicival Com- mittee of St. fhomas and St, Jr)hn. The Bill reads as follows: Colonial C«)Nrwi‘l Bill No. 17. Fourth Council, irst Session 1923-19214. RESOLUTION. Be it resolved by thz Colonial Council for St. Croix in session as- sembled: PREAAMBLE: The Virgin Islands of the U] ited States passed from the Sovereignty of the King- dom f Denmark to that of the United States of America on March 31, 1917, The three major isiands comprising the group, namely, St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John lie at the eastern edge of the Caribbean Sea and form a natural oatpost to the Panama Canal. I’o be continued. THE MAILS Regular, parcel post and other muils for St. Thomas, Porto Rico and the Uni- ted States, ete., bys 3, Caiherine will be closed in Christianstcd at 10 00 a, m. Sa- turday, February 160 INSIEAD OF SUNDAY. Reygistered mails ciose at 9 00 ], m. LOCAL Report has it and doubtlesss it may Le sO, that various units eof the fleet have been ordered to the French and British West Indian ports. Probably four des- troyers will go to Frederiksted is the opinion now being aired, The s.s. ‘"Guiana’’ for New York is due at Frederiksted on Monday morning at 6 o’clock {rom Windward [slands, For intent o evade the prohibition enactment Milton Dowdy of Frederik- sted was senterced in the police cout there yesterday to 10 months imprisor.- ment and SSO fine. In his testimony it is reporied that he implicated hin- self and others in incendiary fires set in the store of the late R. K. Higuins. Referring to the inhumare handling of cattle imported here, as much and more could be rited concerning the mistreai- ment of apimals, chiefly horned cattle, exported from this island. The eruel methods practiced in the shipping of eattlo have been touched upon again ard agairn, and they are so revoliing that there should be no necessity for bhiinging ihem before the eyes of the publi~ through tho medium of th2 newspaper since they are only too well known. A few examples are suflicient to show that something should be done byway cos correcting a situation whicn is positively a disgrace to a civihzed community. Usually pre paratory to making a shipment of eattlo the poor creatures are brought to town and kept indefinitely without food or drink until they sometime collapse when blows dexterously administered bring them struggling to their feet and in this haif-starved, halfdazed econdiiion the are shufiled to the | oat their 1z ls delij! eratelyv breken to efiect control, the horns nearly rooted out, their hi es lace- rated with savage lashes from stichs, 0., che whele torn, bleeding objects of dis- tress that would make the stoutest heart shudder. The writer has scen the cattlo herders sink their teeth into the tails of the uunlortunat: animiis as a means of getting them under way, Indeed tle tails of most the cattie shipped from nere are broken in several places and almost pulled out of place. That things like this could be earried on with impuni- ty in a civilized community is regretta- bly a ract that calls for merciful if not other attention, and that right now. It is 1o wonder many of the cattle die en route, because after being bullied the way Lhey are on land they are strung up on the vessel by their horos into a pos:- tion from which they cannot budge. The way they tie bu ls in Martin Pena, P, K. is different to this and yet Porte Rieo is only a hundred miles away frem us, ard “once had bail fighting as tke national sport.