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LOCA. The Federal Commission concluded its hearings in Christiansted at noon vester- jav when those representing the piant- ing element had taken the jstand. The caommission conducts a hearing in Fred- -riksted today. The 17.8.8. Grebe arrvived here from St. Thomas vesterday bringingz the Goavern- ment Secretary and members of the St Fhomas Colonial Council, ind returned after 5 p. m. The Colonial Councils of the Virgin [slands met in joint session yesterday, twenty eignt members in all being present. The resoluhon referred to in tetter of His Excellency the Governor, pubiished in this issue, was past with 25 yveas and 3 navs. 2} lines of rain was measured at the Fort this morning. The s. s. "‘Guiana’’ from New York is due at Frederiksted at 3 o’clock this afternoon, having 400 packages for this island. MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNI- TED STATES. 10 THE COLONIAL COUNCILS OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF SAINT CROIX AND TH© MUNICL- PALITY OF SAINI THOMAS AN SAINT JOHN iN JOINT EXTRA ORDINARY SESSION ASSEM- BLED--FEBRUARY 7, 1924 It is with much regret that [ am not present with you on this mosrt moment. aus oceasion, Only most adequate reas- ons prevent my coming to St. Cioix at this time, the first being that Commander Warfield, the emment Civil Eogin er sent to the Virgin lslands by the Socre tary of the Navy to investigate and re- port on thz plans which have been evolv- ed for the establishment ot a permanent water supply systemn for the towns ot St. Thomas, Chri=tiansted and rederiks ed, has now conpleted his investgation in St. Thomas and is ready to report the rosult of it to me on Thurs lay, Feoruary 7. 1924, unicrtunately the date of the Joint meeting ol the Celonial Councils. Should I delay this matter one day, it would necessitate Commander Warneld deluying his d« parture for St. Croix on the U. S. N, t.rehe Friday, aond conse- quently delay the pros:z *utiou of his work 1n the Mumapaliry of St. Croix. [be second reason 18 a more personal one, of sickness in my lamily. | have stated in letters addressed to eact of the Caairman of the Colunial Counciis, my s.roug gradfication 1a this joint meeting and 1 trusr tnat each Cnair- man will see fit to rea”s mv letter t» him 10 the presence of the two Colonial Joun- ST L1 > cils. lam informad that this is the first oceasion upon which the two Councils have met in jo)' session for accomplish- inr a legislarive purpose. The very tact that this legislative purpose Is the same for both Municipalities is, in itself, a great achievement. [t i 3 an instance of a co- ordination and conperation between the two Municipalities, in my opinion of croat future significance. It lays the {oundation, 1 an certain, of that coor- dination ot effort between the legislative and exeeutive branches of Government, by means of which adequate results may b obtained, The Virgin Islands are a eoncrete unit of the Fzderal Government of the Urnited States. They are not two units. The faet taat they are divided inio two Municipalities is a matter of leg- islarive and admiasistrative convenience, and they should not be eonsidered sepa- rate entities, ' oceasion of this joint extraordin- ary s°:sston o the two Colonial Councils is tremendously important 10 two re- :pacis. First, the purpose ‘of itis for tha coreiderition of a v so'utirn resulting from a d:finite acrion of rne paople of the Virgin [slands to analyse their «cono- mie ¢onliti>n and to devélop concrete recom.nendations th improve i, This, in itseitr, is profouadly sigaificant. The adoption oif this resvlutwn by the two Colonial Courels will mean that there will be presen el to the executive branch of th2 Goverament a platform upon which both the executive branch and the lesislative branch ca» build. Thne sec- ond purpase is one of opportunity, but it 1s no less important. A+ the instance of tae Prosident of the United States, the Secretary of Labor appointed a delega- tion of six eminent eitizzns oi the Conti- nntal United States for the purpose of visiting the Virgin Islands, investigating gonerally their jeconomie conditicn and mpke recommendations towards imorove- mont. We have seizad this opportunity and will show these gentlemen of the (! nnmis ion that we ourselves, are not licking in. thz . ability to analyse oir economie situaation ayl o de- vise wavs ard means of improving it The adoption of his Resoluuon 1o the presence of this Honorabie Federal Com- mission, will most cz2rtainly mnpress it with a sense of our Initiative, clear- headedness and desire to heip ourselves, and I sincerely believe, thai the gentle- men of this commission, wh2n they sece this resolution, will not only be willing, but will be anxious to embody the sea tures it contains in their report to the President of the United States and to the Secretary of Labour, and thereby sanc- tion them as being worthy of such as- sistance in their fultilment as we may represent to the proper authorities of the Home Government, 1s necessary. [ am represented at this joint session of the Colonial Counecils by ihe Govern- ment Soererary and by the Despatching Seeretary, Saint Croix. 1feel that they will do all that is neeessary on behalf of the exscutive branch, towards bring- inz the ba-iness hafore the two Colonial Counciis to a suecessful conclusion. [ offer only one more remark. The reso- lltion in its present form embodies the most careful and painstaking thoughrt of the two Municipal Committees T'he two M inigipal Committees wers kind enough to permit the Government Szcretary to work with th2m in evoiving this resolu- tion, in order that the two Municipal Committees and the Executive branch of the Government, as renresented by the Government Secretary, might agree be- forehand on a document satisfactory to both, and therefore, [ consider it my duty to point out thut this document should not be am~nded umpon the floor for the most important reason tnat, be- cause of l:ek of time for the adequate consideration of amendments, it mayv well be th .t amendments would so weak- en the winle docament that the Gov- ernment would find Itselt unabie o unl- -Ize 1t as a vhole in representing matters to the Home Government, Genilemn, while 1 am not with you in the fle.h I am wmost eertainly with vou in the spir't, and [ wish you most earnestlv, a suceesstul conclusion of this mest important maiteer ba2tore vou PHILIP WILLIAMS, Governor. TELEGRAMS. SI. CROIXSTATION London, Feb, 4ta—The Prime MVhiaistor has decidad to take a single salary ou only 5,0J0 pouands, althouzh filling the dual ofiices of First Lord of the Treasu- ry and Forcign Sz2cretary, which carry a salary of 5,900 pounds. Lond»m, F:b 4th.-—Great Britain has s:nt a chall2anre for the Davis Cuz. Liondon, i‘.f‘)&"l‘,il"\'4th,--Ministers of the Labour Government miss no ocea- sion to re assnre public opinion that the EKmpire an ! its interasis are sate in their hauds. Lhe Solicitos General Mr, 3] :ssar in a weekend spaech at Leds, added to tais assurance. His point wvas thar eol)- nials ‘‘being more democratic thao the IKnglish ruling classes, would get alonys better witi: Labourmen than with their avistocratic predecessors’’. In other words, he presumed that the Dominions will be move at home in '‘shirt sleeves’’ than in “Kid glove<’" aislomacy, Londen, Feb, 4th—l're balance of the ministerial appoinim>nts are now an- nouvnced as foliows, Jimor Lords and Commissio:ers of the {rea uy, Wiiliam Graham (Edinburgh, C-ntra.), whois one of the inteliectuals ot tle Lavour Party, Frederick dall Norman oa, (Yorkshire), who is an «¢xamin'r, Thos Kennedy (Kirkeaidy) o.eot the ablest exponents of Marxian Socialism in Great Britain, and John Roberts (Bo:hwell, Lanark) who started to work in a nine at 11 years of age and chose the uiiht _hift