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cidedly sharp depression in business all over the world. ' Is these United States, wages are being slashed from all ends. Skilled laborers are told to accept fifteen to twenty five percent cut, and the unskilled w 10 earn as much as eighty cents per hour, are only getting thirty five and forty cents. The Labor Party is defied everywhere. In St. Croix, I understand the field laborers are told toaccept a cut of fifty per cpn’t., . ‘This “is drastic. While it may be ne- cessary for Capital to cut wages at ‘he present time. yet toslash a man’s means of livelihood into half, is bound to be keenly felt by him Now it seems that both factions can not arbitrate. The time presents itself to offer once more as a suggestion that a Wage Board be organized on the islands, - whose specific duties would be to regulate a scale of wages for the laboring factions there. It will be incumbent on both Capital and Labor to bear the expenses of this Board, and a written agreement must be drafted and signed by both adopted by the Legislature to the effect that their findings viz: the Wage Board,shall be the decisive one. A grave mistake on the part of eertain labor groups in St. Croix is. that they believe results can be eftected by bully- ing the Pianters into submitting to all of thieir demands. Lhere are in these United States sever- al hundred thousand young and healthy white men, who are begging about the streets, standing daily in the oread line, and are appealing in pitiable terms on the subways and elevated trains for aid with which to keep themselves warm tnis winter. {te brainof the officials at Washington is taxed devising ways and means with which to help the unemployed. most of whom are ex-soldiers. Be ye not deceived. If the worse comes to the worst, the sugar canes on the islang will not rot. Be torewarned that the municipal authorities are not going to allow the industry of the island to go to ruin. [he cheapest oift times become the dearest, and an example might be made, it even at the expense of the Planters, but nevertheless decidedly damaging Lo the Labor Union, Lhe United States Government might as means of relief to their own unem- ployed, dispatch a transport of idle Southern farm hands, and St. Croix will be face to face with the race hatred they fear so much. 1 warn also that extireme care be taken against vioience. Sugar-cane fires are not going to be tol- erated like under the Danish regime, and one might as well try to throw garbage 3L ORI E AN 1S at the moon, if the thought is entertain- ed that any official on the islands is go- ing to lose any sleep over what occurred in 1848 and 1878. Many aliens who hitherto disturbed the peace of the islands, and wh2 bave been permitted to use them as a free hospi- tal with equal rights to native born, would ibnl guch a case be deported as undesira- e. On the other hand it is & part of the Capitalists’ duty to give the laborers a square deal. Not very long ago, testimony was giv- en to the rfact the Bethlehem concern was reaping such ‘mmense profits that they could afford to pay large annual bonuses to most of their employees. Those who belonged t» the class of ““Up- per Tens’’ got ‘the bonus, the ‘‘Lower Five’’ nnly e rned one dollar a day iinus the bonus. _ Planters,- who largely sarvived, with- out falling into the hards of a monopoly, neverihaless paid the same doilar a day to the "'Lower sive’’ class. Yet there w_re sirikes and sugar cane fires on estates owned by the individual planter. If a fire ever occurred on the estates of thie Bethlehem concern it was uvsuaily a mistake, and did not need Police force with which to make the laborers put it out. ; There was a general smoonthness of conditions between the Bethlehem con cern and the Labor Union So if it be frue that the Bethlehem con- cern has now assumed the initiative in refu ing to pay laborers iore than fifty cents a duy perhaps it would serve well it a little of that affection would now wean icself over on the side of the indi- vidual planter. Let us hope tnat diplomacy will help to bLring about an early uunderstanding for the benefit of all concerned. {Capital cannot do without Labor, ’tis true, but Capital can sacrifice a crop or two. Labor cannot. We welcome Mr. & Mis. Robt. L. Mer- win who wvere among tihe passengerswho arrived ye2s:erday morning. Mr. Merwin is looking fine having recovered excel- lently {rom the treatment which he re- ceived at the Barbados H=alth Resort. West End News,Oct. 26th. [The “*Avis’also adds its welcome.] TELEGRAMS. ST. CROIX STATION. Parie, Oct. 22nd—M. Briand, replying to questions in the Chamber of Depu- ties vesterday, declared that he would nnt go to the conference at Washington with a vote of semi-coulidence and a small majorty, but he repeated his re- solve to represent France at the con- feranee if the Chamber showed its confidence in him and gave him a large majority. He declared that he would keep Parliament informed and wculd never confront it with a fait accompli. The International Conference would dis- cuss formidable problems and France had not the right to be absent. Havre, Oct. 22nd.—The S. S. ‘‘Paris”’ lef't this afternoon for the United States, having on board Marshal Foch. Paris, Oct 22nd.—Following the ex- plsion of a bomb at the cluse of « meet- ing in the Wagram Hall yesterday, five men and two women have bee") arrested. A second bomb has beep found under a bench in the place De Ternes, of the same type as that which exploded at the botel of Mr. Herrick, the United States Ambassador. Dominiea, Oecr. 24th -~The third meet- ing of the Dominica Representative Gov- ernment Association was held at Ports- mouth vesterday. The meeting demand- ed that the Legislature should consist of the Administrator with five officials, five nominated unofficials and five electives, the nomninees to be gradually replaced by electives. The withdrawal of Dominica from the Lgeward Islaud Confederacy was also demanded. Dublin, October 21st.—NM. De Valera, in a message to the Pope, calls attention to the telegrams exchanged between the King and the Pope rnd says : ‘‘The peo- ple of Ireland ar® confident that the am- biguities in the reply sent in the name of the King will not mislead you into be- lieving that the troubles are over in [re- land, or th.t the people in Ireland ack- nowledge allegiance to the British King. The independence of Ireland has been formally proclaimed by regularly elected representatives of the people of Irelgnd and ratified by sulsequent plebiscites. The troubles between ireland and Great Britain have had their scarce in the fact that the rilers of ‘reat Britain have sought to impose their will upon Ireland and by brute force to rob the people of their liberty’’. 'The message expressed the desire that t e Irish people should be at peace and Iriendship with the peo- ple of reat Britain, but dded that no consideration would ever induce the Irish to abandon their constaney through nersecution and martyrdom, whizn it declares has proven the reality cos the people’s attachment o tneir national freedoin. London, Oct. 22nd.—A nigh official of the Vatican is quoted by the Daily Muiis Rome correspondent as saying ha' the Pope is much grieved over the evident mistrust between Great Bri-ain and ire- land, regarding which Mr. De Valera’s letter, according to the corre pondent is being widely discussed in Rome where it ißs generally felt that the republican leader was guilty of an indeiicate aet ip referring to ambiguities in the Kings message to the Pope.