JNF-The-Working-Class-Struggle-of-Half-a-Century

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On 13 th December, 1934 an unusually large crowd consisting of all classes of people filled the Council chamber. The air was charged with volumes of arguments for and against the proposal to establish the right to vote. The unofficial members of the Council had before them evidence from both sides. Expressions had come from estates owners, property owners, business men, planters, merchants, clerks, house wives, artisans and labourers In the support of the proposals there was (a) the Workers League petition, (b) a merchants memorandum signed by a about 150 persons, (c) the People’s Petition through the Workers League and signed by 2447 persons of all classes. On the other hand there was the Planters’ petition signed by about 200 persons who opposed the recommendation. The President of the Legislative Council now introduced the resolution proposing the adoption of the elective principle. He then appointed a committee of the whole council with the acting Crown Attorney as chairman to consider the matter. After that he retired from the meeting. 91
Meeting place of the Legislative Council (postcard by A. Moure Losada) Debate All of the unofficial members took part in the debate. Three officials also expressed their views; at least one of these strongly supported the proposal. One unofficial member endeavoured to enlighten the Council, which was in committee stage, on the report of the Closer Union Commission with special reference to recommendations made to settle conflicting claims with the Executive Council, but the contention was not relevant to the issue. Another unofficial compared the relation or the argument of his colleague to the subject before the house with a railway train which ran off the tract. The mover and seconder of the resolution argued for the right to vote forcefully and with brilliance. Three other members spoke against the resolution. One said his reason was that the present was not the time for the introducing any change in the constitution and that of the Government was working satisfactorily. The second member did not contribute much to the debate. The address of the third was as follows; Mr. Chairman, Gentlemen. You have listened to speakers who support the resolution and I am now going to say a few words against its adoption. When the matter was first considered by the Honourable Members of Council we were unaware of the strong opposition to its adoption that existed. Today, however, there is evidence that a great number of people are opposed to the introduction of the elective principle at this time. It has been our duty to examine the status of those who urge adoption of the resolution in favour of the elective principle and also those who asked for its rejection. Are those who clamour for an elective system men of substance with a stake in the community or are they men of straw? With some notable exceptions they belong to the latter category. And who are those responsible for its rejection? Many are the descendants of those who themselves are primarily responsible for the unique position of prosperity in which this Island find itself Today. It is true that they do not disturb the quiet of the countryside by the beating of the drums, but they love the people of the Island nevertheless. If the methods that have been 92
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J. N. FRANCE ______________________
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© 2015 Published by The National A
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Preface The Working Class struggle
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1 EARLY VISION Where is this countr
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With the passing of time, social an
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This early attempt at workers' orga
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post as a school teacher to succeed
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For several years the pressure was
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and school houses are being used fo
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housing condition arising from the
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3 PREPARING THE GROUND The thought
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That impressive English story told
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they had accumulated £28 with whic
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Commons that since the colony of th
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1922, some of the members of Legisl
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On 30 th August 1932 the Dominica T
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country and I regard British Guiana
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Mr. Marryshow then raised his tone
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Delegates to the West India Confere
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The conference opened its proceedin
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protests can be ignored with impuni
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Closer Union Commission widened to
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He said it was a privilege to him t
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Page 52 and 53: and suffering, and in such a condit
Page 54 and 55: The land forming the Hospital compo
Page 56 and 57: ing able to grant the request of th
Page 58 and 59: prison sentences for what was commo
Page 60 and 61: sinned against the Factory. Theirs
Page 62 and 63: 9 FROM PAUPER RELIEF TO PROVIDENT B
Page 64 and 65: 1954 declared the first Monday in M
Page 66 and 67: it has proposed to interfere will b
Page 68 and 69: Change When the League came on the
Page 70 and 71: Children of the working class. 61
Page 72 and 73: had just dumped out a load of cane
Page 74 and 75: There was no reply from London. Twe
Page 76 and 77: president. When the delegation gave
Page 78 and 79: Under the law of 1937 only a limite
Page 80 and 81: Workers who would have benefited fr
Page 82 and 83: Grenada, and will seek to work in a
Page 84 and 85: Ferguson, Chairman of the Commissio
Page 86 and 87: Now let me say in the first place t
Page 88 and 89: We should like to refer to West Ind
Page 90 and 91: in West Indies there is a considera
Page 92 and 93: The 1932 Commissioners commented on
Page 94 and 95: not regard it as essential that the
Page 96 and 97: official news of its adoption by th
Page 98 and 99: gravity of the situation to the att
Page 102 and 103: employed by those who demand the ad
Page 104 and 105: concerning the right for the workin
Page 106 and 107: come relief to a grateful people an
Page 108 and 109: vance towards the goal of the Feder
Page 110 and 111: members of the Council. Mr. Marrysh
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Page 114 and 115: Unofficial Majority on the Legislat
Page 116 and 117: tional reform movement in this Pres
Page 118 and 119: combine to give the Closer Union Sc
Page 120 and 121: prominent part in marking the close
Page 122 and 123: when the slaves were set free, and
Page 124 and 125: The people in those days took it fo
Page 126 and 127: Sugar Factory workers were “chast
Page 128 and 129: At West Farm the marchers were prev
Page 130 and 131: Some of the men, it was alleged, we
Page 132 and 133: gear was damaged and the employees
Page 134 and 135: Inspector of Police and Magistrate
Page 136 and 137: H.M.S. Leander arrived in the port
Page 138 and 139: satisfied that the action taken by
Page 140 and 141: 16 THE FIRST ELECTION The clash of
Page 142 and 143: opposed to it. The 1936 Constitutio
Page 144 and 145: important matter, I promise the Ele
Page 146 and 147: could have no better representative
Page 148 and 149: whether it was a fact that the St.
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existing, it is not considered that
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17 THE 1938 ROYAL COMMISSION The 19
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A: Any law-abiding citizen over 16
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appeared and presented the case of
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18 A STAKE IN THE COUNTRY Land owne
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culture and Commercial Society. The
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After this, the land would vest abs
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age. In the following month, Januar
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19 MARCUS GARVEY IN ST. KITTS St. K
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When he made man he said, ‘By the
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oil underneath his feet. Englishmen
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is a little four-page newspaper. Yo
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provided the major portion of the e
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which should be paid for the variou
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In April 1969 the Minister of Labou
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21 POWER OF THE PRESS During first
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Commission headed by Sir Charles Fe
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President wrote, The issues are too
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the sea. The effects were terrible
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mendous crowd packed the Mutual Imp
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territory, the success of the past
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the notice, was that employees were
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