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

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In order to avoid such an eventuality they were forced to abandon the idea of forming a trade union and instead turned the body into a friendly society, that is a society which would mainly provide assistance during sickness and for the burial of its members, but could not deal with such matters as wages and conditions of work as a trade union could. The society was named The St. Kitts Universal Benevolent Association and was registered under the Friendly Societies Act of the Leeward Islands. F. Solomon was its first president, while J. A. Nathan and G. Wilkes filled the posts of secretary and treasurer respectively. After the death of Solomon, the office of President was filled by J. Matthew Sebastian who started a newspaper, The Union Messenger in 1921. New Light on Old Problems For the first time the power of the pen was employed in the battle against bad living conditions, poor heath and low wages in this country. It was 1921 when The Messenger’s came on the scene. Its position was declared in a policy statement which it prominently displayed: Dedicated to the service of the people that no good cause shall lack a champion and that wrong shall not thrive unopposed. J. Matthew Sebastian The Union Messenger was published by the St. Kitts Benevolent Association. Its editor, J. Matthew Sebastian had given up his 6
post as a school teacher to succeed Solomon as president of the Association. Sebastian had been a teacher at what was then known as the Basseterre Girls' School which came into being in 1915. In that year the Leeward Islands Government took over the elementary schools that had previously been in the hands of the churches. The paper soon found itself up against the deeply entrenched social and economic system. The situation was a veritable test of the influence of the pen pitted against the might of the economic sword. Published first as a monthly magazine, the new publication burst on the stage in a gleam of popularity. It was a novelty - a local literary production featuring current events and airing views on local topics. Nothing exactly like it was in the run as a rival. Reader interest grew rapidly. Although the general standard of education on the island at that time left much to be desired, The Messenger became a must for an increasing number of people. Its sphere of influence widened and it was later published as a weekly and then as a daily. As The Messenger reported local happenings and publicly examined them in the light of its declared policy, new lines of thought were thrown into circulation and began to permeate the stream of public thinking. Reports of cases heard in court turned the spotlight on ignorance and crime. The Messenger strongly advocated a drive towards the education of the masses in an effort to remedy social ills. The fields of sports, recreation, and church activities,. were all given their places in the general course but the paper laid special emphasis on the problems that tended to perpetuate the pangs of the underprivileged people. The notorious "small gangs" came invariably under fire from the editor's pen. He said they robbed the children of the opportunity of getting an education and sapped the manhood and womanhood of our people. Attention was focused on the low standard of health. Malnutrition was then widespread. In town and country under-nourished bodies were a common sight. Living conditions were bad. Sanitation was poor. The death rate was high. The West India Royal Commission made a comparison of the death rate in the islands covering the period 1928-1937. St. Kitts had the highest. In 1928 the death rate per 1000 of the population in St. 7
Page 1: J. N. FRANCE ______________________
Page 4 and 5: © 2015 Published by The National A
Page 6 and 7: Preface The Working Class struggle
Page 9 and 10: 1 EARLY VISION Where is this countr
Page 11 and 12: With the passing of time, social an
Page 13: This early attempt at workers' orga
Page 17 and 18: For several years the pressure was
Page 19 and 20: and school houses are being used fo
Page 21 and 22: housing condition arising from the
Page 23 and 24: 3 PREPARING THE GROUND The thought
Page 25 and 26: That impressive English story told
Page 27 and 28: they had accumulated £28 with whic
Page 29 and 30: Commons that since the colony of th
Page 31 and 32: 1922, some of the members of Legisl
Page 33 and 34: On 30 th August 1932 the Dominica T
Page 35 and 36: country and I regard British Guiana
Page 37 and 38: Mr. Marryshow then raised his tone
Page 39: Delegates to the West India Confere
Page 42 and 43: The conference opened its proceedin
Page 44 and 45: protests can be ignored with impuni
Page 46 and 47: Closer Union Commission widened to
Page 48 and 49: He said it was a privilege to him t
Page 50 and 51: possible, an education that must be
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 100 and 101:
On 13 th December, 1934 an unusuall
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
Page 112 and 113:
see no reason why we should be give
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.
Page 150 and 151:
existing, it is not considered that
Page 152 and 153:
17 THE 1938 ROYAL COMMISSION The 19
Page 154 and 155:
A: Any law-abiding citizen over 16
Page 156 and 157:
appeared and presented the case of
Page 158 and 159:
18 A STAKE IN THE COUNTRY Land owne
Page 160 and 161:
culture and Commercial Society. The
Page 162 and 163:
After this, the land would vest abs
Page 164 and 165:
age. In the following month, Januar
Page 166 and 167:
19 MARCUS GARVEY IN ST. KITTS St. K
Page 168 and 169:
When he made man he said, ‘By the
Page 170 and 171:
oil underneath his feet. Englishmen
Page 172 and 173:
is a little four-page newspaper. Yo
Page 174 and 175:
provided the major portion of the e
Page 176 and 177:
which should be paid for the variou
Page 178 and 179:
In April 1969 the Minister of Labou
Page 180 and 181:
21 POWER OF THE PRESS During first
Page 182 and 183:
Commission headed by Sir Charles Fe
Page 184 and 185:
President wrote, The issues are too
Page 186 and 187:
the sea. The effects were terrible
Page 188 and 189:
mendous crowd packed the Mutual Imp
Page 190 and 191:
territory, the success of the past
Page 192 and 193:
the notice, was that employees were
Page 194 and 195:
185
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