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

18 A STAKE IN THE COUNTRY
Land ownership was a major issue in St. Kitts. This was because the
greater portion of the land was in the hands of a small number of people
leaving the vast majority with few options as to how to make a living.
In 1896, the Commission chaired by Sir Henry Norman expressed great
concern at the general poverty of the labouring classes. In its report,
which was released in 1897, it stated, The black population of these
colonies was originally placed in them by force as slaves; the race was
kept up and increased under artificial conditions maintained by the authority
of the British Government… The special remedies or measures
of relief which we unanimously recommend are: (1)the settlement of
the labouring classes on small plots of land as peasant proprietors; (2)
the establishment of minor agricultural industries and the improvement
of the system of cultivation, especially in the case of small proprietors.
The settlement of labourers on the land was not, as a rule, viewed with
favour in the past by persons interested in sugar estates. What suited
them best was a large supply of labouers, entirely dependent on being
able to find work on the large estates and consequently subject to their
control and willing to work at low rates of wages. But it seems to us
that no reform offers so good a prospect for permanent welfare in the
future of the West Indies…
Another Commission, under the cahimanship of Lord Olivier,
came in 1929 and arrived at the same conclusion. In its report on landlessness,
the Olivier Commission very emphatically stressed the need of
the development of a proper system of peasant farming in St. Kitts
based on peasant ownership of land. Whilst facilities were given to estate
labourers to cultivate garden crops, little or no progress had been
made towards the settlement of a stable peasant community. Consequently,
the population of the island had decreased by 40 % since 1897
and the estates were having difficulties in obtaining adequate labour.
This unfortunate situation could result in very serious distress among
the labouring classes in the event of failure of the sugar crop or continued
depression in the industry. The Commission stressed the need to
remedy the position. But the recommendations of two commissions fell
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