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

had lost so many opportunities of acquiring lands for peasant settlement;
(b) urged upon Government the necessity of obtaining, in advance,
the authority of the Colonial Office to undertake the expenditure
for acquiring lands for small holdings; and (c) recommended the appointment
of a purchasing agent to keep Government informed of such
opportunities and to make such purchases. Another year of government’s
foot dragging confirmed what leaders of the people had seen all
along that the administration had no genuine desire to push land settlement
in St. Kitts beyond the taking over of Fahies and Saddlers Estates.
Public ownership of these two estates broke the grip of land monopoly
in the west and north of the island, but there was no relief in the southern
area. Similar ownership of Lamberts would have eased the situation
in that quarter.
So on 5 th December 1942 the leaders pressed further for acquisition
of Lamberts estate, even at that late stage, and proposed that the
land be given out to peasants afterwards at a rate which would fully
cover the cost. They also requested that contact by telegraph be made
with the Secretary of State at their expense, to seek approval for acquisition
of Lamberts Estate. In addition they recommended that measures
be introduced to ensure that proprietors of estates in St. Kitts would inform
Government of any intention to dispose of such estates - a condition
which would have placed government in the position of having the
first option to purchase.
The reply came in a letter from the administrator on 30 th December
1942. It said, The Governor has now replied to my telegram conveying
the request contained in your letter. His Excellency does not consider
that any useful purpose can be served by transmitted the telegram, regarding
the Lamberts Estate, from the Workers League, to the Secretary
of State. The Administrator’s letter also said that the correct procedure
in such a matter was for application in the first instance to be made to
the Agricultural Department which would investigate and advise the
Administrator.
There were further discussions in official circles on the Lamberts
episode, but these never brought the estate any nearer to the establishment
of peasant holdings. However, the leaders did not lose cour-
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