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

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The conference opened its proceedings at the Union Club, Roseau, Dominica. C. E. A. Rawle was elected chairman. On that Friday the West Indies saw its first array of statesmen from its own soil, determined to put their homeland on the map as a nation for all time. In the evening the first public meeting was held at the St. Gerald’s Hall, which was filled to capacity. People flocked into the building to see and hear the stalwarts who spearheaded the fight for self-determination. The meeting was opened with a prayer by one of the delegates. Proposing a resolution of loyalty, chairman Rawle said: It is fitting that as the first official act of the Conference we give a manifestation of our loyalty and devotion to the Crown, I shall therefore put a resolution to this meeting and ask you to adopt it unanimously, by all standing. The resolution was adopted. Caribbean Classics It is not out of order to claim that great thoughts of great West Indians should have a proper place among the world’s wealth of fine literature. Lofty ideas and strong feelings alike command the vehicle of forceful language. Such expressions of a dynamic personality should in every case be treasured and preserved to provide inspiration for the generations of the future. The evidence of patriotic fervour was abundant in the speeches made at the first West Indian Conference in 1932. The first address was delivered by the chairman. Ladies and gentlemen, today Friday, October 28 th , marks the opening of a new chapter of West Indian history - a chapter which we all fervently hope will record the emancipation of the West Indian peoples from their political and economic serfdom. We are fortunate indeed to be present at the opening of this epoch-making conference. It is one that will lay the foundation stones of West Indian nationality. It is one that we and our children will look back to, we hope, with the pride that comes from solid achievement. For myself I deem it a double honour to have the privilege of welcoming to Dominica on behalf of the people, the delegates who have gathered here tonight from all parts of the Eastern Caribbean. They have come to this conference to assist in a common cause with a com- 33
mon purpose namely, to make an end, once and for all, of the anachronism of Crown Colony Rule, and to build upon sure and certain foundations a new West Indian Nationhood. Their presence is evidence of what I may term a new West India Solidarity.. It is evidence that the old prejudices of insularity are dying, prejudice that have kept us West Indians a people of common interest, of common stock, upbringing, tradition and ideas apart to our mutual detriment. The cancer of insular prejudice is disappearing before the awakening realisation of the common benefits of combination. Rawle then referred specifically to the delegates of the respective colonies. You will have noticed that I have left one name for the last, that of Capt. Cipriani. It is said on high authority that a prophet is not without honour save in his own country. May I say to and of Capt. Cipriani that if he regards his own country as not being merely Trinidad but the West Indies, then there is no honour too great for him in his own country. That is the view of every patriotic West Indian. My reason for saying this and the reason for his popularity out of Trinidad - a popularity of which he may be unconscious - is that we feel that he has given his life to the cause of the West Indian Nationalism and to the work of uplifting the lower classes in the West Indies. He continued: To the delegates one and all we offer a sincere welcome as to brothers. They are our kinsmen, they are our fellow West Indians, and although they will speak tonight to a Dominican audience, I am sure that they will realise that the audience looks on them not as Trinidadian, Barbadians or Grenadians, etc. but merely as West Indians, and we wish them to feel that in Dominica they are in a part of their own homeland. Crown Colony Challenged Rawle then moved on to the main issue: Gentlemen, it may be asked why has it been left to a small island like Dominica to take the initiative in an issue of this magnitude? Dominica has suffered most from the excessive and extravagance of Crown Colony rule. It is impossible for some of the delegates to conceive what the Crown Colony system is capable of in a small community where public opinion and public 34
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 and 14: This early attempt at workers' orga
Page 15 and 16: post as a school teacher to succeed
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 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:
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JNF-The-Working-Class-Struggle-of-Half-a-Century

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