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

which women became entitled to use the vote differed from that prescribed
for men. The conditions were not regarded as desirable.
Up to this point, the strenuous effort to gain a measure of selfgovernment
for the country were showing progress. But nobody even
dreamt at that time that there was still to come a bigger battle in St.
Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla for the right to use the ballot.
Despatch No. 394
The British Colonial Office made its position on reform clear when the
Secretary of State sent out a Despatch No.394, dated 21 st September,1934.
In it he informed the Governors of the Leewards and Windwards
that he had concluded his examination of the reaction of the Legislative
Councils to the proposal for adopting the recommendations of
the Closer Union Commission. In part, he said, I observe that a considerable
divergence of opinion exists on the desirability of adopting the
Commission’s proposal as they stand more particularly on grounds of
the additional expense as indicated in the estimates which were placed
before the legislatures. In all the circumstances, I have reached the
conclusion, that it is not practicable now to proceed with a scheme of
the closer union. It follows that the two groups of Islands will remain
separate as at present and that the existing federation of the Leeward
Islands will remain unaltered...
The Commissioners also recommended the introduction of the
elective principle into the constitution of Antigua, St. Kitts-Nevis and
Montserrat : in the constitution of Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and
Dominica this already exists...
I have been impressed with the recommendations made by the
Commissioners on these matters, and I feel that the time has now arrived
when some further measures of constitutional progress consistent
with requirements of proper administration can usefully be considered.
I have decided therefore that public opinion in the Windward
Islands and the Leeward Islands should be given the opportunity of expressing
its views through the Legislative Council as to the adoption of
the particular recommendations in the Commission’s report... I should
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