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

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official news of its adoption by the Council were sent on to the Secretary of State. Changes Then came some changes in the membership of the Legislative Council. What really mattered, however, were alternations on the unofficial side of the council. For the Secretary of the State in his despatch had given directions that only unofficial members of the Council should vote on the issue. After the meeting of June 1, one of the unofficial members accepted an appointment to act as Crown of the Presidency and had to retire temporarily as an unofficial member of the Legislative Council. Another person was accordingly appointed as a substitute on the unofficial side. Then another unofficial member of the Council went on leave, therefore a further appointment had to be made for a second substitute on the unofficial side. Since the Legislature was in favour of introducing the right to vote in the territory, the Secretary of State now wanted to know what were the wishes of the people themselves in the matter. He therefore directed that the proposal be debated and public opinion be sounded out. The 25 th October 1934 was the date fixed for the meeting of the Legislative Council to deal with the matter. In presenting the Secretary of State’s Despatch No. 394, the Administrator stated that it was not proposed to discuss the subject at that meeting, but within the next few weeks the question would be considered by the committee consisting of the whole council. Far and wide Instantly the Workers League became active again and canvassed our three Island from end to end. Voluntary workers gave their service in spreading the information that evidence of public opinion was wanted as to whether Representative Government should be introduced here. Pleas and petitions sprang up and moved into circulation. They were expressions of what the people thought; how they felt; why they agitated; what they seriously wished for. Volunteers in Nevis and Anguilla worked swiftly and with great zeal, getting the signatures of other supporters. The response was highly 87
gratifying. Feelings in St. Kitts ran high and support for positive action was massive. Tokens of expressions streamed in to the Committee of Unofficial Members from every section of the people and from the press. A memorandum signed by some 150 persons was forwarded as representing shopkeepers, business men, clerks, merchants, professionals, house wives, tradesmen, etc. who gave the proposal their backing. A petition was also forwarded by the St. Kitts Workers League. Another petition from the people of the territory was submitted through the Workers League and signed by 2447 persons representing all classes of the inhabitants. In November unofficial members of the Council in St. Kitts met to hear the views of private individuals and representatives of public bodies. The two unofficial members in Nevis did not attend as they had already made up their minds to support the proposal and thought it unnecessary to hear further views on the subject. Opposition But the opposers of the right to vote were not silent. They had also been busy marshalling their forces to defeat the crusade for the Representative Government. These antagonists explored every avenue which seemed to offer an opportunity for the pursuit of their steadfast aims. One of their charges against reform was that of an alleged lack of interest in the political matters among the people. The adversaries also raised objections to the over riding power which was to be conferred on the Governor as a safe guard under the proposed new constitution. They ran an all-out campaign to strengthen their stand against political reform. As a part of the drive they presented a petition to the committee of unofficial members signed by about 200 persons representing estates owners, managers, overseers, a section of merchants, etc. praying that there should be no change in the crown colony system of government. As the day of decision drew near, the champions of the right to vote intensified their efforts to gain this democratic privilege. The Legislative Council was to make its fourth and final declaration of its position on the burning territorial question of political reform. There was an obvious necessity to keep the spotlight on the subject and to bring the 88
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J. N. FRANCE ______________________
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© 2015 Published by The National A
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Preface The Working Class struggle
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1 EARLY VISION Where is this countr
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With the passing of time, social an
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This early attempt at workers' orga
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post as a school teacher to succeed
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For several years the pressure was
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and school houses are being used fo
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housing condition arising from the
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3 PREPARING THE GROUND The thought
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That impressive English story told
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they had accumulated £28 with whic
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Commons that since the colony of th
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1922, some of the members of Legisl
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On 30 th August 1932 the Dominica T
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country and I regard British Guiana
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Mr. Marryshow then raised his tone
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Delegates to the West India Confere
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The conference opened its proceedin
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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 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
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could have no better representative
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whether it was a fact that the St.
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existing, it is not considered that
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17 THE 1938 ROYAL COMMISSION The 19
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A: Any law-abiding citizen over 16
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appeared and presented the case of
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18 A STAKE IN THE COUNTRY Land owne
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culture and Commercial Society. The
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After this, the land would vest abs
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age. In the following month, Januar
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19 MARCUS GARVEY IN ST. KITTS St. K
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When he made man he said, ‘By the
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oil underneath his feet. Englishmen
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is a little four-page newspaper. Yo
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provided the major portion of the e
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which should be paid for the variou
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In April 1969 the Minister of Labou
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21 POWER OF THE PRESS During first
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Commission headed by Sir Charles Fe
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President wrote, The issues are too
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the sea. The effects were terrible
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mendous crowd packed the Mutual Imp
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territory, the success of the past
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the notice, was that employees were
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