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

Recommendations

Info

gravity of the situation to the attention of the men in whose hands lay the power to decide the issue. Those men were unofficial members of the Legislative Council. At this juncture, a glance at our background would indicate the direction in which the events were moving. In 1871 the Leeward Islands colony was constituted by an act of the Imperial Parliament. The island of Nevis formed a separate unit of the Leeward Islands colony until 1882 when it was constituted a part of the Presidency of St. Kitts and Nevis composed of the three Islands of St.Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla. In 1878 Crown Colony system of government was introduced. In 1934 (fifty-six years later) the first firm steps towards Representative Government in a new setting were about to be taken. In a charge to Members of the Council, the Councillors were reminded that the Closer Union Commission had conducted 19 interviews, including five in Nevis; that the Commissioners had come to the conclusion that the people should enjoy a measure of self-determination for which West Indian leaders were clamoring; that the Secretary of State had recommended the introduction of the elective principles into the constitution of the territory; that the Committee of unofficial members had received several petitions and memoranda on the subject and had heard views on both sides of the question from representatives of various sections of the people; that in March of that year the Legislative Council had received the report of the Closer Union Commission and that in June, it had unanimously approved the proposal for introducing the elective principle; that in October the Legislative Council considered a despatch from the Secretary of State giving directions to provide an opportunity for public opinion in the matter to be expressed through the Legislative Council; that this opportunity would come at the meeting to be held in December. The Councillors were further urged to examine the peculiar position in which they found themselves as representatives appointed to look after the interest of the people. Public opinion Now the Secretary of State wanted to get the views of the people and intended the Legislative Council to be the medium through which public opinion would be expressed. He was aware that all of the members 89
of the Council had been chosen by the Governor and submitted for his approval. He had given directions that they all were free to take part in the debate on the vital issue, but the voting to decide the question must be done by unofficial members alone. This placed no small amount of weight on the shoulders of the Unofficials, for they had been chosen to represent the varied interest of the community including, of course, the under-privileged classes. None of the individuals so chosen had been selected from the ranks of the working masses. The social system did not permit it. However, such Councilors were bound to undertake the task of reflecting the weight of public opinion on the proposal. A sharp contrast stood out between the atmosphere of wealth and social affluence (from which quarters the Councilors had been selected) and the humble station of the handicapped masses whose future was in the balance. The situation posed a bold challenge to the moral strength of the well-to-do people of the territory. It was also pointed out to Councilors that according to the terms of the Secretary of State’s despatch, their own individual opinion - except where that coincided with the weight of public opinion - should not unduly colour the considerations which they were called upon to weigh. Unofficial members were shown that the proposed change in the political system would not affect the whole of their side of Council. Their interest would still be represented. The Governor would continue to have power to fill a number of unofficial seats by nomination. At that time nearly all of those seats were occupied by planters. The high probability was pointed out that when the number of nominated unofficial seats was reduced, they would then be filled by the appointment of planters or persons representing the agricultural interest of the territory. From that stand-point there should be nothing for them to fear. It was true that the elements of resistance to broad reform had never relented, but there was a cherished hope for wide co-operation in the territory on so important a matter as the struggle to win for every man and woman the highly-treasured right to vote. 90
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 42 and 43:
The conference opened its proceedin
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 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:
185
show all

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

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?