THE CYPRUS GAZETTE, 1925.

The Cyprus Gazette
(Published by Authority.)
No, 1731,] FRIDAY, 13TH NOVEMBER, 1925.
No, 673.
SPEECH
OF
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR
DELIVERED TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
AT THE OPENING OF THE SESSION,
ON FRIDAY, 6TH NOVEMBER, 1925.
HONOUEABLE GENTLEMBN OF THE
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,
In opening the first meeting of the Legislative
Council, as reconstituted by His Majesty's Order
in Council, it gives me much pleasure to welcome
the members who have been returned by the
various constituencies at the recent elections and,
in doing so, I feel sure that I can rely confidently
on their loyal co-operation in the measures undertaken
to promote the welfare of this Colony.
It is satisfactory to record that the trade of
the Island has improved and continues to improve
and that there has been a marked increase in"
the number and tonnage of the vessels engaged
in both foreign and coastal trade. Unfortunately
at the port of Lamaca a somewhat serious situation
has recently occurred in consequence of the
silting up of the sea floor at certain places behind
the sheltering arm at the end of the pier. As it
seemed probable that the process of silting up
would continue 1 arranged for an expert engineer
to visit Cyprus in the course of the summer and
to report on the whole position. When his
report and recommendations have been received
you will be asked to consider the measures which
must be taken to remove the obstructions to
navigation and to obviate, as far as is possible,
the recurrence of such conditions. During his
stay in Cyprus the engiiieer also visited and
reported on the harbours at Famagusta and
Kyrenia, at the former of which congestion is
frequently experienced, owing to the increased
number and size of the vessels using it. His
recommendations for improving the accommodation
in these two harbours will be laid "before
you at an early date.
As was decided during the last session Cyprus,
this vear again, participated in the British Empire
Exhibition at Wembley and it cannot be doubted
that the Colony will in due time reap much
advantage from this display of its resources and
the consequent possibihty of obtaining new
Ill
markets for its products. At the present moment
the Govemment has under contemplation a scheme
for the establishment of a Cyprus Trade Commission
in London with the object of finding new
openings for trade and you will be asked to give
this matter your careful consideration at an early
opportunity.
The cereal harvest for the year was, 1 am glad
to say, satisfactory being, in the case of barley,
17 per cent, and, in the case of wheat, 12 per
cent, above that of last year. This fortunate
result followed on the issue of very large loans
of seed com to farmers and I am glad to say that
it has been possible to arrange for loans on a still
larger scale for the sowing season of 1925-1926,
a scale which, I would add, has not previously
been found possible in the history of the Island,
For some years past, as honourable members
are aware, efforts have been made to secure the
establishment of an Agricultural Bank and I am
glad to say that the negotiations which were
entered into in 1923 have now materialised and
that an Agricultural Bank has been established
from whose operations it is hoped the agricultural
community will derive much benefit.
. It is satisfactory to record that negotiations
for the establishment in Cjrprus of a silk filature
at which the raw material can be spun and reeled
have been completed and that a Company has
now commenced operations on a large scale in
the Paphos district. The development of this
new industry is looked forward to with much
interest, as Cyprus is the second most important
silk producing country in the British Empire and
hitherto practically all cocoons have been exported
to foreign countries where they have undergone
a process of admixture with others with the
result that manufactured Cyprus silk as a separate
entity is rarely to be found.
Considerable progress has been made with the
development of the flax industry and I am glad
to say that, in addition to the machinery imported
by the JFirst Flax Spciety. .witk the assistance of
the Govemment, modem flax scutching plant has
been imported and installed by private persons
with most gratifying results. Good seed has been.
made available for cultivation on easy terms and
the success of this important new industry i-;
confidently expected, the valuation of flax prepared
under the new system being, in many cases, five
or six times that of flax produced under old and
obsolete methods.
It is hoped that it will be possible to take
further measures for the development of the
cotton growing industry, already an important
one. At present tbe Agricultural Department is
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