A POVERTY=STRICKEN ISLAND.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 90, 9 January 1908, Page 7

A POVERTY=STRICKEN ISLAND.

; ; —-O—V0 —V MR. C. J. FULTON AT ST. HELENA. ' FLAX THE ONLY HOPE." Mr. C. J.- Fulton, Chief Fibre Export, in a lottor to Hon. I!. M'Nab (Minister for Agriculture), depicts a very sorry state'of affairs. at tho Island of St. Holona.. ' "Tho distress on tho Island," writes Mr: Fulton, "increases daily. : I am safe in saying that two-thirds of the people in Jamestown aro in a deplorable state, l'coplo are continually begging for a ponhy, threepoiice, sixpencp, a loaf of broad, sugar, rice; ote. On-Friday evening a mooting of the inhabitants was held in tho market at Jamestown to discuss- matters,' and soe-what'could be dono'to relievo, thp distress. 'As I have not boon in town since tho mooting I .don't know tho result. Until tho-garrison was withdrawn from the Island (after the Boer war) ' tho inhabitants wero provided .for. They wpro ablo to raiso stock, and produce, vegetables, fruit, cereals, 'otc.,- with an assured market. Now thore is 110 regular market, .except for a small quantity of produce,, whicli finds.purchasers m tho boats which call there twico a month—ono from London'and tho other from tho Cape. ' Thoso tw'o places aro, of course, too far off to provide inarkots. ' In addition to tho two mail boats per ''month thcro'aro' only occasional sailors or "coolie" boats calling fOr provisions. ' Tho Eastern Telegraph Company has a staff on the Island numbering 35 all told, sponding about £4070 a year •'and a'flax grant and a laco industry grant of £400 are given,. Upon the fibre industry all eyes aro now oarncstly fixed, as tho only -way of hope. Unfortunately, to work tho mill at full pressure would exhaust tho present supply of leaf in twelve months, and this the Governor and his two colloaguos c'onsidor inadvisable, and it is intended to work only in a small way. "At tho end of last quarter," proceeded Mr. Fulton, "twonty-fivo people wero summoned to appear at Court for not having provided what is termed the 'poor rate.''lt was most pitiable tO'see somo of tho poor beggars going from ono to another to get Gd., 10d., Is., 25., and so 011 to mako up a sufficient sum to pay their debts. Some," of course, could not raiso tho money,- and many had to appear in Court nnd tell tho magistrate that they could not pay. .. . I just montion this as an instanco of the poverty that exists in- tho Island. I havo never oxporionccd anything like it boforc.'!