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Reference to previous Report, Annual Series No. 5070,

Report on the Trade of the Consular District of St. Thomas and St. Croix, Danish West Indies, for the Year 1914

By MR. CONSUL C. B. STEWART.

Trade and commerce.-The Island of St. Thomas is situated in the northern part of the Caribbean Sea, and has been a colonial possession of Denmark since the year 1666 A.D. It was occupied on two occasions by the British-in the years 1801-02 and 1807-15-in both cases again reverting to the Danish Crown.

The island has only one town, named Charlotte Amalia, situated on three hills and at their bases, presenting a pretty and clean appearance. The surrounding country, once producing sugar, cotton, &c., now lies waste, with here and there a cattle estate. These conditions are due chiefly to the more profitable employment and higher wages of the labourers in the town, which attracts practically all the labourers in the island. The town was once the West Indian central depôt and distributing station for goods from Europe and America, as purchasers from all the other West Indian Islands and Central and South America came here for these supplies, but the establishment of steamship lines and the telegraph system (the latter being represented here by the West India and Panama Telegraph Company of London) enable purchasers to deal direct with the manufacturers and receive their goods direct. St. Thomas now only supplies in part the Virgin Islands with goods. Much business is done in the selling of coal and water to the various steamers calling here for the same, the island being geographically well situated.

The total value of imports here, and the total value and quantity of coal imported for the use of the various steamers calling here to coal, for the year 1914 are as follows:

Total imports, 203,1991.; coal alone, 52,5611; 88,165 tons. The coal was imported from the United States of America, and is included in the following table of the total imports from the various countries :

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Generally coal and food-stuffs are imported from the United States, while cotton and woollen goods, liquors, &c., are from places in Europe.

The total value of all imports was 202,3501., and the total value of the imported coal alone was 63,846l., 106,482 tons, during the preceding year (1913).

British mercantile firms regularly send their trade representatives here and obtain a share of the business done.

There is an ad valorem duty of 6 per cent. on all goods imported into the island, excepting steam coal, fresh fish and fresh vegetables, which enter free of duty. There is no export duty except on sugar produced here, of which there is none at present.

The values of the goods imported here by the Danish West Indian Company for their works are not included in the customs returns, as by special provisions of the local law they are exempt from duty.

The Danish West Indian Company have nearly completed the work on their property at the upper portion of this harbour in building coal and oil depôts, warehouses and a commodious wharf. The wharf is 2,145 feet long, with all modern fittings for the quick handling of coal, oil, &c. An electric light plant has been installed, also two electrically driven cranes for the quick handling of coal (valued at about 10,000l. each) and two oil tanks each 110 feet in diameter and 30 feet high of about 2,250,000 gallons capacity have been installed. The sea channel, 500 feet wide and 30 feet deep at low water and 32 feet at spring tide alongside the wharf, is nearly completed.

Shipping and navigation.-The harbour of St. Thomas is landlocked and one of the best in the West Indies, the middle part having been dredged to a depth of 30 feet. It is made use of by the steamship lines running here, being the West Indian headquarters of the Hamburg-American Line and the East Asiatic Company of Copenhagen; but owing to the war the Hamburg-American Line has ceased doing business in these waters, their steamers being laid up in neutral ports, two being here and others at Porto Rico, Curacoa, Colombia, New York and elsewhere since the beginning of the war. The Compagnie Générale Transatlantique of Paris still run an intercolonial monthly boat here, while a transatlantic boat may occasionally be sent as requirements demand. They have given up their coal depôt here, and are supplied with coal by the East Asiatic Company. The St. Thomas Dock, Engineering and Coaling Company supplies coal to the steamers of the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company of London, which now arrive here fortnightly. This last-named company in the year 1885 removed their headquarters from this island to the British West Indies. The steamers of the Quebec Steamship Company, trading between New York and the West Indies, and the steamers of the F. Leyland Company of Liverpool, regularly call here. Numerous tramp steamers of various nationalities also call for coal. The number of steamers calling here has, however, been much decreased since the outbreak of the war.

There is an apparent opening for British trade here in the steamship line. St. Thomas has been for many years the headquarters of the West Indian service of the Hamburg-American Line, which com

pany, previous to the war, had regular lines of steamers running from Europe viâ St. Thomas to Porto Rico, Hayti, Santo Domingo, Mexico, Central America, &c., all steamers making St. Thomas their first and last port of call in these waters for coal supplies, &c., and for transfer of cargo. This company also had an intercolonial steamer that did much in cargo and passenger traffic, transferring same at St. Thomas from and to the European boats. Owing to the present war there has been a discontinuance of the business, and it is thought that a travelling representative of British steamship lines voyaging to the ports recently frequented by these German steamers might build up a similar British business in place of the HamburgAmerican Line, which business has been on quite an extensive scale.

Annexes 1 and 2 show the shipping statistics for the year 1914. The total number of steamers of all nationalities entered at St. Thomas amounted in 1914 to 317 as compared with 425 in the year 1913.

The floating dock and repairing works of the St. Thomas Dock, Engineering and Coaling Company furnish inducements to ships requiring repairs in these waters, and are made use of by ships arriving at this port in distress.

The light on Myhlenfeldt's Point, at the eastern part of the entrance to this port, and two red fixed leading lights on the middle hill of the town, furnish good guides to shipping.

There are no port charges for steamers or vessels arriving in ballast wishing to telegraph or await orders, or for steamers arriving for bunker coal, &c. Ships with cargo have only to pay 2s. per ton of cargo. discharged or loaded. Pilotage is optional at moderate charges.

Public health. For very many years St. Thomas has enjoyed excellent health owing to the enforcement of strict quarantine measures, the establishment of a well-equipped quarantine station and the cutting of the "haul over" channel at the south-western end of the harbour, thus allowing the refuse of the harbour to flow through to the open sea.

Population and industries.-The population numbers about 10,000, and consists mostly of negroes, forming a great army of coal carriers supplying coal to steamers as required; a great many of these negroes are British subjects, natives of the British West Indies, the Virgin Islands supplying the largest number. The Government officials and staffs of the steamship and foreign mercantile companies and banks are mostly Europeans.

General remarks.-Hopes are entertained here that much business will result at this place through the opening of the Panama Canal, owing to its geographical position and advantages to be offered.

ST. IAN, DANISH WEST INDIES.

General remarks.-The Island of St. Ian, somewhat smaller than St. Thomas, lying to the east of this place, is mostly uncultivated, with here and there a cattle estate. It contains about 900 inhabitants, with a resident police master, and is a dependency of St. Thomas.

CHRISTIANSTED, ST. CROIX, DANISH WEST INDIES.

Mr. Vice-Consul D. S. Armstrong reports as follows:

General remarks.-The Island of St. Croix is situated in the northern part of the Caribbean Sea, is about 81 English square miles in extent, and is the third of the islands comprising the group of the Danish West Indies. It was discovered by Columbus in the year 1493 A.D. In 1734 it came into the possession of Denmark, having been previously at different times settled by British, Dutch, French and Spanish colonists. In 1801 and from 1807 to 1815 the island was occupied by the British, but in both cases reverted to the Danish Crown, and has been so held to the present day.

The Island of St. Croix has two towns named Christiansted and Frederiksted, the former being the island's seat of government and the official place of residence of His Excellency the Governor of these islands for six months in every year, he residing in St. Thomas for the other six months. Frederiksted is the principal port of shipment for the produce of the island. These two towns are also distributing centres for goods to the estates. The island may aptly be described as the garden of the Danish West Indies, owing to its numerous sugar and cotton plantations. These are variously owned, many by British subjects, but principally by three Danish companies, each with extensive steam factories for sugar. The Sea Island cotton cultivation has become a very valuable industry, having brought into cultivation large tracts of lands of abandoned sugar estates, and the area under cotton amounts to about 2,000 acres in the island.

There is a customs tariff in force here.

The population numbers about 14,000, and consists mostly of negro labourers recruited from the British West Indies.

Trade and commerce.-The trade and commerce at this port consists of imports for the consumption and use of a population engaged in agricultural pursuits, and exports of local products.

Imports consist of agricultural implements, machinery, hardware, clothing, dry goods, paints and oils, timber, wagons, provisions, groceries, drugs, wines, liquors, luxuries and fancy articles, &c. The following statement shows the countries whence goods were imported in the 12 months ended March 31, 1914:—

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