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Forms of direct taxation include income tax, estate duties and property tax. Income tax is based on a graduated scale, varying from 5 cents to 65 cents in the $ for individuals (on chargeable income for the year immediately preceding the year of assessment). Companies pay at the rate of 40 per cent. There is a land tax of 25 cents per acre and house tax is levied on a sliding scale varying from $1.20 per house of rental value between $24.00 and $28.80 per annum, and at 8% in the case of houses with rental value over $144.00 per annum. Other forms of taxation include import, export and excise duties and motor vehicle tax.

In 1968 the territory's provisional revenue figures were as follows:

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In 1966 total Revenue amounted to $12,071,410, made up as follows:

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The Grenada Five Year Development Plan for 1967-71 ensivages an expenditure of $WI 45.6 million, of which almost a third will be allocated to agriculture. In 1965 the estimated income from tourists was $WI 3,373,152 and efforts are being made to attract external investment for the development of the tourist industry.

HISTORY

Discovered by Christopher Columbus on 15th August 1498, the island now known as Grenada was given the name of Conception. In 1609 a company of London merchants attempted to form a settlement, but were so harassed by the Caribs that they were compelled to abandon the attempt. In 1650 Du Parquet, Governor of Martinique, purchased the island from a French company and established a settlement at St George's. Finding the venture did not pay, Du Parquet sold the island in 1657 to the Comte de Cerrillac and in 1674 it was annexed to France, the proprietors receiving compensation for their claims.

Invested by the British under Commodore Swanton in 1762, the island surrendered and was formally ceded to the British Crown by the Treaty of Paris on 10th February 1763. Sixteen years later it was retaken by the French under the Comte D'Estaing, only to be restored to Great Britain by the Treaty of Versailles in 1783. In 1795-6 it was the scene of a rebellion against the British rule by a French colonist. The Lieutenant-Governor and 47 other British subjects were massacred by the rebels. Sir Ralph Abercrombie suppressed the uprising in June 1796 and the ringleaders were executed.

Grenada joined the Federation of the West Indies as an independent member on its formation on 3rd January 1958, and remained a member until its dissolution following an Order in Council dated 23rd May 1962.

CONSTITUTION

Following decisions taken at a Conference in London in April and May 1966, subsequently endorsed by a Resolution of the Legislative Council, provision was made in the West Indies Act, 1967, under which Grenada assumed a status of association with the United Kingdom on 3rd March 1967. The association is a free and voluntary one, terminable by either country at any time. Grenada is fully self-governing in all its internal affairs. The United Kingdom is responsible for defence and external affairs. Agreement has been reached on close consultation over the discharge of these responsibilities and on the delegation of executive authority in a wide field of external relations. The British Government conduct their affairs with Grenada and the rest of the West Indies Associated States through the British Government Representative, whose headquarters are at Castries, St Lucia.

Under the Constitution the Governor is Her Majesty's Representative. Except where otherwise provided the Governor is required to act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet or a Minister acting under the general authority of the Cabinet.

The Cabinet is collectively responsible to the Legislature for the government of Grenada. The Cabinet consists of the Premier, the other Ministers and, at any time when his office is a public office, the Attorney-General. The Governor appoints as Premier a member of the House of Representatives who appears to him likely to command a majority in that House. The other Ministers are appointed on the advice of the Premier from among the Senators and members

of the House of Representatives. There is provision for the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries from either House.

The Legislature consists of Her Majesty, a Senate and a House of Representatives. The nine Senators are appointed by the Governor, five on the advice of the Premier, two on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and two on the advice of the Premier after he has consulted interests which he considers Senators should be selected to represent. The Senate elects a President from among those of its members who are not Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries. The House of Representatives consists of the Speaker and members (at present ten) elected in single member constituencies under universal adult suffrage, one of whom may be the Speaker. Transitionally the two nominated members of the Legislative Council became Senators and the Speaker and elected members became members of the House of Representatives.

Parliament may make laws for the peace, order and good government of Grenada. The Constitution contains safeguards for fundamental rights and freedoms. Special provisions relate to a Bill to alter the Constitution or the law establishing the West Indies Associated States Supreme Court or the law relating to appeals to the Privy Council.

The headquarters of the West Indies Associated States Supreme Court (q.v.), established by Order in Council, is in Grenada.

The appointment, dismissal and disciplinary control of public officers is, with certain exceptions, vested in the Public Service Commission, the Chairman and the four members of which are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Premier-in the case of two members after the Premier has consulted the appropriate representative body. There is provision for appeals to a Public Service Board of Appeal.

LAND POLICY

All persons who are not British Commonwealth citizens wishing to own land or take shares in locally registered companies are required by law to obtain a licence. Before such licence is granted, however, each applicant must satisfy the Government as to his or her background, financial standing and general suitability. The Government imposes certain restrictions to protect the agricultural potential of the territory and to achieve balanced development.

The Government Land Settlement Policy is aimed at providing peasants with agricultural land ranging from two to five acres. Twenty settlements in Grenada and Carriacou have been established, the majority of which are freehold. Thirteen housing settlements have also been established to provide quarter acre lots for peasants evicted from estate lands.

GOVERNOR

Her Excellency Dame Hilda Bynoe, DBE

MINISTRY

Premier and Minister for Planning, Development, Agriculture, Land,
Tourism, External and Home Affairs: The Hon. E. M. Gairy
Minister of Finance, Trade and Production: The Hon. George Hosten
Minister for Social Affairs, Culture and Community Development:
The Hon. Mrs Cynthia Gairy

Minister for Communications, Works and National Resources: The Hon. David Sylvester
Minister for Local Government, Housing, Labour, Youth Development and Sport:
The Hon. Herbert Preudhomme

Minister without Portfolio and Leader of the Senate: Senator the Hon. Derek Knight
Attorney-General: Senator the Hon. K. H. C. Alleyne, QC
BRITISH GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

C. S. Roberts

(resident in Castries, St Lucia)

417

ST CHRISTOPHER, NEVIS AND ANGUILLA

T

HE three islands of St Christopher (St Kitts), Nevis and Anguilla, lie in the northern part of the Leeward group of the Lesser Antilles in the Eastern Caribbean. They were united by Federal Act in 1882 and became an independent state in association with Britain on 27th February 1967.

St Kitts and Nevis are separated by a channel some two miles in width. Anguilla is approximately 65 miles N.N.W. of St Kitts and nine miles from its nearest neighbour St Maarten (St Martin)*.

St Kitts (17° 20′ N., 62° 48′ W.) is roughly oval in shape, with a narrow neck of land extending like a handle from the south-eastern end. The total length of the island is 23 miles and its area is 65 square miles. The central part of the main body consists of a rugged mountain range, whose highest point is Mount Misery (3,792 feet). A branch of the range encloses a spacious and fertile valley, on the seaboard of which lies the capital, Basseterre, with a population of about 16,000. This valley and the circle of land formed by the skirts and lower slopes of the mountains constitutes most of the arable and cultivated portion of the island. The higher slopes are covered with short grass, affording excellent pasturage, and the summits of the range are crowned with dense forest. St Kitts is of volcanic formation and most of the beaches are of black volcanic sand but the best, fringing the peninsula (known as the Salt Ponds) which reaches out towards Nevis, are golden.

Nevis (17° 10' N., 62° 35′ W.) has an area of 36 square miles. Like St Kitts, it was discovered by Columbus in 1493. It was first colonised by English settlers from St Kitts in 1628. The island's dominant central peak, its tip usually encircled by clouds, rises gradually in an almost perfect cone to 3,232 feet, giving Nevis a spectacularly beautiful appearance from the sea. There are long stretches of golden sandy beaches. Most of the inhabitants are peasant farmers. As on St Kitts, the main crops are sugar cane, sea island cotton, vegetables and coconuts, but whereas the soil of St Kitts (except in the mountains) is light and porous that of Nevis is stiff clay studded with volcanic boulders. The only township, Charlestown, has a population of about 2,500.

Anguilla (18° 12′ N., 63° 05′ W.) is a flat, coralline island, rather less than 16 miles in length and about three and half miles across at its widest point. Its area is about 35 square miles and its highest point is only 213 feet above sea level. The island is covered with low scrub and fringed with some of the finest white coral-sand beaches in the Caribbean. Apart from sheep and goats, its chief product is salt. Sea island cotton and other crops are grown in bottoms of rich soil scattered across the island. Wells said to have been dug by the Caribs are still in use. The sea off Anguilla is remarkably clear and fish can be seen entering the bays. At many points the reef is close inshore, affording perfect conditions for diving and snorkling.

The climate of St Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla is pleasant and healthy. The islands lie in the path of the north-east trade winds and there is a steady cooling breeze throughout the year. The highest temperature recorded in this century is 92°F and the lowest 62°F. Humidity is low and there is no rainy season. Average annual rainfall on St Kitts is about 55 inches. Tropical diseases are virtually non-existent.

• The southern part of this island belongs to the Netherlands Antilles, the northern part to France.

The last census held in the territory was in 1960. The total population was then found to be 56,591 (St Kitts 38,273; Nevis 12,750; Anguilla 5,568). The majority of the population are of African or mixed descent. The most recent estimate of the population is about 58,000 (St Christopher 37,000; Nevis 16,000; Anguilla, 5,000).

In 1969 there were 3,081 men and women employed on sugar estates in the territory and 816 men and women in sugar factories. Government Departments employed 1,678 men and women and there were 305 water front workers.

Government revenue and expenditure for 1969 (from all sources) are both estimated at WI $20.4 million.

There are 33 Government Primary, two Senior and three Secondary Schools in the territory with an enrolment of 17,141 pupils and employing 505 teachers. Primary education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 14. Pupils may remain at school until the age of 16 at Senior Schools or in the senior departments of all-age Primary Schools.

Approximately 80 per cent of the arable land in St Kitts is divided into 35 large sugar estates which employ most of the agricultural labour on the island. As employment on the estates is seasonal and there are few alternative jobs, there is considerable under-employment from August to January. Small farming in St Kitts serves as a supplement to employment on the estates. Agriculture in Nevis is almost exclusively on a peasant small-holding basis and more than half the small farms in the territory are on this island. There are, however, five large coconut estates and some privately-owned livestock farms. The main crops are cotton, sugar cane and vegetables, with sugar cane very much on the decline. Farming in Anguilla follows a similar pattern to that of Nevis, though livestock raising is more prevalent and fishing plays a major part in the economy.

Sugar, mainly from St Kitts, represents about 80 per cent of exports from the territory. In 1963 the St Kitts factory produced 39,566 tons of sugar, in 1964 the yield was 43,629 tons, in 1965 the yield was 39,000 tons and in 1968 the yield was 33,409 tons.

The total area under sugar cane in St Kitts in 1968/69 was 12,564 acres, of which 12,107 were harvested. The average yield of cane per acre was 30 to 35 tons. In the same year Nevis had 75 acres under cane of which 70 acres were harvested and produced 10 to 12 tons per acre. The Nevis crop was purchased by the Government for shipment to the factory at St Kitts and is included in the factory figures given above. The increasing cost of transporting cane from Nevis to St Kitts has resulted in a decline in sugar cane growing on the former island. The yield of sugar per acre from cane grown on estates is 3-5 tons per acre for St Kitts and 1.2 tons per acre for Nevis.

In 1968/69 Nevis had 165 acres under cotton. Total production of clean lint was 30,000 lbs.

Airports in the territory are: Golden Rock, St Kitts, runway length 5,200 feet, about 1.5 miles from Basseterre; Newcastle airfield, Nevis, runway length 2,700 feet, 7.5 miles from Charlestown; the Wall Blake airfield, Anguilla, runway length 2,800 feet.

There is a narrow-gauge light railway in St Kitts, owned and operated by the St Kitts (Basseterre) Sugar Factory Ltd. It is 36 miles long and is used to transport cane from the fields to the factory and sugar from the factory to the wharf. St Kitts has approximately 60 miles of road, Nevis 63 miles and Anguilla 35 miles.

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