Naval Volunteer Force. Ecuador, A. A. R. Botelho, Consul. Other Ranking Consular Officers. Japan, Shinichi Hayasaki, Chonosuke Tonegi, Vice- United States of America, Howard Donovan, Frederic *JAMAICA. Situation and Area. Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea, to the southward of the eastern extremity of the Island of Cuba, within N. lat. 17° 42′ 20′′ and 18° 32′ 30′′, and W. long. 76° 11′ 55′′ and 78° 23′ 35′′. It is the largest of the British West Indies, being 144 miles in length, and 50 in extreme breadth, and containing about Officer Instructor, Commander W. N. Kingdon, R.N., 4.450 square miles, about half the size of (ret'd). Stores Department. Wales. The island is very mountainous, the main ridge running east and west, with numerous subsidiary ridges, some parallel to the main ridge, Controller of Stores, W. J. Anderson, 900l. to 1,0501., others spreading out in a N.W. and S.E. direction P. D. Crawley, 6801. (acting). Air Raid Precautions Office. Air Raid Precautions Officer, Wing-Commander A. H. S. Steele-Perkins, O.B.E., 1,000l. Consuls de Carrière. Belgium, Henry Vander Straeten (Doyen), ConsulGeneral. Germany, Hermann Gipperich, Consul-General. Italy, Commendatore Gennaro Pagano di Melito, Consul-General. United States of America, Addison Elwood Southard, Consul-General. Japan, Toyoichi Nakamura, Consul-General. Portugal, Alvaro Brilhante Laborinho, Consul. Honorary Consuls. Argentine, Rene Joseph Francois Laurent Ohl, Vice- Bolivia, Carlos Henrique Basto, Consul. Cuba, Dr. George Duncan Ralph Black, O.B.E., Denmark, Karsten Larssen, Consul. from it, terminating in the famous Blue Mountains in the east, the highest peak being 7,388 ft. high. There are numerous rivers and streams, with a rapid fall for the most part, and not navigable. The largest are the Black River in the south-west, and the Rio Grande in the north-east. Kingston, the capital, with a population of 62,707 in 1921, is situated on the south coast of the Island, and has a fine harbour. In St. Ann's Parish, in the middle part of the island, on the north of the main ridge, is the Roaring River, so called on account of its many picturesque waterfalls. The Cayman Islands, lying between 19° 16' and 19° 45′ N. lat., and 79° 83' and 81° 30′ W. long, and the Turks and Caicos Islands, are dependencies of Jamaica, as are also Pedro and Morant Cays (two guano islands in 17° N. lat.). It is estimated that Jamaica contains 2,848,160 acres, from which may be deducted 80,000 acres as useless for agriculture, consisting chiefly of swamps, rocks, and inaccessible lands, leaving 2,768,160 acres available for cultivation. Of this 837,244 acres are returned as under cultivation in 1932-33. Sisal ... 964 2,008 Minor items... 24,710 Un enumerated Holdings with Small and under, in cultivation 141,216 346,011 The dependencies have an area of 89 sq. miles. History. The island was discovered by Columbus on the 3rd May, 1494. He called it St. Jago, after the patron saint of Spain, but the new name was soon dropped in favour of the native one of Jamaica (Xaymaca-well watered). on it was effected on the shores of St. Ann's Bay, The first settlement by Esquivel in 1509, under the direction of Diego, the son of Columbus, the Governor of Hispaniola. It was raided by Sir Anthony Shirley in 1596-7, and by Colonel Jackson in 1643, but it remained in the possession of the Spaniards for 161 years, when it force, sent by Cromwell, under Admiral Penn was attacked by a and General Venables against Hispaniola, and capitulated, after a trifling resistance, on the 11th May, 1655. Until the Restoration, Jamaica remained under military jurisdiction, but in 1660 a regular civil government was established by Charles II., who appointed General Edward Doyley Governor-in-Chief, with an Elective Council. In 1670 peace was made with Spain, and the title of England to Jamaica was recognised by the Treaty of Madrid. The colony grew fast, stimulated by the wealth brought into it by the buccaneers, who made Port Royal their headquarters and storehouse. Part of this town was engulfed in the great earthquake of 1692. Kingston which then consisted of a few sheds, soon rose into a place of importance. During the 18th century the island suffered from hurricanes, earthquakes, numerous slave insurrections, as well as wars with the maroons, or mountaineers, the descendants of African slaves. These consisted primarily of the slaves the Spaniards left, who inhabited mainly the east of the island, among the Blue Mountains, but before long runaway slaves from English masters took refuge in the mountains of the centre of the island and were only subjugated in 1738, when both classes of maroons were settled in five reserves under their own leaders, and henceforth gave little trouble except for a partial rising in 1795, which was soon suppressed, the prisoners taken being sent to Sierra Leone. Slave Trade was abolished, in 1807, there were When the 323,827 slaves in Jamaica. During the last eight years of the trade, 86,821 slaves were imported. On the abolition of slavery in 1833. Jamaica received 6,161,9277. of the 20,000,000l. granted by the Imperial Government as compensation to the slave-owners. A rebellion among the coloured population in 1865 was suppressed by Governor Eyre with unnecessary violence, and he was recalled. In January, 1907, Kingston was devastated by a terrible earthquake, which caused great loss of life and immense destruction of property. A Mansion House Fund was opened, and contributions poured in from all parts of the Empire for the relief of distress. A free grant of 150,000l. was voted by Parliament, and a loan of 800,000l., chiefly in aid of re-building, was authorised from the Home Exchequer. Climate and Inhabitants. There is great variety of climate; the mean temperature of Kingston is 78-7°, rising to 87.6° in the day time, and falling to 710° in the early morning. As the temperature falls about 1° for every 300 feet of ascent, it is possible, in a few hours, to reach, in the central range of mountains, a cool and delightful climate. the capital, a change of 10° or 15° lower in temper. From Kingston, ature can be attained by a ride of one hour by motor car. Island, in May and June, and again in September, tion, as a rule, during the month of March. sections of the Island from 24 inches at the Quarantine hurricane force about 14 times in a century and Constitution. The original Constitution, granted by Charles II. years, was surrendered in 1866, was a representative in 1662, which, after existing for nearly 200 Council, and an elected Assembly which on its one, consisting of a Governor, a first meeting in 1664, consisted of 30 members but nominated The depression caused by the abolition of slavery which fluctuated in numbers from time to time. led to a grave constitutional crisis, the Assembly refusing to vote supplies, and endeavouring to enforce sweeping reductions in establishments, without compensation to the displaced officers. Lord Melbourne's Government, in 1839, actually introduced a Bill into Parliament for the suspension of the constitution, but was defeated, and it stitution of the Council, harmony was temporarily was not till 1854 that, by a change in the conrestored. A separate Privy Council was set up and an Executive Committee was The latter was to act as a sort of Cabinet, especially as regards financial matters. established. Governor Eyre, at the meeting of the Legislature, After the suppression of the rebellion in 1865, urged the unsuitability of the then existing form of Government to meet the circumstances of the community, and the necessity of making some sweeping change, by which a strong Government might abrogating all the existing machinery of legislation, be created. The Legislature responded by and left it to Her Majesty's Government to substitute any other form of Government which might be better suited to the altered circumstances of the Colony. Accordingly a Legislative Council was, by Orders in Council of the 11th June, 1866, and 11th November, 1869, established, consisting of such numbers of official and unofficial members as Her Majesty might think fit. The numbers of each were six until 1878, when they were enlarged to eight, and a ninth was added in 1881. By Order in Council dated 19th May, 1884, and Amending Order of 3rd October, 1895, the constitution was fixed in the following manner : The Council to consist of the Governor (with only a casting vote) and five ex-officio members, viz. : the Senior Military Officer, the Colonial Secretary, Attorney-General, Director of Public Works and Collector-General, and such other persons, not exceeding ten in number, as Her Majesty may from time to time appoint, or as the Governor may from time to time provisionally appoint, and fourteen persons to be elected as therein provided. The Council shall be dissolved at the end of five years from the last preceding general election, if it shall not have been previously dissolved. There is also a Privy Council, with the usual powers and functions of an executive council. It consists of the Lieutenant-Governor, if any, the Senior Military Officer in command, the Colonial Secretary, and Attorney-General and such other persons as may be named by the King, or provisionally appointed by the Governor subject to the approval of His Majesty, but the number of members is not to exceed eight. The Governor is to preside at each meeting, and the Governor and two members form a quorum. A special feature of this constitution is that nine elected members can veto any financial measure, while the unanimous vote of the whole fourteen elected members on other matters cannot be overridden by the other votes unless the Governor declares that such a decision is of paramount importance in the public interest. Administration. The Colonial revenue is derived mainly from import duties, an excise duty on rum, and stamp and licence duties. A tax of 1s. (in Kingston 8d.) on every £10 of the gross value of property is levied. There is a Supreme Court of Judicature together with Resident Magistrate Courts and Petty Sessions of Justices of the Peace throughout the island. The Resident Magistrates, besides holding courts of their own, preside in the courts of Petty Sessions. An "Island medical service," under the control of a Director of Medical Services, was established in 1870. The several medical practioners, who receive a retaining fee or salary from the Government, are designated "district medical officers." They are located throughout the island, and for the fixed salary paid by Government they have to attend sick paupers, parochial hospitals and alms-houses, the constabulary officers and men, and prisons. The parish is the unit of local government, and each parish has its own parochial institutions, viz., poorhouses, &c., &c., managed by the Parochial Board of the parish, the members of which are elected by the persons entitled to vote for the election of members of the Legislative Council. The administration of poor relief by the Parochial Boards is controlled by a Board of Supervision. There is a Corporation of the amalgamated parishes of Kingston and St. Andrew with a Mayor, Council and Corporate officers. In the 13 other parishes there are elective Parochial Boards under Laws 13 of 1900 and 17 of 1901, with jurisdiction over roads, markets, sanitation, poor relief, water-works, and pounds. The chief towns are Kingston (population, in 1937, 78,357), Port Royal (population, in 1937, 1,107), Spanish Town (population, in 1921, 8,694), Port Antonio, (population 6,272), Montego Bay (population, 6,580), Falmouth (population, 2,136), Port Maria (population, 2,481), and Savanna la Mar (population, 3,442). The total revenue of all the local bodies in 1937-38 was 550,9281.; their expenditure 516,3191. Their debt at the end of the year was 1,598,9081. Currency and Banking. Accounts are kept in sterling, British silver coins of and above the denomination of 6d. are legal tender to any extent; coins below the denomination of 6d. are legal tender to the extent of 40s. in any one payment. The coin in circulation is mostly British silver and bronze and Jamaica nickel and bronze-alloy pence, half-pence and farthings. Barclays Bank Total estimated coin 200,000l. (Dominion, Colonial and Over-seas) Ltd., the Bank of Nova Scotia, the Royal Bank of Canada and the Canadian Bank of Commerce are the only private banking establishments in the Colony. Barclays Bank has one branch, 6 sub-branches in 1937 of 108,6441. The Bank of Nova Scotia has and 3 agencies; it had an average note circulation 12 branches and 1 sub-branch, and had an average note circulation in 1937 of 124,873. The Royal Bank of Canada has two branches and had an average note circulation in 1937 of 42,4931. The Canadian Bank of Commerce has a branch in Kingston, and had an average note circulation in 1937 of 12,2721. Approximately 200,000l. of British currency notes formerly in circulation have been withdrawn and replaced by Bank of England Notes, in denominations of 10s. and £1. Under Law 27 of 1904, local Currency Notes, which are made legal tender under section 5, have been issued to the extent of 212,500l. in denominations of 28. 6d., 58. and 10s.; 2s. 6d. notes, 31,250l.; 58. notes, 106,250l.; 10s. notes, 75,000l. Estimated amount of local currency notes in circulation on 31st December, 1937, was 114,8971. The 2s. 6d. notes have been recalled and nearly all have been withdrawn from circulation. Government savings banks were instituted in all the principal towns in 1871. There are 131 branches now operating. The total deposits on 31st March, 1938, was 823,6821. Co-Operative Loan Banks. There are now 50 Loan Banks on the Register of Industrial and Provident Societies. Some have become defunct. Fifty Banks have obtained loans from the Agricultural Loan Societies Board appointed under Law 6 of 1912, "A Law for the encouragement of Agricultural Loan Societies." In 1930, Law 15 of 1930 was passed, giving the Board more extensive powers of control. In 1933, Law 11 of 1933 was passed, to provide a simple means of winding up the affairs of a Bank. In 1936 Law 16 of 1936 was passed, enabling Banks to which advances are made from Public Funds to make Loans of a special class. These advances may be made whenever the Agricultural Industry of the Island is materially damaged. The following is a summary of these transa tions to 31st December, 1937 : Loans made under Law 6 of 1912, 67,2997. 58. 8d. History Museum, with a small collection of live Of this amount, 151,6571. 138. 8d. has been repaid, and 2,6571. 11s. 7d. written off by authority of the Legislative Council, leaving 16,5731. 128. 9d, outstanding. The 47 Banks from which returns were obtained also collected to 31st December, 1937, the sum of over 43,8981. share capital. These figures may be taken as an indication that the work of the Loan Banks has been successfully carried on and that they are likely to prove a permanent benefit to Small Holders and Peasant Proprietors. In 1919 there was started a Land Settlement Scheme, whereby these Banks were expected to extend their sphere of usefulness by purchasing, with the aid of Government moneys, properties for re-sale in lots to small settlers. 59,6411. was lent to nine Banks for this purpose. The Land Settlement Branch of the Surveyor General's Department now has charge of Government Land Settlement Schemes. Only one property (Friendship in Trelawny) purchased with the assistance of Government and on which 2051. was owing at 31st December, 1937, is still being looked after by a Loan Bank. Education. Elementary education is provided for from public funds. The number of recognised elementary schools is 661, of which 160 are Government Schools and the remainder Denominational. There are 89,221 scholars in average attendance, and the grant-in-aid for 1936-37 was 185,9551. no fees are charged. The Government maintains a system of inspection, and provides a training college for women teachers which is mainly supported from public funds, besides largely assisting the Mico undenominational training college for men, and two denominational colleges for women teachers. By a law passed in 1892 a Board of Education Local School Boards manage was constituted. the Government schools, some of which are held in Government buildings, others in rented buildings. The Government maintains a Technical Continuation and Commercial School in Kingston and awards scholarships for trade instruction and apprenticeship. One Continuation School for Girls is aided from public funds. Two Practical Training Centres for Boys and one for Girls are maintained by Government. Provision was made in 1892 for the opening of Government secondary schools where required; there are twenty-three secondary schools receiving aid from public funds under regulations for grants in aid. Secondary education is provided for in general by endowed schools, under local governing bodies controlled by the Jamaica Schools Commission, and a number of private schools. There are three scholarships (one for girls) tenable at English universities or elsewhere within the British Empire and one scholarship tenable at the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture, Trinidad. One Rhodes Scholarship is annually awarded in Jamaica. The following examinations are held :-London University, Cambridge Locals, Associated Board of the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music, Royal Drawing Society. In the Institute of Jamaica (in Kingston) is a Public Library with 40.000 books, of which 9.000 form a West India Reference Library; a Natural animals; and a Jamaica History Gallery with 600 portraits and 350 engravings of scenery. The acreage under banana cultivation in 1933-34 was 72,909, under sugar cane 40,091, under coffee 6,265, under cocoa 964, under coconuts 40,074, under ginger 1, under tobacco 115. The cultivation of cotton has practically been abandoned. The Island's import trade is divided as follows:United Kingdom 38.1 per cent. United States of America .. 16.9 Canada Other Countries 16.3 " 28.7 99 Letters, per oz., ld. Postcards, single, d.; reply paid, ld. Printed and Commercial Papers, per 2 oz., d. Letters, Imperial-Not exceeding 1 oz., ltd.; Postcards, Single, Id.; reply paid, 2d. Printed Papers, Commercial Papers and Samples, per 2 ozs., d. (Minimum for Commercial Papers, 24d., and for Samples, Id.). Small Packets," Per 2 ozs., 1d. (Minimum, 5d.). †Parcel Post-To United Kingdom, 3 lbs., ls. 7d.; 7 lbs., 2s. 10d.; 11 lbs., 48.; 22 lbs., 6s. 6d. To U.S.A. and Canada, 6d. per lb. (Limit for U.S.A. 22 lbs.; for Canada, 20 lbs.). To West India Islands, 3 lbs., 18.; 7 lbs., 28.; 11lbs., 38.; 22 lbs. 58. There is a C.O.D. Parcel Post system in operation with the United Kingdom only. A regular air passenger and letter mail service, inaugurated 10th December, 1930, operates three times weekly between Miami (Florida, U.S.A.) and Cristobal, Canal Zone, via Barranquilla, Colombia (connecting with the Central and South American continents). The Miami-Cristobal service was made a one-day service as from July 15th, 1937, vía Kingston, Jamaica. A similar air service inaugurated Every incoming parcel post packet and every packet containing dutiable matter bears a Custom's clearance fee of 6d, which is collected from the addressee. |