St. Croix Tribune

The Council

From 10:30 yesterday the Colonial Council worked and continued until night, working on the Budget. The early part of the day was spent in budget speeches, well prepared orations which were delivered with emphasis.

Then came the luncheon hour. It was not the usual tea and sandwich; something more appetizing, and fit for a Governor. We ought to have followed the time-worn style of reporting the meeting by saying that the Chaplain offered a prayer and his Excellency the Governor honored the assembly with his presence. On this occasion the Chaplain (Rev. A.C. Brough) was not present.

After luncheon the real work began. The Council took the appropriations for the Departments, scrutinized the Municipal Committee's amendments and passed them.

The Municipal Committee proposed to separate the offices of District Chief of Police and Warden of the Richmond Penitentiary. It recommended that the Police Judge of Christiansted be also the Recorder for the island and that a police judge be appointed for Frederiksted.

The Committee had used all the surplus available from the revenues to increase salaries of underpaid employees. There was a number of other employees who could not be considered at this time, because the money could not be stretched.

Those who believe in luck may say the employees under the police department were lucky. Frederiksted was being given a crane and Christiansted was promised a crane.

Some members from Frederiksted argued that a good surface on Kings Street would be more appreciated by their constituents, some of whom were suffering from "sprained ankles," the result of walking on the protruding rocks in Kings Street. Finally somebody proposed to strike out the cranes, when the Harbor and Pilot Department's Money Bill should come up for discussion.

With the hope of having all this money released Member R. de Chabert offered a rather elaborate amendment changing the title of Senior Inspector of Police to District Chief and increasing salary to $105.00, increasing the salary allowance so that patrolman would get $50.00 and sergeants $60.00; prison drivers and night watchmen $30.00. The Director of Police requested permission to use his discretion so that he would not have to pay these maximum salaries to new men, but to the most deserving.

Mr. Cornelius Pentheny, Dr. Canegata, Mr. Alfred Francis and Mr. Christian Joseph followed with amendments increasing three other employees. The Council voted the additional increases and passed the Budget before adjourning.

Last night and this morning Christiansted got some light showers of rain.

Dr. Christensen, Chairman of the Colonial Council of St. Thomas was at the Council meeting in St. Croix yesterday. He sat on the rostrum with Chairman Canegata.