Commissioner's Report 1925
Commissioner’s Office 19/3/26 Sir REVENUE
EXPENDITURES 3. The total expenditures including remittances to the Treasury and the Post Office was £1482-19-6d, as follows:—
POSTAL STATISTICS 4. There are two Post Offices in the District one at Headquarters and one at West End. Joint financial / statistics of these offices already stated. There were 2407 postal packets received by the Headquarters Office, including 103 Registered Letters. 1651 postal packets were dispatched, including 53 Registered Letters. POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK. 5. It is a regrettable fact that this institution has not been made use of through this office during the year. MAIL SERVICE. 6. The Mail Schooner “Emerald” made 12 return trips to Nassau, the 13th being made by the M.V. “Cruiser.” An additional Mail was despatched by the Sloop “Sydney” and an additional mail was received by the M.V. “Christina.” The “Emerald” has rendered extremely poor service: she has been irregular in her sailings when there was no excuse of weather: she has frequently failed to stop at all the stations on the route: she refuses freight constantly in Nassau, due to being already laden with liquor for West End. Furthermore, the Captain and crew are very unreliable and discourteous. IMPORTS 7. The chief articles imported were food, clothing and liquor, almost all of which come via Nassau, with the exception of a small amount of clothing by parcel post. A Fordson Tractor and an Electric Light Plant were imported direct from Florida, also Lumber from Norman’s Castle, Abaco. EXPORTS. 8. Sponge is the only article that has been exported in any quantity: a few loads of fire-wood and some fish from the East End of the Island. Practically no sisal has been cleaned, although there is an abundance of the product in the district. One load of crushed rock, about 30 tons, was exported directly to Florida. SHIPPING. 9. Entered from foreign ports:— 861 ships. 4963 tons. 2259 men. The above figures refer to West End as well as headquarters. Owing to the lack of enforcement of transive[?] regulations, the coastwise figures must be regarded as extremely inaccurate. / AGRICULTURE 10. There is deplorably little produce grown on the mainland froma commercial point of view. Many of the inhabitants have small fields but in general grow insufficient for the needs of their own families. The one or two exeptions to this rule seem to find a ready market for any kind o produce at West End, where fantastic prices are paid. MANUFACTURERS. 11. Manufactures are non-existent in the district, unless 3 or 4 cane syrup and one sugar mill can be included in this category. EDUCATION. 12. There is 1 Public School at Headquarters and 1 under construction at West End. There have been no cases brought before me for inattendance, although from personal observation I think there might well have been. HEALTH. 15. The Public Health has been very good with the exception of one mild outbreak of (presumably) chicken-pox, which was so mild that it escaped my attention until practically over. CRIME. 16. There were 96 cases of crime reported in the district which were disposed as follows:
The district is disorderly and serious crime is not unknown very rarely, however, are cases reported by constables and still more rarely by private individuals. Perjury is frequent and Truthfull evidence very difficult to obtain. INQUESTS. 17. There have been two inquests during the year: the one during my period of office raised no suspicious facts. / VITAL STATISTICS. 18. The number of Deaths registered was 34, the number of Births 38. Owing to the curious regulations controlling registration, it is not possible to register all births and deaths reported. No returns were received during the year from Moore’s Island or Sandy Point, Abaco. METEOROLOGICAL RECORD. 19. Barometer usual range 30.21: highest reading 30.48: lowest reading 29.79. Temperature highest 91°: lowest 59°. All the above readings were taken at 8.00 a.m. Rainfall can only be given since September as guage was not repaired until then: during the last 4 months of the year the total fall was 1.78”. PUBLIC WORKS. 20. The amount available for clearing roads under Appropriation Act 1925-1926 was entirely insufficient to cover all the roads in the district: it was stretched out as far as possible by reducing some of the contract prices. GENERAL REMARKS. 21. As some action has been taken on the part of the / Government regarding the building of a new Commissioner’s Residency, it is unnecessary for me to add to my predecessor’s comments on the existing one. I have the honour to be, Sir The Honble
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