66 CHALLENGER 



Group and Trinidad. A very great interest had been taken by the 

 lower classes in this colonial war, which was seen as a racial 

 conflict between Black and White. Employment conditions in 

 the Islands were not good at this time and the working-class 

 people were only too ready to listen to the street orators as they 

 reviled the Whites for doing nothing to stop Mussolini murdering 

 Africans. One orator had held up a white and a black fowl, and 

 his audience became wildly excited when he struck the head from 

 the white bird as a symbol of what would happen soon to all 

 Whites who were standing aside in the African War. 



The Governor's visit to St. Vincent was to introduce new 

 tariffs which were not designed to hit the poorer classes but were 

 to be a charge on the middle-men. Rumours of these new taxes 

 circulating before the Legislative Council met, some of the store 

 proprietors at once put up their prices; on some commodities 

 such as matches they increased the price by i oo per cent, while 

 the prices of salt-fish and other staple items of diet of the working 

 classes were increased in varying amounts. 



In their present unsettled mood the working-class people were 

 thus bitter and hostile before His Excellency met the Council 

 to discuss the tariffs. Whilst the meeting was taking place, mur- 

 murings were heard outside the Courthouse, and soon a peti- 

 tion was sent in, requesting His Excellency to give a personal 

 interview to one of the leading members of the Representative 

 Government Association which had been formed about three 

 years previously, and which had gradually become highly critical 

 of all Government actions. The Governor intimated that he would 

 meet the petitioner at the conclusion of the Council meeting, but 

 by now the murmurings outside had developed into an uproar, 

 which the Governor then attempted to quell by going outside 

 himself to face the crowds and address them in person. The crowd 

 nearest about him began to calm down as he started to speak in 

 a steady voice, but as noise on the outskirts of the crowd made 

 it difficult for him to be heard, His Excellency suggested that a 

 deputation from the crowd should enter the Courthouse with 

 him to state their case. As soon as the Courthouse doors were 

 opened the mob surged in, and it now became obvious that the 

 great majority were well primed with rum and were quite 

 unprepared to listen to reason. 



