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the greatest value, and there would be no risk of the trade being 
interfered with by hostile ene If a number of steamers were 
regularly employed in such a trade they bias no doubt, carry 
British products to the West ieee on their return voyage, and 
by the diversion to the United States of West Indian sugar and 
of the Jamaica fruit exports. 
130. The difficulty of establishing such a trade is due to the 
fact that a considerable amount of capital would be required, and 
that there would be serious risk of mistakes and loss whilst the 
business was in the experimental sta age. At present there is only 
the small local demand for fruit in most of the Islands, and 
bun OUT fruit is neither grown in ee quantity nor of the 
est qua 
131. It cannot be expected ~~ — — of fruit should 
be grown until there was an urance that vessels would be 
forthcoming to convey it to market and good ground for believing 
that it could be sold at a pro 
132. On the other hand, it is oec that shipowners would 
provide vessels for conveying the fruit to market until they were 
satisfied that the fruit would be forthcoming and the fruit trade 
permanent. 
133. We think that the prospects of success are such that the 
experiment should be tried. The Botanic Department, which we 
ave recommended, should give instruction as to the be st means 
i: cultivating the fruits that are likely to find a profitable market, 
growth of such fruit. A subsidy might be bore for some years 
to secure = ot en er of regular steam communication from 
St. Vincent and Dominica to the Un ited States, with a view to 
view, however, of the large expenditure which such an attempt 
must involve, and of the cosines at present, of the result, we 
do not recommend that any experiment should be — in the 
first instance, beyond the limits we eem just indica 
134. Representations were made to us that the eet Mail Steam 
Packet Company, which receives a large annual subsidy for the 
carriage of mails, contributed joinüs by the Imperial and "Colonial 
he opinion is also prevalent that the voyage between England 
and Barbados is unnecessarily protracted. 
135. It lis questionable whether the Colonies in the present 
state of their public finances can justifiably afford the high 
subsidies they now pay for the sake of the present postal service 
only, more especially as it might not be impossible to make other 
more economical, if somewhat less efficient, arrangements. 
136. We do not desire to recommend that the West India 
mails should, after the expiration of the present contract, be sent 
