374 
a demand for the immediate payment of 6s. in cash falls heavily on 
that portion of the population which ; possess little in the way of 
property, and is not in the habit of making pr ovision for the Mini 
336. From Mr. Leslie Probyn's unie of 2Tt pril it 
xu be seen that in is present year the tax of 6s. was payable 
263 houses, which were, it is said, of such small value that the 
abandonment of their planes of abode must have involved some 
zs dship. We recommend that the quinis government be instructed 
o take into consideration the question of reducing, or repealing, 
this tax on the poorer classes of houses, though we are no 
prepared to recommend in the present circumstances of the West 
Indies that no direct taxation on houses should be levied. 
337. The other recommendations which we desire to make in 
pedi case As Pope. are, to a great extent, the same as those 
e work of the Botanic Station ep: ie extended, and 
it should be held sito ilo for agricultural instruction, 
for the M and experimental cultivation of 
tropical plants of economic importance, and for the 
[o 
extent, and are situated in the highest — of the 
island. They are covered with forest, which it is of the 
utmost importance to preserve, and they are, aer en 
not available for settlement. The question whether the 
Government should not purchase estates with the view 
of re-selling them in small lots may fairly be raised in 
connexion with Carriacou, where it is of special urgency, 
as that island is in a very depressed condition, whilst the 
me ical officer states that * most of the estates here are 
* owned by abs entee proprietors, who demand rents 
‘ that are much too high under existing E e E 
(3.) i usa will participate in the arrangements which we 
have proposed in Part I. for securing cheap and regular 
mmunication between the islands by means of small 
subsidised steamers. 
(4.) The presence of fruit in Grenada should be encouraged, 
e best kinds should be supplied from the Botanic 
saison, We do not recommend that any special 
attempt should be made at the present time to start a 
else trade between passed and New York, but we have 
nade a recommendation of this nature in the case of 
St. Vincent an ominiea, and if the experiment should 
prove successful there is no reason why it should not in 
time be extended to Grenada. It would greatly facilitate 
such extension if in the meantime Grenada were place 
in a position to grow suitable kinds of fruit in sufficient 
quantities. To 7". t T DÀ 
