386 
available for this purpose, and the low price of sugar has 
made it necessary to dca qa some sugar estates, and may 
bring others into the m 
2. To provide more facilities - Sana E by steamer with 
other islands. 
3. To encourage and extend the work of the Botanic Station. 
2 * L3 * 3k zh 
444. Skerrett's Reformatory dem En pus farm attached to it— 
of the expense of which some witnes complained—are, no 
doubt, useful establishments if the Rep is able to afford 
their cost, which in 1896 was 938/. net, for the combined 
institutions, and they appear to be well manage 
415. The publie revenue, however, is not des to the present 
rate of expenditure. There have been of late years, successive 
deficits, whieh have given rise to a floating debt on General 
Revenue Account, now amounting to upwards of 20,0007., in 
addition to the funded debt of 138,000/. These deficits have 
d tax 
of S an acre on land planted in sugar-cane—which the industry 
is not in a condition to bear—-ls. on other —— Ta and 14. 
on other lands, and though additional reven become 
necessary, it is not easy to see how fresh Aa can = imposed. 
446. If the sugar industry fails, the future of Antigua will be 
more gloomy than that of either St. Vincent or St. Lucia. The 
teste are less, the liability to drought and hurricanes is 
grea he scale of public expenditure will have to be 
P eogreiaivols Se ed, the standard of living will become very 
low, and the papidation will probably diminish. In the meantime 
the island must for some years be i eng unable to provide for its 
own adgiicantrative needs and be a burden upon Imperial 
resources. 
xi.—ST. KITTS-NEVIS. 
447, St. Kitts and Nevis lie close together and form one 
Presidency under asingle Administrator. Wearrived at P 
the chief town of St. Kitts, on the evening of Monday, the 22nd 
of March. We took evidence, during the 23rd and 24th, from 
22 witnesses, aa on the 25th we visited the island of Nevis, and 
after returning to Basseterre, left the same evening for Jamaica. 
448. The estimated present population of St. Kitts is 31 ,900, and 
of Nevis, 13,700. The total area in acres of St. Kitts i is 41 851, and 
of Nev 
in Nevis, are stated t o be bos eficially oceupiec ed by oa ation 
and it is said that all ee that could at present be cultivated with 
profit is utilized. The total area of cultivable land is, however, 
given as about 29,000 acres for St. xu and 24,000 for Nevis. 
449. There is daily communication steam ferry between 
Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts, and INA in Nevis, à 
distance of about 14 miles. 
