TRINIDAD: THEN AND NOW. 



237 



who failed to have a finger in the pie, if there was a 

 pie ; but I do know, of my official knowledge, that 

 great efforts were made to defraud the Government 

 by those who were foremost in their suggestions of 

 dishonesty about others. I could tell a rather good 

 story how these frauds were brought to light and 

 thus frustrated ; there are but two men in the colony 

 besides myself who know of it ; they may disclose it 

 If they like, but for my part I will let it pass. 



Let all this pass. The concession was granted 

 to a substantial company and that it has materially 

 benefitted the colony from that time to this day can- 

 not be gainsaid. Where, let me ask, is there the 

 slightest proof that the Trinidad Government could 

 have made better, or even equal, terms else- 

 where ? After the attempted frauds upon the 

 Government had failed, litigation began, much to the 

 profit of the barristers and solicitors engaged on 

 either side ; people began to find out, notwith- 

 standing the proverb ' 6 he that toucheth pitch is de- 

 filed, ' 7 that La Brea pitch was not included, and that 

 it was a very clean thing to handle. Anyway the 

 much-maligned concession became an accomplished 

 fact and remains to this day to testify to the large 

 benefit the colony has derived from it, advancing be- 

 yond dispute the prospects indicated by it and a 

 kindred industry, which we hope to see soon in full 

 swing, adding further to the prosperity of Trinidad 

 in an even yet more unprecedented degree. 



Even within the short space of time since this 

 description of La Brea was first begun to be written 



