August 13, 1892, Colonies and India
London, United Kingdom
THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
The Colonial Office has received a report on these islands, which are a dependency of Jamaica, for the year 1891, from Sir Henry Blake, Governor of Jamaica. The general tone of the report is satisfactory, notwithstanding the failure of crops in the spring which occasioned a good deal of distress. At the last census (April, 1891) the total population numbered 4,785 souls, of whom 41 were on board vessels not belonging to the dependency, making the actual population of the islands 4,744, being an increase of 12 on the census taken in 1881 and of 21 on that taken in 1871. The increase was in the female population. Both the white and black population have decreased since the previous census was taken—the former over 25 per cent, and the latter about 3 per cent; while the coloured population has increased by 243 souls, or about 18 per cent. The decrease in the white population may be attributed to emigration to the United States of America. The census returns showed the average annual birth-rate to be 35 per 1,000 and the death-rate 24 per 1,000 of the population—viz., average annual number of births, 166; deaths, 115. This is a decrease of one per 1,000 in the birth-rate and an increase of three per 1,000 in the death-rate cn the returns from the census of 1881.
The cultivation of the pita (sisal) plant has made fair
progress, especially in the Caicos Islands, and the reports from the
plantations towards the end of the year were satisfactory. Two
companies, the West Caicos Fibre Company (Limited), at West
Caicos, and the East Caicos Company (Limited), at Breezy Point,
formed for the purpose of raising pita plants and extracting the
fibre, are registered under the companies' ordinance, and there
are several private plantations. A small shipment of fibre was
made to New York within the year from one of the latter, and
the first quality fetched a cent a pound more than the second
quality—an equal price to the best from Yucatan. This speaks
well for the quality of the fibre which can be produced in these
islands, and promises a bright future for the local fibre industry.
The Halifax and Bermuda Cable Company (Limited) having decided to extend the cable from Bermuda to the West Indies and to establish a station at Grand Turk, made application to the Legislative Board to afford certain facilities to the company for carrying out the project, and the necessary ordinance was passed by the board in December. It should, in the opinion of the Commissioner, undoubtedly benefit these islands generally to be brought more in touch than they are at present with other parts, and the cable should not only greatly facilitate business transactions, but should also cause an increase in the shipping, and it is to be hoped, therefore, that a station of the company will be established and in working order at no distant date.
