Government, in common with other West Indian Governments, is faced with the
 problem of over-population. The econorG of the Colony is dependent mainly on
 Agriculture, akd although active steps are being taken to increase production, the-
 agricultural industry cannot absorb the number of workers who "are seeking
 employment, and in fact.is being severely hindered by the niimber 6f workers'who'
 are charitably employed in that sphere. Other. avenues of employment, namely
 the Government Service and commercial establishments, are not in a position to
 employ a very large percentage of the population. With a view to remedying the
 situation a sub-committee of the Labour Advisory Board in consultation with the -
 Heads of the Public Works, Agriqulture, Medical, Education, Public Relations anpd
 Labour Departments, recommended .the.establishment of certain.industries from
 a commercial basis and the enactment of legislation for granting relief from
 payment of Customs Duties and Income Tax in respect of such industries for a
 limited period.
-- .-The Government have accepted in principle these recommendations and a
 Pioneers Aid to Industries Bill has been prepared and is ready for introduction into
 the Legislative Council. Plans forth formation 'of a Development Board are also
 in progress. It is expected that this Board will be constituted with members not
 entirely from within the Government Service and also possibly with persons, from'
 other Colonies in the Caribbean Area if they will agree to serve.
 It should be-noted, however, that all these plans are in the main. long term
 -projects and do not -therefore -take into account the unfortunate state of
 unemployment which exists in St. Vincent at the present time -
 Government fully appreciates that, the employment of workers outside the
 Colony greatly assists the social and economic well-being of the people, and in the
 event of-there being an appreciable expansion in the demands of the United States
 armed forces and industry, there is a possibility of agricultural workers from the
 British West Indian Colonies (including St. ,Vincent) beingg 'recruited for
 employment under contract for specified periods. In so far as the Netherlands
 West Indies (Aruba and Curacao) are concerned, there is nd large scale demand
 for British West Indian workers at the present time, and vacancies whenever they
 occur are likely to be filled from the local population of the Netherlands West
 Indies. Government is publishing elsewhere a statement regarding the actual
 figures of- workers recruited for employmentin the Netherlands West Indies during
 the years of 1942-1945 and the position since that date. ,,
 Enquiry was also made regarding employment prospects in Panama aind
 Government was informed that there 'vas little reason to expect any noteworthy
 increase of the labour force in the Canal Zone before the year 1970, and should
 unsettled world- conditions necessitate any augmentation of the existing labour
 force, such labour as might be required could be supplied for some time to come
 from the ranks of the unemployed in the Republic of Panama.
 S Quite recently, it-was decided by Government to raise the rates of workers,
 and this has been done not because of any pressure from without, but because it is
 normally the practice to iaise the wages of workers if the price of the main crops
 are increased. It is hoped that this will assist those persons within normal
 employment to imet the present situation, but it is realized that the main trouble
 of -the agricultural or industrial worker is that he is not given jull employment
 during,the week and he may find himself with only two or. three days employment .
 'out of seven. There are two ways of meeting such a situation :


 S -* -: ,: -. : ,