Efficient, adequate transportation crucial

DR RITA PEMBERTON

APT James was persistent with his specially-crafted questions in the Legislative Council, to highlight the extent of administrative neglect and indicate the areas where corrective action was needed. He maintained his verbal attack on the deplorable state of communications, which he considered to be of central importance to Tobago’s development.

On the state of the island’s internal communication, James lamented the lack of good roads, which caused farmers to be unable to get produce out for shipment to Trinidad. Asserting that “Tobago needs more roads,” James asked the members of the legislature: “How many new roads were built in Tobago during the last ten years, what were their names and how much did they cost?”

However, the administration sidestepped the main thrust of the question and provided information on the amount that had been expended on the island’s roads.

It was indicated that at a cost of $26,127.55, Belmont and Adelphi Bridle Roads were upgraded to 2.12 miles long, major roads, while 3.50 miles of the Northside Road had been converted to accommodate vehicular traffic. In addition, earthworks had begun on the Signal Hill Road.

The surprising conclusion was that Tobago was well served with roads and crown traces which were described as being in “fairly good condition,” but it was conceded that transport difficulties existed “only” in L’Anse Fourmi.

With his first-hand knowledge of the state of affairs in that part of the island, James was well aware that the response eluded the gravity of the transport problems of the area. In fact, government’s approach to the island’s road system reflected the piecemeal approach which, James felt was counterproductive to Tobago’s development.

He maintained his line of questioning and asked what was being done to improve the roads of Tobago and whether consideration would be given to a comprehensive road-building and road-widening programme for the island. There was no immediate response to either question.

To underscore his point about unequal treatment of the two islands, James showed how Tobago was under-served by a comparison of expenditure on government projects. He argued that government spent $1,000 annually on road maintenance in Trinidad and less than $400 per year on roads in Tobago. He asked for an increased allocation to be made in the 1949 budget to enable the standard of work on Tobago’s roads to equate that on similar roads in Trinidad.

The response from the council was that estimates were prepared for a comprehensive road programme which was drawn up for Tobago. The proposal, which included the Windward and Northside roads, was delayed by the war and the matter had since remained inactive.

James then made reference to the islandwide electrification for Trinidad. Noting that Tobago was not included, he asked what steps were being taken to provide electricity to Tobago and whether government was taking any active measures to obtain an electricity plant for Tobago. James also inquired whether any efforts were being made to develop the fishing industry of Tobago.

He asked for comment on the advisability of constructing a sea wall between Scarborough and Lambeau to reclaim several acres of land which were washed away by the sea, and provide an opportunity to straighten the main road to Scarborough and save the government the millions of dollars spent annually to maintain road and property.

In both instances, there were no satisfactory answers.

James persisted with questions that were related to the island’s development. He inquired about the government’s proposals for the development of the island’s tourism and agricultural industries and with respect to the former, he proposed expansion of the air facilities and the establishment of a two-mile road to link the air and sea bases.

Given the lukewarm reception to his suggestions, James made up his mind to take a memorandum to the Colonial Office to highlight the plight of the island, which he did in 1948.

James raised the inadequacies of the island’s lone hospital, which could not serve the needs of the population, and asked what was being done about it. This was a major problem which did not attract administrative attention with the urgency it deserved.

He also asked for an explanation as to why the filtration system on the Hillsborough Dam was not installed and was told that it was due to bad weather.

James also questioned why permanent positions in the administration remained vacant for so long. The response was that there were no suitable residents on the island, which provided further evidence of the acute need for increased education facilities, for which James had repeatedly advocated.

The necessity of James' plan for a comprehensive development programme with an internal road network that links the northern villages with the rest of the island was convincingly demonstrated by the occurrence of a natural disaster.

A storm hit parts of north Tobago in September 1949 and James asked members of the legislature whether they were aware that for three fortnights between December and January, communities in the north were cut off from the rest of the island and the coastal steamers were unable to take cargo from, or deliver to, the north coast of Tobago. The areas of Parlatuvier, Bloody Bay, L’Anse Fourmi and Castara, which experienced a “minor famine” for imported food, were mainly affected, but the districts from Speyside to Charlotteville were also negatively affected.

He argued that the situation was further aggravated by the lack of road communications between Scarborough and the villages and he asked: “Will government take immediate steps to improve seven miles of road on the Roxborough/Parlatuvier Road to link Castara and the other villages with communities on the other side of the island?” Should sea communication fail, this would prevent areas being cut off and food could be transported by land.

The response was that there had been no famine caused by landslip because the problem resulted from rough seas. It was further stated that food supplies were sent “on one occasion” to Parlatuvier by jeep and supplies were sent by truck to Charlotteville during the Christmas season. Assurances were given that the warden was monitoring the situation very closely.

James was dissatisfied with this response because the storm had damaged the Northside and Roxborough/ Parlatuvier roads since September and months later, the roads had not been reopened.

James was critical of what he described as government’s “unwise policy” on the Northside road. He said that since 1922, the round-the-island service was carried out by the Naparima, which sank in the first Boca and the St Patrick, which had to be scrapped.

Government was of the misguided view that there would be no need for boats if the Northside road was developed and the round-the-island service was taken over by one ship, the Belize. But he observed that since the opening of the Blanchisseuse road, in official circles, it was believed that there was no need for the round-the-island service. This, he felt, would be to the detriment of the people of Tobago and to those northern districts in particular.

With so many critical matters unattended and the continued lethargic response of the central administration to Tobago’s problems, on April 28, 1950, James alerted the government that the patience of the people of Tobago was running out. He said: “Your Excellency, I take this opportunity to warn government that unless Tobago receives fair and just treatment – better treatment than is meted out to the island ward today”– the people will act.

He provided a clear signal that the autonomy train was well in motion.