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Alister Hughea
P 0 Box 65
St.Georges
GRENADA
14th Aueust 1975
THE GRENADA NEWSLETTER 4 N
For Week Ending August 16th 1975
GAIRY WARRANT CANNOT BE EXECUTED.
Mr Maurice Bishop, Joint Coordinating Secretary of the New
Jewel Movement (NJM), said today (14th) he had been told by
Commissioner of Police J Usen that the warrant for the arrest
of Prime Minister Gairy and three other persons on a charge of
conspiring to commit previous bodily harm, cannot be executed.
According to Mr Bishop, Commissioner Usen said that the
Attorney General, Mr Desmond Christian, had advised that,
during the hearings of the Duffus Commission of Inquiry, an
agreement had been reached that no charges would be brought
against anybody who gave evidence to the Commissioners relative
to the events of November 18th 1973. It was the Attorney
General's opinion that, since the charges, against Mr Gairy
relate to the incident of November 18th 1973, they could not
be brought and so the warrants could not be executed.
Describing this statement as "ridiculous", Mr Bishop said that,
during the Duffus hearings, an offer had been made by Senator
Derek Knight (appearing on behalf of Government), that Members
of NJM who had charges laid against them arising out of the
November 18th incident, would have those charges dropped if
they gave evidence before the Commission relative to that
incident. Mr Bishop said Senator Knight's offer had been
rejected as it was considered that he did not have the
authority to make it, only the Director of Public Prosecutions
having the power to waive charges brought against an accused.
Mr Bishop said further that, in any case, a charge had been
brought against NJM Member Simon Daniel for possession of arms
and ammunition. This charge related to the events of
November 18th 1973 and Mr Daniel had given evidence before
the Commissioners relative to those events. Mr Bishop
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Alsiter Hughes
TEE GRENADA NEWSLETTER Woek Ending 16.8.75
Page 4
BANANA PRODUCTION FALLS OPF
Officials of Messrs Geest Industries Ltd, buyers of bananas
from the Windward Islands, said today (14th) that, until
further notice, the Corpany's ships will be calling at the
islands fortnightly instead of weekly.
The reason for this, said the officials, was that, because
of poor weather conditions, banana production in the islands
had fallen off considerably and there was not enough fruit
to justify weekly loadings.
It is understood that the Windward Island production of
bananas which used to have a weekly average of between
2,300 and 2,400 tons, has now fallen to an average of
1,500 to 1,700 tons, and that it is uneconomical to send a
ship for these reduced tonnages.
No Geest banana boat visited the islands this week, but it
is expected that the next loading will take place in the
week ending August 23rd. It is estimated that Grenada will
have some 540 tons for that loading.
For purposes of record, it is stated that, in the week
ending August 2nd, the S 8 "Geestland" loades 21,835 boxes
of bananas at Grenada. This shipment weighed 655,456 Ibs
and was valued at $62,268.00. There were 162 boxes
rejected, /
i Hughes:
.th August 1975
Aliater Hughes
THE GRENADA NEWSLETTER Week Ending August 16th
Page 3
Referring also to the dissolution of the Nutmeg Board and
"the take over of the Nutmeg Association by force of arms
and the literal dissolution of the cooperative", the petition
says. that "producers are previously wounded by these unjust and
unlawful acts and are existing in a state of constant fear."
It also stated that "this condition will not be tolerated
indefinitely."
The petition concluded with a request that Sir Leo use his
good offices "to seek to correct these dreadful conditions
under which we have been labouring for so long, and which have
been intensified by the dissolution of the Nutmeg Co-operative,
the final act in the destruction of the agricultural industry
as a meens of livelihood for us."
Mr Exel Roberts, a farmer who led a small delegation from the
demonstration to present the petition to Sir Leo, said
afterward that the Governor General had been courteous and
sympathetic but had indicated clearly that there was nothing
he could do in the matter. According to Mr Roberts, Sir Leo
said he was not an executive of the Government, and, unless he
intended &o resign his post, he had no option but to place his
signature on whatever documents Cabinet placed before him.
"I don't think", said Mr Roberts, "that Sir Leo intends to
resign now."
Mr Roberts said, however, that the Governor General told the
delegation that Government had promised to have new elections
to the Nutmeg Board within two months.
It has been decided that another demonstration of farmers will
take place next Thursday, August 21st.
(378 words)
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Alister Hughes
THE GRENADA NEWSLETTER Week Ending August 16th
thought that the fact that a charge had been made against
Mr Daniel in this connection made it clear that no
agreement of any kind had been entered into relative
to the incident of November 18th 1973.
Contacted today (14th), Mr Deanond Christian said he had
not been Attorney General at the time of the Duffus
Inquiry, but he had been advised by officers of his
Department that there had been an agreement that no charges
would be brought against anyone giving evidence before the
Commissioners, not only relative to the incident of
November 18th, but concerning any matters heard before the
Commissioners. Mr Christian said he did not know of the
case pending against Mr Simon Daniel, but he would look into
the matter.
Sources close to the New Jewel Movement said that, when the
High Court site again about mid-September, a Writ of Mandamus
will be applied for to force the Police to execute the
warrants.
(448 words)
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FARMERS DEMONSTRATE AGAIN
A demonstration of over 200 farmers marched to Government
House today (14th) and presented a petition to Governor
General Sir Leo DeGale.
The petition, which outlined the historical background
to the establishment of farmers cooperatives to handle
the marketing of cocoa, bananas and nutmegs, accused the
Government of amending the Acts of Parliament under which
these cooperatives were established, so that it could
"take full control of the cocoa and banana cooperatives,
and resting them in a few hand picked members of the
regime who rendered no account of their operations and
of the monies obtained by the sale of these commodities."
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