When anyone wants to measure and determine how much progress Montserrat has made say within the last 10 years, and perhaps stretch it back from 1998, after three general elections, the third in September last year, the newspaper is a great place to search.
You can speak to those who, as I was told, have done exceptionally well, financially that is, and others who will merely say they have “barely survived.”
You can expect little comment or explanation from those who have done exceptionally or fairly well, because they would not be willing to tell the story because of what it involves. But be assured, that the survivors who managed to hang on, there will be plenty to tell.
I plan to feature some articles that were published in the newspaper, dating back to different times. In one of Man from Baker Hill’s articles published on 29th September, 2000, it was titled “Fierce ‘Dorg’. He introduced the article by saying he was accused that his articles were “taking on the features of a snarling and barking dog. His accuser further intimated that he was becoming a fierce biting dog and that he should expect to be muzzled soon.
Bennette Roach, Editor
The article:
First, I want the Government to explain to Montserratians, at home and abroad, the sweetheart arrangement between itself and the Chamber of Commerce. Tell us what is delaying the acceptance and development of Little Bay as a viable town centre and tell us why they are still leasing privately owned buildings from Chamber members only.
For Montserratians, Little Bay is a promise and an opportunity of a millennium. Where else on earth would people be given the opportunity to own and develop their own modern town? And we can do it too; all we need are ideas…
We can set up a Public Company – offering shares to every Montserratian – to build and own the public places and offices of government.
Such a venture would be as profitable as any because the situation is tailor-made to suit our circumstances. We as a nation have to provide services to ourselves. We have to pay taxes for those services. So then, why not pay the rental fees to us – our own Company?
We must not sit back like blind, deaf and dumb people while others pluck the gold from under our noses. We must establish a Montserrat-owned Company to build and own the post office, the courthouse, the customs offices, the administration offices and the Inland Revenue offices. And then we can pay to ourselves dividends from the profits of our own efforts.
To build these offices, we do not need as much money as you might think. The land at Little Bay is free. The income from rent is guaranteed. The Banks will lend us the money to build our town – if we would only start with Government offices.
The idea of pooling our pennies to create a Company, fully contributed by us, is not new. It was done successfully before. Some years ago, when I was a director of the Chamber Of Commerce, the then president, Hensey Fenton, presented a similar plan to Montserratians.
The plan was to allow ordinary Montserratians to invest in and own shares in the Quarry. The records would show that Montserratians worldwide gladly sent their money to the Chamber to invest on their behalf.
So Montserratians, we can do it. And damn it, we must invest in ourselves if we want to control ourselves. We must take the opportunities that come with Little Bay. We must give every Montserratian a chance to own a stake in this land.
Tell me, why would the Chamber of Commerce ever consider giving Little Bay to the Ching Ming Sungs? Why do we want our children to have to ask permission to visit the beach at Little Bay? Why should we give away to the Chings the only land that the people of Montserrat own? Have we forgotten Amersham? Have you forgotten how those nit-wit security guards used to ask, “What do you want up here?”
Oh Lord, deliver us from the evil of ourselves, and lead us not into the temptation of selfish men. Men who want to give our Little Bay to the Chinese rather than helping the ordinary brother to invest in himself.
Maybe I should ask the Chamber of Commerce members what do they have against Little Bay. Or rather, what do they have against ordinary Montserratians.
Could it be that Chamber members are not interested in sharing the wealth of our redevelopment with you the people?
Could it be that Chamber members want to buy all the land at Little Bay, and according to the mighty Arrow, “will it to their children only”?
Could it be because the Chamber members are not allowed to buy Little Bay and prevent others from sharing in the Gold Mine, that they are sabotaging development there?
Why would the Chamber of Commerce want to lease Little Bay to Wong Ping, the Chinese?
Could it be because we hate ourselves that we continue to store Dominican sand and stone on Little Bay – our gold mine – instead of building a social heritage?
Why do we want to allow people to call us a people without ambitions? Montserratians, please do not get me wrong. Little Bay is more than Office Buildings. Little Bay is the only location on Montserrat where we can plan for parks, parking cafes, restaurants, offices and residential homes.
Yes, Little Bay is the only place where we can have that complete social and commercial package without having to pay solid gold for the land.
Little Bay is for us Montserratians to own, to develop, to invest in and to enjoy. Little Bay is not for Ching Park Hu, or Lee Ping Cong.
Yes… my critics, selfish and ignorant, will call me a fierce howling “dorg.”
But truly I am just a tame dog, sitting at the gate to Little Bay and wagging my “tale” so that you too can ponder selfishness and passive ignorance.
