Tension crackled in the air as the PAM set up for its first public meeting in the traditionally hostile community of St. Pauls. The villagers came out in their numbers to listen to and confront the PAM leadership as they put their case to them about the current issues. The evening was cool and balmy and perfect for an exciting meeting.
Even before the first speaker took to the podium the crowd made its views known about its support for the Governing Party but PAM Chairman, Mr. Chesley Hamilton, rose to the challenge and cordially engaged the crowd. He invited those gathered to remember the lead up to the last poll and the especially to compare the PAM proposal for closure of the sugar factory and what the Labour Party did just months after promising to close the SSMC over the dead body of the Prime Minister.
Dr. Charles Warner, Candidate for Constituency # 3 opened the batting with call for the crowd to judge the Labour Party according
to its promises. He recalled the history of the Labour Union and the faithful support of sugar workers especially in communities like St. Pauls during the past seventy five years and contrasted it with the shameful betrayal of those same sugar workers when the SSMC was abruptly closed. He decried the deliberate deceit of the Labour Party during the last election campaign with which they built false hope in the people only to crush it when it was expedient for them to do so. He invoked the memory of Mr. Bradshaw as he protested the eviction of villagers from cane lands in favor of foreign developers after such a long struggle to acquire those lands. The crowd was vocal and sometimes combative in its response and engaged in a conversation with the speaker during much of his presentation.
Mr. Eugene Hamilton, Candidate for Constituency # 8 greeted the villages as old and well known friends and praised them for their strong participation in the political process. His forte was the issue of housing and he passionately contrasted the deplorable housing policy of this Government to the previous PAM Administration. He talked about the tiny shacks called half hog heads built as family dwellings and contrasted them with homes built by PAM and he talked about the exorbitant rents demanded from the lowest paid workers for houses they were given without basic amenities. He also criticized the increase in taxes for house construction while the Government still went about begging for housing loans thereby increasing the national debt.
There was an unplanned speaker in the person of Claudius Gumbs of Sandy Point who put the view of the common man to the bread and butter issue of wages. He contrasted the salary of the Prime Minister which has seen a 110% increase in 12 years from $8,000.00 to $17,000.00 to that of factory workers which has remained at $250.00 weekly therefore losing value and asked people to consider whether this was right. His presentation was lively and garnered a strong response from the crowd.
The Honorable Shawn Richards continued the discussion of money with his usual focus on taxes. His was a supplication to the people to fairly judge the Government on its performance and to objectively evaluate the proposals of the PAM. He frankly acknowledged the problems the community has had with the PAM in the past but asked that the perfidy of the current office holders be honestly considered also. He encouraged the crowd to vote on the issues not on Party loyalty. He focused on the living standards of those on the lowest pay scales and asked them to question why they had it so hard when the Prime Minister and other high officials live high on the hog.
Mr. Lindsay Grant, Political Leader, wrapped up the night with an appeal to the crowd to let bygones be bygones and vote on the issues. His was a passionate discussion of the plight of workers in these hard economic times caused by Labour Administration mis rule and huge national debt. He encouraged the crowd to ignore the call to march on Labour Day because they had nothing to march for and to send a message to the Government that enough was enough. He pledged the support of the PAM for the civil servants, police and non established workers and thanked the crowd for listening and supporting the meeting.
This was probably the best meeting in the series and in St. Pauls and portends the hoped for change in Government that is so necessary for this country to get back on its feet. The crowd was combative and confrontational as usual but mostly listened receptively and stayed to the end.
