Genesis of modern politics, 1931–54 British Honduras

1 genesis of modern politics, 1931–54

1.1 labour disturbances
1.2 independence movement
1.3 rise of pup

genesis of modern politics, 1931–54

destruction 1931 belize hurricane

the great depression shattered colony s economy, , unemployment increased rapidly. colonial report 1931 stated contracts purchase of mahogany , chicle, form mainstay of colony, practically ceased altogether, thereby throwing large number of woodcutters , chicle-gatherers out of work . on top of economic disaster, worst hurricane in country s recent history demolished belize town on 10 september 1931, killing more 1,000 people , destroying @ least three-quarters of housing. british relief response tardy , inadequate. british government seized opportunity impose tighter control on colony , endowed governor reserve powers, or power enact laws in emergency situations without consent of legislative council. legislative council resisted passed resolution agreeing give governor reserve powers obtain disaster aid. meanwhile, people in town making shelters out of wreckage of houses. economy continued decline in 1932 , 1933. total value of imports , exports in latter year little more one-fourth of had been in 1929.

the belize estate , produce company survived depression years because of special connections in british honduras , london. since 1875 various members of hoare family had been principal directors , maintained controlling interest in company. sir samuel hoare, shareholder , former director, former british cabinet member , friend of leo amery, british secretary of state colonies. in 1931, when company suffering aftereffects of hurricane , depression, family member oliver v.g. hoare contacted colonial office discuss possibility of selling company buyers in united states. british government rescued company granting area of virgin mahogany forest , loan of us$200,000 erect sawmill in belize town. when government doubled land tax, large landowners refused pay. government accepted virtually worthless land in lieu of taxes , in 1935 capitulated completely, reducing tax former rate , annulling landowners arrears making them retroactive 1931. small landowners had paid taxes, @ higher rate.

robert turton, creole millionaire made fortune chicle exports, defeated c.h. brown, expatriate manager of company, in first elections of legislative council seats in 1936. after elections, governor promptly appointed brown council, presumably maintain influence of had long been colony s chief business. brown s defeat turton, 1 of company s chief local business rivals, marked decline of old british enterprises in relation rising creole entrepreneurs united states commercial connections.

meanwhile, belize estate , produce company drove maya villagers homes in san jose , yalbac in northwest , treated workers in mahogany camps slaves. investigators of labour conditions in 1930s appalled discover workers received rations of inferior flour , mess pork , tickets exchanged @ commissaries, in lieu of cash wages. result, workers , families suffered malnutrition , continually in debt employers. law governing labour contracts, masters , servants act of 1883, made criminal offence labourer breach contract. offence punishable twenty-eight days of imprisonment hard labour. in 1931 governor, sir john burdon, rejected proposals legalise trade unions , introduce minimum wage , sickness insurance. conditions, aggravated rising unemployment , disastrous hurricane, responsible severe hardship among poor. poor responded in 1934 series of demonstrations, strikes, petitions, , riots marked beginning of modern politics , independence movement.

labour disturbances

riots, strikes, , rebellions had occurred before, during , after period of slavery, events of 1930s modern labour disturbances in sense gave rise organisations articulate industrial , political goals. group calling unemployed brigade marched through belize town on 14 february 1934, present demands governor , started broad movement. poor people, in desperation, turned governor, responded creating little relief work—stone-breaking us$0.10 day. governor offered daily ration of 2 kilograms of cooked rice @ prison gates. leaders of unemployed brigade gave hope of further action , resigned.

the unemployed, demanding cash dole, turned antonio soberanis gómez (1897–1975), denounced unemployed brigade s leaders cowards. said continue fighting cause , not afraid die. in famous quote, said, d rather dead hero living coward. @ meeting on 16 march 1934 took on movement, became labourers , unemployed association (lua) . next few weeks, soberanis , colleagues in lua attacked governor , officials, rich merchants, , belize estate , produce company @ biweekly meetings attended 600 800 people. workers demanded relief , minimum wage. couched demands in broad moral , political terms began define , develop new nationalistic , democratic political culture.

soberanis jailed under new sedition law in 1935. still, labour agitation achieved great deal. of immediate importance creation of relief work governor saw way avoid civil disturbances. workers built more 300 kilometres of roads. governor pressed semi-representative government. when new constitution passed in april 1935, included restrictive franchise demanded appointed majority of legislative council, had no interest in furthering democracy. high voter-eligibility standards property , income limited electorate wealthiest 2 percent of population. poor people, therefore, not vote; support members of creole middle classes opposed big-business candidates. citizens political party , lua endorsed robert turton , arthur balderamos, creole lawyer, formed chief opposition in new council of 1936. working-class agitation continued, , in 1939 6 seats on belize town board (the voting requirements allowed more representative electorate) went middle-class creoles appeared more sympathetic labour.

the greatest achievements of agitation of 1930s labour reforms passed between 1941 , 1943. trade unions legalised in 1941, laws did not require employers recognise these unions. furthermore, penal clauses of old masters , servants act rendered new rights ineffectual. employers among unofficial members @ legislative council defeated bill repeal these penal clauses in august 1941, employers , workers bill, passed on 27 april 1943, removed breach-of-labour-contract criminal code , enabled british honduras s infant trade unions pursue struggle improving labour conditions. general workers union (gwu), registered in 1943, expanded nationwide organisation , provided crucial support nationalist movement took off formation of people s united party (pup) in 1950. 1930s therefore crucible of modern belizean politics. decade during old phenomena of exploitative labour conditions , authoritarian colonial , industrial relations began give way new labour , political processes , institutions.

the same period saw expansion in voter eligibility. between 1939 , 1954, less 2 percent of population elected 6 members in legislative council of thirteen members. in 1945 822 voters registered in population of on 63,000. proportion of voters increased in 1945, partly because minimum age women voters reduced thirty twenty-one years. devaluation of british honduras dollar in 1949 reduced property , income voter-eligibility standards. finally, in 1954 british honduras achieved suffrage literate adults result of emerging independence movement. development prelude process of constitutional decolonisation.

independence movement

the origins of independence movement lay in 1930s , 1940s. 3 groups played important roles in colony s politics during period. 1 group consisted of working-class individuals , emphasised labour issues. group originated soberanis s lua between 1934 , 1937 , continued through gwu. second group, radical nationalist movement, emerged during world war ii. leaders came lua , local branch of marcus garvey s universal negro improvement association. group called variously british honduras independent labour party, people s republican party, , people s national committee. third group consisted of people such christian social action group (csag) engaged in electoral politics within narrow limits defined constitution , goals included natives first campaign , extension of franchise elect more representative government.

in 1947 group of graduates of elite catholic saint john s college formed csag , won control of belize city council. 1 member of group, george cadle price, topped polls in 1947 election when opposed immigration schemes , import controls , rode wave of feeling against british proposal federation of colonies in caribbean. price eclectic , pragmatic politician ideological position obscured under cloak of religious values , quotations. remained predominant politician in country 1950s until retirement in 1996. csag started newspaper, belize billboard edited philip goldson , leigh richardson.

the event precipitated price s political career , formation of pup, devaluation of british honduras dollar on 31 december 1949. in september 1949, british government devalued british pound sterling. in spite of repeated denials governor british honduras dollar devalued maintain old exchange rate british pound, devaluation nevertheless effected governor, using reserve powers in defiance of legislative council. governor s action angered nationalists because reflected limits of legislature , revealed extent of colonial administration s power. devaluation enraged labour because protected interests of big transnationals, such belize estate , produce company, trade in british pounds have suffered without devaluation while subjected british honduras s working class, experiencing widespread unemployment , poverty, higher prices goods—especially food—imported united states. devaluation united labour, nationalists, , creole middle classes in opposition colonial administration. on night governor declared devaluation, people s committee formed , nascent independence movement matured.

before end of january 1950, gwu , people s committee holding joint public meetings , discussing issues such devaluation, labour legislation, proposed west indies federation, , constitutional reform. gwu mass organisation of working people, success of independence movement have been impossible without support of union. in fact, gwu president, clifford betson 1 of original members of people s committee. on 28 april 1950, middle-class members of people s committee (formerly members of csag) took on leadership of union , gave betson dubious honorific title of patriarch of union . on 29 september 1950, people s committee dissolved , people s united party (pup) formed in place.

rise of pup

between 1950 , 1954, people s united party consolidated organisation, established popular base, , articulated primary demands. belize billboard editors philip goldson , leigh richardson prominent members of pup, , gave party full support through anti-colonial editorials. year later, george price, secretary of pup, became vice-president of gwu. political leaders took control of union use strength, , in turn union movement declined became increasingly dependent upon politicians in 1950s.

the pup concentrated on agitating constitutional reforms, including universal adult suffrage without literacy test, all- elected legislative council, executive council chosen leader of majority party in legislature, introduction of ministerial system, , abolition of governor s reserve powers. in short, pup pushed representative , responsible government. colonial administration, alarmed growing support pup, retaliated attacking 2 of party s chief public platforms. in july 1951, governor dissolved belize city council on pretext had shown disloyalty refusing display picture of king george vi. then, in october, governor charged belize billboard publishers , owners, including richardson , goldson, sedition. governor jailed them twelve months hard labour. after, pup leader john smith resigned because party not agree fly british flag @ public meetings. removal of 3 of 4 chief leaders blow party, events left price in powerful position. in 1952 comfortably topped polls in belize city council elections. within 2 years, despite persecution , division, pup had become powerful political force, , george price had become party s leader.

the colonial administration , national party, consisted of loyalist members of legislative council, portrayed pup pro-guatemalan , communist. leaders of pup, however, perceived british honduras belonging neither britain nor guatemala. governor , national party failed in attempts discredit pup on issue of contacts guatemala, ruled democratic, reformist government of president jacobo arbenz. when voters went polls on 28 april 1954, in first election under universal literate adult suffrage, main issue colonialism—a vote pup vote in favour of self-government. 70 percent of electorate voted. pup gained 66.3 percent of vote , won 8 of 9 elected seats in new legislative assembly. further constitutional reform unequivocally on agenda.