News from 1958

Some snippets from the Evening Post, Monday February 3rd 1958.The price for the paper, incidentally, was two-and-a-half old pence, that's the 12 pence equals one shilling pence! It's also interesting that the pages mix local and international news all together on the same page.

New reservoir
One of the headlines is entitled New Reservoir. The caption shows the site of a new reservoir for Jersey at Val de La Mare – “Work is now in progress for the foundations of the dam which will make this Reservoir the largest in the Ireland.”

Mystery Russian Cylinder
Meanwhile a container with scientific instruments enclosed, and attached to a parachute, was found on Mitcham Common in Surrey, and has been sent by the police to the meteorological office, Air Ministry, Harrow, Middlesex. The container had a flashing light on it and nearby was found a label with directions in four languages asking that if the cylinder was found it should be returned to the Soviet aeronautical Institute in Moscow.

Other headlines
The Queen Mother visits New Zealand. Guernsey raises the price of coal. Former German soldier allowed to buy property. The Unseen Mountains of Antarctica. Yawl Badly Damaged by Fire. Bubble Gum Machine Taken. St Brelade’s Fete gives £400 to charity.

Due to the poor quality of the microfiche, I am, alas, unable to make out more than the bare headlines.

U.S. Ready with Second Satellite
Observers outside the United States missile testing base have kept close watch today as a Vanguard missile standing fully assembled is ready to launch. It is thought that it may be the vehicle for a second American space satellite. 

Death of Miss Julia Marett.
We regret to record the death which occurred today at an advanced age at her house in Jersey of Miss Julia Mary Marett for many years a prominent and valued member of the Société Jersiaise. Miss Merritt was the daughter of Sir Robert Pipon Marett who also was attorney general and sister of the late Dr RR Marett at La Haule Manor who was rector of Exeter College Oxford and a famous anthropologist.

She had a distinguished career as headmistress at a girls school in England and on her retirement return to live in Jersey at La Haule Manor.

She had in a deep and abiding love for her native island and its history and devoted a good deal of her time over long period of years to the affairs of the Société Jersiaise of which she was past president and at the time of her death a vice president. She was made a Membre D’Honneur of the Société Jersiaise in 1954. 

Cyclist severely injured.
A woman thought to be a Mrs or Miss Gunner received a severe head injury, possibly a fracture of the skull, when she was knocked off her bicycle in David Place, near St Marks Church at about 2pm this afternoon.

It is thought that she swerved in front of an oncoming motorcycle to avoid a car door which had been opened as she passed. The car, a Ford Anglia, driven by Mr C A Raphael of St Lawrence had been travelling towards Bath Street. The motorcycle was written by Mr HC Bisson of Mont A L’abbe.

The injured woman was taken by ambulance to hospital. PC H Cole was sent to investigate. Centenier AT Knight also went to the scene.

Runaway car crashes into wall.
A car belonging to Mr RV Warren of 9 Bath Street was slightly damaged when, at about 3:30 yesterday afternoon, it slipped its brakes while parked at the top of Wellington Road, travelled about 100 yards and crashed into the wall at the entrance to De La Salle College.

The driverless car was seen by Mr RC Hodge of Friars Oak, Wellington Road and PC P Holt was sent from Police Headquarters, Rouge Bouillon, to investigate. When the handbrake was tested it was found to be efficient.

It is thought the brake might have been released by passerby - possibly a youth or child but no one was seen.

The matter was reported to Centenier HC Garden of St Saviour for further investigation.

Invisible, not at all wise, In light inaccessible hid from our eyes.

I’ve just been reading the following report from the JEP:

GRANTS to local charities are being funded from emergency reserves this year because the States are still in the process of reorganising how Channel Islands Lottery profits should be distributed.

A decision was made towards the end of last year by States officials to tender for the job of distributing CI Lottery money – a role that has traditionally been performed by the AJC – as part of a ‘long-stated aim to spread the benefits of Lottery funding across a wider section of the Jersey community’, a States press office spokeswoman said.

By tendering for a distributor, the States have said that it will be able to ensure fair, efficient and effective distribution of Lottery funds.

Where is the decision documented?

Firstly, a decision was made at the end of last year. We are now nearly six months down the line and clearly still without a tender being chosen. Did no one foresee it would take so long? Did the States have any contingency plans until a new tender was in place?

Actually the Gov.Je website says:

“In order to increase the public benefit from the Lottery, EDTSC is now taking action to widen the number of organisations which could potentially receive funding from it. An expression of interest exercise will be launched shortly to find partners who are able to distribute the proceeds among a wider number of organisations.”

And that is dated March 2019! A search on “tender” reveals many tendering projects but that is all that is available on this lottery tender. It is hardly surprising nothing has happened. But EDTSC (the extraordinarily long winded “Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture” should have planned for that.

The Public Lotteries report for 2018, presented to the States on 19th March 2019 by the Minister for Economic Development, Tourism, Sport and Culture might have conceivable been expected to show some indication of a decision to be taken, but none is apparent.

I cannot locate either a Ministerial decision on the Gov.Je website or anything on the Channel Island Tenders portal about this tender, either current or past.

Who was responsible?

Second, who actually has taken this decision?

I cannot locate either a Ministerial decision on the Gov.Je website or anything on the Channel Island Tenders portal about this tender, either current or past.

The JEP report says “by States officials”. Are States officials now making decisions like this? And if so, where are the tender documents? This seems to have come out of the ether, and as the consequences evidently indicate some kind of lack of foresight about transitional measures (which I thought would be common sense), who is responsible for this cock-up? And are they going to be held accountable?

What is the timetable for this?

The Gov.Je notice says:

“Once distributors are selected, legislation will be taken to the States of Jersey proposing the allocation of the Jersey proceeds from the Channel Islands Lottery in 2018.”

Has anyone a clue when this is likely to be? So far, all we have is an “an expression of interest exercise” which is mentioned, but doesn’t seem to appear anywhere, and that comes in March 2019. There is no news whatsoever on how long it will take to select distributors and this seems to be just as vague as knowing where we are with the hospital project.

 By Contrast: A Model Project

Meanwhile, I am glad to see that the new Les Quennevais School is proceeding on time. Rod Bryans came in as Education Minister, laid out a timetable for all the stages in the process – in the public domain, and the tendering process appeared on the gov.je website (Jersey Gazette) and on the e-Portal at www.tenders.gov.je. That’s a model of what should happen with States projects and sets a good baseline.

Postscript:

https://procontract.due-north.com/Advert?advertId=6086eb92-b24c-e911-80f3-005056b64545&p=59ed6324-03e4-e611-80da-005056b64545&fbclid=IwAR3QiwFIxm3_jSXnyXUZ4qS9UGdTjxMSKTCse8yCQPeDCNe6IByAPvO0vfM

I searched for "tender", whereas I should have searched on the Tender site for merely "expressions of interest". The document in question (link above) says:

The Channel Islands Lottery has generated millions for good causes, transforming the lives of thousands of people in Jersey. There is a long-stated aim to spread the benefits of Lottery funding across a wider section of the Jersey community. The Government proposes to change how Lottery funding is ...tary Groups.
Expressions of interest are sought from organisations interested in distributing the proceeds of the Channel Islands Lottery in Jersey adhering to the requirements above. 

To arrange an informal discussion about the opportunity please contact – Daniel De la Cour d.delacour@gov.je

It has an "expressions of interest window" - From 22/03/2019 14:55 to 12/04/2019

Given that it has not progressed further to a formal tender, over 2 months after the end of that window, I'd say it is a complete shambles.

Links
https://jerseyeveningpost.com/news/2019/06/17/emergency-reserves-being-used-to-pay-lottery-grants/

The Night Wanderer

A "mood" sonnet for today.

The Night Wanderer

The hoot of an owl in the dead of the night
Shadows of gravestones beneath a full moon
I walk in the strange land that borders fright
Fearful of spectres that might emerge soon

Grey fields and hedgerow beneath the moonlight
The flutter of wings as a bat catches prey
I walk in the borderland world of the night
The darkness so long before coming of day

Grey waves break on black rocks; it is a fine sight
The dark sands at midnight, all empty and bare
I walk on the promenade, past windows of light
Think of lost shipwrecks, and the spirits of air

I love the strange world of night, of the time of the dark
While most folk sleep soundly, until the singing of lark 

Islanders Health during the Occupation - Part 2

By way of something off the beaten track, here's the report on the health of the Islanders during the occupation, published in 1945, after the war had ended

Part 1 is here:

http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2019/05/islanders-health-during-occupation.html

MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH: ANNUAL REPORT FOR 1945. 

OVERDALE, LES VAUX, TUBERCULOSIS AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

For some years, the function of Overdale has been gradually changing. Opened primarily as an infectious disease hospital, it has gradually developed the side of its work dealing with tuberculosis until that has become by far its most important function.

During non-epidemic years, and fortunately 9 out of 10 years are non-epidemic, we can devote 45 beds to the treatment of tuberculosis in-patients. Owing to the urgent need of repairs and re-painting, this has been temporarily reduced to 22, but soon we hope to have all our wards open again.

The conditions for such patients are good, much better in fact than in many sanatoria in England.

The Out-patients' Department, originally started for the supervision of convalescents, and pneumo-horax refills, has developed into a T.B. clinic and dispensary. This department has a waiting room for patients, an office where all records and X-Ray films are kept together with all correspondence dealing with the patients, a treatment room for artificial pneumo-thorax refills, and an X-Ray room.

The Clinic is open on Mondays for men and on Saturdays for women. To it come all our old patients for re-examination and treatment, visitors requiring A.P. refills, and cases referred by local doctors for opinion and treatment if necessary.

We have an arrangement with the District Nurses whereby we can get reports on the patients' home conditions. We can also arrange for financial assistance where that is necessary. Contacts are also examined and photographs taken of their chests. The necessary bacteriological and other tests are also arranged with the aid of the Laboratory.

The X Ray plant at Overdale is used entirely for screening; all films are taken at the General Hospital. All treatment at Overdale is free. A. J.M.T. bus is under contract to take patients from the Parade, opposite the Laboratory, to Overdale at 9.15 a.m. on. Clinic days. This bus is free to patients.

When patients require special operative treatment not available on the Island, we procure beds for them in England and, where necessary, cover their expenses. During 1945, two patients were sent to England for thoracoplasty under this arrangement. We have been asked by the L.C.C. to put 5 beds at their disposal in Overdale for early cases. This has been agreed to, but we cannot start doing this until we have our full complement of beds.

The L.C.C. will pay for these patients and the money so received will cover the expenses of the patients we 

have to send to England for surgical treatment. It will also mean a periodical visit from a very highly qualified specialist who will be willing to advise us on the treatment of our cases where necessary, and help us to obtain beds for our surgical cases requiring thoracoplasty and similar operations. The arrangement should prove a great advantage to our local sufferers from T.B.

Everything possible has been done and will be done to make Overdale an up-to-date place for the treatment of T.B. The fact that the L.C.C. has asked us to place five beds at their disposal indicates what a high opinion their expert formed of the institution when he was here.

LES VAUX

During 1943, the diphtheria epidemic demanded all available beds in Overdale, thus reducing our accommodation for T.B. It was necessary to obtain other accommodation for these patients, so Les Vaux was opened as a temporary sanatorium.

It served its purpose very well and many patients were placed well on the way to recovery, whilst living under very pleasant conditions. It was an excellent place for T.B. children who rapidly recovered health and strength in its pleasant home-like surroundings.

I would have liked to have kept it going, but that was impossible, and it was closed down in September 1945. The accommodation at Les Vaux was increased by taking some of the hutments from the Chest Clinic at La Hougue Bie.

TUBERCULOSIS

The average for the fore-going five years was 1.3. the average for the ten years 1930-1939 was .88. During the five years whose rates have been given above, the death rate was 50% higher than during the previous ten years. It is curious that that the rate rose immediately, not slowly as one would expect with a slow moving disease like tuberculosis.

It is more curious still when we find that the rate for 1945 is per thousand, practically the average for the years 1930- 1939. a sudden fall in the year the Occupation ends. This is very odd, and no explanation. I can think of is very satisfactory. The rate for1945 may be a chance variation, the figures we work on are small. The difference between a rate of 1.3 and .88 is the difference indicated by a fall from 65 deaths to 44 on any given year and such variation might occur by chance. In that case we might expect a higher rate next year.

Another explanation is that normally a large percentage of our TB patients leave the Island for treatment and their deaths are recorded elsewhere.

This was impossible during the Occupation so the death rate rose, this custom was resumed as soon as we were released, and the rate fell.

The first part of this explanation seems feasible enough but it is hard to believe that many got away since V.E. Day as there is a great scarcity of beds for T.B. in England.

The Tuberculosis death rate from Pulmonary T.B. M 1945 was .77 per thousand, from other forms of T.B., .13 per thousand. All forms .9 per thousand.

Overdale admitted 41 cases of Pulmonary T.B., 2 cases of Spinal T.B., and one case of T.B. peritonitis. One case which proved not to be T.B. was sent to England as a possible cancer of the lung. 29 patients were discharged, 18 of whom were fit fear light work, and 11 unfit for work.

DIPTHERIA

In 1940 there were Amur cases of diphtheria, with no deaths. In 1941 there were no cases of diphtheria. In 1942, the disease was re-introduced from France by foreign workers brought here by the Army of Occupation. There were several cases amongst those workmen and amongst German Troops before any civilian cases occurred. By the end of 1942 there had been 66 cases, in 1943 there were 211 cases, in 1944, 46 cases, and 112 1945 a rise to 89 cases.

The total deaths 1942-1945 was 19. This gives a death rate to the end of 1941 of 4.6. The death rate has tended slightly downward since the end of 1944, probably due to the re-introduction of concentrated sera after V.E. Day, and better nutrition. The organism was of the mitis type.

Towards the end of 1942 there was a serious crisis in the supply of anti-toxin. The supply actually fell to a point when there was only enough left to treat 3 serious cases, and cases were arriving at the rate of five or six weekly. It came just in the nick of time, thanks to Dr. Le Saffre of St. Lo, the Pasteur Institute in Paris, and the International Red Cross. The serum so obtained was all of the unconcentrated type and the patients had very bad scrum rashes.

To treat a bad case often required the injection of 80 or more cubic centimetres of serum. We obtained from the Pasteur Institute large supplies of diphtheria prophylactic in the form of Anatoxin; with this we were able to immunise a large proportion of our children, and so brought the epidemic within manageable limits.

During 1945, Overdale admitted 10 cases of Scarlet Fever and three cases with a diagnosis of Scarlet which proved not to be Scarlet.

I must record my admiration for, and thanks to, the nursing and domestic staff at Overdale for their loyal and unremitting service during the Occupation.

Things at times were very difficult. The roof blew off one of the wards and fell in the football field during the big storm early in the Occupation. The Germans put guns in the grounds, and the firing of these guns brought down ceilings and frightened children.

Heating and cooking finally became almost impossible and I often saw pots of water boiling on improvised camp kitchens outside the wards in order that patients could be kept clean and have a hot drink. Through it all there was invariable cheerfulness and efficiency.

Freedom has brought staffing problems, repairs, repainting, and a drive to bring the place up-to-date, still everything goes along peacefully and the patients are well looked after.

I must also thank those who came to entertain the patients at Overdale and Les Vaux during the Occupation. Transport was difficult or non-existent, but still they came, bringing their instruments and props, and they gave the patients many a pleasant hour. The local broadcasting over the telephone service was a great help and did much to lighten the tedium of the Occupation combined with long periods of confinement to bed.

Trenton Square: the New Jersey Connection

Trenton Square 

There have been a few questions raised after the naming of Trenton Square in Jersey in the Jersey International Finance Centre, where a delegation from Trenton came over to officiate at the opening.

For those who don’t know, Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The city's mayor Reed Gusciora has come to the island for the ceremony, along with a delegation of politicians and senior officials. It is part of the government's plans to strengthen ties with the US state.

The name was suggested by St Helier Constable Simon Crowcroft who said:

"In 2014, I was asked by the Chief Minister to represent the island at the 350th anniversary of the founding of New Jersey. This is when it occurred to me that there would be merit in recognising the historic links between Jersey and New Jersey, by naming a square in each of the two capital towns."

"The significant contribution Jersey played in the foundation of the most densely populated state of America is not as well-known as it could be, and I am hopeful that this small step may lead to all kinds of beneficial links between our island and New Jersey in the future."

A Slavery Connection?

But Mike Dun in particular has commented that “Trenton Square in the Jersey International Finance centre was named after a successful New Jersey American slave trader.”

But as Tony Moretta points out, that is not the case. Trenton Square “was named after the City of Trenton, State Capital of New Jersey. That was named after William Trent, but if Trenton (with a 75% Black & Hispanic population) doesn’t have a problem with the name of their City I don’t see why anyone in Jersey should.”

Indeed, as can be seen from the photo below, the Trent City Council President is a black lady.

If Mike Dun had bothered to read "The Trentorian", he would have seen that indeed the 75% Black & Hispanic population are well evidenced as city officials and politicians.

https://www.trentonian.com/news/amid-budget-suit-lt-gov-sheila-oliver-tells-trenton-council/article_e6865ea0-7358-11e9-85fe-470ad48e664d.html

Tony Moretta notes that Mike Dun’s criticism would be right “if it was named William Trent Square and they were putting up a statue of him you would be right. However it is named after a City not a person.”

Moreover, Tony Moretta raised this issue over the history of the name Trenton with the delegation who came over:

“I have actually asked them about it, thanks, while they were here and their view was it doesn’t come up and they have much bigger issues to focus on.”

Closer Links to Trenton, not William Trent!

In fact the key focus was on the closer links, and strengthening Jersey’s opportunities in the Digital Sector. As Tony Moretta explained:

“On May 8th, Mayor Reed Guscoria officially opened Trenton Square, the public realm that’s been created at the heart of the International Finance Centre on St Helier’s Esplanade. Since our meeting in Trenton as part of my US week, the size of the delegation visiting Jersey has increased in number. Meeting, face-to-face, with both the Mayor and a host of political and business representatives gave me the chance to showcase the good work that’s going on in Jersey, and means more of them want to see it for themselves.”

“They were wowed by our ultrafast fibre broadband network, by the way a well-regulated environment and a fleet-of-foot approach to getting things done attracted Binance – the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange – to the Island, and by our testbed proposition, SandBox Jersey, which offers up the Island as the perfectly placed location to trial new products and services.”

“I just know this is the start of a long and prosperous relationship for Jersey and New Jersey, and I am delighted that the delegation will be visiting Digital Jersey while they’re here to meet some of our tech industry players and hear more about the work we’re doing both here and around the world.”

The Austin, Texas Fiasco

Regarding the fact that the people of the City of Trenton have no problems with the name of their city it is worth noting that in 2018, newspapers reported that:

“The city of Austin, Texas, could be headed for a name change because of founder Stephen F. Austin’s pro-slavery stance, according to a report recently drafted by officials.”

“Austin, known as the “Father of Texas,” owned “a few slaves” in his lifetime and opposed efforts in Mexico to end slavery, according to author and historian Gregg Cantrell. In 1824, Austin defended the economic benefits of slavery, specifically for cotton. The city of Austin’s Equity Office published a report recommending street names to change since they honor figures who had ties to slavery, in addition to renaming the city itself.”

The city’s report noted that Austin is “not directly tied to the Confederacy and/or the Civil War” but argued that the existing name is “within the spirit of the resolution representing slavery, segregation, and/or racism.”

In the event, by August 2018 A change.org petition urging the city to return to its long-ago name of Waterloo has a whopping fifteen signatures at press time—and it was started in February 2018.

One of the best comments came from a young tourist:

“I think a lot of research needs to be done because even if you think back to, if you pick a name, there’s going to always be somebody who has had some type of blemishes in life. So you’ve got to be careful with that – making sure it is appropriate if you’re going to research that, because they might change the name to commemorate someone else and then you find something with that person so then you’re having to continuously change it”

And Walter L. Buenger, a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin, called the idea of changing Austin's name "far-fetched," and Gregg Cantrell, a Stephen Austin biographer and history professor at Texas Christian University, said the proposal wouldn't even make sense. Austin "didn't leave a paper trail" on whether he viewed African Americans as inferior to whites, Cantrell told the Post, but since he died three decades before the Civil War began, he wasn't a seditious figure like the Confederate generals and leaders whose monuments are being removed across the country. "Austin never had to make the choice Robert E. Lee made," Cantrell said. "We can't tar him with that particular brush."

In the event there was groundswell of opinion against the name change:

“The citywide outcry over the possibility mirrors what ABJ readers said in an online poll: 95 percent said city leaders shouldn’t give it serious thought as this story published.”

The Problematic Nature of City Names

Steve Chapman, writing in the Austin Tribune said that:

“If re-christening is obligatory there, signmakers are going to be working overtime across the country. The nation’s capital and dozens of other Washingtons were named for a slaveholder. So were Madison, Wis., and Jefferson City, Mo. Anything called “Columbus” or “Columbia” would need a replacement, given the fate of Native Americans once the explorer arrived.”

“And let’s not forget the big enchilada: America. Its name came from Amerigo Vespucci, who on one of his voyages to the New World captured a couple of hundred natives to sell as slaves.”

“Austin, like other cities, has an identity entirely separate from its namesake. As the report noted, ‘Where do we stop?’ is a reasonable question. I don’t know exactly the right place to stop, but the name of the city is way past it.”

References https://www.trentonian.com/news/amid-budget-suit-lt-gov-sheila-oliver-tells-trenton-council/article_e6865ea0-7358-11e9-85fe-470ad48e664d.html
https://www.gov.je/News/2019/Pages/TrentonSquare.aspx
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/stupid-bullsht-austin-texas-residents-and-tourists-oppose-renaming-city/
https://theweek.com/speedreads/846272/house-judiciary-committee-kicking-week-congressional-hearings-muellers-report
https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2018/08/01/letter-from-the-editor-ok-austin-talked-it-over.html
https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/steve-chapman/ct-perspec-chapman-austin-rename-slavery-confederate-statues-20180802-story.html

How Politicians Betray Referenda

It is worth perhaps noting that in the PPC Roadshow, or perhaps better named the Russell Labey Roadshow, the expenses to the taxpayer amount to £820 for the video produced to present it to the public, while meanwhile, the posters produced by the Parishes come out of the Constable’s Private Pockets.

Going back to the last referendum on the matter of the Constables, the  principal people working on the wording of text of the "Yes Campaign" were Steve Pallett, James Rondel and myself with additional input from Steve Luce and Juliette Gallichan but there was input from everyone. Amy Vatcher was also involved as a youth member with a friend of hers – it was not just “old fogies”! Steve Pallett was the main co-ordinator and did a huge amount of work  driving everything ahead  - finances, logistics of Parish Halls, speakers  etc

Everything went through the team for approval as well, which included the Constables but also other members of the team.  

The funding was raised purely from members and donors who supported the campaign, and there was not a high level of funding from any individual, or indeed in total. From memory, I don’t think the amount raised exceeded that of Russell’s video, but it came from lots of private supporters, not indirectly from the taxpayer as is the current case. Certain people have spread a myth that it has a huge amount of financial support, but it didn’t. It was just spread strategically, and indeed the website was set up my myself using a free website resource.

Mike Dun was perfectly capable of forming a team and has complained bitterly online that he had to go it alone. It was well known that Simon Crowcroft was in favour of No, so why on earth didn't he help the "No" team?  Why didn't Reform or the Reformist bunch support Mike at the time?

Meanwhile, there was some taxpayers money spent. The Yes and No Campaign each had a video message on Vote.Je, together with material in the online site and the paper document for all the election candidates, but this was distributed fairly.

As it can easily be seen, the Constables are not in favour of the current proposals, and Chris Taylor, who sits on PPC has indicated at the Parish Hall meeting there that he was not in favour, but I notice there is no evidence he was given any taxpayers money to run a campaign for a different point of view.

This is where it differs from the much more even handed A,B and C Referendum Campaign, where, whatever the merits of any point of view, it was not one sided. Even the last Referendum has two sides.

Russell back then was in favour of retaining the Senators, and actually backed the Option C – I remember him speaking at Les Quennevais meeting.

It is not the first time politicians have betrayed the result of a Referendum, as of course the original ABC result was ignored by the States of the time.

So I wondered if any of that was expressed in the Minutes of PPC, both discussing the proposals, the decision to take it to the Parishes, and the decision to spend money on a video. Unfortunately, the PPC Minutes online reveal no discussion of this whatsoever. So much for transparency! Indeed, if it were not for the FOI request, we would not even know that. The amounts may be small in the scale at which the States spends money, but the level of transparency is disquieting.

So why is there a campaign around the Parishes, when there is not going to be another Referendum on these proposals, and  the last Referendum in 2014 – only the election prior to the previous one, came out strongly in favour of retaining the Constables in the States?

According to Russell Labey, tthe referendum on Constables, taken in 2014, is now out of date.  It’s only two years before the UK one on Brexit, and the general consensus of opinion on that (insofar as such a thing is possible) is that either the referendum should stand, and be implemented (in some manner), or a second referendum should be held, because time has moved on an people have changed their minds. Yet Russell wants to discard one Referendum, and not have another one.

He argues that it has been superceded by the comments made by election observers. Furthermore the referendum was in any event undemocratic insofar that Mike Dun was the sole campaigner for the ‘No’ vote.

But as stated above, other people could have gone on Mike’s team, and didn’t, and perhaps they need to explain why. If someone doesn’t get enough supporters in an election campaign, does that invalidate votes? Moreover, Mike Dun had an equal platform on Vote.Je and in the Vote.JE election material.

And if the result has been superceded, then surely by the same logic as those proposing a second referendum, that should be the way forward? That it is not suggests he does not have the confidence that the people of Jersey will deliver the result he wants, the same reason that Sam Mezec withdrew his proposal for an elected speaker as soon as an amendment was passed for it to go to a Referendum.

I find it amazing, but not entirely unsurprising, that populist politicians who claim to speak for the people of Jersey nevertheless do not trust the people of Jersey to make the right decisions. In this case, fearful of the popular desire, a referendum is avoided at all costs. 

And this can also be seen in the fact that unlike in the UK, the States have persistently flinched from the notion that a Referendum should be binding, even if allowances are made for a minimum threshold of turnout. [The UK didn't have the Referendum as binding but honoured it as such].

Lastly, I would like to echo the words of Deputy Labey made when the ABC Referendum came before, and was rejected by the States:

"I, like other Members, am still quite embarrassed to be debating this proposition today in the middle of a recession when I feel that we really ought to be focusing our time, money and energies on jobs, economy and homes."

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose!


Postscript:
For arguments in retaining the Constables see
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2018/10/preserving-subsidiary-sovereignty-of.html

The Longest Day

The Longest Day

A break in the weather, and it began
The long awaited D-Day landings plan
Ships, air cover, landing craft, to beach
And there to fight, to make a breach
But they persevered, the invasion begun
By dawns early light, to the setting sun
Normandy sands, running red with blood
Machine guns, shells impact, endless thud
Relentless on and on in the day it went
And so many lives lost, so many spent
But they persevered, on that longest day
Little realising what others would say
So many years later, looking back in time
The photographs, tired faces, and the grime
Those who survived, battled scars memory
Those who perished that others be free
Thinking of the moment, the task to be done
Each sacrifice for the greater victory to be won
Troops on the beach, against fortress walls
The bugle sounds a note, the enemy falls
And Normandy taken, by hedgerow and field
But they persevered, they would not yield
In the aftermath, they counted the dead
When Germans troops surrendered or fled
The battle moved on, just birdsong to hear
And we mourn the dead, sacrifice dear
And silence came, where battle did rage
They shall not grow old, they shall not age
And the graves were set out, line after line
And of no greater love, surely the sign.

Holidaying in Jersey 1952

A nice piece from "Motor Cycle Magazine", 1952, although unless the Island has shrunk, they've got the area too large!

At the time exchange control rules for foreign currencies were in place. A basic allowance for personal travel abroad was introduced in November 1945, of £100 per year for each adult and £50 for a child. This allowance was altered with the balance of payments situation (in 1952, for example, the allowance for an adult was only £25 as described below and, indeed, from October 1947 to May 1948 it was withdrawn entirely), until the restrictions on spending for personal travel were removed in 1959.

Holidaying in Jersey
Charles Stuart describes some of the attractions of the Channel Islands

Limitation of the foreign travel allowance to the derisory figure of £25 must direct attention to the limited number of places within ‘easy reach where Continental amenities and atmosphere can still be enjoyed. The Channel Islands spring naturally to mind, and the largest of these, Jersey, is the one most likely to be favoured. Motorists who have once visited the “Pearl of the Channel” do not hesitate to make a return trip; this article is for the eye of those who may think Jersey’s 60 square miles hardly enough to merit serious consideration.

In spite of its diminutive size, Jersey has more miles of good motoring highways than any comparable place in the world, and offers scenery as rich and varied as the most exacting could desire. Scenery implies bills, but since the elevation is nowhere in excess of 450 feet, gradients are easy and lovely winding lanes offer an ever changing vista of hill and dale, tree and sky, cliff and sea. France is a bare dozen miles away; the other islands are within easy reach.

St. Helier, the capital, with its busy harbour, continental streets and wonderful shops displaying goods in a profusion, variety and style unknown in Britain since 1939, is well worth a visit. Cigarettes are 1s 6d for 20 and incidentals are cheap and plentiful. 

Norman French Answer

With the familiar rule of the road and numerous traffic officers in the busy, narrow streets, the motor cyclist is free to concentrate on finding his way. This is where the fun begins. The Jersiaise practically live in their cars—there is one to about every four people—using than for almost every purpose except going to bed; so they know every stick and stone in the island; hence signs and directions are not necessary. But the outlook of these amazingly kind, helpful folk is insular, and they fail to appreciate that strangers may lack local knowledge.

Roads obviously lead somewhere, but the almost entire absence of indications of either place or district is apt to be puzzling. In the remoter districts it is even—money betting that the wayfarer one hopefully accosts is as ignorant as oneself; or he may answer in a Norman French patois.

However, it all adds to the fun and a careful study of the map is a very necessary precaution. Not that this is a simple matter. The latest Ordnance Survey is nearly 20 years old, and though, of course, it is nice to know where the railways and other vanished objects once reposed, it hardly solves present day problems. Be wary, too, of the ‘tradesmen’s gift maps. In all probability the information has varied little since 1851, or 1066 for that matter; alteration of the date does not affect the hoary contents.

The map issued by the A.A. is the only one in which are shown such vital items as one-way streets and where the 15 m.p.h. speed limits are operative. Minor roads are protected by yellow lines at all intersections; to ignore them is to commit an “infraction du reglement”-— a much nicer phrase than breaking the law.

It is advisable to purchase the local evening paper, the only channel for the proclamation of official notices; it gives the lighting up time in “Greenwich mean,” but omits to mention the local variation of some 15 minutes!

Justice is swift, though dispensed with a minimum of inconvenience should one be unfortunate enough to strike trouble. Curiously, the paid police have no power to charge offenders; a voluntary official—a Centenier—has to be fetched for that purpose; he directs one to appear before the local Constable, i.e., the Mayor. A recent experience of the writer's may be apposite. It was a case of a minor collision. Said the Beak: “Hm! Not much to make a fuss about. You don’t fuss, they don't fuss. Why should I? Goodbye and God bless.”

English, and particularly London, riders should feel quite at home roaming from Cheapside to Charing Cross via the New Cut to Vauxhall, Victoria and Waterloo Streets, but would be unwise to look for Don Road in the vicinity of Don Street, or to imagine Elizabeth Castle, Street or Place are in any way adjacent.

They should be intrigued to find that the English names of some streets have a French equivalent, and puzzled why the French equivalent of Church Street is Rue Trouvée Carillon, until told that in olden days ladies used to make a liberal display of petticoats to step over an open drain. The alias of Castle Street, La Perquage, implies an old right of way. And. so on. Nobody recognizes Mont Cochon Road by its official label, “Route St. Jean 1839,” possibly because it has hardly had time to become acclimatized; and to look for a Pied at any lower level than half-way up a hill is a waste of time.

One can spend a pleasant morning searching for the Rue des Fosses a Mortier, which is off Rue de Franc Fief, which is off the Pont du Val, which is off the Ville des Quennevais; if you find any of them named, you’ll be lucky! But it's worth the effort, and a Jersey driving licence costs only half a crown.

The island is a paradise for motor cycles. The Bouley Bay hill-climb tests are famous; the gorgeous expanse of hard sands at St. Ouen’s offers unlimited scope for speed trials. The climate is as delightful as the people, and the general level of courtesy, especially in the shops, approaches a very high standard.

On a holiday spent out of England, one expects something different; in Jersey, there is little to criticize and a very great deal to praise. There are no troublesome passport or currency regulations. The language difficulty does not arise. Yes, it’s a very pleasant place for a holiday. Few there are who do not holiday there again. 

The Nigerian Money Laundering Case

The Nigerian Money Laundering Case

Money to the value of £211,000,000 has been seized from a Jersey bank account that belonged to a former dictator. General Sani Abacha was a Nigerian army officer and de facto president between 1993 until his death in 1998.

He laundered money through the US into the Channel Islands and now that money has been recovered. The money was put in accounts held in Jersey by Doraville Properties Corporation, a British Virgin Islands company.

The money was stolen by two means: (1). A bogus “national security” funds disbursement of money from the government to private accounts (2) A debt buy back fraud in which the government debt was “bought out” at a significantly higher sum that should have been the case, and millions creamed off as a result.

Most accounts in the media are sketchy, but this chronology sets out in detail what happened.

Security Votes Fraud

The “Security Votes Fraud,” which began when, between January 1994 and June 1998, General Abacha, National Security Advisor Gwarzo, and others “stole more than $2 billion from Nigeria by fraudulently and falsely representing that the funds were to be used for national security purposes.”

The theft of funds was allegedly committed by General Abacha and Gwarzo when they “executed false national security letters [referred to as “security votes letters”] directing the withdrawal of funds from the Central Bank of Nigeria.”

General Abacha “endorsed each letter with his signature” to approve the disbursements. Over sixty such endorsed security votes letters were sent to the Central Bank of Nigeria in Abuja, Nigeria, where the bank disbursed the funds as requested in each letter, “in cash or traveler’s checks, or through wire transfers.”

Instead of using the funds for national security purposes, “the stolen money was transported out of Nigeria and deposited into accounts controlled by General Abacha’s associates, including his son Mohammed Abacha and Bagudu.”

After General Abacha’s death, Nigeria established a Special Investigation Panel, “which found that General Abacha and his coconspirators had used the false security votes letters to steal and defraud more than $2 billion in public funds, including: (1) at least $1.1 billion and £413 million pounds sterling (GBP) in cash; (2) at least $50,456,450 and £3,500,000 GBP in traveler’s checks; and (3) at least $386,290,169 through wire transfers.”

“In order to move the money overseas,” Bagudu deposited the money, which he referred to as his “‘cash swaps,’” in two local Nigerian banks, and then he “and/or Mohammed Abacha” instructed those banks to transfer the funds to accounts overseas owned by Mohammed Abacha and Bagudu. At least $137 million” of these funds were “transported into and out of the United States.”

In 2001, $1.3 billion (£835 million) in funds linked to Abacha had passed through accounts at no fewer than 23 UK-based banks between 1996 and 2000. These included Barclays, which alone handled $170m, HSBC and NatWest, as well as Citibank.

Of these 23 banks, furthermore, 15 suffered from 'significant' weaknesses in their anti-money laundering controls, the City watchdog said. Some had failed to identify the ownership of offshore companies, others had not reported suspicious transactions to the authorities.

Debt Buy-Back Fraud

The second scheme, referred to as the “Debt Buy-Back Fraud,” began in 1996, when Bagudu and others arranged for the Nigerian government, with General Abacha’s approval, to repurchase its own debt from Mecosta—a company owned by Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha—at a price significantly higher than what Nigeria would have paid on the open market. General Abacha “personally approved” Nigeria’s purchase of the debt, “even though Nigeria would have saved hundreds of millions of dollars by buying the debt on the open market”.

Proceeds from the Debt Buy-Back scheme were wired from Nigeria, through New York, to corporate accounts at Goldman Sachs in Zurich, Switzerland controlled by Mohammed Abacha and Bagudu.

Shortly thereafter, “officials at Goldman Sachs informed Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha that the bank was ending their relationship over concerns about the source of the money.” As a result, Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha moved the funds from the account at Goldman Sachs to an account for Mecosta at Banque Baring Brothers in Geneva, Switzerland.

Officials at Banque Baring Brothers then “informed Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha that the bank was terminating its relationship with Mecosta over false representations made by Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha about the source of their money.” “Bagudu and Mohammed had falsely represented . . . that the funds came from the oil and gas industry.”

Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha then moved the money from Banque Baring Brothers to an account for Mecosta at Deutsche Bank International in Jersey, which “relied on false representations of Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha and false documents purportedly showing legitimate sources of the Mecosta money.” “For example, Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha represented to DBIL that the Mecosta funds were the proceeds of oil, construction, and energy trading.”

The proceeds of these schemes and other criminal activity were used to purchase US dollar denominated Nigerian Par Bonds paid through New York and guaranteed by the US, on which very substantial sums of interest were earned. The interest and proceeds of sale of the Nigerian Par Bonds were paid into the accounts of corporate entities registered in the BVI of which a company named Doraville was one. Doraville itself was incorporated on 2nd July, 1997.

At the time other banks were cutting their ties with the Nigerian regime because of allegations of corruption, but Deutsche Bank International was deceived by false documents and false representations as to the source of the money, namely that it was the proceeds of oil, construction and energy.

Bagudu is arrested

On 18th May, 2003, Abubakar Bagudu was arrested in Houston, Texas on warrants issued by Jersey. He subsequently entered into an agreement with Nigeria and Jersey to return more than $163M of Doraville’s assets to the Nigerian government, in exchange for Jersey’s withdrawal of its extradition request and the requirement for his return to Nigeria for possible prosecution. He transferred $163M from the Bank Account to Nigeria which, according to him, represented his half of the assets of Doraville, the inference being that the remaining half were the assets of Mohammed Sani Abacha

Doraville accounts are frozen

On 25th February, 2014, and on the application of the Attorney General, the Court imposed a property restraint order over the recoverable property of General Abacha’s son, Mohammed Sani Abacha, and specifically over the bank account of Doraville at Deutsche Bank International in Jersey, and this pursuant to Article 6(3) of the Civil Asset Recovery (International Co-operation)(Jersey) Law 2007 (“the 2007 Law”), the effect of which was to vest the funds within the bank account in the Viscount (Article 7(1) of the 2007 Law) who has taken possession of those funds.

This was the first occasion on which the Court has been asked to construe the 2007 Law, which apparently has no direct equivalent in any other jurisdiction. It is described under its heading as a law “to enable Jersey to co-operate with other countries in external civil asset recovery proceedings and investigations and for related purposes.” An “ ‘external civil asset recovery order’ means an order or other judicial authority, that (a) is made, other than in the course of criminal proceedings, by an external decision-making body in a country or territory outside Jersey; and (b) specifies that property specified in the order is tainted property, or specifies an amount of money to be money to be forfeited or recovered in lieu of tainted property.”

The Doraville Legal Challenge

Attorney General Robert MacRae said: ‘In restraining the funds at the request of the United States of America, through whose banking system the funds were laundered prior to arriving here, and in achieving the payment of the bulk of the funds into the Civil Asset Recovery Fund, Jersey has once again demonstrated its commitment to tackling international financial crime and money laundering.’ In 2014, at the request of the US authorities, the Island’s Attorney General applied for, and the Royal Court granted, a restraining order over the Jersey bank account balance of Doraville. The purpose of the restraining order was to preserve the money until a final civil asset recovery order could be registered in the Royal Court.

Doraville applied to the Royal Court for the restraint order to be discharged.  Doraville’s lawyers argued that because the US had obtained the American judgment after Doraville failed to defend the action in Washington, there could be no basis in Jersey law to hold that the funds had been found to be criminally derived for the purposes of Jersey law. They also argued that affidavit evidence relied on by Federal prosecutors demonstrated that most of the money was clean. On both bases they argued that the restraint order should be quashed, but the Royal Court dismissed the application in 2016.

Then in 2017, Doraville challenged the Royal Court’s decision, taking the case to Jersey’s Court of Appeal. That challenge was again rejected. Finally, following the decision of Jersey’s Court of Appeal, Doraville made an application to appeal against the restraint order before the Privy Council – Jersey’s ultimate appellate court.

In February 2018 the Privy Council announced its rejection of this final legal challenge. Last week, Solicitor General Mark Temple gave a presentation in Vienna, Austria, about Doraville at a UN conference on corruption. He said: ‘The conference of the States Parties to the United Nations convention against corruption is an important international forum concerned with anti-corruption measures and asset returns. ‘The conference was a good opportunity to demonstrate progress with the Doraville case, as well as Jersey’s determination to deal with international financial crime more generally.’

And in conclusion....

Jersey has demonstrated that it can no longer be a safe place for "tainted money" which has been laundered and which comes from criminal activity. But a number of banks, along the way, including Deutsche Bank International in Jersey, as well as banks in the USA, France, Switzerland and elsewhere evidently did not conduct as much investigation into the source of the funding as they should. 

Only two banks are noted for closing the accounts, namely Goldman Sachs and Banque Baring Brothers, but it is not clear whether they also filed any suspicious activity report (SAR) wioth any regulators.

Speaking of regulators, BVI seems to have a rather lax attitude to beneficial ownership, as the main company in question, was formed there.

A look back at 1958

A look back at 1958

A look back at Thursday February 6th 1958.

In local news...
Pay Rise for Milkmen and Grocery Workers

There was a pay rise for milkman and grocery workers and a shorter working week. For working on New Year's Day milk rounds man in Jersey will receive extra pay. This is included in one of the new agreements under which workers in several more trades in the Island have been granted a 5 shilling wage increase and improved working conditions.

The agreements negotiated between the Federation of Jersey employers and the Transport and General Workers Union are backdated to the 1st of January 1958.

In the dairy trade the increase for male adult workers will bring their rate to 7 pounds 16 shillings for a 48-hour week. New Year's Day, like other bank holidays already recognised, will be paid at time and a half.

The increase for workers in the grocery and provision trade is also of 7 shillings 6 pence bringing the rate for adult male workers to 7 pounds 13 shillings and 9 pence per week

The average working week is reduced from 48 to 46 hours - employers having the option of a 40 hour week during the summer months with a reduction to 44 hours for the remainder of the year.

The maximum rate for drivers in this trade will now be paid at the age of 21 and not at 24 as in the past.

Elderly Woman Knocked Over by Car

An elderly woman was slightly injured yesterday afternoon when it is stated she stepped from the pavement at the corner of Queen Street and Halkett Place into the path of a car by which she was knocked over.

The woman, Mrs M. Temple of Glenwood, Close du Clement, St Peter, suffered bruising to the lower part of her right leg and a sprained wrist. The car concerned was driven by a Mr B Buard of St. Saviour who, at Mrs Temple’s request, afterwards drove her to the JMT Terminus, Caledonia place, for her to return home by bus.

PC E Lidster investigated.

Inquest on for former Nigerian Official

The inquest on 87 year old Mr George Frederick Price, a retired treasurer of the Nigerian government, who fell in his bedroom at his home the Sheilling, St Aubin in the early hours of the morning of 25th January and who died at the general hospital last Monday evening was adjourned.

And in world news...

Britain in good heart. The Prime Minister Mr Harold Macmillan told Australian industrial leaders here today that sterling was strong and British industry in good heart. And he urged them to make conditions in Australia attractive for British Investments.

Wellington

Sir Edmund Hillary stood by today at Scott Base McMurdo Sound to fly to Depot 700 where Dr Vivian Fuchs trans-Antarctic party were expected to arrive at around 12 on their way from the South Pole. Hillary will accompany Dr Fuchs’ party on the final 700 mile journey from Depot 700 to Scott Base.

Ascension Day

I wanted to write something which was more mystical than literal, and looked at the theme of ascending, and what it means existentially. This is a rondelle on that theme.

Ascension Day

Like an eagle upwards, ever fly
I’m rising with a beat of wings
My spirit soars, and soul sings
Stars are fading in a dawn sky

Dawn chorus, a birdsong cry
I awake, and my soul sings
Like an eagle upwards, ever fly
I’m rising with a beat of wings

Fog creeps in, covers my eye
In mournful note, a bell rings
But I hear water, living springs
Joy ascends, with winged cry
Like an eagle upwards, ever fly
I’m rising with a beat of wings

The Jersey Blue Cross 1939 - Part 2

I happened across this copy of the "Official Magazine of the JSPCA" entitled "The Jersey Blue Cross", which dates from March 1939 and shows how long the JSPCA has been helping animals in Jersey.


This is also an opportunity to donate, and please consider either membership or a donation, either one off or monthly to help the work of the organisation. Please enjoy reading this and do consider donating in one way or another.
https://jspca.org.je/donations/

The Jersey Blue Cross Magazine
March 1939
Official Magazine of the JSPCA

Sir Robert Gower receives the key
of the new hospital

IMPRESSIONS OF MY FIRST VISIT TO JERSEY
By SIR ROBERT GOWER, K.C.V.O., M.P.

I HAVE nothing but praise for the splendid work which is being carried on in Jersey on behalf of the Animal Welfare Cause.

On my arrival at St. Helier I received a very warm and hearty welcome from the Officials of the Jersey Society, and subsequently was entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Coutanche at their beautiful home, the view from which surpasses description. 

I subsequently had the privilege of performing the Opening Ceremony of the Dogs' Hospital, and I desire to congratulate Mr. Stephens, the indefatigable Manager of the Jersey Society, on the excellent arrangements he had made for this function.

Nurse C Brown admistering radio heat treatment

I was very pleasurably surprised when visiting the Animals' Shelter, including as it does the new Dogs' Home, and although, since I have had the honour to be Chairman of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, I have inspected many similar establishments, I must admit that I have never before visited a finer or better equipped Institution. I was particularly impressed by the arrangements for lighting and heating the Dogs' Hospital, and the department for electrical and radiant heat treatment which I saw. The Officials of the Home appeared to me to regard their work as a labour of love. I most sincerely felicitate the ,Jersey Society on the success which has attended its efforts.

Following the opening of the Dogs' Hospital, it gave me very great pleasure indeed to attend a tea party at the Pomme d'Or Hotel, and to request His Excellency, the Lieutenant-Governor, who graced the Opening Ceremony with his presence, to formally present to Mr. H. E. Stephens the Society's Bronze Medal in recognition of the splendid and devoted work for animals which he has done.

I would like particularly to thank Mr. Coutanche the Bailiff of the Island, for the too flattering observations which he made with regard to me in his speech after the tea.

I was very pleased to witness the enthusiastic way in which Mr. and Mrs. Coutanche are supporting the work of the Society. It must be a source of great encouragement to the Animal Workers to feel that they have the support of the chief citizens of the Island.

I also had the privilege of inspecting the State Abattoir, where I had the pleasure of meeting several members of the Island's Legislative Assembly. I have no hesitation in describing this Abattoir as being of a model nature, and I desire to congratulate the State Committee which is responsible for its management, as also the Inspector, Mr. H. Gaudin, on the efficient way in which it is conducted. Here again, although I have inspected many Abattoirs both in England and France, I have not visited one which is better equipped or more efficiently conducted.

I cannot refrain from recording the great pleasure it gave me to inspect the famous herds of Jersey cattle belonging respectively to Mr, J. A. Perree and Mr. Carlyle le Gallais. What particularly struck me was the very friendly and almost doglike attitude shown by the cattle, not only to towards those who looked after them, but to me " a strange visitor."

I desire to thank Mr. T. Le Q. Blampied, Mr. E. F. Guiton, and Mr. N. A. Allport for the kindness they showed to me during my visit 

It was with very great regret that my stay on the beautiful Island of Jersey was so short. The hospitality shown to me by Mr. and Mrs. Coutanche and Mr. Baal, and others, inspired in me a sense of gratitude.

 I hope to be able to visit the Island again in the near future and to have once more the pleasure of being conducted over Mont Orgeuil Castle by Major Rybot who, like myself, is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.

Whilst at Jersey I had an opportunity of attending a sitting of the Royal Court of the States of Jersey, and being myself a Chairman of a Court of Summary Jurisdiction in England, I was very favourably impressed by the manner in which justice was administered.

I left the Island feeling that it would be very difficult to improve upon the time honoured customs under which the Island is administered, and I was particularly gratified at the keenness and enthusiasm shown by everyone, with whom I came into touch, for the Animal Welfare Cause.

Quick Notes

We have noted through the medium of the English Kennel Club Calendar, just issued, that Mr. N. A. Allport, our Honorary Treasurer, has been elected a Member, Congratulations !

A Funding Money-Go-Round

A Funding Money-Go-Round

Deputy Morel asked:

As the cost of joining Liberation Square with Weighbridge Place for the Liberation 75 celebrations is now being borne by the States of Jersey Development Company rather the Growth, Housing and Environment Department, will the Minister advise the Assembly of any plans she has for the £2 million that had been allocated in the recent budget to the department for that same work?

The reply by Susie Pinel (Treasury Minister) notes that:

“One funding solution identified being an element of the return due from JDC.’s (States of Jersey Development Company) College Gardens housing scheme. This was identified as an appropriate route, with profits made by the States wholly-owned company being used to pay for improvements in public realm. Officers are finalising this proposal. 

She also adds that because of a more detailed “feasibility study” that:

“I understand from the Growth, Housing and Environment Department that the scheme is now likely to cost £3 million, not £2 million, and I await an explanation of the variations when I consider the recommendation of officers.”

Now the JDC’s College Garden Scheme was to have yielded a dividend to be returned to the States – the first in many years, I should note – as unlike Andium they seem to swallow up all their profits internally.

So what this means is that the income from a dividend to the States from the JDC’s College Gardens Scheme would be reduced by £3 million. 

Effectively, the States would be £3 million worse off, which is the same as if the JDC had given the full dividend, and the States had funded the £3 million!

Saying that the cost of such a scheme – now, thankfully on hold – would be “borne by the States of Jersey Development Company” is very misleading, because of the effect of this money-go-round!

Incidentally, the last Annual Review and Accounts for the JDC are only available to 2017!

Shroud

A poem from the "back catalogue" today. This was written in 22/07/2004. The illustration above is
by Salvador Dalí and entitled "Lazare, Veni Foras"

Shroud

I lie there, in the darkness of the mind
The future dims, and I feel so blind
Around me, enfolding, is a sheet of white
Tightly wrapped around with might
Holding me fast within its clammy grip
A shroud so strong, it will not rip
Despite my efforts to break this bond
There is no give, it will not respond
I let go, and fall into the deep abyss
The darkness closing inwards so amiss
And then the strands part, threads break
With screeching sound like a mandrake
Into dust, the shroud dissolves away
Leaving me free, loosed from its sway
To rise up, and see the dawning light
The new day will be so very bright.