The court sent an ex-schoolmaster to gaol for the possession of instruments to make $5 bank notes and former heavyweight boxer Jack Dempsey warned of boxing's demise unless America cleaned up corruption in the spots.These are the headlines that first grabbed my attention as I sat one quiet afternoon in the National Archives, where I flipped through the newspapers for the month of June in 1937. My daughter, Ijanaya, had asked me to go with her to do some research on the labour riots of June 19, 1937 for a project she was working on at the time.We both marvelled at the high level of vocabulary in those newspaper stories and the attention to description, not unexpected in an era when there were no visual media to capture the images that we take for granted these days.
Flipping through other Guardian newspapers for that month, I realised that as June rolled around, there seemed to be little if any indication of trouble brewing anywhere in the country.In many ways, T&T seemed to be seeped in a bucolic state of hope. Talk of converting the old leper settlement lands along the train lines in Cocorite to farm land that could be used as a temporary camp for people cured of leprosy had made the news. The idea was to offer these semi-outcasts a home so that they could raise livestock and sell milk to the leper colony in Chacachacare.Stories on air travel soared. That month, Germany and France had decided to start air service to the Caribbean. Barbados purchased land for a landing strip for planes.
The future of the colonial empire depended on air travel and the newspapers printed predictions: "An ampler and more stimulating air will blow through the West Indies, but unlike the local hurricanes it will be constructive rather than destructive."England featured heavily in the headlines–especially when it came to finding better ways to consolidate its West Indies empire."Isolated from each other by vast areas of sea and having little and irregular commerce, all these communities suffer severely from parochialism or 'island mentality,'" colonial representatives lamented."Is your pronunciation correct?" was the Talk of Trinidad. This included talk of whether "to throw a party" could be considered slang or proper English.Ijanaya noted that it was difficult to find a picture in the newspaper that featured someone who was not white. Pictures of an all-white dinner for tennis players and farewell luncheons for those returning to England monopolised newspaper photos. Passenger lists of expatriates heading back to England figured prominently on the society pages.
In the month of June, I noted two pictures of "Africans": one of members of an African delegation in their native dress attending a function in England, and a headshot of a West Indian robbed in Harlem. America's "red-skin" (Amerindian) polo team had its picture in the newspaper. If there were more, I didn't notice them.In true Hollywood style, the June 8, 1937 newspaper reported the death of actress Jean Harlow, an eclipse of the sun and a story of Amelia Earhart crossing the Atlantic. We saw news from India as well as news from China.One news report said women prisoners suffered more than males in the Royal Gaol. The journalist noted there was no separate entrance for women being processed in the gaol.Suggestions surfaced about sewing, embroidering and handicraft classes for women who would be in prison for many years.
"In other colonies (this) has made all the difference between the period of sentence being a time of stagnation and paralysis or the growth of a new life," one newspaper article reported. Government considered using young offenders in agriculture.Cells were described as too dark and too small and it was suggested that 20 habitual prisoners in self-contained sections should be moved to Carrera, which was described as a model prison, the best in the entire West Indies. Colonial representatives sang the praises of Carrera because it was not based on the European model of a closed prison. Crime stories included a three-year sentence of hard labour for a man who stole two yard fowls. He was described as a "short, strong-looking, dark, young man." The two hens he stole had been valued at $1.60 apiece. The young man had no counsel. Petty crime could bring unbelievably harsh sentences. There was the distinct feeling that crime would not be tolerated.
George John, who would become an editor, reported the death of Llewellyn Woodman, one of the best fast bowlers in Trinidad. He died in St Joseph of a mapipire bite. Stories of cricketers dying of mapipire bites were not rare.Don't look for roti recipes or creole food. Readers relied on souffl� recipes and European dishes–not soul food.Rest assured, readers, help is on the way, the news stories reassured when news of the labour riots finally surfaced. There seemed to be no indication that the labour riots would go down as an important day in our history.