A friend remembered
By: Will Johnson
When I visit the Island council meeting hall in St.Maarten it always amazes me that I have had a personal relationship with nearly all of the former Island Council Members whose photographs are on display there. From A. Th. Illidge to Milton Peters, Clem Labega, Jose Lake, Melford Hazel, Claude Wathey of course and nearly all the rest. As I continue with these articles and if time permits I will write about my personal experiences with most of them.
A few weeks ago Mr. Kenneth Cook visited me on Saba and we discussed his book. He is busy doing research for yet another one. I thought he had done a good job on those from St.Maarten. I only regret though that St.Maarten seems quick to forget that people like Matthew Levenstone and I were also movers and shakers in St.Maarten politics. In 1969 as a young man opposing the then almighty DP, and with the limited number of voters at the time, I pulled more votes on St.Maarten under great odds than many of the latter day politicians who think they have done plenty. In 1973 when there were many more voting districts, in every polling station I pulled votes. In all the elections in which I took part I got votes in every polling station in the Windward Islands.
One of the people I worked closely with was the late Vance James Jr. I had known Vance since he was a small boy. He was born on St.Maarten in 1949 of St.Kitts parents and if he had been granted the opportunity to lead St.Maarten for any length of time he would have strengthened St.Maarten’s position in the region. Regrettably he spent most of his political career in the opposition and did not get the opportunity to put his stamp on the government.
In 1978 when he founded the St.Maarten Patriotic Movement the Island Territory of the Windward Islands was one political unit. The following year he won two seats on the Island Council. The WIPM won all five seats on Saba and won three seats on St.Eustatius.
The SPM decided to join the WIPM in coalition. In the Island Council the three-party leaders, Ralph Berkel of St.Eustatius, Vance James and I chose to sit next to each other so as to be able to communicate while the meetings were going on.
There are many fond memories which I have of Vance. As Senator, years later, he and I had to travel often together. In that capacity too we formed a coalition. When the government fell in 1993, Vance, Senator Kenneth Van Putten and I formed a coalition to get Leo Chance in as Minister for the five months before the elections. We realized that there was insufficient time to have someone go there to learn how to be a Minister. The other parties were all scared of Chance and did everything to try and diminish his presence, but we insisted that we would not join the others if any restrictions were put on Chance. And so he went in with no restrictions placed on him. And he delivered. I got my license for the Medical School, and close to two million guilders to pay bills for health care and so on.
Vance will be remembered as a politician, but most of all for his 35 years of being an inspiration to those who followed his program ‘A Moment with The Master’. If he had only done that alone a book would have been written about him. All those years of getting up at 4 am and finding time to be on the radio for several hours giving messages of hope to those who listened to him, merits its own chapter in the history of these islands. All of his other activities in the Methodist Church are too much to recall in this article. His devotion to his wife Terry and their three sons is also noteworthy in these times of broken families and neglected children.
There are many things I could say about him. However I would like to publish here his first speech which he made on the floor of the Island Council on July 2nd, 1979.
The WIPM had four of the six Commissioners on the Executive Council and eight of the fifteen seats on the Island Council. With the SPM joining us we had ten of the fifteen seats.
In 1979 St.Maarten already had a population of fourteen thousand people and Saba and St.Eustatius together only had around three thousand. However Senator Claude Wathey liked to govern under those conditions. In 1975 the D.P. had ten seats and the WIPM only five, three on Saba and two on St.Eustatius.
Vance was the new kid on the block. The first two speakers were Mr. Ralph Berkel of St.Eustatius, then I.
Lt. Govenor Mr. Th. M. Pandt was under siege at the time and the coalition entered a motion in support of him.
After Ralph and I spoke Mr. Raymond S. Nicholson (D.P. St.Maarten) made some brief remarks. He said: “I had rather hoped that from the fore-gone speakers, I would have heard something about sincerity of purpose. However what I’ve heard mostly and particularly from the opening speaker, that drew a round of applause from the public (and as I look around in the public the majority is from St.Maarten), I hope they appreciate what has been said. Particularly to the members of this council, I hope they have analyzed what the opening speaker said. In effect what he said was: “my motive is selfish and revengeful and here I am expecting a population of two thousand to dominate over a population of fourteen thousand. I hope that has been understood.”
And so the tone was set for confrontation. He was also sending a message to young Vance to be careful with old political rats like Ralph and I. However as mentioned before the WIPM had a majority in both the Island Council and in the Executive Council and we did not intend to misuse it even though St.Maarten in the past had always used a divide and rule tactic between Saba and St.Eustatius. In 197l the WIPM also had a majority of eight on the Island council and four of the six in the Executive Council and we did not misuse it.
Here follows the first speech by Mr. Vance W. James in the Island Council of the Island Territory the Windward Islands.
“ Mr. Chairman,
It is for me a pleasure today to address this council as a representative of the people of the Windward Islands and in particular the people of St.Maarten. I was placed on this council by those persons supporting the SPM. The SPM, Mr. Chairman, takes its place in government at a time when our country, our territory the Windward Islands and our island St.Maarten are all faced with the challenge of change.
‘It is extremely clear, Mr. Chairman, that we are in for a period of considerable change. How far the changes go and the shape it takes, will be determined to a very large degree by the leadership given here in this council. It will be given by those of us elected by the people of this territory as their representatives. Important as well will be the attitude of the entire community. What are required now more than ever is strong leadership and a spirit of community cooperation. With weak leadership and a divided community we may well find ourselves in a position which in the future will take us a long time to recover from.
The years behind us Mr. Chairman are years in which no one can deny that much has been achieved and those who helped in bringing about those achievements. The years however that lie ahead are years that bring us challenges and bring us important changes in terms of development. Changes which must not be cosmetic but fundamental in their very nature. Changes which must give us and the people in our territory, a new direction.
Mr. Chairman, I would like to state very clearly that the SPM is determined in its efforts to assist in shaping our community for the future and in giving it a new direction. We are at a time when the competence of the administration is under attack. A time when we have lots of problems, in the fields of labour, health, education, housing, public welfare, land -use planning, economic growth. We often seem to lack the vision and dedication to diagnose our condition, come up with solutions and respond strongly to our problems. In the coming years, we must be aware that our problems will continue to increase and extend to all the conditions of modern life.
Mr. Chairman, the government of the Windward Islands must be equal to face the challenges that will face us. We have been ineffective in coping with present problems and will be inadequate in facing the escalation that lies ahead unless we have the courage to take a new direction.
There is Mr. Chairman, alternative courses of action open to us for this new direction and I would like to say that the SPM does not believe in over simplification but we must ensure firstly that we have functional government, not only in the Windward Islands but also in each of our islands.
We must ensure that as government of the Windward Islands, we have more local policy decision making and get effective management of our own affairs. We must develop pride in ourselves and in what we can and should strive to achieve as a people. We must and cannot wait for others to do our work for us. We must be aware that we have to do it ourselves. We must be aware that efforts to tidy up the present chaotic situation will not cure our chief illness, we must develop a complete sense for a new direction. The responsibility of each citizen to share, to participate and to carry out constructive endeavours, cannot be evaded. That responsibility bears most heavily on those of us in a position of trust given to us by our fellow citizens. The time is now when as leaders we must guide our community with understanding and cooperation. We must forget old differences. We must stop trying to intimidate people because of their political conviction. We must ensure that our people have the opportunity to work with the utmost dignity and respect. This Mr. Chairman is part of the new direction we must take as a country. We need not have fears about achieving a new direction when the goals are honesty, justice and the humane treatment of human beings. West Indian poet A.J. Seymour speaking on mass consciousness puts it this way.
They are all heroes
They make history
They are the power in the land
And the children grow
Force their way out of the slums
Into the professions and
Stand up in the Legislature
Today the hope but tomorrow
Belongs to the people.
Mr. Chairman, we need a new direction, politically, economically, socially. The people in the opinion of the SPM are ready. As leaders we must also be ready, realizing that the strength for the task is not our own but comes from above.
Another West Indian poet Clarke Mckay says the following which is a challenge to us as we move into a new direction:
We must strive on to gain the height
Although it may not be in sight
And yet perhaps the blessed right
Will never conquer in the fight
Still we will do.
Mr. Chairman, the time for strong leadership and a new direction is now. With the help of the Almighty and the cooperation of the members of this Council and the support of the people, the SPM will work towards this end. Thank you.”
Although we had a majority in both the Island and Executive Council, we could not use it. The DP controlled the Island Government of St.Maarten and the Territorial Government only had limited possibilities to interfere in the internal affairs of St.Maarten. However, we did provide the SPM with a forum to bring their points across. Budget meetings which formerly lasted an hour at best now dragged on for several days. Meetings were held on all three islands, were well attended and we were able to develop Saba and Statia by going directly to Holland for development aid.
The territorial government ceased to exist on April 1st, 1983. Mr. Vance James was at his best in the meetings of the Territorial council in the period of 1979 to 1983. For those who hold his memory in high esteem I would like to pay tribute to him in this fashion. Judge him by what his intentions were in 1979. If his advice had only been partially followed many of the problems which arose later on St. Maarten would have been avoided. May his memory live on through his speeches to the people he wanted only the best for.
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THE SABA ISLANDER 