Article A52 · Book 1 · Loose insert
The Cedros Maco, Vol. II
[Page 1 — cover]
THE CEDROS MACO
Vol. II. Price ...25cts.
[Drawing: a big fish rearing over two small fish, beside the Cedros coast] "The day of big fish eating little fish finish".
12 FISHY QUESTIONS
1. You are hungry and you want a fish. Can you buy one in Cedros?
2. What prices do you pay for fish & shrimps in Cedros?
3. People in Port of Spain & San Fernando can sometimes buy fish at a cheaper price than in Cedros where it is all caught. Is this right?
4. Do fishermen have security for their boats & engines.?
5. Is their an ice plant in Cedros? Mind you this is the land of fishing.
6. Did you ever have to dump your fish in the sea because no-one wants to give you a good price?
7. THE SCALES...... Did you ever sell 100 lbs. of fish or shrimps to discover that you have sold only 50 lbs? [50 typed over 75]
8. Has the fishermen of Cedros been taken for a ride?
9. You have been fooled so often and you have been forced to accept it. Don't you think that a Co-operative effort will solve your problems once and for all?
10. Does a fisherman ever try to save his money or does he try to save it in a bottle of rum?
11. Why does our fishermen sell fish on the high seas and then say to his employer, "Master, it eh have no fish to-day, nuh"?
12. Have you ever realised that when there is a glut of fish, you have been getting next to nothing in price?
This is what you will read in your "Maco".
MacoVision..... page 2.
The day of liberation for the fisherman ... page 3. 4. 5.
Coming events...... page 5.
Oh those dreadful cakes ...page 6.
Boar rat-titude ..... page 6.
Anew "Mamaguy" column called ... ... E.. ras ...mus B. Black. (He ass mus be black) ....page 6.
Your Cedros crossword puzzle .... you can win $5.00 .... read the rules ...page 8.
R.O.Thackoorie, presents a masterly article ont the "Loss of the Cedros Hospital........page 8. [as printed]
Your editor speaks.....
Thanks for all your letters of praise. One or two did write some "bullology", but they are excused through ignorance of the facts.
In future all letters to the editor must carry your name otherwise it will find its way into the wastepaper basket.
We invite Icacos, Granville, Fullerton Coromandel, Chatham... to write articles for your paper. We want constructive stuff. Cedros needs your ideas. Don't be shy.
We will have to keep the price at 25 cts. for we have to buy everything... stencils, paper etc. HAPPY READING.
[Page 2]
MACO VISION
Dear Maco Fouchet [as printed]:
Boy, I eh go ask how ting going by you nuh because ah know everyting just groovy, as de Yankee does say. But if ah tell you how ting going by me, you go bawl.
Well you know we publish we paper de Wednesday before Christmas and it start to sell out like tickets for de King Curtis Show. But you know Cedros people. Is dis one len dat one, and dat one len de other one and so on. Anyway it wasn't bad, so let me get down to some scores before me space full up.
Boy, some ah dem taxi drivers bawling because de Action men and dey supporters decide dat dey eh travelling wid no taxi dat doesn't buy gas from Esso. But dey shouldn't vex because everybody have to live and is all for de good of Cedros.
Ay, ay, Christmas Sunday nearly had bloodshed yes. The Government decided to give out de Greenhill lands as ah Christmas present. If you see the kind ah people who get land - Head Master and Government workers and P.N.M. members and ting. And to make it worse, some people saying dat de kind ah people (race nuh) who got land eh know nothing about land. Some ah dem asking de action men what dey doing about it - when de action men did ask dem for support dey turn dey back - but now dey want help. Play wid dem.
Ah big papie say he aint giving the priest shrimps again because he (priest) join de Action Committee.
Boy, big ting in Cedros. People up an dong de road. Some people hire car an gone San Fernando. Anybody you ask "what going on" you getting de answer "Fr. Pascall get in ah accident, he hand break, he foot break and he bleeding through he nose, he mouth an he ears and he in Ward 7". Two days after you see Fr. Pascall driving his car and giving people right as usual. Five women faint when dey hear de rumour: Like this priest have plenty current yes!
Listen to what happen in Granville. Dem cricket boys does invite only girls to de party. As usual, dis year, ah hear dey invite ah set ah girls from a store in Point - not one girl come - good for dem.
You hear what happen in de party. Yes, four men and nineteen women and dey had dim, dim lights. Dey eh want to waste current nuh. Play with them sexy over-aged teenagers.
The rumshop man really stingy. We does buy so much rum and you know what we get for Christmas - ah nasty bottle ah Gold Coin Wine wid wood lice on de cork. We get so vex we drink it. All you hear about the proprietor who get sick. Dey say ah next proprietor work obeah on he because he getting all de sale.
You eh hear bout de books de American Senator sen we. Ah hear Chippy clear all he bedroom and ting and he even make he bed below de house to put dem big books - but ah funny ting happen, de local Senator take all de books and make a big library for heself in de house - poor Chippy - he cant even borrow he own brudder books now!!
De best of all - ah W.A.S.A. man who like to give hard up story and try and borrow people money and doh pay back, say he wanna buy 10 shares in de Co-operative - but he bold eh! Nutten fuh he - ah Right?
Ah better stop now yes, because last time all dem people say all kinda ting bout dis section, but I eh vex because if dey eh talk ah cyar write. So until.
I remain, Your macocious amigo, Maco Visor.
[Page 3]
The day of Liberation for the Fisherman
Sunday, 17th January, 1971, can be a memorable day in the history of Cedros. On that day, Cedrosians witnessed the inaugural meeting of the Cedros Fishermen's Co-operative. The "MACO" now presents a brief history of the FISHING INDUSTRY.
In the beginning, the main stay of the economy of Cedros was agriculture. After emancipation, most slaves and indentured labourers worked the coconut and cocoa estates, then Lanvieuse [word?] was the capital. Gradually the population drifted away from the estates into Bonasse, Fullerton and Icacos, and in addition to their work on the estates, the ambitious residents went fishing with small oar boats; but as fishing proved to be a profitable enterprise, many resigned their jobs and looked to the sea for their livelihood. Many invested their hard earned cash in the sea, and thence came bigger boats, engines and nets.
STAGNATION.
That was some seventy years ago, and we are still in the same position as our forefathers - no improvement. Our boats are still exposed to the fury of the sea. We still have to roll our boats on skids - a most tiring work after a hard day at sea. We have no cold storage facilities and hence must accept whatever price we are offered. It is most disheartening to reflect that places like Point Ligoure, Mayaro, and Sea Lots, which can no day together produce half the amount of fish that we produce, have such facilities!
These and the "doh-care" attitude of the fishermen have been the main reasons for the stagnation of the fishing industry, for throughout these years attempts have been made to form the fishermen into a cooperative, but the attempts have all been unsuccessful. When Father Pascall came, a CO-OPERATIVE was his advice to the fishermen. When the Venezuelans came for St. Peter's weekend, and all fishermen were gathered in the church, Dr. Elder advised them to form a cooperative, but apparently this advice fell on deaf ears. All this time, the fishing industry has been on the decline.
THE CEDROS FISHERMEN ASSOCIATION.
Among all these attempts, however, came one organisation on the scene, namely the Cedros Fishermen's Association, which lasted for a considerable time. It appeared as though the Association would better the position of the fishermen, but time has unfortunately proven otherwise.
AMIGOS, VAMOS A CAPURE, A PEDERNALES....TOQUILLA! BAILES! MUJERES!
But the Association must be complimented for the friendly relationship that has developed between the Venezuelans and Cedrosians, because of which friendship we can fish in their waters without any fear. The Association has made many good-will missions to Venezuela and on two occasions our steel band has travelled across the oceans to entertain the Venezuelans, who just love the steel band music. (One of the festivals was in honour of the great Liberator, Simon Bolivar, of whom the Venezuelans are justly proud; one can hear him spoken about in admiring terms. But more of Capure and the Venezuelans in our next edition).
The Venezuelans hold Cedrosians in high esteem and the treatment which we received down under attested to that. This is one relationship which the newly formed cooperative must maintain and develop if we are to maintain these unofficial fishing rights.
WHY THE ASSOCIATION FAILED.
Yet, even though the Association did so well in external affairs, it is at local level that it failed. The Association concentrated too much on the Venezuelan issue and shrimping, and paid no attention to the small fisherman, for while the shrimpers were enjoying fairly good monies, the small fisherman was daily becoming more frustrated because of poorer prices. Yet amidst this frustration, the cooperative idea was not given any serious consideration.
Another of the contributing factors was the breakdown in communication between executive and floor members. The latter knew very little of the affairs of the Association, how their money was spent or who controlled the Diesoline tank, they did not know. It may be true that the fishermen failed to turn up for meetings, but was a serious effort really made to get the fishermen together?
[Page 4]
Then finally, it is being rumoured that there has been embezzlement of funds. This we shall not investigate in this newspaper.
FORMING OF CO-OPERATIVE.
But the Association is a thing of the past. Owing to the hard work of Father Pascall, the C.Y.A.C. and Ramon Marks, we now have the Cedros Fishermen's Cooperative Ltd. This cooperative must be supported by all Cedrosians, for any one who attended Sunday's meeting would have realised that the Cooperative is not only concerned with fishing, but also with agriculture, education, sports, steel band etc., a whole scale development of Cedros. This is the answer.
If all goes well, the fishing complex should be completed before this year's end, providing the fishermen with all the most modern facilities. Among some of the specialists involved in this project are Dr. Desmond Ali, a senior biologist, connected with the U.N., Mr. Peter Roach, Commissioner of Cooperatives, Mr. Leo Chow, graduate chartered accountant from the University at Leeds.
It is high time that the fishing industry be organised and the survival of the fishing industry depends upon this cooperative. Can you imagine Cedros three years from now? Hotels and lovely parks, with monuments of Father Pascall and Ramon Marks shaking hands?
CO-OPERATION AND CO-OPERATIVES.
Since last October the C.Y.A.C. and fishermen of Cedros have been doing a lot of spadework with Mr. Ramon Marks from Esso in the formation of a cooperative. I know that most persons are ignorant of the meaning of the word cooperative and its function and it is very interesting to hear that we have taken the lead on co-operative year. In economics "co-operation" is essentially a method of business organization. Nevertheless it is also a social movement. Consequently in the commercial application of co-operation it has always been necessary to compromise between the emphasis and priority given to the economic and to the social objectives. Such objectives and the importance attached to them have varied widely throughout the history of the movement and in different parts of the world, reflecting the current problems, the needs and the traditions of the people. These differences have resulted in a great diversity of function, structure and philosophy among cooperatives organizations. This makes a definition of cooperative business a difficult task. However for purposes of convenience the definition will be made to include "a voluntary business organization owned and controlled primarily by its patrons, to whom any earnings of the enterprise are distributed in proportion to their individual patronage".
Why do cooperatives come into being? The cooperative had its origin in the felt need of individuals, a need that had to be filled. Low wages, high prices, poor quality goods, all arising from a situation where the political and social structure was such that businessmen were powerful enough to influence government, gave rise to consumer cooperatives being formed. Today cooperatives continue to arise because individuals feel the need to unite for their own benefit. This need can be detailed thus:-
(1) the need to stop exploitation by people controlling certain goods and services.
(2) the need to get rid of inefficient middlemen.
(3) the need to provide an essential function that is not being provided.
(4) the need to provide an essential function that can best be provided by their own management.
The reasons mentioned are plainly economic and the factors likely to make a cooperative successful can be divided mainly into four:-
(1) Economic
(2) Social
(3) Technological
(4) Legislative (Legal).
[Page 5]
Economic:
The basis of most co-operatives is economics. In setting up a cooperative certain definite considerations are necessary:-
(a) The Volume of Business: - It is important to determine how big the enterprise will be. Is it worthwhile? Will the amount of business repay costs in the short or long run?
(b) Initial Capital: - This is very important in poor areas. It will determine whether a cooperative can be set up at all or if it is going to be, how large it will be.
(c) Management: - Is it likely to be efficient from the material in hand. Many farming cooperatives never consider the management problem. This is a mistake. Very often co-operative continuity depends on proper management.
(d) The ability of would be co-operators: - Here education is important. Are they able to take on responsibilities? Can they keep the organization going?
(e) Capital for further expansion: - It may be that natural growth has to take place. On the other hand a cooperative may find itself faced with a situation where other entrepreneurs are attempting to put it out of business. Is capital available to meet competition if and when such situation arises?
Social:
Of importance here, among other things, is the tradition of the potential cooperative members. Do they have a tradition of cooperation or not? Another major consideration is the similarity of the people who are proposing to get together - economic, religious, racial, age and so on. To the extent that people are different in several ways there is difficulty in getting them together and having them out together for a prolonged period. Education is to some extent also involved here - the question of the people's knowledge, their capacity to get along together to submit to leadership, to choose leaders, and to voice opinions at appropriate times.
COMING EVENTS:
The following events to celebrate Carnival 1971 in Cedros will be sponsored by the Cedros Youth Action Committee:-
Friday 12th February - Preliminaries for the Calypso King Competition to be held at the Tivoli Cinema.
Wednesday 17th February - Finals of the Calypso King Competition and Carnival Queen also at the Tivoli Cinema.
Saturday 20th February - Kiddies Carnival - Tivoli Cinema at 2.00 p.m.
Special - Calypsomania at the Tivoli Cinema on Sunday 7th February at 10.00 a.m. Mighty Composer and Mighty Chalkdust in attendance together with local Cedros Calypsonians.
ANNOUNCEMENT: New Doctor in Cedros
Dr. F. JACOBS - Tuesday and Fridays 1.00 to 4.00 p.m. Bonasse Village.
[Handwritten across the foot of the page:] Fishermen's Meeting Sunday - Jan. 31st at 9.00 a.m. IN R.C. Church, Bonasse. Mr. Ramon Marks wants all to come.
[Page 6]
OH! Those Dreadful Cakes.
Maco has certainly made some startling discoveries over the Christmas holidays. They all concerned cakes:-
Like the wedding cake which was proudly displayed by being hung in the gallery of the newlyweds' home. Maco was in time to see - Poop! a piece of cake fell to the ground in front of the hungry dog which up to that time was looking quite longingly at it calmly put his right front foot before his eyes and turned his head away in disgust. Cake poopa!
And Maco went on Christmas Eve night to the home of a young and beautiful housewife and got a chance to investigate the proud boast of the husband that this woman could bake such a lovely cake. And friends as soon as the way was clear Maco opened the oven and spied a cake. This cake was bubbling like carbide on water. Maco smiled. A few minutes while they were all sitting in the living room came these sounds from the kitchen - Burrp..Burrp...Burrp...Boom! That was that - cake explode yes. Maco insists even now that gun powder and not baking powder was used.
Maco found on Xmas day at the home of an East Indian friend another species of cake. Slices of a cake were put at his disposal and after sampling this was his comment - "Big Xmas time all you having Bhagwat - this Parsad tasting nice though".
Later on Maco was to discover the psychedelic cake. Maco knew of the black cake, sponge cake, marble cake etc., but never yet had he set eyes on this cake all green in colour. He was to learn later that the psychedelic cake was made from Iguana eggs.
BOAR RAT-ITUDE.
Infestation in peaceful and innocent Green Hill! On Christmas Eve, a big Government Boar-rat shared out lands at Green Hill Estate (we better call it Boar Ratville now) and all the boar-rats get 10 acres apiece for their Xmas. Listen to the selection:-
Who have big cars; who government work; who have trawler; who have Police work. Boy friend and girl friend - thin and tall; short and fat - all descriptions of rats. The poor people in real need of these lands were told that when they were able to buy whisky they might have better luck. That is boar rat-itude eh? But we waiting to see if the ticks, fleas and kalarat [word?] up there will make good rat food although we know it is the coconut they are after. And worse again 19 of them get land and 5 more to get and then half of them not speaking to each other so is more boar rat-itude. You know when mouth open....tory does jump out... Well maco waiting.
Boar rats in the Action Committee - On Xmas night the President fight 7 medium size boar rats and in the heat o' excitement the Vice President "throw away" his body. That is boar rat. But like the President is a bigger boar rat you know the next night he nearly fight again, this time in Union Street. So Union Street have all the boar rats eh? Take for instance the football boar rat with 5 pairs of boots under his bed and he aint buy one; the one time desoline boar rat; the gambling boar rats; and oh yes! the Inspector boar rat. That place is "Boar-Rat Avenue".
I see we have cowboy boar rats now and they are shooting it out down Icacos. Then the sexy old boar rat who sexcitingly invited a young one to "let's have fun". Anyway I see a new boar rat at the diesoline pump and I understand the tank is to be relabelled "Boar Rat & Sons Ltd." So much boar-ratitude? Lord, oh Lord...have mercy on this town without pity!
E - Ras - Mus B Black (He ass must be black)
When you spend 3 months in America, you must come back and talk Yankee.
From now on a good Cedrosian hobby (something like an All Fours Game) will be to count the number of pot holes in the road. Let us start. There are over 100 between Icacos and (guess where?)
Icacos steel band. Are they dead or living?
Unions on the estate are always fighting for what? Certainly not the good of the working man. They are now on a go slow - helping Cavalie [word?] tide to steal more nuts?
[Page 7]
THE CEDROS HOSPITAL ISSUE - ANOTHER VIEW
R.O. Thackoorie.
The Cedros District Hospital was closed down more than two years ago and ever since there has been protests and agitation for its re-opening. There are three main points at which the protesters base their case.
1. The Hospital existed long before the present Government. The Government should not take away from the people what they had before.
2. The nearest Hospital at Point Fortin is too far away for the people of Cedros.
3. Transportation cost and difficulty to Point Fortin.
Let us examine the arguments for and against the re-opening of the Hospital before we decide which side to support.
No. 1. above is clearly untenable. If we are to rationalize our Health Services and bring it up to date; this by definition require re-building, relocating etc. We cannot set out indiscriminately to preserve all our old institutions. If we did that we would still have been colonials. We would never build new bridges or straighten old roads etc.
Point No. 2 is untenable also. The Cedros Hospital was never a real hospital. It was too ill-equipped for that. That was only a glorified name given to a building. There was little or no medicine. No modern clinical or therapeutic facilities such as X-rays. The doctor's position was hardly better than now. The result was that real Hospital services was available only at San Fernando. From this point of view the Point Fortin Hospital instead of being too far has actually cut the distance and cost by more than half. Cedros has hardly lost anything compared to the modern well equipped facilities now available to the public at Point Fortin. The building is still there at Cedros and First Aid, Maternity and Emergency cases such as can be handled are still dealt with there.
Point No. 3 is the only fairly reasonable argument. But only in a very weak sense. Cost has already been dealt with above. While transport has scarcely been better from Cedros to Point Fortin. Granted the roads are bad and transport may not be available when needed. But then this would be a case for demanding better roads and something like a 24 hour stand-by Ambulance Service available in all the villages of Cedros to all those who need it.
It seems therefore, that the case for re-opening of the Hospital cannot be justified on the grounds afore-mentioned, and if people are still pursuing the matter they must have their reason elsewhere.
Let us examine now the points for rationalization of the Health Services which involves modernizing, equipping and expanding at Point Fortin and closing down at Cedros.
1. Clearly our scarce resources do not allow us to operate the two Hospitals as hospitals should be. If we must have one then population wise the most logical place to service the whole of St Patrick is Point Fortin.
2. The Area Hospital at Point Fortin was a gift to the people by Shell Trinidad Ltd, and therefore, there was no choice in its location.
3. A well equipped Hospital at Point Fortin takes off some of the load from the very much over-loaded San F'do General Hospital. This could improve the service offered there for the benefit of the whole country.
On balance, the arguments are weighted heavily against those who would have the Cedros Hospital re-instated. There are those who would say "let us fight for Cedros and let Point Fortin see for themselves." We must guard against this view. It is too insular, selfish and narrow-minded. It is an extreme re-action to our long history of Governmental neglect. Hospitals are not like Community Centres or Recreation grounds, where we have a right to demand one in every village. As citizens of Trinidad and Tobago we have a responsibility to the whole country which we must not abdicate. Otherwise we would be guilty of the same thing for which we are criticising the Government.
Let us not dissipate our energies in irrelevant issues while there are more pressing matters that need our attention. Let the Hospital issue alone. It is (P.T.O.)
[Page 8]
Your Cedros Crossword Puzzle: WIN $5.00!
Rules for entry....
1. Cut out Cross word puzzle section fill in the answers from the clues given.
2. Your entry fee is 10 cts.
3. Put your name and address.
4. Post to the Presbytery or to Mr. Alfred Ramjohn, Esso. Co. Op. Gas station.
Name.................... Address ....................
[On this copy the puzzle grid is filled in by hand in pencil.]
ACROSS: 1. Indians who lived in Icacos. 5. A man who compromises never uses this word. 7. You may have one at home. 9. The Commissioner of Police recently spoke on this subject. 12. I don't wash my face in it but I certainly wash my panties. 13. I am not a male nor a female but neuter in sex. 18. Cedrosians should drink this but they do not. 19. This is Cedros or rather we are surrounded by it.
DOWN: 2. There are few in Cedros but when there is we need one. 3. You command an animal to stop and therefore you say? 4. If you are a footballer you do this. 6. The children in our school often relax in this way. 8. Another local word for haircut. 10. Many of these are stolen in Cedros. 11. Many people talk 'for so' but they fail to .... things. 14. If your bath under the pipe this certainly happens to you. 15. Fishing has many problems what is the .......? 16. When baked this fish is delightful to eat. 17. From now on Cedrosians must think less of 'I' and more [clue ends at the page edge as preserved]
[Foot of page 8 — conclusion of "The Cedros Hospital Issue — Another View," from page 7:]
...a retrograde step. It has a lot of emotional and sentimental appeal however, and I suspect that there are a few last generation politicians who want to use it to resurrect themselves.
The closing down of the Cedros Hospital does not vindicate the Government however. The Health Services of the Country are in a mess. Nothing of the resignation of the present Minister of Health should be demanded [as printed]. A new and dynamic approach is needed and the present incumbent has failed even to give a little hope. Just imagine the Prime Minister has to attend to Nurses' hemlines.
Hospital apart, the Health Services of Cedros are far from satisfactory. No resident doctor at the Health Centres on prescribed days. Lack of medicine, bandages, dressings etc. Dilapidated Health office buildings etc. The list is long. These are the things we should be getting together to demand immediately.