1957-81, Statutory rules and Orders for Antigua was printed at the Government Printing Office in Antigua ... by the Government Printer. Early in
this group of years, there was a Table of Contents for each volume, but it was just a list without page numbers. Beginning in 1965, there was no list or
title page at all, so the reader went straight to the first rule. Rule numbers were often skipped without explanation. Antigua was famous for
beautiful postage stamps and there were many statutory rules for stamp issues every year. The lifetime of the special issues was not long, but holders of
discontinued stamps could turn them in for current stamps of equal value. Annual proclamations were the proroguing of the Legislature and the
announcement of its next opening date, the closing date for the cotton season, several holidays [never identified], and the time and amount of property tax to
be collected. Rules that appeared every year in some form revolved around the courts, especially the rates of pay and pensions, and postal
regulations. Of note in 1957: there were over 50 pages of Workmen's Compensation orders, a fee structure for marine pilots, orders for the Defence Force
personnel, and some Emergency Powers from World War II were still in force and renewed. Antigua joined the Federation of the West Indies in 1958, Letters
Patent for the Leeward Island were published to take effect in mid-June of that year, there were health orders for privies, trash containers and
collection, open air markets, and cemeteries, a long order on an income tax, and a recital of emergency powers for local emergencies like hurricanes. In
1959, forbidden plants were listed, there was a long order on police personnel behavior and a midwifery order. In 1960, the Revision of Laws was ready
and a date for a census was established in May. Prohibited air space was defined. Aid to Pioneer Industries appeared; in an effort to create jobs
and to make the island more self sustaining, certain types of factories and production of many kinds of foodstuffs were given tax abatements, reduced or
no duty on machinery imports, and offered professional consultation. Lists of the favored were published nearly every year. There were election
orders, and large sections on education and civil aviation. In 1961, an "undesirable" person was named and was to be deported, but the order was revoked
later in the year. In 1962, complete midwifery rules were published, with a strong emphasis on cleanliness. There was a schedule of dangerous drugs
and orders about criminal use and dealing. Property tax started in December 1962, so there were notices about the time and amount of collection every
year thereafter. The Federation of the West Indies failed over payment of the costs of government, so, by Statutory Instrument, a Commissioner was
named as the chief administrator of the colony, followed by other Statutory Instruments reorganizing the court system. In 1963, there were orders on
betting and gaming, especially in regard to tourists. There was to be no alcohol in the gaming rooms. In 1964, there were only two orders, each for
Holberton Hospital. In 1966, there were orders for death penalty appeals, and orders for development schemes for several towns. In 1967, personnel
procedures for the Public Service Commission, the West Indies Associated States Supreme Court, and the police force were published by copying pages from
the Gazette. On March 18, 1968, a state of emergency was declared, but not defined; it was over on March 20th; it included a long list of do's and
dont's for the population. There were 103 p. of rules for the Court of Appeals and several Supreme Court orders affecting specific islands. The
Caribbean Free Trade Association and the Eastern Caribbean Common Market were defined and functioning on May 1. Other islands joined in August and Belize
came in in 1971. In April of 1969, a Minimum Wage order was published, but oil workers were exempted later in the year. There were 53 p. of Harbour
orders. In 1970, the publishers chose a new font and maybe new paper because the pages were much easier to read. A census was ordered in May and a
Constituencies Committee set up to re-district the country as necessary. Social Security was established in 1972, which led to a flurry of orders over
the next several years to cover classes of persons entitled to the benefit. In 1973, there were firearms orders and a Marine Preservation Reserve was
established. The Port Authority was created. In 1974, there were 14 p. of condominium orders, with special attention to "non-belongers," meaning
foreigners who owned property in Antigua. This class received attention in subsequent years also. There 49 pages of traffic signs and where to put
them. In 1975, higher education loans were offered at 6%, an order published on cattle trespass, an order on import licenses, with a schedule of items,
voter registration forms, and 17 pages on hospital fees. There also was a notice that a particular area of land was to be examined to determine who
owned what and to regularize the land records. These notices continued to appear for other parts of the landscape. In 1976, mallard ducks, of all birds,
were put on a protected list. There were 13 p. of orders about the postal service, Rules of Procedure for the Industrial Court, a schedule of
products entitled to Fiscal Incentives, and a long list of revoked stamps. The Barbuda Local Government Act went into effect on December 23, and a
Statutory Instrument announced that Antigua would honor the U.K.'s extradition treaty with Finland. 1977 was a big year, because the Queen visited in October
and generated a flurry of stamps. The Constituencies Committee revised 3 jurisdictions, there were more orders about Industrial Court procedure, and
fee schedules for trademark and patent protections were provided. Several species of doves and one specie of duck were protected and there were 48
pages of Port Authority orders. There were 2 volumes of 1978 orders. There were four orders to protect lobsters and fish, many pages of property tax
information, and a proclamation declared the medical benefit was in force. [This generated a lot of orders downstream.] In the second volume, a $53
million annual budget was published and a tax announced on event tickets and any tickets from Antigua to elsewhere. In 1979, there were 11 pages of
Social Security Questions and an appeals procedure, an order about the Reciprocal Enforcement of Judgments, and three orders for a May census, plus a 13
page report from the Constituencies Committee. In 1980, the Port Authority issued orders for small craft, and there were orders for the medical
benefit system. There was a schedule of fees for firearms and for work permits. An accountant's license was $1,000, a hairdresser had to pay $500,
laborers $300, and a minister $10. If one wished to become a British citizen, the fee was $2,000. in 1981, there were 21 pages of changes to existing
laws, orders about the color and shape of license plates, two orders about the Deep Water Harbour, and a July 4 name change for the Supreme Court.
|