"Bend or Break speech"

"Bend or Break speech"

On July 26, 1969, Sir Lynden O. Pinding, then Premier of The Bahamas, delivered this speech during an inspection tour at the official opening ceremony for the new Bahamas Oil Refinery Company (BORCO). This speech in history has been called the "Bend or Break Speech" and has long be said by officials in Grand Bahama to be the reason the lights went out at the "Magical Fair" that was the spark called Freeport.

Here is the entire speech:

“I am certainly delighted to be here this morning because what I see beginning on this site is not only the erection of an oil refinery but also the real true birth of a petro-chemical industry in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas Islands. I am delighted to be here because, if the industry develops as the proprietors hope it will be and I hope it will, not only will The Bahamas be able to meet from within its shores its own presently small needs of kerosene, gasoline, diesel and other fuel oils, but a most valuable export product will go forth to the world as a substantial earner of hard currency.

“It will be years yet, I know, before this ultimate objective is attained but all of us are looking years ahead, aren’t we?

“When completed this will be the second heavy manufacturing and processing industry to have been established in The Bahamas. The first was the cement plant now in production just a few miles from here, and which, together with this projected oil refinery, will have established a true base on which industrialization and diversification can proceed.

“So far, I have had nothing but the most cordial relationship with the owners of the enterprise. Early in 1967, a met Teodora Moscoso, a most distinguished gentleman from Puerto Rico, who outlined to me what was then being completed. He emphasized that it was the Company’s policy and desire that the Company’s plans would fit into the Government’s development programme, and that the proposed to work in complete accord with the Government.

“I have also met with representatives of New England Petroleum Corporation and Standard Oil Company of California who have repeated the early stand taken by Mr. Moscoso.

“When on a holiday visit to Puerto Rico in early 1968, I had occasion to visit the refinery of Commonwealth Oil of Puerto Rico and was impressed with its efficiency and with the overwhelming number of Puerto Ricans that were engaged at all levels in the refining operation. It took time to reach that situation in Puerto Rico and will take time here, but knowing it is done in Puerto Rico augers well for the future that it will be done in The Bahamas too. Indeed I have already been informed that this Company has agreed to offer four university scholarships in science or engineering as part of their progremme to ready Bahamians for the top jobs in this plant. Degrees in chemistry and mechanical engineering will be valuable assets in this undertaking.

“I therefore offer my hearty congratulations to Bahamas Oil; I wish them every success in their undertaking: I wholeheartedly welcome them as honest partners in the continued economic development of the Bahamas Islands: for I believe that the objectives of this Company includes the basic tenets expressed by the Minister of Development in the lines with which I opened my remarks.

“I wish I could have said the same about all enterprises here in Freeport. There are many people in The Bahamas who are participants in and interested in the economic development of The Bahamas. Not all of them, however, are cognizant of or interested in the economic and social welfare of Bahamian people. Far too few acknowledge and fewer still accept the fact that development must be shaped to fit the human and social needs of the country where it takes place.

“Far too may here adopt the attitude that they are guaranteed rights to make money and that is all that matters. Freeport has indeed been a miracle of economic development: it has indeed been a shining example of financial wizardry. What it lacks is humanity; what it needs is a social conscience: what is must have before too long, is a soul.

“I have always been concerned about this lack of a soul in Freeport; the absence of honest concern for the human and social needs of people. I was so concerned in the days when I stood alone. I had hoped that an early change would have been evident by now but I have been severely disappointed.

“It is a fundamental part of my basic political philosophy that people are more important than things; that men are more important than machines. In this City where, regrettably almost anything goes, where, promisingly, some economic opportunities have come to Bahamians, Bahamians are nevertheless, still the victims of an unbending social order which, if it now refuses to bend, must now be broken.”

“It is abundantly clear that to developers in this area Bahamian people do not matter. For instance, one set of developers have built a system of canals surrounding an old Bahamian Community. Traditionally, the area had fresh water, which amply supplied local needs. But the canals have apparently burst the fresh water lenses and the ground water in the area is now sour. There is no way that the water lenses can be repaired so, since ancient water rights have been disturbed, piped water should be supplied to the area. It should be supplied to the local public free of charge, and there should only be a charge in the event of a house being connected to the main supply.

“Since the surrounding canals were dug through, what was once a swash of sawgrass, the land had to be built up above the high water mark. The traditional community, which now lies between high sand ridge on the ocean front that the new high land built between the canals, is a pond whenever there is heavy rain.

“The most serious aspect of the socio-economic life in Freeport is the appalling situation now prevailing in housing. Freeport is a well-planned city – so well planned in fact that it appears that it was intended to plan the Bahamian right out of it. I had very much hoped that the events of the last few years would have been sufficient to impress on developers, apartments owners and real estate agents that I could not stand idly by and watch a haven of economic success spring up in Freeport and ghettos develop around it; I had very much hoped that serious steps would have been taken to solve the long-standing problem of housing Bahamians here, but these hopes have been dashed to the ground.

“Ever since the Representative for Grand Bahama reported to me in February last the Matson incident, I have been quietly investigating the housing situation here. I have had investigated the recent complaints against Drummond Realty International Limited and Graham Associates, and I had no doubt that the report in each case was substantially correct. It appears all too clearly that house and apartment owners give instructions to estate agents not to sell or rent to “dark” Bahamians; that rents in  Freeport are kept artificially high to out-price the ordinary Bahamians; and that agents voluntarily are going along with this vicious game.

“I cannot believe those of you who have substantial investment in Freeport either want or approve of this state of affairs. I cannot believe that those of you who are decent and honourable will allow fly-by-night, get-rich quick, speculators to spoil the whole barrel of sound apples. I cannot any longer take anybody’s word that they are going to do something about it: I will have to do something about it myself.

“I am told that there are a number of empty apartments in Freeport. If that is so, let us see how long they remain empty. If the law of supply and demand operates in the rental business here, then the prices should soon come down and be within the reach of ordinary Bahamians. The tragedy is of course that the building boom was not really intended to take account of the housing need of the ordinary Bahamian in Freeport.

“The question of the desirability or undesirability of the companies, owners, and agents involved is now a material part of the investigation which will be concluded soon. Builders-Investors are to know from today that they should not build if they do not wish their apartments rented to black Bahamians: agents are to know that from today that any such instructions from owners are inoperable: and everyone should know from today that anyone who does so is a persona non grata as far as this Country is concerned and can play no useful part here.

“I cannot help but feel that, if there were more Bahamians engaged in the real estate business, most of this foolishness would have ended long ago. This might well mean that apartment building figures might be less spectacular but it will certainly mean a reduction in the chances of an explosion.

“Another area of discrimination here is the entertainment field. When they come to Freeport, everyone looks for Bahamian music and entertainment but the proprietors of places of entertainment have other ideas. There are indications that some places want particular kinds of bands because they wish to create a certain atmosphere. There may well be truth in this because I have already seen a clause in a license whereby a store couldn’t hire anybody if they didn’t have Northern European features: Perhaps there are clauses which indicate where bands and entertainers come from.

“Let the words go forth that contract clauses like that will not be enforceable in these Bahama Islands; they are against public policy and so they can be forgotten. Let it be repeated that our development objectives are directed towards opening u greater economic and social opportunities for the Bahamian Citizen … In order to achieve these objectives, the development programme must be shaped to fit the economy in which it is operating. The character and soul of this community must be Bahamian.

“On our part, I am satisfied that the existing facilities of our law enforcement agency are inadequate to cope with what is already here and the expected continued orderly growth. It is also clear that the influx of so many people from so many parts of the world has demanded a high degree of sophistication. It is our hope therefore, to provide the Island of Grand Bahama with the type of police protection that it deserves and to this end the establishment here will be increased by another 50 men before the end of the year, the supernumerary policy will in the meantime be disbanded.

“The voluntary fire-service in Freeport will be taken over by the Police, a mobile division will be established and the investigative and intelligence branches will be boosted up. A brand new top level officer will be placed in over-all command and his job will be clearly and specifically defined to clean up this city.  At the same time, other agencies of the Government will get much needed personnel assistance.

“As we form new partnerships in the development of the Bahamian economy, as we strive toward developing a truly fine mixed Bahamian society, let me emphasize that there is room for all men of goodwill. There is no room for the rest.”

Sir Lynden O Pindling as Premier in 1967 at the opening of the Grand Waterway in Freeport.

(We want to say thanks to Mr. Spencer Mallory of Island Treasures Real Estate for lending his copy of The Freeport News for this piece. Thanks to The Freeport News for reprinting this in the 50th Year Anniversary of Freeport back in 2005. Also again thanks to oldbahamas.com where you can go to purchase these photos if you desire in good quality resolution. Check out their pages http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.oldbahamas.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/LucayanWaterway.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.oldbahamas.com/id34.html&usg=__VV25T9PrtkB6NhY12VgIGQ69AbQ=&h=850&w=687&sz=146&hl=en&start=6&sig2=zv-YtrfvgxDVACFsYRBlqg&zoom=1&tbnid=G9xfvc_im4ARAM:&tbnh=145&tbnw=117&ei=jmtxUvnXJYXLsQTg6ICAAw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dopening%2Bof%2Bborco%2B1969%26um%3D1%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26hl%3Den%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&sa=X&ved=0CDYQrQMwBQ.)