Candidate for National Hero status

Tue, Feb 12, 2013

Editor: The Right Honourable Robert Milton Cato, former Premier and Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, should be a candidate for national hero status. He was born on 3rd June, 1915 and died on 10th February, 1997, the son of James Robert Cato and Harriet Wilmore McHutchinson, formerly of Chili Village, in close proximity to Georgetown.{{more}}

The Right Honourable Robert Milton Cato attended the Dorsetshire Hill Primary School. He won a government scholarship to the St Vincent Grammar School in 1928. He joined the Canadian army, attaining the rank of sergeant during the second world war, and saw active service in France, Belgium and Germany. At the conclusion of the war, he was admitted to the Middle Temple University and called to the Bar in 1948. He returned to St Vincent later that year; he entered into private practice as a lawyer and soon began to take an active part in the political life of the country.

In 1955, Mr Cato organized the St Vincent Labour Party and following the success of his party at the polls in 1966, he became Chief Minister in that year until 1969, when as a result of the country becoming a state in association with Britain, he became the first premier, and in 1979, he became our first prime minister after leading the country into independence.

The Right Honourable Robert Milton Cato was a hero in his lifetime; two former political veterans sat at his feet and he had the wisdom and vision to take a humble farmer and shopkeeper Offord Morris by name, of Lowmans Wd to defeat two former giants in Vincentian politics, namely E.T. Joshua and Sir James Mitchell. Mr Cato laid the economic and educational foundation on which this nation now stands.

1. He nationalized the airport and seaport for his government to raise revenue to develop the poor.

2. He built the Nursing School and the Technical College.

3. The National Lottery for Sport and Culture is a symbol of his love and care for SVG youths.

4. His desire was to ensure every sportsman and sportswomen who represent St Vincent and the Grenadines be gainfully employed.

5. The Provident Fund, now National Insurance Service.

6. The National Commercial Bank, now Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

7. His home building programme gives sustenance to a new emerging middle class.

8. His effort to diversify around agriculture, pioneer Offshore Banking and Resort Tourism.

9. His electrification and industrialization programme, like Campden Park Industrial site, gives us a modern transportation system.

Mr Cato’s political, economical and social programme reflect his national democratic socialist philosophy, a character of ambition and drive to give service to his country: he is our father of independence. The Right Honourable Robert Milton Cato deceased truly deserves consideration as a candidate for National Hero status.

John Thompson and Edgar Lewis