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liis views as a student and as a chemist. Whatever had hap- 

 jjened in the past, the future of the industry depended on what 

 Jamaica could do for it and what the people living here were 

 capable of getting out of the soil. A new state of things had arisen 

 in connection with the industry and it was important that they 

 should try and arrive at some accurate method of showing what the 

 commercial security for Jamaica was under suitable soil and other con- 

 ditions. There were certain districts in the island where they could 

 not grow bananas — certain districts which nature seemed to have se- 

 lected for the cultivation of cane, and it was for these special districts 

 that the future had a great deal in store for Jamaica. When he came 

 here he was told that the Island needed an agricultural chemist to 

 work up the soil, but he found that all that was needed was to 

 help the soil to do its best. If they could get a reasonably se- 

 cured distribution of water in the Vere Irrigation area they would have 

 a magnificent stretch of land that would grow canes perhaps at a lower 

 price than in any island in the West Indies. If they also got a mo- 

 derate system of irrigation on a few of the estates on the northside, 

 and had the machinery worked by steam, with all the latest appliances, 

 they would be able to throw down the gauntlet to any grower of 

 cane or beet. He believed they could produce a ton of crude sugar 

 from the juice of the sugar cane at a cheaper rate than could be 

 done anywhere else. There was another point, if they could only 

 maintain the old prestige of Jamaican rum there was a reasonable se- 

 curity for it on many estates. Through the generosity of the Govern- 

 ment, even when funds were very low, they had appointed a Fermenta- 

 tion Chemist to study this subject. This gen'leman (Mr Allan), had 

 come out to Jamaica and was going round to the various estates. They 

 wanted to find out where rum was and how it was produced, and 

 in what direction they could improve the quality, and on some 

 estates, the quantity as well. There should be no variations on a rea- 

 sonably and accurately managed estate, and he hoped that certain estates 

 might be able to produce a certain high quality of commercial rum 

 with regularitj^ and security. 



Mr. Cork asked Sir Daniel Morris whether the majority of the cane 

 farmers in Trinidad were time-expired coolies or whether they were 

 Creoles. 



Sir D. Morris said that for the most part they were time-expired- 

 coolies and they rented lands in the neighbouring districts of the 

 estates. 



Mr. Sharp said that Sir Daniel Morris had stated that central facto- 

 ries might be a good thing to start in certain localities, and on the 

 other hand he stated that the starting of the sugar central factories 

 vsould affect the value of rum. 



Sir D. Morris said he thought the question was one which Mr. 

 Cousins could answer ; but the point was if they took all the sugar out 

 of the molasses they would have nothing left to make rum with. 



Mr. Olivier said he would state what the Government intended to do 

 with regard to the sugar industry this winter. They had been carry- 

 ing out experimental cane plots on a good many estates. They had 



