164 TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO BULLETIN. \XIX. 3. 



you that the Government is helping you. It remains for 3'ou to take 

 full advantage of the help provided and put it to practical use. 



Another point to which I directed attention last year is that of 

 growing food crops. I said then " Keep a part of your land for food 

 crops. Whilst cacao is high in price and crops good you can perhaps 

 afford to buy food, but when cacao drops or crops are poor, you may not 

 have the ready money and that often means borrowing at the shop and 

 too often leads to debt and possible loss of your property." This is a 

 year when cacao has dropped in price, and those of 3'ou who have 

 grown food crops will be ver^' thankful for them in the period between 

 now and October when the next cacao crop will begin to come in. If 

 you have grown more than you want for your own use you will have no 

 •difficulty in selling them. To assist you in such matters tlie Government 

 as you know started a Ground Provisions Depot in Port-of- Spain in 1917. 

 It began in a small way but has grown, and for the six months ending 

 with June 30 last its sales were $2Q,0o7 an average of |4,343 a 

 :nionth. All that is necessary for you is to send your produce by rail, 

 with a printed ticket which you can get from the Collector of your 

 station, and an order for the full value of 3'our consignment, payable by 

 your own Collector, will be sent 3'ou promptly. 



A contented and prosperous peasantry free from the oppression of 

 the money lender is an important asset in the welfare of the Colony. 



These competitions, as part of the work of the Department of 

 Agriculture, are intended to help you to be more prosperous than you 

 •are. Some of you have profited by the assistance offered you and it is 

 I)leashig to note from the judges' report that those living near previous 

 prize winners have followed their example, worked hard this year, and 

 become prize winners themselves. I trust this year's jirize winners will 

 cause their neiglibours in turn to become better cultivators, and so the 

 standard of the whole district will gradually be raised to the advantage 

 of each cultivator personally and of the Colony as a whole. 



The Certificates and prize mone}' were then distributed by the 

 Acting Governor. 



THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS. 



His Excellency said it was a great pleasure to be with them again 

 and he hoped he would have the pleasure of returning at some future 

 date. It was very gratifying to him to listen to the very interesting 

 and satisfactory report of the judges on the recent competition ; it 

 showed that these competitions were doing very useful work. He hoped 

 that at the next competition there would be a prize winner from 

 Guayaguayare. He did not propose speaking at any length as he felt 

 sure that tliey were all looking forward to listening to the Band. He 

 ■wi^^hed them the best of luck and hoped to be back soon. 



VOTE OF THANKS. 

 Mr. A. Lazarri moved a vote of thanks to His Excellency the Acting 

 •Governor, he said that they all fully appreciated the interest tiiat the 

 Government showed in the peasant proprietors and conti'actors and 

 had every reason to expect even better results next year. 



