WEST INDIES 



CO-OPERATION IN ANTIGUA (i) : AN OBJECT I^ESSON. 



By W. R. DUNLOP, 



Scientific Assistant, Imperial Department of Agriculture. 



One of the most striking features of social and economic interest in 

 Antigua — in fact in the whole of the West Indies — is the strong tendency 

 in that island towards agricultural co-operation. The tendency there is 

 much stronger than in any other West Indian island, and the reason for it 

 is not difficult to find : Antigua has known to a greater extent than the other 

 islands what adversity means. Subject to severe droughts and possessing 

 in any case a limited rainfall on account of the island's topography, Anti- 

 gua has experienced bad years. Furthermore this island has been largely 

 dependent upon one industry — sugar production ; and the low prices that 

 have ruled for this product before the war and the relatively high cost of 

 production have rendered it absolutely necessary to adopt economical me- 

 thods. 



The cumulative result has been to engender in the minds of planters a 

 sympathetic attitude towards co-operation and the application of science, 

 such as does not exist to the same extent elsewhere. This is shown by the 

 close relationship that exists between the Department of Agriculture and the 

 Agricultural and Commercial Society, and by the energetic and progressive 

 work effected by both of these bodies for many years past. 



The greatest and first example shown by Antigua in connection with 

 the value of combination is to be found in the Antigua (Gunthorpes) Central 

 Sugar Factory. The history of this factory has been dealt with in the West 

 Indian Bulletin on several occasions by Dr. Francis Watts, C. M. G., who 

 was largely responsible for its establishment. Suffice it to say that it had its 

 origin in 1903 in a series of agreements between a group of owners of sugar 

 estates and a company formed in London. It was arranged that the contract- 

 ing proprietors should receive a first payment on their canes with a division 

 of profits at the end of each season. The scheme was supported by the gov- 

 ernment to the extent of what now amounts to a free grant of £ 15,000. The 



(i) Written from information in the files of the Imperial Department of Agriculture 

 for the West Indies by direction of the Imperial Commissioner, 



