186 AGRICULTURE IN THE TROPICS [PT. Ill 



been found to be eminently suited to some one industry, into 

 which there has then been a rush, other industries being 

 neglected in favour of the one which pays best, as is inevitable. 

 Such cases have been or are the old cotton industry of slavery 

 days in the southern United States, the sugar industry of the 

 West Indies, the coffee industry of Ceylon, and now to a less 

 marked degree the tea industry of that colony. 



In such a state of matters, the local market is usually a 

 very small one, the industry depends upon external markets, 

 and there is a large export trade. The success of the industry 

 is also as a rule dependent upon a large supply of cheap labour. 

 A survey of the tropical countries which export large quantities 

 of produce shows that the export has a direct relation to the 

 abundance and cheapness of the labour supply, and countries 

 which have not abundant local labour must import it if they 

 are to take much part in trade. Some approximate figures, 

 given lately by Mr Ireland in the Times, illustrate this. Of 

 the countries in which there is a pressure of population, Java 

 exports produce to the value of 105. per head per annum, 

 Barbados 95s. Of the countries employing imported labour, 

 Hawaii exports 520s. per head, the Federated Malay States, 170s., 

 British Guiana, 120s., while of the independent tropical States, 

 Brazil exports 30s. per head, Siam, 10s. 



With such an agricultural industry, the country or district 

 may be as much in a state of exploitation as if it were dependent 

 upon mining, if not more so. During its most prosperous periods, 

 the profits are to a greater or less extent taken out of the 

 country by the planters, the imported coolies, the foreign money- 

 lenders, and others. The finest soils and the best forests are 

 liable to ruthless destruction if the Government be not strong 

 enough to resist popular clamour for the opening of fresh land 

 in time of great prosperity of particular industries. 



The prosperity of such large industries largely depends on 

 cheap labour and new land, and sooner or later over-production, 

 attacks of disease such as always tend to work havoc upon large 

 areas devoted to one crop, the opening up of new land in the 

 same or other countries, or the competition of countries with 

 cheaper labour or better methods, brings depression, if not even 



